Promise

I wondered for a moment if I was dying. Or perhaps already dead.

But I when my eyes opened to light, I concluded that I must not have died. Yet, at least.

Slowly, feeling returned to my limbs, and I staggered to my feet. The mask hung crookedly off my face, I could feel it in the way the strap caught on my ear. I reached up to straighten it, but instead cut my finger on the jagged edge of it.

I swore and tore the mask off my face, scratching my chin and right cheek in the process. "Loyal?" I called out, reaching for something to steady myself on.

I could smell the sea air all around, and the soft creaking of wooden timbers told me we were still onboard the Fallen's Hope. The rope I'd rigged up to keep Loyal, Loving, and I from falling to a very watery death must've worked. They had be nearby then, too, I thought as I struggled to untie myself.

"Loving!" I cupped two hands around my mouth to amplify the call, then tilted my head to listen better.

A few seconds passed. Then a minute. Nothing.

Angry now, I slammed a fist into the deck. An action I regretted instantly, because agony exploded in my knuckles.

"Ouch." I hissed, sitting down and cradling my hand with another.

The ship rocked slowly, rolling left to right and back again. I let myself be lulled by the movement for a moment, then shook off the daze and got back to my feet.

"Loving! Loyal!" I called again, adding in a mutter, "if they're fine and just not answering me, so help me I will kill them both!"

A groan from somewhere off to my left was all the answer I got.

I turned toward it, stepping gingerly and managing to avoid the larger part of the debris that littered the deck around me. The groans gradually increased in volume as I approached. I crouched and felt around, my hand finding the fabric of someone's cloak. "Loyal, that you?" I asked, now recognizing the voice.

"Promise?" He grunted back. "Are we dead?"

I smirked ironically. "Nope, not that lucky. Are you hurt?"

"Bruised and battered. Nothing broken, though, I think." He answered, huffing as he pulled himself up using one of my arms. "You?"

"Same. What do you think happened to the others?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"You look funny when you do both, you know that?" The comment was followed by a clattering noise that I would assume to be his mask as he tossed it aside.

I shrugged, releasing the lower set of my arms and letting them hang. "It feels funny to just do the one."

He hummed in agreement. "Fair enough. I lost sight of the others just before I was knocked out. The Eight were on the other side of the ship. I don't think they're still there, I can't hear anything." He paused. "Actually, that's a lie. I can hear Loving cursing like a madman from over here."

"Loving's alive?"

Loyal chuckled. "By the sound of it, yeah."

"Alright, well, let's go see how alive." I took a few steps, then stumbled over a piece of debris.

Loyal caught my arm and dragged me back upright. "You alright?" He asked, letting go quickly.

I shook off his hands and nodded briskly. "Yep, fine."

We made our way toward Loving. Loyal helped up the other Redcloak and we sat together, trying to figure out what had happened.

"I saw Lucia and Zay fall overboard," Loving was saying, "but I lost sight of the others almost immediately after."

"What about Tyler?" I asked, suddenly remembering the guardian.

"Tellun, I forgot about him." Loyal muttered. "I'll go look around. You two stay put, okay?"

I nodded and turned to face where I imagined Loving to be. "You weren't hurt?"

"Bit banged up but I'll live. My cloak got ripped off, though. It's completely gone." I heard them sigh.

I reached out, finding his shoulder and patting it in what I hoped was a comforting manner. "It's okay. My mask broke, too." I could feel the scrapes on my face stretch as I spoke, and resisted the urge to touch them.

"Yeah, is that why your cheek's all bloody?" Loving, apparently, didn't have the restraint that I did. They reached over and rubbed at the dried blood beside my nose.

I jerked away, half startled by the touch, half annoyed by his forwardness. "Don't!" I snapped, harsher than I intended.

Loving sat back, though they didn't seem too startled. "Right, sorry. I keep forgetting."

I pursed my lips, but was saved from having to apologize as Loyal's footsteps returned. He had someone with him.

"You found him!" Loving exclaimed, excited. The deck creaked as he leapt to his feet.

I stood as well, so that Loyal could have more space to treat whatever wounds Tyler had. I could smell his coppery blood in the air. "Is he okay?" I asked.

"He will be." Loyal answered confidently. "Loving, go grab any bandage supplies that you can find."

I crouched, finding Loyal's shoulder to orient myself. "What happened?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I found him hanging off the edge of the ship, tied to the railing and unconscious. He must've had the same idea as us, to rig something up so he didn't go overboard."

I twisted my lips into a grimace. "If only the rest of the team had thought of it."

Loyal made a sound halfway between agreement and indifference. "They're the Chosen Eight, Promise. They're pretty hard to kill."

Not really, I found myself thinking. I shook my head to try and get rid of the thought. "That's fair. They're probably washed up on shore somewhere. We'll just have to find them."

"And hope they don't kill each other before we do." Loyal agreed in an offhandedly exasperated voice.

Loving returned, their feet soft on the wood, but heavy enough to send the vibrations through to my own. "Here." Something— it must've been the supplies Loyal asked for— rustled as he handed it to his brother.

"Perfect, thank you." Loyal set the supplies down beside me. "Okay, Promise, I'll need you to hold his arms so I can patch up the wound. Loving, get over here, and hand me what I need."

I nodded and reached for Tyler's wrists to hold them steady. But as soon as my hands closed over his skin, the guardian started writhing.

"Let him go!" Loyal exclaimed, his voice suddenly farther away. He must've jumped back.

"I can't!" It was true, the man's hands had grabbed my own. He jerked my lower, close enough that I could just barely make out what were his eyes.

"You." He hissed, sending a shiver down my spine. "I knew it was you."

Then he released me and I stumbled back, my stomach dropping to my toes. He knows, my heartbeat whispered in my ears. He knows, he knows, he knows.

17/08/21
and there ya have it!! i'm sure you can all guess who Promise is now ;)
anyway that's the end of book one!!
i don't know when book two will come out, since i still have to edit the first series
title for book two is not set yet, either, so feel free to drop some recs!
hope you enjoyed!! xx