Page 146 of Prince of the Phantom Sky

He thought it was Barron. Raiden swallowed, his winds coming at his call. His power unfurled like a coiled spring, tendrils looping around Kora’s waist, tugging her closer to him. She came willingly, her breathing uneven as Aryn and Aerion also retreated to his side.

Aerion’s matching labradorite suit to Raiden’s glistened with water, and he rolled his shoulders, raising his tattooed fingers. A faint shimmer pulsed, throwing up a barrier across the stretch of the shoreline.

Barron had targeted the north. He’d broken through the Mist.

They were fucked.

“It can’t be him,” Kora breathed. “It just can’t be.” Her fingers flew to the scar on the side of her face, followed by a deep frown.

“Never underestimate Bastion bloody Barron,” Raiden replied.

His veins pulsed, the well of his power unlocking, ready to be used. Kora fidgeted, crests in the ocean rising, the waters slowly raging as time passed.

“The four of us can’t defeat his army,” Aryn added, his longbow nocked and raised. The hazel in his eyes had evaporated, rings of pure gold lining his pupils.

“We can slow him down. Give the island a chance to survive.” Raiden hid the tremor in his voice. He wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready to break this blessed bubble with Kora. To return to the chaos.

Shadows roiled in the Mist, increasing in size as something approached. It creaked, the foghorn repeating. They were too far from the watchtower, the harpoons useless at that distance. There was no defensive unit here, only a few guards. Skybell Castle was empty, forgotten.

Raiden’s heart thudded, saliva collecting in his mouth. He raised a hand, ready to splinter the enemy in two, and green sails peeked through the Mist . . . followed by a flag of a skull wrapped in a lasso, and a harpy figurehead.

“Stand down!” Raiden ordered, and Aerion’s barrier vanished as Golden Harpy sailed through the Mist. Blood splattered the figurehead, the harpy’s wings splintered, half of one missing. Rips lined the fake green sails, and cannon holes decorated the side of the hull.

“By the gods,” Kora whispered.

The gangplank hit the sand, and two pirates dressed in patchwork yellow held Cassidy between them as they helped her down to the shore. Her ringlets were tied back, her face ashen and wan as she limped down. Her usual brown and yellow attire was sodden with dirt and blood.

And her lasso was missing.

“Thank gods you’re here,” Cassidy wheezed, reaching out. Aerion took her hand as what remained of her crew filed out onto the shore.

“Get down to the shore now! Casualties have arrived!” Raiden pushed out to whoever was listening. There weren’t many souls at Skybell, but any spare pair of hands would be welcomed.

“What happened?” Aerion propped up Cassidy as two pirates with similar pale faces and shaky hands organised her crew towards the castle. The infirmary was sparse, but held enough stock for a singular vessel of two-hundred sailors.

Golden Harpy was ruined. How the ship still sailed was a miracle. It was almost as bad as Leto’s Bone Rattler. Torn and scattered. Ripped and listing. And covered in blood.

“Barron,” Cassidy coughed, and Aryn rushed to her other side. “His fleet is dozens strong. Leto’s magic faltered for a moment. He used too much. Barron saw us. I-I tried, but I had to get my crew out of there.”

Raiden reassured her. He would never expect a single pirate lord to face Barron alone. “You made the right decision. Where’s Leto?”

“We split, hoping it would confuse Barron. He managed to summon enough magic to hide only his ship whilst I escaped into the Mist. But Raiden . . . Barron is coming. He’s heading straight to Mistros City.” Cassidy faltered, her blue eyes wide and watery. The lord sighed as the last of her crew disembarked, at least half the size of when they’d departed Mistros City. Guards filed out from Skybell Castle to help them inside.

Barron was targeting Mistros City. Raiden’s body tensed so much he nearly snapped. Aerion swallowed, their eyes meeting. Skylar was alone. She would be ambushed. She had an entire city, plus Windspire to protect.

And their father had left them. Disappeared to the Infernal Highland for some ridiculous, vague reason. He’d left them open to the shadows of evil. Rage battered within Raiden.

“We can’t wait. We need to leave, now,” Kora affirmed, her sparkle diminished, replaced with hard steel. The Huntress was ready.

“Agreed. Cassidy, you need to stay here. Keep Skybell safe. By the time we return, Mistros may already be seized. We’ll send any evacuees up here,” Aerion rushed. “Please, help them. Help us save Galen.”

Cassidy nodded. “You’ve granted us pirates a home here. I will protect it with my final breath. Time to fly, sons of Haizea.”

64

Kora

Raiden and Aerion flew the coastal route, stopping every couple of hours for rest, to race them back to Mistros City. Cassidy remained behind at Skybell, her haggard crew defending the heritage site from potential northern attacks. They had to save the city, Barron was heading right for them, he knew they were unprotected, that the Mist was weakening.