Bound by the Tide: The Keeper’s Reckoning: The Tide's Wrath, #3

By Raven Skye

Bound by the Tide: The Keeper's Reckoning is a tale of ancient pacts, fierce storms, and the courageous souls bound by a legacy that stretches back generations.

 

In the coastal town of Bayside, the ocean is both protector and threat, revered and feared for the lives it has claimed and the curses it has woven. For centuries, the Keepers—a lineage chosen to appease the sea's wrath—have shouldered an unbreakable burden, bound by duty to guide the tides and shield the town from destructive storms. But the latest Keeper, Tommy, feels torn between his calling and his longing for freedom. With his loyal friend Harper by his side, he dares to search for a way to break the cycle of sacrifices and secrets that has haunted Bayside.

 

As they unearth truths long hidden beneath the waves, they discover that the Keeper's role was never what it seemed. The ocean's fury is no longer content with old bargains; it calls for a reckoning. Facing storms fiercer than ever before, Tommy and Harper must confront the sea itself, risking everything to forge a new path for the town—one not shackled by curses, but built on balance and respect.

 

In this final chapter of the series, Bound by the Tide explores the cost of legacy, the power of choice, and the courage it takes to stand against forces as ancient as the tides. The storm has come, and with it, the Keeper's ultimate test.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raven Skye
• Release date: Nov 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9798227753373

Book preview

​Chapter 1: The Return of the Tides

The pier creaked softly beneath Alex’s feet as he stared out at the water. The evening air was heavy with humidity, and the sea stretched before him, unusually restless. For weeks, Bayside had been calm. The storms had ceased, and the skies had remained clear. But tonight, the waves rolled in with a steady, unnatural rhythm, as if something deep beneath the surface was stirring.

It wasn’t like the violent storms they had battled months before when the Society controlled the town with their twisted rituals. The churning of the sea now was subtle but deliberate, like the first sign of something far worse waiting to emerge.

Alex leaned on the railing, tightening his grip until his knuckles whitened. He had hoped that once they destroyed the Society’s influence and freed Bayside from the storms, the town would finally be at peace. But now, he wasn’t sure. There was an energy in the air—a feeling he couldn’t shake—that something far older, far darker, was beginning to wake.

The sound of footsteps on the pier caught his attention, and he turned to see Sarah approaching. She looked concerned, her brow furrowed as she took in his tense posture.

You’re still out here? she asked, her voice quiet but filled with worry.

Alex shrugged, turning back toward the horizon where the last traces of the setting sun were fading away. I’ve been watching the tide.

The tide? Sarah frowned, glancing out at the water. What’s wrong with it?

It’s different, Alex said, his voice distant. The sea... it’s not just the waves. It’s the way the water moves. It feels... controlled.

Sarah stood beside him, staring out at the water, though she didn’t see anything immediately alarming. You think it’s something like before? With the Society?

I don’t know, Alex admitted, running a hand through his hair. But it’s not natural. The storms stopped, but I don’t think that means we’re safe.

Sarah crossed her arms, glancing at him. The Keeper’s balance is restored, right? No more storms. Maybe it’s just the ocean being unpredictable.

I thought so too, Alex said softly. But what if we broke something? What if the storms were just a symptom of something deeper?

Sarah’s brow furrowed again. She wanted to reassure him, but Alex wasn’t one to exaggerate, especially not after everything they had been through. If he felt something was wrong, then maybe it was worth worrying about.

Tommy’s been working at the lighthouse again, Sarah said, breaking the silence. He said the light’s been flickering the past few nights. Maybe we should go check it out.

Alex nodded, though the unease in his chest didn’t fade. The lighthouse had always been a symbol of safety for Bayside, a beacon that cut through the storms and the dark waters. If something was wrong with the light, it could mean more than just a mechanical issue.

I’ll meet you there, Alex said, pushing off from the railing. I want to check something first.

Sarah raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. Alright. Just don’t take too long. Whatever’s going on, we need to figure it out together.

Alex gave her a small nod, watching as she turned and headed back toward the town. Once she was out of sight, he glanced back at the water. The waves continued their steady, unnatural rhythm, almost hypnotic in their motion.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching them. Something ancient and hidden, waiting for the right moment to rise from the depths. The storms had been the Society’s doing, but what if those rituals had been masking something much worse?

Taking a deep breath, Alex tore his gaze from the water and started toward the cliffs where the lighthouse stood. Whatever was coming, they would face it head-on, just like before. But this time, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t just the town they were trying to protect.

It was something far bigger. And far more dangerous.

