Night had truly fallen now, swallowing the horizon. The storm-wracked sea heaved all around them, waves slamming against the hull with an almost vengeful force. The Silver Horizon’s sails strained under the unholy gale, carrying them swiftly away from Elytheris’s shores. The abandoned helm stood on a small, raised platform above the main cabin.

“We have to slow it down!” Elle shouted over the clamor. Saltwater glimmered in her hair, the freezing wind clawing at her skin. Every step felt perilous as the ship pitched wildly on a collision course with darkness.

“We’re right behind you!” Faye hollered. She gripped a dangling rope for balance, gasping in alarm when another gust hammered the vessel. At her side, Liori clutched the railing, her lips moving in a rhythmic chant – soft words for warding and protection. A dull glow flickered at her fingertips, each light pulse fighting to exist in the storm’s howling gloom.

“Hold on!” Liori cried, anchoring herself to a loose rope from the mast just as a monstrous wave lifted the ship’s bow. Faye shrieked, nearly losing her footing again, her hair plastered across her face by the spray.

Elle’s heart thundered, but she clenched her teeth, pressing forward. She had to trust that Kali and Aer would hold their own against the intruders. Right now, the priority was to wrest control of The Silver Horizon. She swallowed hard, each jolt of the deck threatening to hurl her aside. Her legs ached from bracing against the violent rocking, and every breath came salted by the frigid sea air.

Lightning traced silver veins across the low-hanging clouds, illuminating the madness around them in brief flashes. Another wave crashed over the bow, dousing the deck in brine. Elle coughed, blinking saltwater from her eyes.

“We’re almost there!” Faye called, voice muffled by the wind’s shriek. Indeed, the wooden stairs leading to the helm were just ahead, but each step was slick and treacherous.

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Elle risked a glance behind her, searching for any sign of Kali or Aer. Distantly, she could still hear the clash of steel and muffled shouts within the captain’s quarters. Elle forced her gaze forward again. Taking a fortifying breath, she pushed on, Liori and Faye at her heels. The deck lurched again, nearly throwing them off-balance, but together they clung to ropes and railings, refusing to surrender to the storm. Grunting, Elle seized the rail of the raised platform, hauling herself up the final steps.

At last, the helm loomed before them – deserted, spinning uselessly under the power of the gale. Elle’s stomach twisted at the sight. Just an empty wheel careening under the onslaught of wind and waves, driving them further and further into the unknown.

“We can’t let it spin out of control!” Faye shouted, stumbling forward. Her arms trembled as she grabbed the wheel’s spokes to slow its wild motion.

Liori joined her, chanting words of focus as she pressed her hands to the wood. A faint, golden glow sparked around her palms, fighting to anchor the wheel against the tempest.

Elle braced herself, setting her shoulder to the wheel, willing her fear aside. Beneath her touch, the varnished wood felt alive, humming with residual energy from the unnatural wind. She drew in a ragged breath, meeting Liori’s wide eyes.

“On my mark,” Elle commanded, voice as steady as she could make it. “Together. One—two—three!”

They heaved with every ounce of strength, fighting to control the spinning wheel. The ship groaned beneath them, resisting their efforts. But inch by inch, the helm slowed.

Still, the shrieking wind had not abated, and the waves crashed as violently as ever. With the wheel no longer spinning uncontrollably, The Silver Horizon’s frantic bearing stabilized slightly. A new lightning bolt cracked overhead, painting the world in brilliant white.

“It’s fighting us,” Faye hissed. “Something doesn’t want us turning back!”

Elle’s heart pounded, but she ground her teeth and planted her feet.

Liori’s breath came in gasps between incantations. “Then… push harder. Aelindra, grant us strength.”

A quake rattled the deck. In the distance, a faint boom of thunder rolled across the waves. At that moment, a malevolent presence coursed through the battered planks beneath the princess’ feet. But Elle forced the dread down.

Storm or no storm, danger or no danger.