I groaned, all I wanted to do right now was go and get some fresh air, not be interrogated. "What's there to tell?" I huffed.

"Rena," he scolded.

"I don't know how I did it," I admitted, "I was bored so I started messing around, I just let it engulf me and reached for someone like me, someone with the same power."

"Like calls to like," he murmured under his breath. After a moment of consideration his head snapped up to mine and he said, "Don't tell anyone else about this until we fully understand it," he stepped aside and unlocked the door.

I leaped up from the bed, "Finnaly!!" I exclaimed, "Freedom!!"

I exited the room and went above deck, soaking in the evening sun on my face and breathing the fresh ocean air.

I leaned on the starboard rail and looked out into the ocean, I had always dreamed of seeing the true sea, always wanted to be sailing away on a ship, free from the war and the burden it handed me.

I felt a pair of eyes on the back of my head and I turned around, the tracker, Mal I remembered, was at the other end of the ship, his gaze trained on me in a questioning manner, I returned his stare, leaning backwards with my elbows on the railing, I tilted my head to the side slightly and gave him a single wave with my elbows still on the railing. I turned back around as I broke our stare leaving him slightly startled, obviously he didn't have people being the first ones to look away enough.

When I reluctantly retired to my room for the night I saw Genya asleep in the bottom bunk, she opened her eyes when I came in and gave me a greeting grunt before falling back to sleep.

The next morning I heard running in the hall and shouting from above deck, I threw on my clothes and kefta, then quickly made my way above deck to see what the commotion was about.

I followed a group of people into the dim gray light of early morning. The deck was crowded with Grisha gazing out at the water while Squallers worked the winds, and Sturmhond’s crew manned the sails above.

The mist was heavier than the day before. It clung thick against the water and crawled in damp tendrils over the ship’s hull. The silence was broken only by the trackers directions and the orders Sturmhond called.

I gathered with the crowd of people beside the rail, trying to get a look at what was going on. My father, Sturmhond and the tracker were talking at the top of the ship, I looked out over the horizon and saw a smudge in the distance, I tapped Ivan who was closest to me on the shoulder, "What's that?" I asked him.

He peered out to where I was pointing, "Nothing good," he muttered, turning, he went to the Darkling and reported the find.

I strayed to the edges of the crowd, avoiding being squashed and pushed. Longboats holding men with harpoons and nets were being lowered over the side, it was sad really, this was the reason I never liked unnecessary hunting, the life of an innocent taken when it could have been spared.

A cry rang out “Two points off the starboard bow!”

As one, everyones heads turned, and we stilled. Something was moving in the mist, a shimmering, undulating white shape.

After a few moments, the creature’s back breached the waves, its body cutting through the water in a sinuous arch, rainbows sparking off the iridescent scales on its back.

It was real.

Shouts from the longboats echoed throughout, men threw harpoons and missed, but one or two met its target. The sea whip lept out of the water, crashing down on one of the boats, bringing a sailor down into the water with it as the others frantically swam to the other.

The boat was now completely covered in the morning mist making it nearly impossible to see, I could only make out the steady glow of a lantern at the top mast.

“Nets!” I heard Sturmhond shout. But the mist had grown so thick that I couldn’t quite tell where his voice was coming from. I heard a series of thunks from somewhere near the starboard rail.

“Clear the mist,” ordered the Darkling. “We’re losing the longboat.”

I heard the Grisha calling to one another and then felt the billow of Squaller winds tugging at the hem of my kefta.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, on the port side a ship had appeared next to us, the same one I had seen out on the horizon, but how did it catch up to us so fast and undetected?

The mast gleamed in the morning sunlight, but more noticeably it flew colours. A red wolf like dog on a teal background, and below it, in pale blue and golden, the Ravkan double eagle.

There was a series of loud metal thunks and grappling hooks grabbed the portside of the ship, then everything happened at once.

A howl went up from somewhere and men swarmed over the edge of the ship, barking and yapping like wild dogs. As I was about to raise my hands I felt someone tug them behind my back and pulled me into their chest, unable to summon I struggled, trying to free myself, they pressed a knife to my throat and I stopped, "Careful there lovely," I heard them snicker in my ear.

