He was on one knee, arms outstretched, theKinestorumspell clear by the strain on his face. Devanhan Fahr grabbed my waist and swung me to my feet. I let him hold me for a moment while my head stopped its spin.
No one had held me before. No one had caught me when I’d fallen.
“We should go,” said Echo.
So, we did. We raced through the streets like sailfins breaking the waves, hearing the shouts as the uniforms clocked our tail. I was impressed at how easily Smoke kept up with us, despite his shorter frame, but he was a dworgh, all muscle and might and will by the trunkload. As we rounded the Whiskee Drum, Fahr whirled to cast a spell. I didn’t recognize the pattern, but one of the officers hit the sand and I knew it was a bind spell. His hands danced, and this time, a rune shield burst from his palms.
“Go!” he barked, but I hesitated. Smoke grabbed my hand.
“Listen for once, you silly chit!”
“They have flints!”
“They won’t shoot him,” Echo insisted, urging me forward.
We turned and ran, dodging the townsfolk as we raced towardthe docks. My heart leaped at the sight of Buck in a dory, and our boots echoed on the damp wharfen wood. But at the far end of the dock, standing above his longboat, gray hair waving in the salt breeze, was Bracebridge.
“In,” said Smoke, and he hopped into the boat. Echo followed, but I heard a shot and spun around.
Fahr was thundering toward us, a trio of uniforms on his heels. I was glad that Navy flints only had one shot, but I watched another fusilier draw his even as he ran.
“No!” shouted Bracebridge, and, from the far end of the dock, he drew his own iron.
“No!” I shouted at the same time. I lunged forward, hands outstretched.“Praesidium Lumiere!”
The chimeric-laced pattern burst from my palms, swallowing Fahr in its crackling swell as the dock echoed with the sound of a second pistol shot. He leaped through the shield and onto the dory, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him. The shield disintegrated, and I glanced over my shoulder. The fusilier staggered to a stop and looked down, puzzled, as a dark stain spread across the lapels of his uniform. He buckled to his knees and pitched forward into the sand. At the far end of the dock, Bracebridge lowered his own flint, its black muzzle curling with smoke.
Hels’ hooks. He’d shot his own man.
He turned his face to watch us now—no, to watchme, his lips tight, his milky eye stark against his sun-baked skin.
“I told you they wouldn’t shoot him,” said Smoke. “He’s too pretty. All the oceans love our Dev.”
“Spin us out of here, Buck,” said Fahr. “Rate of knots.”
“Aye, Dev,” said the bosun.
Forge bless waterspinners, I thought to myself as the dory sped through the choppy bay with no oar and no sail, just skilled mages moving the waves with their runes. On the docks, theuniforms raced to their longboats, but the fog rolled in, and soon, the uniforms, the docks, and the heavy gray of Flogger’s Bay was gone.
“Well, I’d say Blue’s secret is out,” said Fahr as he dropped to sit, one arm resting along the gunwale. “Bracey will cross the oceans to catch her for himself now.”
I couldn’t even think. I should have been happy. I should have been free.
“Good catch back at the storehouse, Smoke,” said Fahr.
“Heavier than a cannon, she is,” said Smoke. “Lubber rations suit you, girl. Is it the cheese?”
“Welcome back, Ensign,” said Echo, and he smiled.
I couldn’t look at them. I couldn’t even speak. My eyes were stinging, my throat tight.
“Why’d you come back?” I whispered.
Fahr sat forward, hands clasped between his knees.
“Twelve harpiar, as you said.”
I nodded.
