Souls of the Dark Sea Read online

  Souls of the Dark Sea

  Book Two

  Saga of the Outer Islands

  A. F. Stewart

  SOULS OF THE DARK SEA

  A. F. Stewart

  Copyright © 2018 by A. F. Stewart.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Editing by White Board Writers

  Cover design by A. F. Stewart

  Original artwork licensed by Adobe Stock Photos

  Maps by A. F. Stewart

  More Books by A. F. Stewart

  Multi-Author Anthologies:

  Abandon: 13 Tales of Impulse, Betrayal, Surrender, and Withdrawal

  A Twist of Fate: A Collection of 11 Twisted Fairy Tales

  Beyond the Wail

  Legends and Lore

  Mechanized Masterpieces

  Christmas Lites Series (Books III-VII)

  Coffin Hop: Death by Drive-In

  Fiction:

  Ghosts of the Sea Moon (Saga of the Outer Islands Book I)

  Chronicles of the Undead

  Killers and Demons II: They Return

  Killers and Demons

  Fairy Tale Fusion

  Gothic Cavalcade

  Ruined City

  Once Upon a Dark and Eerie...

  Passing Fancies

  Poetry:

  Primal Elements: An OWS Ink Poetry Anthology

  Horror Haiku Pas de Deux

  Horror Haiku and Other Poems

  Colours of Poetry

  Reflections of Poetry

  Shadows of Poetry

  Tears of Poetry

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  Sign up for A. F. Stewart’s Newsletter

  For those that love the sea and the monsters that lurk in its shadows.

  And for Ray Harryhausen whose skeletons inspired me.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One: Lord Merrill and the Shipwreck

  Chapter Two: Lords and Darkness

  Chapter Three: Costs

  Chapter Four: Dreams and Bones

  Chapter Five: Red Bay

  Chapter Six: Archipelago of Nightfall

  Chapter Seven: Songs of the Sea

  Chapter Eight: Attacks

  Chapter Nine: Arrest

  Chapter Ten: Lull

  Chapter Eleven: Old Mother Abel

  Chapter Twelve: To Raven Rock

  Chapter Thirteen: The Grey Sisters

  Chapter Fourteen: Pirate Keys

  Chapter Fifteen: Into Darkness

  Chapter Sixteen: The Horn of the Gods

  Chapter Seventeen: Tide of Invasion

  Chapter Eighteen: Council of War

  Chapter Nineteen: Battles

  Chapter Twenty: Waves and Shadows

  Chapter Twenty-One: The Hunter’s Bow

  Chapter Twenty-Two: A Victory

  Chapter Twenty-Three: The Summoning

  Chapter Twenty-Four: The Rise of Ashetus

  Chapter Twenty-Five: The Last of the Dead

  Chapter Twenty-Six: Old Enemies

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Set Sails

  Epilogue

  A Brief History of the Gods

  Pronunciation Guide

  Prologue

  DARKNESS.

  The sound of her breath swallowed by silence. Her tranquillity. Then, a flutter of wings echoed in the distance.

  She shivered, unexpectedly alarmed. Nothing should be able to trespass in her hallowed place without her knowledge. She stared into the black abyss with a tinge of anger and trepidation. “Is someone there? Reveal yourself! This is my domain, intruder!”

  “Calm yourself,” a voice replied, with more flapping of wings. “I’ve come to talk. No more than that, Bevire.”

  Bevire inhaled sharply at the mention of her name. The darkness shifted, slithering, matching her uneasy mood. “How do you know me? How did you find this place?”

  A soft chuckle sounded. “Darkness is my home, Bevire, as it is yours. And you shouldn’t whisper secrets to your shadows. Sometimes there are creatures listening.”

  “Eavesdropping you mean,” Bevire snarled, curling her fingers into fists. Around her, the darkness swirled.

  “Perhaps a bit. But the darkness and I are friends. Friends sometimes share secrets.”

  “But I have no secrets,” She bit her lip against the lie. “And even if I did, you are not my friend.”

