Chapter 144 Barren Shores - Craven's POV

Chapter 144 Barren Shores - Craven's POV
Days passed on the ship. All fourteen of us were on each other’s nerves.

Brantley spoke to one of Mira’s men, his voice quiet while Darren watched Thomas. Though he was…better, there was just something different about him now that he had come back to life.

I couldn’t explain it. Maybe it was the fact he died, or maybe it was because I knew that it shouldn’t be possible.

Mira did the unthinkable to get him back, and I would be grateful forever for what she did. He never deserved that. I’d make sure Corwin paid for it, too.

But there was something about Thomas that made me uneasy. He wasn’t acting like himself, but I couldn’t tell if that was because he was still recovering or if something had changed when he came back.

I hadn’t asked. I didn’t want to know.

My attention shifted toward the horizon. The mainland was just becoming visible now. It was a dark line in the distance that seemed to grow larger by the second.

Instead of heading straight for the Vampire Kingdom’s shores, we opted for the wooded area to the East. It shouldn’t be guarded and would be the best shot we had at getting in.

The closer we got, the more nervous everyone became. Or maybe that was just me.

I had spent the last few days thinking about what would happen when I finally saw my brother again. I had imagined killing him more times than I could count, but now that I was actually getting close, I wasn't sure what I would do.

I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to find Adele and take her away from him.

And if Corwin tried to stop me, I would kill him. That part was simple.

Everything else was complicated.

The boat slowed as we approached the shore, and I looked toward the trees. They were thick enough that it would be difficult to see anyone hiding among them, which was exactly what we needed.

"Do you see anything?" I asked.

Brantley shook his head. "No."

I glanced at the others, checking for confirmation, and they all gave me the same answer. “Then I guess it’s the fourteen of us.”

Brantley looked over his shoulder at me. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“It might be.”

One of Mira’s men laughed under his breath. I looked at him, and he stopped immediately, sucking in a breath.

“Something funny?”

“It should be only us going,” he murmured. “We couldn’t bring the entire village.”

“I know that,” I said loud enough for all to hear. “We would be seen too easily if it were everyone.”

Mira nodded, then looked at one of her men. I still hadn’t learned their names and hadn’t bothered. It wasn’t as if we had spoken much since leaving the Isle.

“They will probably arrive later,” another added.

I snapped my head in his direction. “What did you say?”

He glanced up at me. “Once this is done, everyone on the Isle will come. I’m sure they’re on their way now.”

“Why? We haven’t sent word or done anything to call for them.”

Mira shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. They believe in us to finish this, and we must, or they are traveling for nothing.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell them not to follow?”

Mira's expression changed slightly. “Because they wouldn't have listened.”

I stared at her in disbelief. “What do you mean, they wouldn't have listened?”

“They've already made their decision.”

“That doesn't make any sense,” I snapped.

“It does to them.”

I looked around the boat at the others. No one seemed surprised by what she had said.

That bothered me more than anything. “You all knew about this?”

Soren shrugged. “We knew they were going to come, and I said not to tell you, because you would worry even more than you already are. You have enough riding on you as it is to get Adele back.”

“How did I not—” I couldn’t even finish my sentence.

I had been so focused on the ring and the boat that I hadn’t even noticed what they were doing. And now, if we don’t win, they’ll all die when they land on the shores.

“We can’t lose.”

“As if we planned to,” Tyler added. “Come on. We need to start moving.”

I looked at Tyler. He was already moving toward the edge of the boat. The others followed without paying much attention to anything else.

I stayed where I was for another moment, staring at the water behind us. The Isle was long gone from sight.

Somewhere out there, people were preparing to follow us. They had no idea what they were walking into. They didn't know what waited on the mainland or how many vampires stood between them and the person we were trying to save.

They were trusting us. I didn't know if that made me feel better or worse.

“Craven.”

I looked up. Soren was watching me.

“What?”

“Come on,” he said with one motion of his hand.

I nodded and moved toward the side of the boat. Brantley was already standing in the shallow water, holding the boat steady while the others climbed out. I waited until everyone else had made it to shore before stepping over the side.

The cold water reached my knees. I ignored it. My eyes were already on the trees.

Nothing moved. I stepped onto the sand and immediately looked around. The beach was empty, so I paused.

“Wait.”

Everyone froze.

Brantley turned toward me. “What?”

I held up a hand. Something wasn't right.

I looked toward the trees, studying the shadows between them. The wind moved through the branches, but there was no other movement.

“Are you sure there won’t be any guards here?”

Soren chuckled. “No, they never go out this far.”

“And how would you know?” I asked, one brow arching.

He glanced at me and shook his head. “Because I studied the maps and figured out where patrols were before we were ever sent to the Isle. I made sure that if this moment came, we could return.”

I was in awe. “Soren, you never—”

“Told you?” He looked at Mira, his brow raising. “I didn’t, because I wasn’t sure if we would ever need to.”