Harvest of Dreams (The Gods' Dream Trilogy) (39 page)

Pasinae knew Ontarem would soon have to turn His attention back to the war with His brother. But they’d connected again, and that was all that mattered.

With a twist, Ontarem’s presence changed, darkened.
They dare!

Her sense of well-being cut off. “What’s happening?”

A fleet of ships cross the ocean boundary invading MY territory!

The news hit her like a blow to the heart. “Are they heading to Penutar?”

They sail for the Triangle Islands. They intend to free MY enemy.

Pasinae struggled to take in the news. In all her plans, she’d never imagined a fleet of ships attacking to free the SeaGod. “How did they even learn Yadarius was here?”

The woman from another world is very powerful. I WANT her!

Pasinae reeled. “What woman?” she demanded.

Withea called a woman from another world. The outworlder saw Yadarius in an othersense dream. I want her!

“Is she on the fleet?” All her former frustration with the God returned. Once again, He’d withheld important information from her.

I cannot feel her. But the energy of Withea and Guinheld permeate all aboard. Perhaps They hide her from me.

Pasinae didn’t know whether to fear the news or rejoice. If they could capture this woman, she could provide valuable energy for their cause. But she could also prove to be a formidable enemy.

Unleash the dogs of the sea. Destroy those who dare to invade MY realm.

She bowed to the statue. “I will carry out your command, my God.”

Ontarem severed the connection.

Heart sore from having the precious exchange of energy cut short, Pasinae strove not to betray her feelings to the watching priests. She turned to them. “Send word to the captains of the invasion. Ready the seadogs for war. Leave one third behind to guard the islands. “You!” She pointed at Vaptor. “Go with them as my eyes and ears. Report regularly to Dorent. Now hurry!”

The two gave her a hasty bow and hastened to do her bidding.

Pasinae dared to approach the statue and lean a palm against Ontarem’s thigh, wishing… But He’d withdrawn, leaving her alone once again.

The feeling of longing, of emptiness was not new to her—she’d felt it for years since Ontarem had stolen the triplets from their family to serve Him. But the God had always banished the feelings and filled her up. Except for when He punished her by withdrawing, He’d been enough.
But that was before I remembered...
Briefly, a longing for her lost family went through her, and Pasinae acknowledged the hollowness at her core before doing her best to wall the awareness away.

We have to win this war, so Ontarem can once again focus on Penutar…on me!

~ ~ ~

Sadie stood alone at the bow of the
Wave Rider
.

Cheta leaned against her leg, chuffing at the breeze.

Sadie had come seeking enough solitude in the crowded vessel to think though what had happened in Ocean’s Glory. The ship threaded through the traffic in the L-shaped harbor. Fishing boats, small skiffs, and what looked to Sadie like merchant ships, made way for the navy vessel. The scent of brine and fish wafted on the breeze.

She glanced behind them at the city on the cliff, dominated by the huge orange palace, wishing she could have spent some time sightseeing. With a shiver, Sadie wondered if she’d ever return, then resolutely put that fearful thought out of her mind.

When the ship reached open water, she heard the call of the captain, ordering full sails. Around her, sailors scurried to obey, moving in well-practiced precision. Black sails unfurled, snapping in the wind, filling to tautness.

As she watched, the whole scene seemed surreal, as if she’d fallen into a historical movie, or back in time on Earth to when sailing ships ruled the ocean. Even the dark sails reminded her of the
Black Pearl
from
The Pirates of the Caribbean
. Withea planned for them to raid the Triangle Islands under the cover of darkness, with no white sails to betray their presence.

Growing up, Sadie and her father had summered in Nantucket, and she’d had her own Sunfish. From an early age, she’d learned to navigate the little sailboat around the local waters. Plenty of her friends’ families had big sailboats, and she’d toured the historical Tall Ships when they anchored in Boston, but she’d never imagined sailing on one so huge.

