Stop… please!
We beg you!
'You want me to stop? Fine!' Nathifa shouted into the wind. 'Release us and be on your way! Otherwise, I'll keep attacking, and you'll be forced to let us go!'
The shrieking stopped and the wind's anger abated somewhat, though it didn't entirely vanish. The Zephyr remained aloft, though Nathifa had no idea how high above the sea she hovered. Nathifa had the impression the Ragestorm had paused in its attack and was trying to decide its next move.
They didn't have long to wait.
The wind ceased, and the Zephyr-possessing all the aerodynamic properties of a large boulder-plunged to the waiting sea below. The sloop hit the water, sending up great plumes of seaspray. The whirling column of air that had held Nathifa withdrew, and when the Zephyr struck the surface, the lich was knocked off her feet. Before she could stand, a wave washed over the rail, engulfed her, and carried her away.
Nathifa had been bobbing on the surface of the Lhazaar for only a short time before she saw a dorsal fin slicing through the water toward her. As it drew close the shark slowed and turned its side to her. The lich took hold of the creature's dorsal fin, and the shark began swimming with powerful strokes of its tail. Within moments, they were in sight of the Zephyr-or at least what was left of her. The vessel was still afloat, but she listed to starboard and a set of runners was missing. The shark brought Nathifa up to the sloop's hull, and the lich let go of the creature's fin and, using her own magic, levitated up and over the ship's railing. Once her feet touched the deck, she took hold of the railing behind her to steady herself. She wasn't about to waste something as precious as magic energy to help her keep her footing on a canted deck.
A moment later, a humanoid shark climbed over the railing and joined Nathifa. The creature's facial features began to soften, and its eyes became less cold. Soon, a nearly naked Haaken stood next to the undead sorceress, also gripping the railing to keep from sliding on the slanted deck.
'I thank you for coming to my aid, Haaken.' The words were as sawdust in her mouth. She wasn't used to needing help, and she was even less used to thanking anyone. She glanced around, searching for Makala and Skarm. She found the latter in his barghest form clinging to the mast, fur soaked and body trembling with fright. As for Makala…
A black-winged bat swooped down from above and circled the lich and the wereshark once before transforming into Makala. The vampire smiled weakly.
'All present and accounted for,' she said, her voice tinged with weariness. It was clear to Nathifa that it had taken a great deal of strength for Makala to resist the energy-draining power of the Lhazaar. But resist she had, if only just.
Nathifa gazed skyward and was pleased to see the moons and stars once more. She didn't know whether she'd destroyed the Ragestorm or merely driven it off. Either way, she was glad the damned thing was gone.
She turned to Haaken. 'How bad is the damage?'
'Bad enough. When I was underwater, I swam around the Zephyr to get a good look. We lost the starboard runner, which is why the ship is listing so badly. There are no leaks as yet, but the hull's been weakened in a number of places. Even if we shore up the weak spots by spreading pitch on them, it's only a matter of time before we start taking on water. The mast and sails look fine, and the containment ring seems undamaged. We'll have to check, but I don't think the Ragestorm was able to absorb the ship's elemental. Not that it matters. We can't travel at top speed without both runners, and even if we could somehow fashion a new starboard runner, the hull wouldn't be able to withstand the stress of traveling that fast. We can remove the port runner so that we can sail by natural wind power alone, but our speed will be greatly diminished.'
'I don't want to spend any more time at sea than necessary,' Makala growled. 'My sarcophagus survived the Zephyr's fall. It slid about and damaged the starboard rail, but at least it didn't break through and sink to the bottom of Lhazaar. I have a place to rest during the day, but I still don't have a source of nourishment.' She shot Nathifa a quick glare. 'None that I'm permitted to avail myself of, anyway. The sooner we make landfall, the better as far as my thirst is concerned. But my own selfish considerations aside, we aren't in any hurry, are we? Trebaz Sinara will still be waiting for us whether we arrive in one day or a half dozen.'
'And when we reach the island, we should be able to find the materials needed to repair the Zephyr,' Haaken said. 'We can't make her as good as new without a supply of soarwood, but we can get her strong enough to withstand the force of the air elemental again.'
Normally, her servants' logic would've swayed Nathifa. After all, what were a few more days after all the time she'd already waited to see her vengeance finally done? But there was something she hadn't shared with Makala and Haaken yet-something she had learned earlier when she'd been alone in the cabin listening to the whispers of Espial.
'We cannot afford any delay,' the lich said. 'The priest and his companions have learned of our destination, and they have acquired transport upon an elemental galleon. Even now they speed toward us, coming closer with each passing second.'
Makala laughed. 'I'm not surprised. Diran may have been foolish enough to ally himself with the so-called Purified, but he's as much as a hunter as any of us. He'll never stop, not so long as breath remains in his body.'
Nathifa gave the vampire an appraising look. 'You sound as if you still love him.'
Makala opened her mouth and displayed her fangs. 'I'd love to sink my teeth into his neck, if that's what you mean.'
Nathifa wondered if the evil that infested Makala's soul didn't have quite the firm foothold that she'd originally thought. If so, it was a useful thing to know. Nathifa might be able to use that against Makala should the need arise.
When the need arose, the lich amended.
'Unless you know a spell that can repair a damaged sloop, I'm afraid we're not going anywhere fast anytime soon,' Haaken said.
Nathifa looked up at the sky, noted the four full moons, and remembered at last what they signified.
'I just may,' she said.
Nathifa stood alone at the Zephyr's slanted prow, Espial tucked beneath one arm. Her servants had locked themselves in the cabin as she had ordered. Not only didn't she wish them to interfere in what was to take place, they would be safer there. She hoped.
She rubbed chalk-white fingers across the smooth surface of the skull's glossy obsidian pate, her gaze fixed on the eastern horizon. It was well past midnight, but dawn was still some hours away. Nathifa was a creature of darkness, but right now she would've preferred to see at least a hint of coming sunlight in the distance.
It's not too late to change your mind, she told herself. But of course it was. She'd sent the summons. The ship would come, and no power on Eberron could stop it now.
Was she really willing to make the terrible bargain she had in mind? Perhaps it would be better to remove the remaining runner and sail without the aid of the Zephyr's bound air elemental. What did it matter that the priest and his companions would catch up to them? Nathifa and her servants were powerful. Diran Bastiaan and the others wouldn't stand a chance against them. There was no need to make the deal she was contemplating.
But of course there was. She'd only faced Bastiaan once, in her lair located in the hills beyond Perhata, but that had been enough for her to take the man's measure. Power ran strong in him-far stronger than anyone Nathifa had ever encountered before. She sensed darkness in the man's soul as well, and she wondered if his knowledge of darkness, instead of weakening the good in him, actually strengthened it. It was a disturbing thought, for if a man like Diran Bastiaan could learn to let go of his past, what did that mean for a creature like her? Could she, like Bastiaan, step off her path and decide to walk another, even after all this time?
She shook her head and cursed herself for a fool. Her brother Kolbyr had wronged her grievously, had wronged her child by not giving him the chance to be Kolbyr's heir. And even though Kolbyr had long ago gone to his grave, she couldn't bear to allow his name to live on through his descendants… descendents who ruled a city bearing her brother's very name! She'd sacrificed so much in the name of vengeance: long years spent studying fell sorcery, pledging herself to the service of the Lich Queen, surrendering her mortal life so that she might become a lich and live long enough to see her vengeance fulfilled at last. If she turned aside from her path now, all her work,
