Mirra awoke tucked under Bane’s arm, floating above the sea on a column of black fire. The immense power that coursed through him made her vomit, and he grunted, shifting his grip as if he longed to drop her. Steam swirled below, swept away by the wind, for where the fire touched, the water boiled. The Demon Lord flew towards the distant ship, apparently without effort. The dark fire suffused her with the evil he exuded now that she no longer had the power to ward it off.
Bane floated over the side of the ship, the fire scorching the deck before he cut it off and dropped onto the smouldering wood. Men hurled water on the burning deck as he quit it with his burden. He soon dumped her and raked back his hair, glaring down at her.
“Do not thank me, girl. You will pay for it.”
The Demon Lord stalked away, and she wheezed, her throat raw. Benton hurried to her and placed a dry blanket around her shoulders as the icy wind chilled her even more than the freezing sea had done, making her shiver violently. He rubbed her arms and chafed her hands, encouraging her to keep moving and not retreat into a shivering huddle.
When she managed a jerky nod, he helped her onto shaking legs, and she wobbled below with him. In the damp dimness of the crew’s quarters, she sat on a bunk and drank the water he gave her, the sweet taste a balm to her salty mouth. Between them, they stripped off her wet dress, and he wrapped her in a dry blanket. She shivered from shock and cold, and longed for a cup of hot soup or tea to warm her frozen insides. With all the crew fighting the storm, however, there was no fire in the galley.
Benton sat beside her. “I never saw anything like that before, healer. He just floated on that fire, like some damned awful dragon.”
“He is very powerful.”
“Evil, too.” He touched her bruised cheek. “Look what he does to you, and then he saves you.”
She nodded. “I do not understand him either.”
“It’s like he thinks you belong to him. As if he keeps you alive because you’re his, not because he likes you or anything.”
Mirra rubbed her stinging eyes and wet a cloth to wipe her face. “He is confused and lonely. I like him.”
“He’s a monster. He’s going to free the Black Lord and ruin this world. If I could, I’d fight him, but I can’t, so I’m just staying alive for as long as I can. Nobody likes him; not even his father, I’ll wager.”
“No, probably not, but I do.”
Benton shook his head. “You’re just too good. You don’t know what hate and anger are.”
“I am glad of it. They would do me no good.”
The soldier stood up. “I’d better get back on deck. There’s still a storm out there. You stay here until you feel better.”
Mirra nodded, and he climbed back up the steps to rejoin the battle with the storm. She rose and reeled along the swaying passage to Bane’s cabin.