Morely couldn't find his voice. It was the only way, he said.
Noleta drew her blade and started for the stern castle stairway
You can't go down! Morely told her.
"I have to," Noleta replied. "Men are dying down there."
You must guide the ship!
"Guide it where?"
It's still moving, he cried out. Crimson Raptor is still moving and she's moving in the right direction. You're almost there. But she can't make it without you at the helm.
Indecision filled Noleta's features. Grimly, she shoved the cutlass back through her sash. "Which way?"
Morely started to answer, but pain suddenly filled him. He blinked his eyes, and in a second, he was back in the tunnels beneath the keep, the Minotaur's shoulder pressing into his stomach.
Mandel was bent down and staring at him, torchlight playing in his dark, wild eyes.
"Where have you been?" he demanded.
Morely ignored him. He tried to get back to Noleta.
Mandel's eyes widened in surprise, as if he could somehow see what Morely was doing.
Grabbing Morely's neck, he closed his fist. Morely's eyes went wide. He felt his neck constrict.
Something snapped.
"You're dead, old man," Mandel whispered.
"Praz!"
The young warrior turned at River's pained cry. She was on her knees, holding Telop, whose entire chest was covered in blood.
"No!" Praz shouted, running toward them. "Help me," Telop croaked, reaching for Praz. "I'm hurt."
Praz knelt beside his friend and grabbed his hand.
"Damn it," he said, looking over the wounds. He placed his other hand over Telop's chest and started a healing chant.
Telop's body bucked as Praz's spell coursed through him, but it didn't do a thing.
"Too late," Telop whispered. His eyes blinked, closed, and seemed to take forever to reopen.
Fear shone fever-bright when they did.
"Praz?"
"I'm here," Praz replied, his voice thick with emotion. Telop's eyes closed again.
"Telop?" Praz called. "Telop?"
Telop's face was pale and blood dripped slowly from the corner of his mouth.
Praz squeezed tighter. "Telop!" he cried. "Telop!"
With no answer, Praz looked up. Anger seethed in his eyes. Enough, he thought.
Getting to his feet, his face shook as he gathered all the pain and rage and sorrow he'd felt his entire life.
His energy formed into a deep purple glow that flowed all around him. His muscles tensed. His arms shook, and throwing his hands in the air, a thousand violet lights suddenly shot out from the sphere.
Bolts licked out and touched the zombies, freezing them in their tracks and crackling throughout the entire area.
Praz screamed aloud, his eyes mad and searching, as every zombie touched turned to blackened ash that smashed apart and blew away in the raging winds.
Another crackle of lightning struck the zombie ship and ripped it apart from the inside, shuddering its core and blowing it to pieces. Praz slumped to the floor as planks and armor fell all around him.
In the next instant, Crimson Raptor crashed into a sloping beach with a grinding rush.
Praz was breathing hard. His muscles ached, but his blood was pumping strong and he could still feel the power in him.
He looked up and, seeing the devastation he had done, he understood.
Darkness, he thought, my powers come from Darkness. That's why they're afraid of me.
"We made it," Alagar called out. "It's the Isle of the Dead."
Noleta looked around. It was a miracle. Morely had never given her a direction, but she'd kept the ship on course and they'd made it.
Praz looked up and saw River with Telop.
Darkness, he thought. That's why I couldn't heal my friend.
Tears welled in his bloodshot eyes and anger made his heart pump faster.
River saw him looking and stared into his eyes.
"I'll take care of him," she promised. "I'll get them," Praz promised. "I'll get them for this."
Grabbing his sword, Praz stood. When he turned around, Alagar was standing before him, a stunned look on his face.
"You did it," he said. "You killed them all."
"Yes," Praz said, pushing past him and heading for the beach. "And I'm not done killing things yet."
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