He started to pull me along, the knife still at my throat, my eyes darted all along the ship, Sturmhond and his crew were turning against the Darkling and his Grisha, then my eyes locked with his, my father had pure rage dancing across his features, the person holding me stumbled for a second, but that second was exactly what I was waiting for, his grip wavered around my wrist, allowing my to pull them out, I stomped my foot down on his toe and ducked to get out of the hand against my throat, I quickly turned around and kicked him in the stomach, hard, it sent him tumbling over the edge and into the water with a scream.

Three more men came barreling down on me, I fought them off for as long as I could but my movements were becoming tired and sluggish, my light weaker and my shadows faint. I managed to knock one unconscious then the other jumped literally jumped, on top of me. My body slammed onto the deck, my head dizzy and vision blurry.

I heard a boom of thunder start and then suddenly stop, I felt my limp body been thrown over a shoulder and someone jumping over the side of the ship, landing on another with a heavy grunt, they placed me at the end of the ship then walked away to help others.

Another boom of thunder and darkness engulfed everything, I heard a few screams and whimpers, I only hoped that my father could keep this up long enough so that I could open my eyes and help fight again, the thud of irons on the ground and the darkness withered away at the touch of a searing light, Alina was free. A roar of triumph rippled through Sturmhonds crew and that's when it hit me, I was on a different ship, no no nononono, this wasn't good.

I heard someone shout something inaudible and I felt a strong wind the flap of canvas, we were moving, the ship rocked and creaked as a new wind pushed against the other one, the sound of cannons sounded and we were once again on our way as I slipped into unconsciousness.

The sound of a big splash woke me up, I was still slumped against the side of the ship. I heard Sturmhond giving orders, I opened my eyes ever so slightly, pretending to still be unconscious, through my lashes I saw two men coming towards me, I let them pick me up, an arm slung across each of their shoulders, then when I was in a limp standing position between their arms I braced my legs on the ground, using my arms that were on their shoulders I grabbed their necks and stepped back bashing their heads off each other before they could even figure out what was going on.

The sudden hostility got the attention of most of the crew members around me, behind me I heard the sound of a sword being released from sheath. As quick as light I turned around and pulled out my dagger from around my thigh, blocking the sword before it made contact with me.

I remembered Botkin teaching me how to disarm someone with a sword when I had the shorter blade, rehearsing the training I got in close, twisting the sword until he let go.

I pushed him to the ground, his sword behind me, I levelled the dagger to his throat, "I don't want to hurt you," I breathed.

"And us you," a voice said behind me, the sound of more swords being drawn and pistols being cocked turned my head.

The sight scared me, I was like a scared deer, a scared deer surrounded by a pack of wild wolves, but this deer wasn't going to let the wolves see that.

I stood up as I saw that Sturmhond had his pistol levelled at my head, so he knew what keftas were made of then, most of his crew did the same but from a further distance

He looked me in the eye, "Give me the knife," he ordered slowly, as if I was a toddler.

Reluctantly, I put my dagger back in its sheath. He tilted his head to the side a bit, "I said give it to me, not put it back where it came from."

I crossed my arms across my chest, the only thing I had to lose here was my life, surprisingly, I was okay with that. "I'm not giving you my knife so get over it."

He lowered his pistol and stuck out his hand, "I believe we've met before, Sturmhond," he greeted.

I eyed his hand, and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Not much of a handshake person, are you," he started.

I rolled my eyes, "Normally yes, but you must take me for an idiot if you don't think I see your friend over there ready to pounce whith Grisha cuffs that he thinks he's doing a good job of hiding," I glared the man and then turned back to Sturmhond.

He sighed and lowered his hand, "Don't suppose you'll cooperate and put them on will you?" He asked.

I nearly laughed, "What kind of question is that, no-" my voice cut off.

I felt my chest constrict itself and my limbs go numb, unable to move them of my own accord. Sturmhond gave me an apologetic half smile, and took my arms, locking the cuffs over them, "Sorry kid, try not to take it personally it's just that most people here don't feel safe around you."

"Bastard," I croacked as black spots began to form in my eyes, he gave an unnoticeable sigh as if he heard that a lot.

Did I upload a bonus chapter yesterday? Yes

But did I just hit 20k reads? Also yes

Thank you yo everyone who's read this so far, weather you've read one chapter or stuck with me all the way to here I can't express how happy I am right now!!