Vowed to Hades (Romancing the Seas #4)

17. Captain Stone

CAPTAIN STONE

T he air hung heavy with the scent of ash, clinging to their lungs like a curse as Captain Stone and Prince Edward emerged from the portal.

The moment their boots touched the scorched earth, there was no time to think, no time to mourn. The pain of losing their father was a deep wound, but their wives were in grave danger, and the urgency of the moment demanded all of their focus.

They moved quickly, the landscape around them a haunting reminder of the destruction that had taken place.

The remnants of a camp lay scattered near the mouth of a cave that had been obliterated, the entrance buried under a mountain of rubble.

Captain Stone’s heart pounded in his chest, every beat echoing with the fear that they might be too late.

The silence around them was oppressive, the only sound the crunch of their footsteps on the brittle ground.

Without a word, they set to work, their hands clawing at the rocks, pulling them away one by one. The desperation in their movements was palpable, each breath a battle against the suffocating fear that threatened to overwhelm them. Captain Stone’s voice rang out, raw and hoarse, as he shouted for Georgette and Serena, his words echoing off the lifeless rocks.

But there was nothing. No response. Only the unbearable silence.

“Serena!” Prince Edward’s voice cracked as he called for his wife, his hands trembling as he shoved a boulder aside.

His face was streaked with dirt and sweat, but it was the tears that caught Captain Stone’s attention. Edward’s shoulders shook, his resolve crumbling as he stared at the unyielding wall of stone before them.

“They’re gone,” Edward whispered, his voice choked with despair. “We’re too late.”

Captain Stone’s chest tightened, a burning anger rising up within him. “No,” he growled, the word a command, not just to Edward, but to the universe itself.

He grabbed the prince by the shoulders, shaking him as if to jolt him back to reality. “We don’t stop. We don’t ever stop until we reach them. Do you hear me? Now help me.”

The fire in his eyes, the unyielding determination, seemed to stir something in Prince Edward. The prince’s tears dried, replaced by a grim resolve as he nodded, clenching his fists.

Together, they continued to dig, their hands bloodied and raw, their muscles burning with the effort.

The hours stretched on, the sun sinking lower in the sky until they were shrouded in the cold darkness of night. But they didn’t stop. They couldn’t stop. Not until they knew.

The silence around them was thick, broken only by the sound of shifting rocks and labored breathing. Each stone they moved felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, each second that passed a reminder that time was running out.

Captain Stone’s heart ached with every breath, the fear gnawing at his insides like a relentless beast.

Then, as if summoned by their desperation, a golden light burst through the darkness, bathing the cave entrance in a warm, otherworldly light.

Captain Stone looked up, his breath catching in his throat as Aphrodite appeared before them, her beauty radiant even in the desolate landscape.

She regarded them with a mixture of pity and amusement, her eyes softening as she saw the pain etched into their faces.

“Why do you keep digging when you know it is fruitless?” she asked, her voice smooth as silk.

Prince Edward let out a strangled cry, slamming his fist against a boulder with a force that split it in two. His face twisted with grief, but Captain Stone refused to acknowledge the goddess’s words.

He refused to accept it.

His hands didn’t stop, even as his body screamed for rest. “Dead or alive,” he snarled, his voice a low, dangerous growl, “I will get to her. I made a promise. I will always find her. Always.”

Aphrodite’s lips curled into a sad smile. “You know,” she said softly, “I have such a soft spot for true love.”

With a delicate motion, she reached out and touched the rubble blocking the cave.

The rocks shimmered under her fingers, their hard edges crumbling into ash and dust that floated away on the breeze, leaving the entrance clear.

For a moment, both men just stared, the miracle of it all too surreal to comprehend.

But then Captain Stone didn’t wait.

He charged forward.

The darkness swallowed him whole, the air thick with the scent of earth and sulfur.

He stumbled, his breath catching as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, searching desperately for any sign of life.

Then he saw her.

Georgette lay crumpled on the cold ground, her body battered and bruised. She lay impossibly still, and the air was quiet as a tomb.

Captain Stone’s stomach plummeted. The sight of her hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest, knocking the air from his lungs .

For a moment, the world around him ceased to exist, and the only thing that mattered was the woman lying before him.

“No,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he fell to his knees beside her. His hands trembled as he reached out to touch her. “No, no, no…”

Prince Edward appeared at his side, his face ghostly pale as he stared at Serena, who lay a few feet away, just as still. The prince’s expression was one of utter devastation, the grief in his eyes raw and all-consuming.