The wind caught the sails, filling them. The sailors trimmed the sheets till the vessel ran before the wind at speed. Exhilarated, she turned her face to the sun.

Then Sadie felt the power of the Goddesses surge through her othersense. She heard Thaddis, Philan, and Boerk yell warnings, and she just had time to grab the rail and Cheta’s collar before the ship leaped ahead, speeding through the waves as if powered by rockets. Once Cheta planted her feet to withstand the speed, Sadie let her go and gripped the rail with both hands. The wind blew so strong against her face that the hair escaping her braid whipped her skin, and she could only squint through the heaviness of her eyelids. Sadie turned, keeping her back to the force so she could open her eyes once again.
There’d be no tacking in this gale. No need.

Cheta leaned against her leg and shivered. But low against the deck, the dog was sheltered from the worst of the wind.

Pulling himself hand over hand along the rail, Thaddis struggled toward her. He grasped her arm. “Get below, Sadie.”

“I want to stay out here.”

“Captain’s orders.” He shouted to make himself heard. Even so, the wind carried away his words.

Sadie had to strain to hear him.

“It’s too dangerous to linger on deck at this speed. If you fall overboard, we won’t be able to rescue you.”

Sadie looked down at the water, seeing how fast the waves sped by. Her stomach pinched a little.

“Only the necessary crew are allowed to remain on deck, and they all have safety ropes tied around their waists.” He pulled her arm.

His touch spiked energy through her. Startled, Sadie looked at him, seeing the worry etched on his face, the concern in his gold eyes. She nodded her acquiescence.

“You go first.” Keeping his left hand on the rail, Thaddis eased around her, spanning her body with his, until his right hand could grab the side.

Pressed against him out of necessity, Sadie allowed herself to relax into his hold, warm and protecting, even though she didn’t release the rail.

Cheta whimpered.

“Cheta!” she shouted to be heard over the wind. “Come!”

Thaddis scooped up the dog.

Sadie gave him a grateful nod, then followed along the rail until they reached the ladder to below decks. She glanced toward Ocean’s Glory, not surprised to see the city had already faded out of sight, and even the faint line of the cliffs would soon sink into the horizon. Then she followed Thaddis below.

Once out of the beat of the wind, Thaddis set Cheta down. “Try to get some rest, Sadie. Withea estimates at this speed She will have us to those islands by tomorrow night.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

At dusk the next day, the
Wave Rider
approached the boundary to Ontarem’s territory, and Withea slowed their speed enough for everyone to climb above decks, armed for attack. Soldiers packed against the shore rail, grim-faced, bristling with swords, bows and arrows.

Wearing his sword, Thaddis climbed up to the wheelhouse. Glimpsing the Evil God’s domain—the sullen gray sky, the murky olive-green water—brought back nightmarish memories. Remembering made his heart twist in his chest, and his hands grow ice cold. He clenched them into fists.

Although fear lodged in his gut, he wasn’t going to order the ship to come about.
He’d face down Ontarem, no matter what ended up happening to him. But, he glanced across the crowd, seeing Sadie in animated discussion with Meleda, he couldn’t bear for the Evil One to capture her for His evil designs.

He went down among the ranks to inspire and caution his soldiers, reminding them, “Once I order…no sound, no lights.” A few glared at him, while others nodded, grateful for the personal attention.

The ship sped on, and the night dimmed. By his orders, no lanterns were lit. Several hours passed. Sensing they neared their destination, he climbed into the wheelhouse.

Darkness deepened, and stars wheeled across the sky. The first moon rose, only half full tonight, casting a faint silvery light over the blackness of the water.

The ship slowed so gradually that at first he didn’t realize they’d eased their headlong pace. The captain barked orders. Sailors scurried to lower sails. In minutes, only the power of the Goddesses propelled them slowly forward.

In the distance, light cut the horizon, the blaze no bigger than his thumb.
The lasers, as Sadie called them.
His heartbeat quickened.

