Crown of Thorns

Chapter Twenty-Two

The bottom of Aphrodisia, Day 98 A.F

I huddled in the back corner of the musty, unlit cell. The fresh sea air became stale and briney as it filtered to the lowest part of the vast ship. There was no light, not even a flickering candle. Perhaps that was for a reason. While protesting the lack of illumination, Tybira had expressed a desire to use any lanterns there might have been to burn through the wooden planks of the boat. I doubted her idea would have worked even if we'd had a flame. We were below the surface of the ocean. Water would pour in, extinguishing the light and drowning us. Tybira had relentlessly searched for an escape, desperate to be reunited with the wolves that had been taken gods know where. Her drive was likely the reason she'd been taken away first.

Simply a day after leaving us in this chamber, without any food or water, Scraggly-Beard had opened the heavy wooden door, claiming that The Nōachs had requested Fauna's presence. Tybira had fought like a wildcat, clawing, biting and thrashing. Enki did his best to aid her, but he was unable to muster a single illusion. It took six mortal men to drag Tybira away. She'd yet to return, but Enki insisted she was still alive.

Cyprian had been taken away next. After Tybira's failed struggle, Cyp walked calmly out of the chamber when asked. He knew better than to waste energy fighting mortals when it would be better spent on the twins. I knew that if Cyprian were to die, he'd want it to be here, on an Atlantian ship as he'd been meant to before Matthew had whisked him away.

The Fool had wasted no time escaping, even to offer aid to any of us. He'd docilly followed Cyprian's so-called brothers, so well behaved that they hadn't even bothered to restrain him as they led us to our holding cell. However, as soon as they stepped away, Matthew vanished into thin air. He'd astral projected, as Enki called it, moving through the many planes of the universe and arriving wherever he wished. I didn't care how The Magician described it. The Fool had abandoned us. There was no way to phrase his desertion that would make it seem to be anything other than a cowardly betrayal. I'd tried numerous times to contact Matthew through whatever mental link we seemed to share, but to no avail.

Matthew? Answer me, Fool! How dare you leave me here?

"Those lunatics don't even need to take me out of here. This is torment enough," Enki moaned, leaning his head weakly against the wall of the ship. Although my eyes had adjusted greatly, I needed to squint to focus on The Magician. Even through the dark, I could see how pale he was. It might have been Tybira who'd never stepped foot on a boat, but it was Enki fairing the worst. He'd fallen seasick shortly after arriving, and had been in a nauseated daze ever since, hardly able to open his eyes, let alone produce an illusion.

The darkness was suffocating, choking me with the shadowy memories of Amire's laboratory. The ocean scent often morphed into the unmistakable odor of death, or burning acid and strangled me. There were times when I was certain I heard the ominous rattle of Shiva's wings, or could feel the cold bite of metal against my neck. If ever I managed to drift off, my exhausted body forcing sleep upon me, I'd be thrown awake by Lalita's scream.

The first time my eyes had snapped open and I hugged my knees to my chest, panting, Enki had attempted to soothe me, murmuring comfort between his own pained groans. Cyprian had yet to be summoned, so The Hanged Man rubbed my back gently. I knew he remembered that time he'd helped me fall asleep the night before I'd found Matthew, that spinless deserter. Shiva's whispering voice still haunted my ears. I was caught in a constant state of blind panic and debilitating grief, rendering any hope of sleep impossible. I wondered deliriously if I'd die of dehydration before The Lovers came for me. My stomach told me that would be less painful, but Lady Lotus begged to go down fighting, taking my enemies with me to the afterlife.