“Are you going to let me go?” Breena whispered, her breath tickling my face like a summer sea breeze. Her throat tensed as she waited for my answer.
“Do you want me to?” I asked before biting my tongue. I dropped my arm just as quickly as the words left my devious mouth.
What is wrong with you, Sid?
Breena’s head cocked, and the ghost of a grin passed over her lips. She didn’t move right away, frozen in place, pressed up against me. When she finally made her move, she took me by the wrist she’d previously claimed and led me out of our hiding place.
CHAPTER FIVE
AS THE AIR WE BREATHE
As the men rushed around, Breena and I snuck through the ship, ducking behind barrels and various equipment whenever someone came close to us. There were only three more steps until we were at the stairs to our next hiding spot.
When we were in the clear, Breena guided me down the stairs into the ship, the space illuminated by nothing more than light filtering through the lattice hatch on the ceiling. No one was down here, but I took my arm back from her just in case we ended up with unwanted company. I stayed in the well of the stairs so I could keep my eye on the men and their offloading routine. I analyzed the way they moved, talked, which items they took, which ones they left behind.
Not even a minute later, a few men filed into the storage room on the back of the vessel and began unloading their things. We could hear more than we could see, but my chest tightened as the sound of trunks scraping against the floor echoed below deck.
Breena began running up the steps before I could stop her. A puddle on the last step began to shimmer with swirling blue magic, and before she could take that last one, the water of the puddle shot up and created a blockade, tripping the selkie. Shereached forward with both hands, fingers splayed as they hit the wooden stairs. I swore as I heard the floorboards groan under her sheer strength, a strength she surely would be thankful for, as it protected her face from the fall.
I grabbed her ankle as her foot kicked out. She tried to find her footing, but I flipped her onto her back and began tugging her down the stairs. Muffled screams vibrated against a second barrier of water that wrapped around her mouth as I pulled her into the safety of the shadows.
I scooped her into my arms before she thumped down two more steps. She writhed in my arms, ungrateful for my help, so I swung her from a cradled position to over my shoulder. I kicked the swinging door open, and as I did, I mimicked the jarring sound of squawking gulls over the ship to drown out our racket.
A human net was secured to the ceiling, stretching out from one wooden beam to another. I lifted Breena off my shoulder with a strained grunt and let her collapse into it. As her body settled into the makeshift resting place, her muffled screams grew louder, causing ripples in the water barrier over her mouth.
I leaned forward, grabbing onto the beam above me, and said, “I’m not going to give you your voice back until you quiet down. We’ve made it this far; you really want to be caught now?”
Breena’s forehead tensed, but the sounds of resistance that once poured out of her ceased. The water wrapped around her mouth fell from her face and splashed onto her chest, shielded by the thin jacket.
“I need to get back up there,” she seethed, sitting up in the net and bringing her face close to mine. “You and I both heard those trunks being moved around, and you know what’s in one of them.”
“I do, but I also know we are weak, and it’s stupid to try to take on an entire crew of sailors right now. Not to mention, my kind is trying not to add fuel to the fire.”
“I don’t care about your kind and your stupid war!” Her shout caused the water on her jacket to vibrate once more. She peered down at my threat to silence her for the second time and shot me a grimace.
“Well, you should. The whole sea should. Does it seem like a coincidence to you that the fish are disappearing? You saw that giant enclosure in the water and what they were doing with the fish, keeping them in their false prison away from the sirens, the selkies,” I said. “It may not be your war, but your time of pretending it doesn’t impact you is over.”
“Fine.” Breena gripped the rope on either side of her. “But if my pelt is gone, you will pay for what you have done.”
“I don’t doubt it, selkie. I don’t doubtyou.”
She shot me a surprised look and then processed my words before she spoke again. “Well, how long do you expect me to wait down here?”
“Not long at all. We need to get off this ship as soon as we can,” I said, peering back toward the door. “Will you stay here while I scope things out?”
Breena stared up at me with her sharpened gaze before sighing and offering me a nod. I pushed myself off the beam and out of her face, making my way back over to the door. After one peek through the small crack, I ensured the coast was clear then slipped through. I crept up the stairs, my side pressed against the wall as I approached the railing. Peering through the gap of two wooden posts, I watched the feet of men as they scuffled along the ship deck.
“Let’s go, laddies. We need to get these fish to our meeting spot.” One of the men shouted, presumably the captain. He kicked rubbish that littered the floor after the mess Breena and I had caused.
The faint sound of Breena following me up the stairs didn’t distract me from remaining on guard.
Of course she didn’t stay put.
“They’re leaving the ship,” I whispered, watching as two dozen pairs of feet head toward the side of the boat.
“Well, let’s go then.” Breena prepared to launch herself up the stairs.
“No. Give it a minute.”
