The Abysmal Sea Read online

  Lir draped an arm around her, and she curled into his warm body.

  “Two of the Purgators are dead,” said Nod.

  “Is my mom one of them?” A tendril of dread curled through her. Maybe she wanted her mom dead. Mom had murdered Gil, and she'd murder her daughter, too. She’d never loved her children.

  Dagon had forced Isolde to remember everything she wanted to forget. All these years, her mother had been playing her—feigning insanity just to get attention, so Isolde would take care of her.

  Nod shook his head. “We spared your mother. She's swimming back to her boat. She'll be able to radio the coast guard.”

  Isolde exhaled with relief. As the morning sun escaped the clouds, staining the sky crimson, she squinted, just catching a glimpse of her mother swimming toward a yacht. Isolde's entire body ached, and she stumbled below deck to curl up in a bed and sleep.

  * * *

  When she awoke, Lir was bringing a mug of hot tea into the room. She blinked her bleary eyes, trying to clear her head.

  "You swallowed a lot of water earlier. Lungwort tea will help soothe your pipes.”

  She sat up. “I was worried you’d burn."

  "I was worried you'd drown."

  "Dagon saved me.”

  He smiled, sitting next to her on the bed. “That wasn’t Dagon. Dagon is significantly more terrifying.”

  “What do you mean? Dagon was there, with his horrible slimy arms.”

  Lir cocked an eyebrow. “That was my familiar, Batharos. I won’t tell him what you said about him.”

  “But he showed me all the things I didn’t want to remember. He showed me my mom murdering my brother. I remember everything now. She held him under, and then she lapped up all the attention at his funeral.”

  Lir’s golden complexion paled, and he shook his head. “Those were your memories. If you’d faced the sea god, you’d either be dead, or demonic.”

  She wasn’t demonic. She didn’t feel any stronger. But she did feel different—free. “Tell Batharos I said thanks.”

  “Do you still plan to return to Innsworth?”

  A ray of milky sunlight gleamed through the window, and she took a sip of her drink. “Tell me again about Mount Acidale.”

  * * *

  If you enjoy urban fantasy with a bit of romance, you might also enjoy Magic Hunter. It’s set in the same world as Abysmal Sea. It follows the story of a member of the Purgators, forced to live among the demons she once hunted.

  Thanks for reading!

  Also by C.N. Crawford

  The following series are set in the same world as the Abysmal Sea.

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  The Vampire’s Mage Series

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  Demons of Fire and Night Series

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  The Memento Mori Series

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  About

  C.N. Crawford is not one person but two. We write our novels collaboratively, passing our laptops back and forth to edit each other's words.

  Christine (C) grew up in the historic town of Lexington, and has a lifelong interest in New England folklore - with a particular fondness for creepy old cemeteries. Nick (N) spent his childhood reading fantasy and science fiction further north during Vermont's long winters.

  Our first book, The Witching Elm, was published in 2014.

  In addition to writing fiction, we love to hear from our readers and can be reached at any of the following links. We always reply to our readers.

  @cn_crawford

  cncrawfordauthor

  www.cncrawford.com

  [email protected]

  Acknowledgments

  We thank our wonderful editor Tammi Labrecque​ and our cover designer Shayne Rutherford. Thanks also to Author’s Corner for their inspiration and moral support.