Dark Tides (Kingdom of Bones #2)

Original Edition: ◇ Chapter 18 ◇ Dreamwraith ◇

"Rhoda?" Csilla asked, her voice a whimper.

Rhoda dropped Csilla's hand and spun around. She suddenly wasn't twelve anymore and stood tall over Csilla, staring down her nose at her. Gone were her still full cheeks, replaced by sharp cheekbones and even sharper gaze.

"Why do you always have to ruin everything?" Rhoda sneered at her.

Csilla's chin wobbled. "What's happened to you?"

"You," Rhoda replied through her teeth. "If you would've just stayed quiet for a little longer, we would be home by now." She fiddled with the sword at her waist that wasn't there before. "If you would've let me be captain of the Scarlet Maiden, then I would've been queen. If you wouldn't have dueled me in that cave, then I would still be alive. Perhaps I should've just left you to hang in Port Barlow."

With each accusation, a memory flashed through Csilla's mind. Climbing cliffs and playing hide-and-seek with Rhoda, arguing with Rhoda over captainship, Csilla's sword piercing Rhoda's stomach. Rhoda was dead. Csilla had killed her own sister. The realization was a punch to the gut that almost had Csilla falling to the lush jungle floor.

"That's right, Little Cub." Rhoda slowly unsheathed her sword. "You can wake up to what you've done, but I won't let you awaken from this dream."

Csilla jumped back from her and reached for her waist on instinct, surprised to find a sword waiting. Once her hand touched the hilt, her mind suddenly felt clearer. None of this was real. She remembered going to sleep on board the Wavecutter with promises that Flynn would keep watch over her.

"You're not Rhoda," Csilla said, no longer her child self.

The dream Rhoda smiled, her lips stretching too far, her cheekbones jutting out. "You've been sleeping for too long, Little Cub."

"I know what you are now," Csilla said, unsheathing her own sword. "And you will not drown me in your dreams any longer."

Rhoda growled, the sound inhuman and echoing in the jungle, and attacked Csilla with her sword high. Their steel clashed. Csilla pushed Rhoda's sword away with her own and raised it again to block the next attack. Left then right. High then low. Block after block Csilla executed, their dance ever familiar

"Fight me!" Rhoda yelled; her voice vicious.

"I don't want to fight you!" Csilla yelled back as she stumbled over a root. She quickly caught herself before Rhoda could swing at Csilla's side. "I've never wanted to fight you!"

A cruel laugh came from Rhoda. "We were made for this. We were born to compete against each other. This was always our fate." Rhoda sliced at Csilla with each sentence, barely missing.

"That's a lie," Csilla grunted, pushing her sister's sword back once more. "Our mother wanted us to be close. That's why she always had us come back home between trainings. She didn't want this for us."

"Our mother was weak." Rhoda's face twisted even farther into a demon's—one that Csilla couldn't even recognize. "Just like you."

The dream Rhoda's attacks were relentless, making Csilla retreat farther and farther until they stood at the cliff by the waterfall. The same one where they used to play when they were small and innocent.

"Do you truly think someone as weak as you can lead a nation of pirates?" Rhoda laughed. "Lockhart doesn't respect you and neither does the council officials. No one truly does."

"More lies!" Csilla yelled as she blocked one more attack, but this one was so strong it nearly had her stumbling backward over the edge of the cliff.

"You should be back in Baltessa, leading them all, instead of chasing after the Stormblood."