​Chapter 2: Beneath the Veil

The winding staircase of the lighthouse creaked beneath their feet as Alex and Sarah ascended, the air growing colder with each step. The narrow windows along the walls offered glimpses of the sea, which was now restless and turbulent. The wind howled outside, whipping against the walls of the tower, though the night remained clear, the stars visible against the dark sky.

I don’t like this, Sarah muttered as they reached the landing at the top. Something’s wrong.

Alex nodded in agreement. The flickering beam of the lighthouse, which should have been a constant, steady light, was dimming and brightening irregularly, casting eerie, dancing shadows across the cliffs and the churning waves below. The light had always been a symbol of safety for the town, but now it felt like a failing heartbeat—a warning.

Tommy was waiting for them inside the lens room, crouched near the massive light. His face was pale, his usual confident demeanor replaced with an anxious energy that immediately put Alex on edge.

I don’t get it, Tommy said without looking up as they entered. I’ve checked the system twice. There’s nothing wrong with the mechanics. The light’s supposed to be working fine.

Alex crossed the room, peering out through the thick glass at the sea below. The waves were churning violently now, though the wind wasn’t strong enough to cause such unrest. It was as if the water itself was alive, responding to some unseen force beneath the surface.

It’s not the light, Alex said quietly. It’s the sea.

Tommy stood up, wiping his hands on his jeans, and exchanged a wary glance with Sarah. What do you mean? You think the water is doing this?

Alex turned away from the window, his expression grim. The storms were never just about weather. The Keeper wasn’t just maintaining balance for the town. It was protecting something. Something beneath the water.

A chill crept up Sarah’s spine as she moved to stand beside him. What are you saying? We broke the Society’s rituals—we ended the storms. So, what else could there be?

Alex shook his head. I don’t know. But the sea isn’t calm. It’s like something’s stirring underneath it. Something that was dormant before.

Tommy rubbed the back of his neck, glancing nervously at the flickering light. We’ve already dealt with ancient curses, storms, and whatever the Society was hiding. You’re telling me there’s more?

There’s always more, Alex muttered. Especially when we don’t know the full story.

Sarah sighed, moving toward the controls of the lighthouse beam. So, what do we do? We can’t exactly fight the ocean.

Alex paced to the center of the room, his mind racing. The lighthouse—it’s more than just a beacon for sailors. It’s connected to the Keeper’s power. The Society used it to manipulate the balance, but now that their hold is broken, something else is coming through.

Tommy stepped forward, his brow furrowed. So you’re saying the Keeper was guarding something worse than the storms?

Alex nodded. The Society tried to control the Keeper, and that’s why the storms happened. But those storms were a symptom of something much older, something they didn’t understand. Now that the balance has been restored, I think whatever the Keeper was holding back is waking up.

Sarah’s eyes widened as the pieces started to fall into place. You mean there’s something in the sea? Something ancient?

Alex didn’t reply, but his silence spoke volumes.

They all turned toward the window, staring out at the dark, roiling water. The rhythmic crashing of the waves felt unnatural, almost like a pulse—a heartbeat rising from the depths. The sea was restless, and it wasn’t just the wind that was stirring it.

We need to figure out what the Keeper was really protecting, Alex said, breaking the silence. Before it breaks free.

Tommy scoffed, though there was no humor in his voice. And how do we do that? The Society’s gone. They took all their secrets with them.

Alex’s jaw tightened. Not all of them. There’s still the archives.

Sarah looked at him, realization dawning. The old records. They kept journals—histories of the town, the rituals, the founding families. There has to be something there that can tell us more.

Alex nodded. We need to dig deeper into the history of Bayside. The Society was just a layer of the mystery. If we want to stop whatever’s coming, we need to go back further, to the origins of the Keeper.

Tommy groaned. I hate the archives. It smells like mold and death in there.

Would you rather face whatever’s in the ocean without knowing what we’re up against? Sarah shot back.

Tommy hesitated, then sighed in defeat. Alright, fine. Let’s go look at some dusty old books.

As they left the lighthouse and descended the cliffside path back into town, Alex couldn’t shake the feeling that they were already running out of time. The waves continued to crash against the rocks, louder and more insistent, as if something in the deep was trying to break free.

Whatever had been sleeping beneath the water for centuries was waking up.

And they had no idea how to stop it.

​Chapter 3: The Silent Watchers

The dusty air of the old Bayside archives clung to Alex’s skin as he pulled another crumbling ledger from the shelf. Stacks of ancient books and journals surrounded him, their yellowed pages covered in faded ink, maps of forgotten eras, and cryptic notations. The smell of mildew and old paper filled the air, making it feel like the past itself was hanging over them. Somewhere in this maze of history, there had to be something—some clue about what was truly happening with the sea and the Keeper.

