Heir of the Gods

Ch. 46: On the Wrong Foot

Cassia lowered her hand and sat in the boat, her eyes trained on Elias' back until he disappeared around the foot of the chalky white cliffs that protected Levitum's port. It had been a shock—and an unpleasant one at that—to see him there, chasing after her like one of Malitech's hunting dogs.

Behind her, Nasir began to swear, stripping off his sodden cloak and throwing it into the bottom of the boat with a wet smack. Cassia shivered against the cold leaching from her own soaked clothes. She hadn't been planning on going for a swim this morning.

They'd had to leave earlier than initially thought, once Corax got wind of the raid on Nasir's frigate. Askari—the man who had accompanied Nasir to the tavern last night—hadn't had the time to get to the beach.

Cassia began to wring out the edge of her cloak, grimacing at the squish of water in her boots. As the boat began to make its way toward the caravel, Cassia stared back toward Levitum, her heart pounding wildly in her throat. Her blood seemed to shimmer in her veins, her breath coming hard. Part of it was due to the wild dash from the Raven's Well to the sea. The rest was excitement.

Excitement and fear at finally setting sail. She was leaving everything she had ever known behind. There was nothing and no one left to catch her if she fell.

Fingers suddenly knotted in her hair. A startled yelp burst from her as she was jerked backwards. Craning her head, she found Askari snarling down at her, his dark eyes filled with fury. Something sparkled in the corner of her eye. A knife, she realized as it came closer. She stopped trying to pry his fingers loose from her hair, her hand instead latching onto his wrist, halting the knife's progress toward her throat.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, fury filling her so abruptly she felt almost like she might float.

"It was a trap," Askari said, wrenching her head farther back. The muscles in Cassia's arm began to tremble as he pressed the knife closer. "Corax used his bitch to try and kill you."

Cassia's scalp was screaming as she struggled against the man. At the edge of her vision, she could see Nasir sitting on one of the benches, a frown on his face. There would be no help for her there.

Keep that hidden.

A million thoughts jumbled through her mind, but she latched on to the most important. Left boot.

Much to her horror, Askari's knife surged closer. A whimper slipped from her mouth as she leaned back into him, trying to escape the deadly edge. The fingers of her free hand slipped down her own leg, straining toward the shaft of her boot.

Tears sprang to her eyes when the smooth, cool hilt of the knife she'd put there this morning met the tips of her fingers. Baring her teeth, she yanked the blade from her boot and stabbed wildly downward. A yowl of pain pierced her ear and Askari's hands flew away from her. Cassia lurched upright, taking the knife with her. The Sorian screamed as it was pulled from the flesh of his outer thigh. 

The boat rocked wildly, nearly sending her back into the ocean as she scrambled away. Panting, her scalp on fire and fear wrapping dangerous coils around her throat, Cassia retreated to the stern of the boat, bloody knife held aloft. Nasir hadn't moved, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully while Askari swore and clutched at his wounded leg.

After a moment to regain control of herself, Cassia swallowed hard. "You had best warn your men that I will demand a price of blood from any who would touch me." 

She shot a glare at Askari and, meeting his eyes, slowly used the edge of her cloak to clean his blood from the knife Corax had given to her yesterday. Hatred flared hot in his eyes and he opened his mouth, but she had already turned her attention back to Nasir.