  “I’d like to be. Wouldn’t that be nice? To have a confidant? To be able to share your worries and fears? You have fears, don’t you? About those terrible dreams that have been disturbing your slumber?”

  “How did you...” She stopped, letting the rest of her admission go unspoken.

  “I can feel your fear. The darkness can feel your fear. I want to help. I want to ease your troubles. Talk to me. Confide in me. Let me help you.” The voice from the shadows spoke in a soothing, gentle manner like a friend.

  Bevire closed her eyes. She wanted to scream, to deny, to send the unknown creature away, but she suddenly felt tired, lost. Alone.

  “You are not alone. Not anymore.”

  “I—I don’t—” She wanted to protest, but having someone know, finally know, felt good. She whispered instead. “Yes, I am afraid that...my dreams will come true.”

  “Ah. My poor dear.” More gentle, sympathetic tones and then, “You are wise to fear. Your dreams hold truth. Especially that dread you hold of one particular person.” A space of silence fell. Bevire shook in consternation before the voice added. “I can help you with that, help you rid yourself of your fear. Of your enemy.”

  “An enemy?” Bevire recoiled at her most intimate thought. She lashed out in denial. “I have no enemy! Who do you think threatens me? Tell me!” She shouted her haughty words but knew no lie would hide the secret name in her heart. A name that shouldn’t be there. She held her breath as she waited for the voice to speak it aloud.

  “Your brother. God of Souls.”

  A pause, with only her rapid breathing to break the quiet. Then, “I’m listening.”

  “Excellent. Let me introduce myself. I am the Nightmare Crow.”

  SHADOW ON SHADOW. THE fluttering of wings and the even intake of a breath. Bevire and the Crow sat in a circle without form, drawn with the transient substance of night. The Crow sketched runes into the essence of Bevire’s sanctuary with a strange ragged claw extended from its foot. She watched his actions, dubious of his intent.

  “Are you certain of this?” A frown creased her face. “It seems...unwise.”

  The crow did not look up from its spell weaving, but answered, nonetheless. “More certain than you know. We bring your brother to his destiny, Goddess of Shadows. What we do here today will change his fate forever...” He paused before continuing. “And protect the gods.” A last slash with his claw and the crow stopped his work. He raised his head. “Are you ready?”

  “I—I am not sure, this seems...”

  The crow clacked his beak. “Do you want your brother to realize his full power? To turn on you as you saw in your dreams?” He reached out and touched a wingtip to her hand. Bevire shook, a sudden wave of fear jolting through her body. The crow ignored her reaction. “This is the one way to stop that. The creature we will awaken will ensure his defeat.” He stroked feathers over flesh and Bevire sighed, a slight calm settling over her.

  “I want that, but—”

  “No doubts.” The crow interrupted her objections. “No second thoughts. Be strong,
Goddess. You are only protecting your own. He will threaten no god when we are done.” The Crow stared at her, his eyes dancing with shadows.

  Under his gaze, Bevire took a breath and straightened her back. “You are right. I must be strong. I am ready.”

  She closed her eyes and summoned her magic. Black night flowed through the runes that the Crow had sketched, lighting them in a dark, pulsing crimson. She chanted, “Yndreff Und Chryn Llyd. Dwch alyan Und Chryn Llyd. Torrych cadwyn. Dy chyd bydri hwn. Yndreff Und Chryn Llyd.”

  A great burst of crimson light exploded, and the shadows howled. Darkness swirled inside the circle, sweeping away the runes in a vortex that swallowed itself. The crow laughed and Bevire shivered, and below the worlds, an ancient beast stirred.

  Chapter One

  Lord Merrill and the Shipwreck

  THE SPITTLE LANDED on the Black Shoals dock an inch away from Rafe’s right foot. He glanced over in annoyance and then glared at the smug smirk of Commander Augustus Quartermain Pelham. Beside the commander, stood a grizzled Navy sailor wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

  Pelham sneered in return. “Well, well, Captain Morrow. Come to slink about town, have you?”