They sailed for another hour, and the light grew larger, separating into three beams. Something about the familiar energy on the farthest island caught his attention. He touched his othersense, a mental gesture becoming more natural every day, and carefully sent out an exploratory sensing.

He brushed up against feminine power and recoiled.
Pasinae! What is that witch doing here?
Whatever Ontarem’s priestess was up to, her presence didn’t bode well for them. Hopefully, all her othersense attention would be on the coming battle between the fleet and the seadogs.

Once Yadarius is free, witch, you’re my next target!

Squinting in the dim moonlight, Thaddis made out something in the water ahead of the ship, and he raised his spyglass to see what it was. As he adjusted the lens, he could make out sail fish leaping from the water. Not the small pods of ten or so he’d often witnessed on his journeys, but a multitude, seeming to cover the surface. With a sense of awe, he realized they numbered in the hundreds.

He moved the spyglass, sweeping across the surface of the ocean, and saw the humped shapes of the giant spinners and the looping slithers of a lengthy eelfish. Among them, a flash of silver made him catch his breath in awe; he’d just glimpsed the rare seadragon. A sighting was supposed to mean good luck, and Thaddis fervently wished the legend would come true.

Then he realized they’d already received their first round of factual information. Yadarius, SeaGod, ruled over the denizens of the deep. This vast gathering must encircle the place where their God was held captive. Surely He would be found at their center.

Thaddis lowered his spyglass and released a breath of gratitude. He’d worried that chasing after Sadie’s dream might have been a false message, planted by Ontarem to lure them into His trap. But now, he knew deep in his othersense that the Evil One wouldn’t think to worry about
fish
.

Thaddis glanced over at Sadie, talking to silver-haired Meleda and Wenda, and wanted to be close to her. After climbing down from the wheelhouse, he threaded through the people on deck, murmuring, “Be ready. Any time now.”

Cheta, sitting at Sadie’s feet, trotted over to sniff his legs. Tail wagging, she returned to her mistress and collapsed onto the deck. With a sigh, the dog dropped her head onto her paws.

Thaddis went over and handed Sadie the spyglass. “I want you to see something unusual for our world.” He pointed ahead of them. “Look in the water.”

Sadie set the end to her eye, adjusted the lens, and gasped. She lowered the spyglass, stared out to the ocean, then raised it to her eye again. “Look at all those…fish? So many different kinds,” she said without taking her gaze from the spectacle. “That’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot of amazing things lately.” She handed the spyglass to Meleda. “Bet this is something new for you too.”

The warrior-priestess grinned and made a wide gesture with her arm. “
All
this is something new for me.” Meleda raised the spyglass, adjusted the eyepiece, and exclaimed. “Is that a
seadragon
?”

Thaddis smiled. “Yes.”

“I’ve read about them,” Meleda said. “But to see one….”

“I’ve only read about them too,” Thaddis agreed. “A once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Sadie gave Thaddis a puzzled look.

“Seadragons are rare,” he explained. “Legendary. Every generation or so, the crew of a ship claims to have seen one. And from then on, that ship seems charmed—fair weather, no hands lost, rich trading, happy families waiting back in port. It’s every sailor’s wish to discover one.”

Meleda watched for a few minutes longer before giving the instrument to Wenda.

The priestess stared through the spyglass. “My grandsire saw a seadragon on a voyage to Ocean’s Glory when he was a cabin boy. He was certainly blessed, rose to captain his own ship, then opened a trading company. Married my grandmother, a priestess, and sired seven children—five became priests and priestesses. Lived, hale and hardy until…” Her words trailed off. She lowered the spyglass, her expression shuttered, and handed the instrument back to Thaddis.

Familiar guilt clenched Thaddis’s stomach, and he finished the priestess’s thought.
Wenda’s grandfather had lived a blessed life until his seadragon-given luck ran out when Thaddis of Ocean’s Glory invaded Seagem.