Dark Tides (Kingdom of Bones #2)

Original Edition: ◇ Chapter 20 ◇ Infiltration ◇

KANE

West Incendia

Late Rainrise

It had been two days since Lorelei's dot stopped moving on the Serpent's map. They'd watched it stop momentarily in Ice Haven before changing direction for West Incendia and now that it had made it there, it remained pinned. As small as the dot on the map was, Kane breathed a sigh of relief each time he saw it still on the map, unfaded.

Still alive.

The shores of West Incendia were swimming with the Incendian Navy. Brigs lined up the shore, the Incendian flags waving in the wind.

"Thank Goddess we changed the flags," Arius said, fists on his hips. He wore the dark uniform of the Incendian Navy, an emblem of flame over his heart that matched the flag that waved above them. "We'd be sunk by now if we hadn't."

"It was Flynn's idea," Csilla said, snapping her spyglass closed. "Why fight our way in when we could sneak in undetected?"

The brig they'd encountered was small, its crew full of recruits. It was sheer luck that no emberbloods or scouts were onboard. While those Incendians remained marooned on an island strip, their uniforms and flag now served as disguise for Kane and the crew to sneak into West Incendia.

The disguise didn't calm Kane's nerves as it did the others. There was still too much at stake to let his guard down.

As they sailed into the harbor, the pit in Kane's stomach sank deeper. His gaze roamed over the harbor, or what was left of a harbor. The docks had been rebuilt recently since the wood was still fresh, but the ruins of what used to be remained untouched. Tents were spread throughout the rubble, Incendians crowding around fires. Behind it all was a sea of barren white trees.

And towering not much farther, a volcano with smoke pluming from its top.

Based on the map, Lorelei was farther than the harbor, through that forest and near the volcano. They'd have to navigate through all the Incendians without being suspected first.

The ship came to a stop, a pair of men from Kane's Iron Jewel crew tying the boat to the docks. Kane gathered with the others in the center of the deck, hashing over their plan one last time before embarking. Nerves crawled up his throat and he tried to swallow them back down.

"I cannot go with you, Blackwater," the Serpent said as they all prepared to leave the ship. "I cannot fight and my magic serves no purpose, so I will remain here."

"Very well," Kane said, with a nod.

"Since we are closer to the girl, it will be more difficult to track her on the map." He reached in his pocket and pulled out Lorelei's compass. "I've magicked this compass to guide you in tracking her further."

The Serpent put the compass in Kane's hand. It didn't look any different, but it felt different somehow, warm to the touch. Kane glanced down the compass face, watching as the arrow spun chaotically for a moment before pointing to the northwest.

"Thank you," Kane said.

"I hope you find her," the Serpent said.

"I do too," Kane said to himself, narrowing his eyes in the direction the compass pointed.

XX

Kane led the group through the sea of Incendians scattered around the shoreline.

He held his compass casually, only looking down at it every so often to make sure he was continuing in the right direction. Incendians gathered in groups around their tents and fires, mumbling amongst each other. Here and there some of them would look up at the volcano as if they were waiting for something to happen.