TheRhi’Ahron theTouchstoneturned and disappeared into the hatch, and I heard the splash of a longboat to starboard as they abandoned her to the bay. Soon, there was only the wind in the sails and the slap of the waves against theEndorathil’s hull.
“Marelethan, prepare your guns,” called the mate over the bullhorn.
Dev took a long, deep breath, and I felt it. TheTouchstonehad been his home for ten years. I dragged my eyes to the forecastle. Thanavar could barely stand. Oh suns, I had to save him. I had to be able to cast.
TheMarelethanunfurled her sails and began to move.
“Not sail, fool,” said Ilvalour. “Guns. Repeat the order.”
“Marelethan, strike sails and set to your guns!”
Over theTouchstone’s prow now, I could see Smoke waving.
“Just coming around for a better shot!” he cried.
And suddenly, my heart stopped.
“Marelethan, we repeat!Strike sail and set to your guns!”
I looked up at Dev. His eyes were closed, his lips moving.
“Well, I would,” cried Smoke. “But there’s not enough crew! I have to do it all m’self!”
Shouts rose from theEndorathil’s forecastle, and I looked to see warriors holding empty chains. White feathers floated on the breeze.
“I’ve got the sails!” cried Smoke. “Guns? Anyone on the guns?”
And then I heard it. The cry of a winter hawk.
One, two, four, more. Twelve guns rolled into twelve gunports on theTouchstone,and her colors ran up the mizzen stay.
Run, Ensign, came Echo’s voice.Not dark. Just run.
Dev looked down at me.
“Shall we?”
Together, we lowered our heads and bolted for the rail, taking theRhi’Ahrentirely by surprise as we threw ourselves over the gunwale, down, down, down, into the icy waters of the Cloudgate Channel.
And theTouchstone’s cannons boomed above.
39. Chimeric
As soon as I hit the water, the chimeric boomed, sending ripples of power through the waves.
My hands were still bound behind my back, and the dark water pulled me under. We were free of theEndorathil, therefore free of theSublimatusspell that had protected her, and I slowed my struggles to concentrate on burning through the bonds. I sank as I did so, and soon, I was dimly aware of a sizzle at my wrists. Through the distortion of the water, I could see the purple sky, the dark hulls of two ships, and flashes of light between them as theTouchstone’s cannons boomed above.
She was alive.
With a yank, I was free, and I swam for the lights, kicking my legs furiously before my chest burst from the holding. I breached the surface to the sounds of cannon fire and crying voices, cracking masts and whipping shot. To my right, the second gundeck on theEndorathilexploded as shot struck in rapid succession, firing splinters like arrows across the water. Just like theDawn Watch.
But this wasn’t theDawn Watch, and I wasn’t the same girl, and I ducked beneath the water until the blasts ended. Up again, and I thrashed around, looking for Dev. He had been bound like me, and staying afloat during a sea battle was a short-lived prospect even with one’s hands. I spied him trying to keep his head above water, and I swam over, fighting the whitecaps and the current and the cold.
He saw me, spat a mouthful of seawater. I took a deep breath and dove behind him. Between the darkness and the buffeting currents, I found the ropes that bound his wrists, and I burned through his bonds in seconds. Together, we burst to the surface, gasping for air and glancing between the ships.
TheEndorathilhad made sail and was pulling out of her anchorage, while theMarelethanpeppered her stern with cannon fire as she came about. Under full sail, theTouchstonealso rocked forward, and I knew it was their aim to flank the larger ship between them.
“To theTouchstone!” Dev barked over the roar as cannon fire cracked above our heads.
