Preface
Silent tears streamed down my cheeks as I braced myself for the worst.
Heiress of blood...
I tensed at the unexpected voice.
Heiress... you are not defenseless.
I squeezed my eyes shut against the alluring voice that was and wasn’t mine. It was the same voice that had craved the eidolon’s bond. The voice of the beast at my core.
It waited silently, though I could feel its growing impatience.
How? I asked it.
Because you are ours. It said it as if it purred in pleasure. Because you were born to us, just as we are bound to you.
I winced at the possessive nature of its words.
The door crashed again, and wood splintered around the top hinge.
What do you want? I asked.
Want? The voice took on an inky, slimy quality, as it almost chuckled. To survive.
CRACK!
The door began to splinter apart, and I gasped louder than I intended. The sounds outside paused.
“Did ye hear that?” The second voice asked.
“I think there’s someone in there…” The first said in a singsong voice. “Come out, come out, little rat.”
Had Leander seen that some of the pirates had gone below the deck? Did he know to come for me? Or was he busy just trying to survive himself? Assuming that the lock on the door would be enough to deter anyone who found it?
Caspian was wrong, and I couldn’t summon him back. They were going to find me, and I didn’t even know where he was to scream for help.
Use us. The magic demanded, no longer waiting for permission as it surged.