But Captain Stone couldn’t tear his gaze away from Georgette. His Georgette. The woman who had fought by his side, who had loved him with a fierceness that matched his own. The woman he had promised to protect, to cherish, to never let go.

And now…

He picked her up and hovered his ear to her parted lips. He held his breath…waiting, pleading for any sign of life. Then the faintest breath landed on his cheek.

He put his fingers to her neck, and the flicker of a pulse flooded him with hope.

“Serena’s alive, but she’s hurt,” Prince Edward called to him.

Captain Stone picked Georgette up, her head fell back as he carried her.

“Is she…” Prince Edward began, his eyes hollow as he carried Serena over. Captain Stone shook his head. “Her ribs are broken, and her breaths are shallow. But she is still alive. ”

The men carried their wives onto the beach and took them to the abandoned camp.

“We have no water. No medical supplies. Not even a ship to get off this hellish place. Now what?” Prince Edward said as he placed Serena on the sand.

They looked around them.

It appeared that they had been given all the divine help they were allowed, and Captain Stone couldn’t shake the feeling that they were now alone.

“We need to make a fire,” he grunted, trying to ignore the rising panic in his body.

Their situation was dire, and he didn’t have any answers. But he was determined not to show weakness and make his brother lose hope.

“Right,” Prince Edward said. “I’ll gather some wood. That is, if there is anything that isn’t already charred on this island.”

Captain Stone watched his brother run up the hill and disappear in the tree growth. Then he drew his attention to the movement under his shirt collar.

“Robert, my little friend…” he pulled out the viper from under his shirt. It coiled around his wrist and tasted the air with a flick of the tongue.

But as he lowered the snake to Georgette, doubts began to creep in.

He knew she possessed the power to heal, but what if she was too weak and a snake bite finished her off? He had seen how snake venom enhanced her powers before, but without knowing what might happen when she was in such a fragile state …

“On second thought,” he murmured, then he tucked his pet back into his shirt. Robert slithered to his favorite spot on Captain Stone’s shoulder once more.

When Edward returned, his arms were laden with branches, and within a few minutes a weak fire came to life.

It was decided that the men would tend to the women and hope that they would wake up. Then they would work on their next move.

The night had settled over the island like a thick shroud, the once oppressive heat now giving way to a cool breeze that whispered across the charred landscape. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale, ghostly shine over the blackened earth. The gentle lapping of the waves provided a haunting lullaby as they tended to their beloveds.

Captain Stone’s hands trembled as he knelt beside Georgette, his heart heavy with concern. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her pale, bruised skin.

Prince Edward knelt beside Serena, his movements slow and deliberate as he dipped a cloth into the cool water of the sea.

He began to gently wash away the dirt and blood that marred her once radiant skin, his expression unreadable.

The silence between them was thick, the only sounds the soft rustling of the waves and the occasional distant cry of a seabird .

“We should never have split up,” Prince Edward murmured. The side of his jaw bulging.

Captain Stone didn’t argue.

“Isis has brought us to near death too many times on this foolish mission. And it appears that we face more danger every day. It does make me wonder if we should risk the consequences and call it off.”

Captain Stone tried to keep his hands steady as he bathed Georgette. He moved slowly, carefully, as though she were made of the most fragile glass, and with every stroke, he was reminded of the very first time he washed her.

When she had been captured by an enemy pirate crew, and he slaughtered them all for threatening her. Later, he commanded her to undress so he could check every inch of her body, to be sure that she was not harmed.

Back then she tensed and squeaked whenever he roamed his soaked cloth over her bare skin.

Now she lay still. Too still for his liking.

He never thought he would look back on that day with such fondness. As though life had been simpler back then. But it was true. Those were the days when the biggest concerns were regarding pirates and sirens.

But then, Prince Edward’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Wait. Do you notice anything different?”

Captain Stone stilled, his hands hovering over Georgette’s collarbone as he turned to look at Edward. “What do you mean? ”

Prince Edward frowned, his brow furrowed as he leaned closer to Serena’s neck, his fingers tracing the side. “I swear on my life there were deep bruises here… But they’re gone.”

A tingle of excitement rushed down Captain Stone’s spine. His eyes widened as he quickly turned his gaze back to Georgette. His breath caught in his throat as he noticed it—her bruises, the dark, angry marks that had marked her skin, were fading.

