Wrath of the Forgotten: Descendants of the Fall Book II by Hodges, Aaron (best romance books of all time txt) 📕

A visible shudder shook Cara and she hugged her knees to her chest. “Please…don’t remind me.”

Erika was about to press the matter when she noticed Cara’s face had lost all colour. Whatever had happened in the caverns of the Gods, it had shaken Cara just as much as Erika and the others. At least Cara’s claim helped Erika make sense of why she hadn’t tried to kill them at the earliest opportunity.

Letting out a sigh, she let the subject drop. Silence fell between them, and finally Erika rose. “You’ll stay here?”

The hardness returned to Cara’s eyes as she looked up. “Not like I have any choice.”

Erika’s stomach twisted, but there was no correcting the situation now. Without anything else to offer, she left Cara where she sat. The ship rocked beneath Erika’s feet as she crossed the deck, searching for Maisie, finding her at the tiller with the captain. Sails cracked overhead as she wandered towards them, the ship surprisingly steady beneath her feet. But then, the river was smooth today, with hardly a ripple to impede their passage.

Maisie waved as she saw Erika approaching and stepped away from the captain, nodding her thanks, then beckoned Erika across to the railings. Joining her, Erika leaned against the bulwark and looked out across the empty plains. The lands of Gemaho were said to be as large as the other three kingdoms combined. Without the threat of the Tangata, it was difficult to imagine how such a kingdom had united beneath a single ruler—and had remained that way down through the centuries.

“Why are we doing this?” Erika said suddenly. Regardless of her assertions to Cara, she still found herself doubting their path, not sure whether what they did was best for humanity, or if it was for her own personal gain.

The spy flashed her a glance. “The world is changing, Erika,” she murmured, her words so soft as to be barely audible over the cursing of the sailors. “Magic has fallen again into the hands of mankind and ancient creatures walk the earth. A new age is approaching for humanity.”

“Assuming we survive,” Erika snorted.

“We’re a resilient species,” Maisie replied. “Here in Gemaho, we have watched the war from afar, read the reports. You think you’re losing, but each battle costs the Tangata more in blood. Ten years ago, when the war first began, we lost five soldiers for every Tangata we slew. Nowadays the number is down to three.”

Erika frowned; she hadn’t heard that piece of information. What would cause such a change? She supposed it made sense; over ten years, humanity had come to learn the enemy’s tactics. But even so, Maisie’s numbers still meant they were significantly outmatched. “That doesn’t mean we can defeat them,” she argued.

“Perhaps not yet,” the spy mused. “Regardless, it is the magic of the Gods that will determine our future. Imagine a hundred soldiers equipped with gauntlets like yours, or an army wielding orbs like mine, able to march under a blanket of invisibility.”

Erika looked self-consciously at her gauntlet. “It would be an edge,” she admitted. “That was why I went looking for their magic in the first place. But do you think the Gods will just give us such weapons?”

Maisie shrugged. “I do not know.” She looked at Erika then, and her face was grim. “But I do know that whoever is first to gain their power will do more than just defeat the Tangata. Whoever controls that magic, controls the world.”

A shiver ran down Erika’s spine. “Then why would Nguyen give away his gauntlet?”

A smile tugged at Maisie’s lips. “Nguyen is cunning; he knows how it will play with the queen’s mind. And besides, one device will not change either kingdom’s fate.”

Erika eyed the woman, wondering how much truth there was to her words. “And what of Nguyen? Do you believe the king is worthy of the power you would place in his hands?”

All sense of mirth slipped from the spy’s face as she looked at Erika. “Would you prefer the power fell into the hands of your queen?”

“Of course not,” Erika said, pursing her lips.

Maisie nodded, turning her eyes to the water passing below. “He’s a practical man, Nguyen. He does what he must, but he is never cruel or vindictive.” She sighed. “And there is a kindness in him that few ever see.”

Erika snorted.

“You don’t believe me?” Maisie murmured. “I don’t blame you—he hides it well.” She hesitated, the breeze whistling through the rigging overhead. “I was a street rat once,” Maisie said, her voice so soft Erika almost missed her words. “Years ago, before the war began. Belonged to one of the gangs in the capital. I was just a child. Nguyen found me, saved me. Even trusted me with his magic.”

The spy looked at Erika then, and she glimpsed something in her eyes, something beyond the respect or even loyalty she professed. Love, perhaps? Maisie looked away again quickly, as though realising she had revealed something secret. Her hands tightened on the bulwark, her knuckles turning pale.

“Eventually, you’ll have to make a choice, Erika,” she said softly.

“I thought I already had.”

The spy laughed. “You chose Nguyen out of self-interest. One day, though, you’ll have to choose someone to put your faith in, without regard for what they can give you. Regardless of what it might cost.”

With that, the spy pushed away from the railings. Offering Erika a nod, she wandered away. Alone now with her thoughts, Erika stared down at the swirling currents, and wondered when her life had become so complicated.

17

The Tangata

Adonis sucked in a lungful of air as the wave swept towards him. A second later the white waters washed over his head, plunging him into the swirling depths. With a powerful kick he fought the currents, struggling to rise to the surface. Sound came rushing back as he burst again into open air and dragged in another breath.

The water lifted him as the next wave rushed past and he scanned