“It’s full of gunpowderandchimeric,” said Fahr. “Theexplosion will sink Bilgetown first, and theTouchstonewill not help any of you.”
“Bilgetown blows, and the armada sinks yer ship.”
De Sous cocked his flint.
“The Sister Moons came for me ten years ago, Mr. de Sous,” said Fahr with a grin. “I eluded them then, and I’ll elude them now. I can’t say the same for you.”
And the mate kicked the chest over. Gunpowder spilled across the floor, and two balls rolled out. They were chimeric-laced ones I had cast myself, and they sparked orange as they rolled across the boards.
“We’re under attack!” cried a voice from outside.
“Praesidium, now!” shouted Fahr, and he smashed the bottle onto the powder-strewn boards at his feet.
De Sous fired.
And the cabin exploded like a cannon.
21. Raising theNil’hellyn
One thing about mages is that we are unusually quick on our feet.
The moment the words left Fahr’s lips, the four of us cast protection spells. Good thing, as the cabin erupted like a fireball. In fact, it was just like that day on theDawn Watch, when the deck exploded beneath me and my life changed forever. This time, I was prepared, and the force blew me backward into the cabin’s wooden wall.
Dion was not so lucky, and he was flung into the large port window. It shattered under his weight, and he disappeared through to the darkness below.
The room was on fire, and de Sous was on fire, and I couldn’t see Polley or Lean or the others, but I’m sure they were on fire. Fahr grabbed my arm and spun me toward the hole in the wall.
“Go!”
My eyes stung from the smoke, but I braced myself in the shattered window and breathed in the oily fish air. The ships that made up Bilgetown’s foundation were coming apart, raining planks and iron into the canals. But still, in the longboat below us, hand on one oar, Buck stood waiting for us.
There was another boom, and the entire cabin shifted, tilting toward the canal. A bowsprit teetered beneath me, its lantern swinging and casting shadows across the wood.
“Go!”
I dove from the ledge, catching the bowsprit with my bare hands, and the force almost jerked my arms from their sockets. Chimeric crackled, and the sprit shot with sizzling rune as I dropped to the walkway. Dion was facedown, a large plate of broken glass protruding from his back. I glanced up. Above me, Cable leaned out the shattered port.
“No!” I cried, but I was too late. He leaped out to grab the sprit, but it had been weakened by the chimeric, and it snapped. He plunged into the canal, striking his head on the dock as he went, slipping into the inky water and leaving a slick of red across the boards.
My chimeric. My fault.
There was the flash of pattern, and I pushed to my feet. Fahr was silhouetted in the cabin, runes spinning from his hands.
“Go!” he cried. “I’ll catch you at the Bilgegate!”
“Jump!”
“They won’t shoot me! Just go!”
The cabin lurched, and he disappeared from view.
“In, Blue!” snapped the bosun.
I was grateful that Buck was a waterspinner, for I’m convinced that without it, we would not have made it out of the city. Spinning a longboat was much faster than rowing, and we clipped along on the crest of a thrummed wave as Bilgetown fell apart around us. Hulls of ships slid down upon one another, dragging behind them rigging, sail, and stay. Light beamed in shafts, with rain pouring through the sliding cityscape above us. Wreckage pelted down, crashing onto the walkways and splashing into the canal. The longboat bucked as the way grew wild, and it was rough weaving the boat between the debris in the water. The last thing we needed now was a crack in the hull.
We rushed toward the steam wheel, which was now bent in a sharp angle over the canal, its paddles churning water across the docks. I ducked low in the boat, feeling the metal blades skim my spine. Buck was much bigger, and he howled as he went under. He came through with horns intact, but stripes glistened on his back.
A child’s wail pierced the thunder, and I saw the girl with the big eyes, clutching her stick doll against a doorway. I bolted to my feet, but a figure grabbed her and pulled her through.The doll dropped to the dock and rolled into the canal, and I snatched it as we sped past. I hugged it to my own chest as I looked around at the chaos.
