Viola extinguished her light, and everything slipped into darkness. Still, Barclay desperately raised his arms in the direction of the sails to summon more wind. The Silberwal roared behind them, the noise so loud, Barclay had to pause his Lore to cover his ears with his hands. Even Edwyn, still slumbering on his bench, seemed to rouse—then he rolled onto his side and drifted back asleep.

Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating glimpses of gums and teeth and throat.

Then there was a crackling sound and a brighter light. Tadg shot a blast of electricity at the Silberwal. The bolt struck its right eye, and it roared in pain.

Seeming to think better of this meal, the Beast collapsed back into the water. The force of it sent the Bewlah hurtling away from its wake.

Before the Silberwal fully retreated, however, it got its vengeance. It splashed its tail—hard. A gigantic wave sped out in all directions, larger than the ship. Larger than twelve ships. Larger than a whole fleet.

“Not good. Not good,” Ulick muttered, and Barclay braced himself for what would surely be their doom.

Then Runa stretched her arms out, and an icy mist sprayed from her fingertips. It reached the wave, spreading up to its peak. The tsunami froze solid only heartbeats before it could crash onto the Bewlah.

Barclay gaped up at the tidal wave that had nearly killed them, that Runa had stopped in an instant. From the way the other Lore Keepers had gossiped about Runa in the Woods, Barclay had always known that she was powerful. But he’d never imagined anyone capable of Lore like that.

And he couldn’t even control his.

Runa lowered her arms, her chest heaving. “We are not dying tonight,” she declared, and even if they still had two hours of sailing ahead, she sounded so confident that Barclay couldn’t help but believe her.

And she was right. Long after sunset, when the Bewlah spotted the shadow of land on the horizon, each member of the crew—except for Edwyn—hollered in victory. They’d made it through the voyage alive.

But despite his relief, a miserable voice in Barclay’s head taunted that their survival was no thanks to him.

FIVE

Edwyn yawned and stretched as their group staggered onto the beach of the Isle of Munsey. “I can’t believe we faced such an ordeal! Absolutely incredible!”

“You mean the six of us faced an ordeal,” Tadg grumbled, tearing a piece of seaweed out of his wavy, light brown hair. “You slept the whole time.”

Edwyn hardly seemed bothered by Tadg’s grumpiness. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been much help anyway. What would healing Lore have done against a Silberwal?”