Fire On Fire by Kyrstie Nickles EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author: Kyrstie Nickles
- Language: English
- Genre: Historical Fantasy
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 3 MB
- Price: Free
THE BLUE MEN
The best journeys take you home.
The smooth, wooden keel of a large merchant ship cuts through
the frigid waters of the North Sea. Low clouds drown out the
starlight, and the ocean is calm as far as the eye can see.
On deck, besides the soft rustle of linen sails and the gentle creak of the
gaff as it adjusts to the light wind, all is quiet. The crew rests in their
quarters below, in preparation for unloading their haul later that evening.
Two well-worn sailors stand in the lantern light of the quarterdeck,
looking out into the dark abyss ahead. One rests his elbow on the helm. The
other leans against the banister of the steps that lead to the main deck. He
downs the last drops from an amber bottle of ale.
Without warning, the ship jolts to a halt.
“Wha the hell?” The sailor against the banister bounds down the steps to
lean over the starboard side. He ponders into the blackness below, “Did we
hit a reef?”
The puzzled sailor is wrenched over the side. A loud splash follows.
A blood-curdling cry pierces the night air, while the massive shipping
vessel groans, slowly lurching to the side.
Below deck, shouting ensues as sleeping sailors are dumped from their
hammocks. One dazed sailor sits on the floor, watching his shipmates jump
to their feet and charge up the steps to the main deck.
In the stores below the crew’s quarters, a hooded figure slouches against
several wooden barrels. As the ship rocks, a sizeable, empty ale bottle rolls
across the floorboards. From the main deck above, the ship’s bell rings
violently.
Piercing blue eyes appear from beneath the black wool cloak. Aiden
Shaw stumbles to his feet as he realizes the floor itself is rolling out from
under him. He pulls the hood from his head, revealing his slicked-back,
raven locks oily from weeks at sea and a chiseled, unshaven face worn by
the wind and sun. He looks up to the cries reverberating above his head.
Rolling his eyes, he complains in a deep, gravelly voice resembling
thunder rolling across the open skies, “An’ there was me sleepin’ good, too.
Fer once.”
A whinny resounds beside him. A brown Clydesdale mare, partially
covered by a wool blanket, adjusts her stance to maintain the balance of her
enormous weight on the shifting floor.
Aiden glances her way and replies, “Haud yer wheesht, Gara. We’re no’
even meant ta be here. I’ll hae a look.”
He rips the wool cloak from his shoulders and tosses it over one of the
wooden barrels. While his tall, muscular figure is laden with leather armor,
it does little to hide the scars on his neck and hands that peer out from
beneath his ivory blouse.
He jogs up the lurching stairs in front of him.
He stumbles and catches himself on the railing, his head suddenly
swimming. “Och, I shouldnae’ah drank the whole bottle.”
Regaining his footing, he takes exaggerated steps to save his balance on
the remaining stairs.
As he reaches the main deck, he analyzes the situation. Before him is the
strangest storm he has ever witnessed. There is little wind, but massive
waves bash both sides of the ship.
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