Past and present collide as the scents mix the aromas of the port of Lethe. My stomach roils within me as I fight to regain control.
Push it down, Erik. Get a hold of yourself.
It takes a few minutes, but finally, the memories of the last time I saw my parents disappear from my mind.
I might not have been able to fight when I lost my family, but now, things are different. I am different. I plan on bringing as many Elite down with me as I can. I'm no fool. I know I won't be leaving the Gates of Hell alive. It was either me or Helena, and there was no way I could ever do it. I would have let her kill me on the ship if I thought the crew would have let her go.
It's good that she left because she is better off without me. We both know that. All I bring is death and pain. She was too far out of my league, anyway.
Shaking my head, I stare off into the horizon. By the time the crew has unloaded the last of our cargo, the sun is dipping below the vast city before us.
“Captain?” Anders' voice comes from behind, his footsteps quiet on the deck as he stands beside me.
“Go ahead,” I say. My voice is gruff to my ears after such a long silence.
He coughs into his arm before staring out into the growing darkness. “Everything has been unloaded, sir. I’ve made sure it will make it to its proper destination.”
“Good.” I supervised unloading the pearls, ensuring they got into the correct hands a few hours ago. “Thank you, Anders.” I turn from him in blatant dismissal, but he doesn’t move. A few minutes tick by in silence. Clenching my jaw, I sigh. “Was there something else?”
Anders shifts from one foot to the other. “It’s about Maddie,” he starts hesitantly, “What—”
Snarling, I grab him by the collar and lift him off his feet. His eyes bulge as I tighten my grip on his shirt. “Don’t you ever mention her name to me again. She’s gone. As far I’m concerned, she never existed.”
“But...”
“No!” I yell. Tossing Anders onto the deck, I watch with narrowed eyes as he sprawls onto all fours. I step towards him, clenching my fists as Anders gasps for air. The sailors are all watching me warily.
“This goes for all of you,” my voice thunders through the night air. “Never, ever, speak her name aboard this ship again. Don’t talk about her. Don’t even think about her. Break the new rule, and the next man to utter a word to me about her will find themselves feeding the fish at the bottom of the sea.”
Silence. Below us, the sounds of the market grow louder as the day ends. People are trying to get one last deal in before they head home for the night.
Shaking my head, I stride towards the gangplank. Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I strap my gun to my side and slide a long knife into my boot. Francois brought them up for me earlier. Turning around, I stare at my crew. They’re good men and don’t deserve to be caught up in what is coming to me.
“Good. I see you understand me,” I say. “Now, I have some things to take care of. Don’t wait up.”
Throwing my satchel over my shoulder, I join the throngs of sailors and merchants who are still milling about. The sounds of chatter overlay the constant shouts of working males and females as species of every sort mingle with each other. No one even glances at me as I stroll through the crowd.
Here, the Pirate of Death isn’t out of place. They know to look for the man who leaves a brawl with one man drowned and another with a slit throat.
This is my stomping ground. I’ve been to this city that never sleeps many times before and know exactly where I’m going. Pushing through the throngs of people, I hurry into the darkened streets beyond the docks before my executioners come.
* * *
The cityof Lethe is not for those who are weak at heart. It is a place where people go to forget and be forgotten.
As I hurry through the darkened streets, the sounds of the city absorb the way my feet clatter on the cobblestones. I rush past the well-lit parts of town, the newer buildings with their fancy security cameras and well-to-do Angels and Daemons, towards my old stomping grounds.
I make a point to avoid the Gods’ Square. I’ve never liked that creepy place, and the presence of so many species makes my skin crawl. Besides, there was an Oracle from Fortuna's temple spouting nonsense the last time I was there. She grabbed my arm, shaking me as I tried to walk past.
“Heed Fortuna’s call, young man, before it is too late,” she had crowed into my ear, tugging my arm with surprising force. “One day soon, you will be asked to make a choice. You may think of yourself as evil beyond repair, but your heart is good.”
“Excuse me?” I had asked, incredulous.
The Oracle had pressed a withered hand to my chest before continuing, “Listen to your heart. It will tell you what to do.”
I shake my head, scoffing at the memory of the Oracle’s words. The following week, I read she was found dead in an alley. Cut up like a piece of meat. I think they even covered her unsolved murder on a podcast.
Shivering, I quiet my brain and focus on walking so I didn’t think about my heart. Or Helena. Where she might be. What she might be doing. If she found somewhere to sleep.