Kraken woke with a start, the warm form of Cousin tangled around him. The even rise and fall of her breathing pulled him into quiet comfort. The weight of her head on his chest, and the feather of her breath on his skin made him aware of every physical sensation of his body.
Kraken stroked Cousin’s hair back from her face. He didn’t remember the braid coming loose. He ran a finger over the point of her ear. Her closed eyes were large in her peaceful face. Kraken remembered their Serpent Shadows, and could feel his plunge into their depths. His body crackled with explosive energy. Feeling the new energy, his power coiled and struck out into the Ether. The uncontrolled bolt caught him be surprise. He felt into his own Depth. His power was more. Kraken smiled. Cousin hadn’t moved at his power spike.
The roll of Haven on easy waves rocked them. Kraken felt outward with careful control. The ship was silent. Her rigging hung slack. Kraken felt further. Haven heaved great sighs. He frowned and released some of the restriction he put on himself.
The whole of the ship came into focus, and he sat up, wide eyed. Six men and a battered ship met his perception. Four of those men lingered on the edge of death.
Cousin woke with Kraken’s movement. She met his eyes and jumped from the bunk, Kraken close behind.
They ran from the cabin.
The sun shone bright on the ruin of Haven. Kraken screamed rage, and Cousin stilled. She grabbed his hand, and pulled him toward the galley.
Jak met them at the door. “We tried . . .”
Cousin ducked passed him and ran to the dying. Gabb, Raymond, Ollie, and Nickel lay unmoving. Cousin touched each in turn. She pricked an index finger, and drew a rune with her blood on each of their foreheads.
Cousin returned to Gabb. His human skin was gone, and his complexion was blanched silver-gray. His gills were white. Cousin placed one hand on the top of his head, and the other on his stomach. She spoke an incantation in a lost language. An orb of green-blue formed around Gabb. He took a deep breath through his gills.
Cousin moved to Ollie. She could feel the twin connection to Frick. Through it she knew the rest of the crew was alive, if not well. Cousin examined the wounds then drew a series of runes down Ollie’s chest. She drew other groupings down his arms and legs. Removing his boots, Cousin pressed her thumbs into the bottoms of his feet. Ollie opened his eyes and gasped, then relaxed back, sleeping.
Raymond bled from hundreds of cuts. Cousin spoke a single word and all bleeding stopped. Cousin pricked her thumb and put a drop of blood on Raymond’s tongue. He convulsed. She held him down with a hand on his chest. When he stopped, his breathing was deep and measured.
Nickel didn’t breathe. Cousin could feel the spell sliding over his skin like slime. She knew the castor. She held a hand over Nickel’s eyes, and let her power slide over the energy of the spell. The spell bubbled and hissed and pushed back. With a final argument it was gone. Nickel began to breath. Cousin touched his checks and he opened his eyes, blinked and sat up. “Stay down,” she said, then moved to Harper.
Harper sat with a bloody rag tied around his head, and holding a broken arm to his chest. He glared at her, his purple eyes dark and hard. “What happened to you?”
“I became. You want help or not?”
Harper sagged, and she caught him. Cousin slid a hand over the arm, and the bones knitted together. She kissed his head, and the cut healed. “You’ll live,” she said.
Kraken came over with Jak. Cousin shook her head. “Gabb first.”
Kraken nodded once.
Cousin knelt next to the bubble that surrounded the Mer. His breathing was irregular. Blood frothed from his gills. Cousin sent her awareness into him. She saw his injuries. She poured her love into healing them. Tissues, muscles and bones flowed into proper shape. Cousin’s focus shifted to Gabb’s power. The fetter she felt was one she had felt it in most of the Al’Ri she had faced. Rage rose in Cousin. She reached to the source and ripped. Gabb’s power was his again.
Cousin leaned back. She struggled for control. Protector would pay.
Kraken came behind her, and put a blanket around her shoulders. He stepped back. Motioning for Jak and Harper to follow him, they left her alone.
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