Sarah sat cross-legged on the floor next to him, her brow furrowed as she carefully skimmed through one of the thicker ledgers. Tommy stood at a nearby table, flipping through loose records with increasing frustration.

I swear, we’ve been at this for hours, Tommy muttered, tossing aside a stack of papers. How many times do we need to read about crop yields from the 1800s before we find something useful?

Patience, Alex said quietly, though he shared Tommy’s frustration. He couldn’t help the feeling of urgency gnawing at him, a sense that whatever was stirring beneath the sea was growing more restless by the day. The Society hid their real intentions behind layers of lies. We’ve already learned that they weren’t the first to use the Keeper’s power. There’s more to this town’s past than we know.

Sarah flipped another page, pausing for a moment as she scanned a faded paragraph. It’s strange. All the records we’ve found so far talk about the Keeper like it was a gift to the town—something that brought balance to the sea, helped the fishermen, kept the storms in check. But no one ever wrote about what would happen if the balance was broken.

Because they didn’t want anyone to know, Alex replied. They wanted control.

But it’s not just about control anymore, Sarah continued. It’s like the storms were just a part of something bigger. The Keeper wasn’t just managing nature—it was guarding something. Something buried beneath the waves.

Tommy shook his head. Yeah, yeah, the sea is angry, and now we’ve got to figure out what ancient sea monster is waking up. But if these people were so worried about it, why didn’t they just, I don’t know, write it down somewhere in plain English?

Because that’s how secrets work, Alex said, pulling another dusty tome from the shelf. They’re hidden so no one can find them. But that doesn’t mean they don’t leave traces.

He cracked open the leather-bound journal, flipping carefully through the pages. It was filled with notations in a neat, careful hand, the kind of handwriting that suggested someone took these records very seriously. But it wasn’t until he reached the final pages that something caught his eye.

The handwriting became frantic, almost shaky, as if the person writing it had been in a hurry—or afraid.

Sarah, look at this, Alex said, turning the book toward her.

Sarah leaned in, reading aloud. ‘The Keeper is no longer ours to control. The balance has shifted. The sea knows what we’ve done, and it will not rest.’ She glanced up at Alex. The sea knows?

Tommy groaned. Great. Now the ocean’s got a grudge.

Keep reading, Alex urged.

Sarah’s eyes darted back to the page. ‘We have buried the truth in the caverns beneath the cliffs. They will never find it, and the waters will keep our secret. But the watchers... they remain.’ She paused, her brow furrowing. ‘They see what we cannot. The Keeper was never our protector—it was our prison warden.’

The watchers? Tommy repeated, confused. Who are they?

I don’t know, Sarah whispered. But this changes everything. The Keeper wasn’t just maintaining balance. It was keeping something trapped.

Alex stood up, pacing in the small space between the stacks of old records. They must have done something to awaken whatever’s beneath the sea. And the watchers... they’re still out there.

So, Tommy said slowly, you’re telling me there’s some ancient group of... what, ocean spies? That have been watching the sea for centuries?

Maybe, Alex said, thinking aloud. Or maybe it’s not people. Maybe it’s something else. Something that was part of the original pact with the sea.

Sarah shivered, the weight of the words sinking in. The caverns beneath the cliffs. It says they buried the truth there. If the Society was only using the Keeper’s power for their own gain, then what did the original founders of Bayside really do? What were they hiding?

Only one way to find out, Alex said, closing the book with a soft thud. We have to go to the caverns.

Tommy groaned again, rubbing his face with his hands. Of course we do. We just broke an ancient curse, dealt with storms, and now we’re diving into dark caves. Why is it never something simple?

Sarah smiled despite the situation. Come on, Tommy. You’ve always wanted to be the hero.

I’d rather be the hero with dry shoes and no ancient sea monsters, thank you very much.

Alex tucked the journal under his arm and motioned for them to follow. We’ll need flashlights. And we should leave now—before whatever’s in the sea wakes up completely.

​Chapter 4: Echoes in the Storm

The wind howled through the narrow streets of Bayside as Alex, Sarah, and Tommy made their way toward the cliffs. The sky above was clear, dotted with stars, but the sea was another story. The waves were louder now, crashing against the rocks with an intensity that didn’t match the calm weather. The sound of the water was rhythmic, almost like a chant—steady, insistent, and impossible to ignore.

Sarah adjusted the strap of her backpack, her flashlight swinging in the dark as they walked. You think this is it? she asked, her voice barely audible over the roar of the ocean. The caverns beneath the cliffs?