  Rafe deliberately stepped on the spittle, smearing it across the weathered wood of the dock. “Commander Pelham. Not a pleasure to see you again. In fact, your presence has entirely blighted this lovely early morning.”

  “Speak with respect to your betters, scoundrel!” The grizzled sailor was the one to retort, and Rafe moved his attention to Pelham’s companion.

  The captain gave the man his best stone-faced look. “If I had betters here, I would.” Without moving his gaze, he addressed his next question to Pelham. “Who’s your elderly friend? He doesn’t appear to possess a civil tongue or manners.”

  “Elderly?” The man in question seemed shocked, and then snapped, “Why you—”

  “Be quiet!” Pelham barked, cutting off the rest of the retort, and then addressed Rafe. “My first officer, Captain. Lieutenant Commander Francis Montague. And now that introductions have been made, why don’t you toddle off. In fact, feel free to depart the island altogether.”

  “Is that an order, Commander?” Rafe quirked an eyebrow and dropped a tone of menace in his voice. “Because I don’t take orders from the Navy of the Royal Court.”

  Pelham matched Rafe’s antagonism. “Perhaps it’s time you started.”

  Rafe chuckled. “You are an arrogant one. Do you think your superiors would care for you making trouble? Making an enemy of me? Or approve of you chasing trade away from Black Shoals? I’m here on business.”

  “Business? What business could—”

  “Here he comes now.” Rafe smiled as he interrupted, pointing to a well-dressed gentleman strolling down the docks.

  Commander Pelham turned his head. “Lord Merrill?”

  “Yes, I’m transporting some of his goods and the gentleman himself, to Abersythe. He’s transferring cargo between his warehouses.” Rafe then added with a wider grin, “Perhaps you’d like to tell him personally that you don’t want me on Black Shoals.”

  Rafe watched with glee as the muscles in Pelham’s jaw twitched. “No, Captain. That won’t be necessary. We’ll leave you to your business.” After one more glare, the commander stalked off with his first officer.

  Lord Merrill arrived in the wake of the commander’s retreat. “Was that Pelham? What did that pompous fool want?”

  “Nothing of importance. Just his usual bluster.”

  “I can imagine. The way the man acts, you’d think he runs the entire Navy of the Royal Court. I’ve seen it before with the Navy elite. They think an appointed commission makes them superior to the enlisted sailors simply because they have an extra insignia. Pelham is one of the worst. I’ve had many a complaint from my ship captains and administrators here on Black Shoals over his misuse of authority.”

  “He does like to have his hand in things.”

  Lord Merrill snorted. “More like meddle. But enough talk of that man. Shall we proceed to your ship, Captain? My cargo should have arrived at your docking berth by now, and I want to supervise its loading.”

  “By all means.” Rafe smiled and motioned with his hand for the lord to go ahead. The pair ambled the docks to the Celestial Jewel and boarded the ship. Rafe left his guest in the capable hands of Pinky Jasper and moved to the quarterdeck.

  Blackthorne quietly sidled towards Rafe, both men standing above the main deck watching Lord Merrill. The nobleman paraded across the deck, overseeing the loading of his goods, wandering among the crew.

  “Are you sure about this, sir? We’ve never had a proprietor, let alone a nobleman, accompany the cargo before.”

  “It isn’t the usual way of things, but I don’t see we have much choice. Our good standing has suffered since the trouble we had with my sister. You know how short we’ve been of regular cargo runs, and with the lingering ill-will over my actions regarding the portals, temple tithes have been considerably less than usual.”

  Blackthorne nodded. “Yes sir, that is true. And the Navy of the Royal Court has been none too cordial of late either.”

  Rafe paused, remembering his recent distasteful encounter. “That, I fear, is our Commander Pelham’s doing. I ran into him this morning, and he had the nerve to suggest we had no right to dock here.” Rafe paused as he noticed Blackthorne clench his jaw, but continued when the first mate said nothing. “He seemed to want to cause trouble, and we both know he has been bad-mouthing this ship to others. No doubt his campaign against us will persist, and we should expect the Navy of the Royal Court ships to persevere in damaging our reputation.” He sighed. “We need money and the good favour from this job.”

