Chapter 126 Interrogation offshore
Chapter 126 Interrogation offshore
The salty sea breeze carried a faint chill as Vandal’s group stepped onto the weathered deck of the ship. Mei Mei moved with effortless grace. Her voice light and welcoming, she led them below deck to the lower quarters. Lanterns swayed gently from the beams, casting flickering shadows across the narrow corridors lined with modest cabins. The air smelled of damp wood, salt, and the lingering scent of fish from the cargo holds.
“Here we are,” Mei Mei said, gesturing toward a row of doors. “The men’s quarters are on the starboard side, and the women’s on the port. It’s more decent that way. We value propriety on these voyages, especially with mixed company.”
Sera immediately stepped closer to Chan, her hand brushing his arm. Sabine, standing beside Vandal, hesitated but nodded in quiet agreement with the idea of staying near the others. “We’d prefer to stay together,” Sabine said softly, her eyes flicking toward Vandal.
Mei Mei’s smile did not waver, but her tone grew firm, almost maternal. “I understand the desire for comfort in unfamiliar waters, but it simply is not proper. The women’s rooms are just across the hall. You will be safe and close enough.”
Chan, never one to let tension pass without his own brand of chaos, grinned broadly and clapped Vandal on the shoulder. “Come on, it is fine! Sabine and Vandal are basically together anyway. They are in a relationship. No harm in letting her bunk with him, right?”
The words landed like a sudden thunderclap in the quiet corridor.
Sabine’s face ignited with a deep, burning blush that spread from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest as vivid, unbidden images flooded her mind. The closeness of shared quarters, Vandal’s steady presence just an arm’s reach away, the quiet intimacy of the sea rocking them through the night. A tiny, involuntary squeak escaped her lips as she whispered to herself, “T-together in the same room with him…”
Vandal turned toward her, brow furrowed in mild confusion. “Sabine? What are you mumbling about?”
Panicked, Sabine darted behind Jaclynn, using the taller woman as a makeshift shield. “N-nothing!” she stammered, her voice muffled and shy. “It is nothing at all!”
Jaclynn stifled a small smile despite the underlying tension. Chan chuckled, clearly pleased with the reaction he had provoked. The air thickened with a mix of awkward warmth and budding embarrassment, a rare moment of levity that felt almost fragile against the unknown dangers ahead.
Mei Mei watched the exchange with keen, amused eyes. “How sweet. But rules are rules for now. We can discuss adjustments later if—”
She paused mid-sentence as a heavy realization seemed to settle over the group. “Ah, one more thing. We will not be departing immediately. We still need to offload all the cargo belonging to the Resonance Council. It will take some time, but once that is done, we will set sail north as promised.”
The words struck like ice water.
Chan broke out in an instant sweat. His usual bravado cracked as his face paled. Jaclynn’s hand tightened around the strap of her bag, her sharp eyes darting toward Vandal. Sera and Jaden exchanged wide-eyed, worried glances, while Sabine’s lingering blush faded into pure apprehension. The Resonance Council. The very name sent a ripple of dread through them all. They had just escaped the Fourth Fortress barely, and now they were standing on a ship tied directly to their pursuers?
This was a mistake, Sabine thought, her pulse racing for entirely different reasons now. We are trapped here. If they find out who we are…
The group turned as one toward Vandal. Their stares were heavy with silent pleas and apprehension. Do something. Say we leave. Now.
Vandal met their gazes calmly. His white hair caught the lantern light like frost. He shook his head slowly. “We can still leave on this boat if we need to. No one is forcing us to stay.”
Mei Mei, who had been observing the subtle eye contact and silent communication with growing curiosity, tilted her head playfully. “Why the sudden nervousness? I see all those meaningful glances toward your leader. Is something wrong? You keep communicating with just your eyes. It is quite adorable, really. Care to share?”
Chan forced out a loud, booming laugh that echoed a bit too forcefully in the corridor. “Nothing serious at all! Just sea jitters, you know? First time on a big vessel like this!” The others nodded quickly in agreement. Their voices overlapped in hasty reassurances. “Yeah, nothing to worry about.”
But the lie hung thick in the air. Mei Mei’s sharp instincts prickled. She could not quite put her finger on it. These travelers carried secrets, heavy ones, hidden behind polite smiles and nervous laughter. Her warm expression remained, but a glint of calculation flickered in her eyes. Interesting…
Before she could press further, a loud commotion erupted from topside. Shouts, the clank of armored boots on wood, and the authoritative bark of orders rang out. Mei Mei’s smile tightened. “Excuse me for a moment. Make yourselves comfortable. I will be right back.”
She ascended the stairs with graceful urgency and emerged onto the main deck. There, a squad of twelve elite guards stood in disciplined formation. Their full armor gleamed under the harbor lights.
At their head were two women Mei Mei instantly recognized: Lady Hamisa and Lady Safura, the formidable wives of Grand Elder Rajab. Their personal presence here meant something significant. Mei Mei’s mind raced. What could be important enough for them to come themselves?
“Lady Hamisa, Lady Safura,” Mei Mei greeted with a respectful bow of her head. Her voice remained smooth. “To what do we owe this honor? Is there something urgent?”
The two women wasted no time. Hamisa stepped forward, her expression cold and commanding. “Have you seen a group of six people? A white-haired boy is among them. These individuals are extremely dangerous. The Resonance Council has issued orders for their immediate execution. They must not escape.”
The words sent a jolt through Mei Mei, though her face betrayed nothing. Down below, the injured sailors, still encased in ice from the neck down, squirmed in silent agony. Their mutilated mouths leaked fresh blood.
One of them, driven by desperate survival instinct, managed to drag his frozen lower body forward with a horrifying scraping sound. He crawled toward the group of newcomers. Blood bubbled from his ruined mouth as he tried to mumble a warning. Garbled, wet sounds emerged. More crimson spilled down his chin.
Lady Safura’s sharp gaze shifted to the gruesome scene on the dock. “What happened to these sailors?”
Mei Mei answered calmly, her tone almost playful. “I was the one who injured them.”
Safura’s eyes narrowed as she took in the details, the swollen, bloody stumps where tongues had once been. The sailors’ eyes bulged with terror and pain. Their bodies twitched helplessly.
“Why did you mutilate them like this?” Safura demanded. Her voice was laced with suspicion and authority.