Alex nodded, though his mind was racing. They had spent hours combing through old maps and journals in the archives, trying to piece together where the truth had been hidden. The ledgers were cryptic, and many of the maps were incomplete, but everything pointed to one place: the cliffs that bordered the town, where the sea carved deep caves into the rock.

I don’t know what we’ll find, Alex said, glancing at the others. But whatever it is, it’s been buried for a reason. The Society didn’t even know about it. The people who built this town knew something—something they didn’t want anyone else to discover.

And now it’s waking up, Tommy muttered, kicking at a loose stone. Great. Just great.

They reached the edge of the cliffs, where a narrow, steep path wound down to a series of jagged rocks at the water’s edge. The entrance to the caverns was hidden from view, obscured by the outcroppings of stone and the constant spray of saltwater. The sea was restless, the tide higher than usual, lapping at the base of the cliffs with a hunger that made Alex’s skin crawl.

There, Alex pointed, shining his flashlight toward a dark crevice in the rock. The entrance was barely visible, but it was unmistakable—this was the place.

The three of them carefully descended the path, the sound of their footsteps drowned out by the crashing waves. The air was colder here, damp and thick with the scent of salt and seaweed. As they reached the mouth of the cave, Sarah hesitated, glancing at Alex.

You sure about this? she asked, her voice trembling slightly. We don’t even know what we’re walking into.

Alex looked into the dark opening before them, feeling a shiver run down his spine. No, he admitted. But we don’t have a choice. We need to know what’s down there.

Without another word, he stepped forward, his flashlight illuminating the narrow, winding passage that led deeper into the cave. Sarah and Tommy followed close behind, the beams of their flashlights cutting through the thick darkness. The sound of the waves echoed off the stone walls, making the cave feel alive, as if it was breathing with them.

The further they went, the tighter the passage became, until they were forced to duck beneath low-hanging rocks and squeeze through narrow gaps. The air grew colder still, and the sound of the sea began to fade, replaced by an eerie silence that pressed down on them like a weight.

Creepy, Tommy muttered, his voice echoing in the tight space. I’m getting some serious horror movie vibes.

Sarah shot him a look. Now’s not the time for jokes.

I’m not joking, Tommy said. This place feels... wrong.

Alex didn’t respond, but he knew Tommy was right. There was something off about the cave, something unnatural. The walls felt too close, the air too still. It was as if they were descending into a place that had been sealed off from the world for centuries.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the passage widened into a larger chamber. Alex’s flashlight revealed a wide, circular space, the walls slick with moisture and covered in strange, spiraling symbols. The floor was uneven, covered in jagged rocks and shallow pools of seawater that shimmered faintly in the glow of their lights.

Sarah gasped as she pointed to the far wall. Look.

At first, Alex didn’t see it, but as he stepped closer, the shape became clearer. Carved into the rock was a large, circular stone door, its surface etched with more of the strange symbols they had seen throughout the cave. It was ancient, worn by time and the elements, but it was unmistakably man-made.

This must be it, Alex whispered, his breath catching in his throat. The entrance to whatever they buried down here.

Tommy stepped forward, examining the door with wide eyes. This thing looks like it hasn’t been touched in centuries. How do we open it?

Sarah ran her fingers over the carvings, her brow furrowed in concentration. These symbols... they’re the same as the ones in the journals. But there’s something different about them. It’s like a puzzle.

Alex knelt beside her, inspecting the carvings. A puzzle meant to keep people out. Whatever’s behind this door, they didn’t want anyone finding it.

Tommy groaned. Why is it always a creepy ancient puzzle? Can’t we ever find something with a normal door and a key?

Sarah ignored him, tracing her fingers over the symbols, her eyes narrowing in thought. Wait. Look here. She pointed to a series of markings near the center of the door. These symbols—they form a pattern. I think they’re meant to be pressed.

Alex leaned in, studying the markings. A lock?

Sort of, Sarah said, glancing at him. But it’s not just about pressing the right symbols. If we mess up, it could trigger something else.

Like what? Tommy asked, his voice rising in panic.

I don’t know, Sarah admitted. But we don’t have much of a choice, do we?

Alex nodded, standing up. We need to try.

He stepped forward, his fingers hovering over the symbols. His heart pounded in his chest, the weight of what they were about to uncover pressing down on him. There was no turning back now.

Taking a deep breath, Alex pressed the first symbol.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a soft grinding sound, the stone door began to shift, the symbols glowing faintly as the ancient mechanism clicked into place. Dust and small rocks fell from the ceiling as the door slowly slid open, revealing a dark passage beyond.

A cold draft blew through the chamber, carrying with it the scent