He lifted her shirt and lightly pressed her ribs with the pads of his fingertips. The large black marks that were all over her were smaller now.

Right before his eyes, they were vanishing, as if the violence that had been done to her was being erased by some unseen force.

“What is this magic?” he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath as he looked back at Prince Edward.

But there was no answer. Only the impossible truth unfolding before them.

Slowly, color began to return to Georgette’s cheeks, the deathly pallor of her skin replaced by the faintest hint of life.

Captain Stone’s heart thundered in his chest, his mind racing to keep up with what he was witnessing. He didn’t dare to hope, didn’t dare to believe what his eyes were telling him, but the evidence was undeniable.

He lowered his ear to her chest and shut his eyes.

The world seemed to stop, the only sound the relentless pounding of his own heart as he waited, every second stretching into an eternity.

And then…

Thump-thump-thump.

The sound was strong—steady and rhythmic.

Captain Stone’s heart thundered, a flood of emotions crashing over him with such force that he almost couldn’t breathe.

Whatever was at play here, Georgette was healing and growing stronger.

He pulled back, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and disbelief as he stared down at her, his hands shaking as he cradled her face, willing her to open her eyes.

“Georgette,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he held her close. “Come back to me, love… please.”

Beside him, Prince Edward gasped.

The sound made Captain Stone look up to see that Serena was blinking. Tears leaked from her eyes, and she whimpered in Prince Edward’s arms.

“Thank the gods…” Edward breathed, then pulled her to his chest and rocked her back and forth.

And then Georgette stirred, a soft, pained sound escaping her lips as her eyelids fluttered open. Her gaze was unfocused, her expression dazed, but she was awake, and the color was coming back to her cheeks.

“Georgette,” Captain Stone repeated, his voice cracking as he cupped her face, his thumbs brushing away the tears that slipped down her cheeks.

“Are you… real?” she whispered, reaching to place a shaky hand on his cheek.

Captain Stone kissed her palm. “I’m here. I’ve got you, and I’m not letting you go.”

Georgette blinked, her eyes slowly focusing on his face, the confusion in her gaze giving way to recognition. “How?” she asked. “How are you here? What happened? Where’s Serena?”

Captain Stone’s breath hitched, the sound coming out as a choked laugh of relief. He pulled her closer, pressing his forehead to hers as he let the tears fall freely. “She is well, and you’re safe,” he repeated, his voice trembling with emotion. “That’s all that matters.”

Georgette slowly sat up and hugged her knees with a shiver. It prompted Captain Stone to take off his jacket and drape it around her shoulders.

“I can’t believe you are both here,” she said, shaken.

Serena sat with Prince Edward and stayed unusually quiet. Captain Stone supposed she was still in shock.

He sat behind Georgette and nestled her between his legs, keen to surround her in his warmth.

Relief flooded his veins, giving him a renewed sense of purpose. But his mind was a frenzy of unanswered questions.

“That was too close,” he muttered, squeezing Georgette with his arms. He kissed the top of her head. “Far too close.”

But a derisive laugh made him frown. He caught sight of Serena shaking her head.

“How can you be relieved? This island is a tomb. There is no getting out.” She threw her hands in the air. “We are all dead, the very moment we stepped on this volcanic rock, we died.”

Prince Edward attempted to comfort his love, but she stood and started to pace.

“No, you don’t understand, Atlantis is in ruin. Poseidon is dead, and there are gods forming an army…”

Captain Stone and Prince Edward exchanged looks.

“What happened?” Edward asked, his tone lowering.

Serena tossed her hair back and circled the campfire. “Gods do not speak quietly. They put us in a cell before their little meeting, but the foolish entities seemed to forget that I could easily hear them a mile away.” She scoffed. “And now they’ve made it abundantly clear that they want us dead.”

“Who?” Captain Stone asked as a prickle of anger ran through his body.

He clutched Georgette a little tighter. He wanted names so he knew who to destroy and did not care if they were human or a god.

Serena’s eyes flashed. “They did not exactly introduce themselves,” she snapped. But then she pressed her fingers to her temples with a sigh. “My head feels like it’s still being crushed by rocks.”

Prince Edward pulled her to his lap. “We can talk later. First, we need to rest, find water, and get some food in us.”

Captain Stone nodded and reluctantly let Georgette go as he got to his feet. When he joined his brother on a hunt, he chewed on the predicament of what to do next.

He knew that whatever path they chose, each one would be just as perilous.