**DAPHNE**
Once again, we are deep within the purple hues of nightfall when we pass through the Lands of Cinder. The sounds of battle and the war cries of the Fae are a shadow of a whisper upon the wind. Gold and orange lights play behind the rocks that climb up from the earth along the tinted shoreline. A modern dancing of colors showing a bounce of magic being passed between positions on the land. I am mesmerized by it, gawking like a frightened doe in the meadow that listens for a hunter on the move.
"The Cinder are at war with the Winter Fae, but what you are hearing now is a rally toward onward battle. A fight squadron preparing to move," Ash hisses from behind me, grabbing the back of my tunic and yanking me away from the hull of the ship. "They are not yet fighting, but it would do you well to go below and remain out of sight. They will certainly be traveling by river, as I have yet to grant permission for passage through Rekyr. So, stay the fuck back. I'll not have you sighted, as wanton as you are."
I gasp in annoyance, glaring at him in anger. That most certainly sounded like an underhanded insult. His muscles are tense, a mask of indifference plain on his handsome face.
"I don't want to go below," I snap. "I refuse to rest without you."
For a very soft moment, I see tenderness in his features. But as quickly as it was there, it is gone. The set of his lips becomes a grim line and a muscle ticks in his jaw. "You do not need me to help you rest."
Ash's eyes are unfocused, scanning the land beyond the river as if he anticipates the arrival of troops. His silver gaze glows dark with magic as he steps away from me and back toward the helm. Eyes dark and cupped with bruising, I fear he has grown more and more tired as our traveling has worn on. He hasn't slept, not really, and I wonder for a moment if Fae princes ever faint. Because just the sway of his feet as he summons his magic to push upon the sails tells me that he is utterly and completely drained.
We stare at each other for a breadth of a second as he resumes his place behind Finn at the wheel. What I see there is more than anger. It is grief. Over what? That I do not know. But I trust Aquini’s words, so if the price of destiny be that Ash is a little upset for a while, then so it must be.
Still, I blame his tiredness and my own for what happens next.
As I turn toward my right to gain sight of Klyesque, I am tumbled, my body spiraling and heaving over the edge of the ship to careen into the water below.
When I splash through, I am vaguely aware of my loss of senses. It takes me an entire ten seconds to realize I've just been thrown overboard.
*Wait, no, not thrown! Pulled.*
All that I hear is the rushing of water, like a cyclone of cold wind between my ears. Bubbles froth around me as I am dragged deeper and deeper into the red glow beneath the rapids. Eyes, slanted and inhuman, circle me on every side, and somewhere within the closed drumming of water a song warbles through. It sounds like a swarm of ravenous bats might, but I believe it is the high-pitched squeals of a hundred hungry sprites.
Pairs of scarlet stares are spinning around me now, the deeper and deeper I sink the more prominent the red in them glows.
*Do not panic!*
*You are Fae. You are Fae. You are Fae.*
But what can I do? I have no actual powers! None yet, at least! I do not know how to wake them, do not know how to attack with them. I do not even know for certain if it was me that forged the dark energy from before. It may very well have been Ash, or my unborn child.
*My unborn child! That's it.* That's what I focused on that time and that is what I shall think on now.
I slow myself, realizing that I am still in my body and I do not have to allow whatever creature that is holding me to drag me down without a fight. So, I kick my legs as strongly as I can, the boots on my feet making my movement difficult but not impossible. My eyes catch on gray flesh and clawed hands that have a hold about my ankles and just as I reach down to yank them away, the mouth of the creature opens to reveal sharp gaggles of teeth. There must be five rows each, top and bottom on this red eyed fish faced beast beneath me and when I open my mouth to shout at the damn thing a laser flash of blue light severs its hold on my feet. My hair floats around me, the turquoise glow of a blade emitting just enough light to grant me relief from the dark of the river.
Klyesque!
Oh thank God. I nearly weep with relief. She smiles at me absurdly as she pushes my body upward and out, the pair of us swimming toward the shoreline beyond. My lungs on the edge of bursting, I chance a glance back toward the creature that Klyesque mutilated. What I see is a frightening river of blood glimmering with angry sprites. Two by two and one by one, they light like a flame beneath the rapids and it takes a moment before I realize we have reached the water's edge. Klyesque pulls me from the depths of the river and onto the orange and black rocks of the beach.
"I told you," Klyesque grins. "Stay away from the railing."
I am gasping for breath, but I cannot help my laughter as I kiss her and throw myself into her arms. "Thank you. You are forever my hero."
“It is my duty.” She says, holding me tight against her body for a moment before releasing me to catch her breath.
Laying back against the stone shoreline I see our ship has halted some thousand feet beyond where we lay. Slivers of purple and silver lightning cascade into the water creating a pulse of light.
"Ash," I hiss. "He's probably so pissed."
"Let him be," Klyesque chortles. "He's not the one that was nearly eaten by sprites."
I giggle, thinking for a moment about the fairytales of old. "One day I shall write a more accurate telling of water sprites and release it upon the mortal realm."
Sitting up smoothly Klyesque leaps to her feet just as the sound of footsteps crunch behind us.
"My, my, my," says a raspy male voice. "What have we here, but a couple of trespassers?!"