  “I suppose we do.” Blackthorne softly sighed. “We are low on supplies. I imagine it won’t hurt to have him aboard. He does seem better than most noblemen I’ve met.”

  Rafe quirked an eyebrow and suppressed a smile. “No, he isn’t quite what I expected, either. He seems less arrogant than some of his peers. He even shares our distaste for Commander Pelham.”

  “Does he now?” Blackthorne briefly grinned. “Shows the lord has a discerning eye for bad character then if he dislikes that fool.”

  “Yes, and that may be another reason to cultivate his support. An ally against Pelham might be useful.”

  Blackthorne gave a nod. “I shall endeavour to do my best, sir.”

  “Care to test out your resolve? Go help oversee the loading of the cargo and feel out the man. I’d like your opinion.”

  “Yes, sir.” Blackthorne nodded and descended to the lower deck.

  Rafe remained, watching his officer’s interaction with Lord Merrill. At the ease of their dealings, the knot between his shoulder blades lessened.

  This trip might work out to everyone’s advantage.

  Rafe continued to observe until Lord Merrill’s goods had been stowed to his satisfaction and then gave the order for departure. As the ship prepared to leave dock, Lord Merrill joined Rafe on the quarterdeck.

  “How long will we be at sea, Captain? I’m a bit of a novice sailor, I must admit.”

  “It’s about a day’s sail, give or take. No need to push the ship with little urgency or perishable cargo.”

  “Well enough. And just long enough for a pleasurable experience without overstaying my welcome, eh, Captain.” Lord Merrill chuckled, and Rafe smiled, the edges of his mouth lifting in genuine amusement.

  “I’m sure you’ll fit in aboard our ship, milord. You’ve already put the crew at ease. They’re not used to the fine company of nobles, but they’ve seem to have taken a liking to you.”

  “Fine praise indeed, as they all appear to be gentlemen of goodly character. Although I must admit, I was a bit apprehensive given the nature of some of your men. Consorting with the dead is not something I’ve done before.” Lord Merrill gave a shake of his head. “Even in my circles, you hear stories about this grand ship, daring feats, and strange adventures. More than
a bit off-putting for some, if I may say. I received a few dire warnings when I announced my intentions to sail with you.”

  “I can imagine, though I suspect many of those tales suffer from exaggeration. I doubt we’ll see any adventure on this trip. Most likely we’ll have an uneventful voyage.

  SEVERAL HOURS OUT, Rafe’s offhanded comment regarding adventure proved to be a terrible prediction indeed.

  From high in the rigging came the shout of a sailor. “Dead ahead, Captain! Wrecked ship run aground on Razor Reef!”

  In a blink, Rafe grabbed a spyglass and scanned the horizon focusing on the spit of land called Razor Reef. A shudder ran through his blood as he saw a listing ship foundered on its rocks, a gaping hole in the hull.

  “Mr. Anders! Starboard turn! Vessel in distress! Hands to the rail! Look for survivors and souls!”

  “Aye, aye, sir.” Shouts rose in unison with the loud creak of the Jewel as Anders turned the wheel. The ship lurched slightly in the waves as she changed course. Rafe hid a smile as Lord Merrill stumbled and grabbed the rail to steady himself.

  “Take her in slow, Mr. Anders! We don’t want to run aground beside her. Drop the sea anchor off the reef and we’ll take a long boat in for a closer look.”

  Anders grumbled under his breath, and Rafe caught the words, “ain’t no green sailor” and “know how to sail,” but Anders still gave a nod, followed by an “Aye, Captain.” Rafe glanced at Lord Merrill who now seemed two shades paler than a ghoul. He walked over and put a hand on the nobleman’s shoulder.

  “We’re duty bound to give aid to ships in distress, but don’t worry. We’ve navigated this reef before.”

  Lord Merrill squared his shoulders. “Never had a doubt of it, sir. My sea legs may not be well used, but never let it be said that I shirked duty in those in need of aid.”