“I take that as a compliment.” Krut wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
Adela sighed and ran a hand through her wispy hair. “Men like you and Ducot soften my heart of ice. Fine,fine, I can see which way the wind blows. Our captives can stay alive a bit longer.”
“You said you would let us go,” Eira insisted.
“Once more, I never said when or in what condition.” She smiled thinly. “Don’t push me, Eira. I am not a woman you want to test.”
“I’ll see that they learn the ropes,” Ducot said quickly, interjecting himself into the conversation.
“Ensure that they do,” Adela said with an ominous note. “All of my crew must earn their keep.” The pirates shifted. There was some discomfort at the mention of them being part of the “crew” and some approving nods at the sentiment. “Now, Eira, give me your wrist.”
Eira held out the hand that had the shackle around it. She could only assume that was what Adela was after, as the other wrist had no reason for the pirate queen to be interested in it.
From a pocket on the inside of her worn, double-breasted coat, Adela fished out a small key. She unlocked the shackle, placing it in a larger pocket on the outside of her coat. The motion seemed to almost challenge Eira to take it.
Adela’s fingers remained closed tightly around Eira’s wrist, as hard as the iron. The pirate queen leaned in slightly. “Don’t get any ideas. I still have your friends under my control.”
“I’ll stay in line.” There wasn’t a choice, for now.
“Good, now come with me,” Adela said to Eira alone.
Adela’s cane collapsed into a puddle of water. The river rose to meet it, flowing over the edge of the vessel and onto the deck. Her leg, and opposite arm, melted as well, becoming one with the water. It supported and lifted her up, carrying her back over to the other nearby boat, which looked no more suspicious than the one Eira was on.
Eira walked over to the railing. She was aware of everyone’s eyes on her. Not just on this boat, but the other as well.
“Show me some of that magic that everyone said was mine reborn,” Adela called over.
Eira dug deep, searching for any scraps or flickers of power. She only needed a little. Just a bit… If she could close a channel, then she could open one, too. At least her own.
She held out her hand at the water and scrunched her brow.Rise, she commanded,rise as ice. Freeze. Do something!
But the water did nothing other than continue to lazily lap alongside the ship. The currents were calm. There wasn’t even the whisper of power underneath her fingers.
“Eira…” Cullen said softly, full of pity.
“Do not test my patience,” Adela warned.
When everything in her wanted to hang her head, Eira stood a little taller. She forced herself to stay upright against the weight of shame. “I can’t.”
“What?”
“Ican’t,” Eira repeated.
The water rose once more at the other vessel and, in an instant, Adela loomed over Eira—the vessel beneath Eirarocking from the currents created by the waterspout that supported the pirate queen.
“I lost my magic,” Eira admitted. “I lost it fighting Ulvarth—leader of the Pillars—right before he blew up the coliseum with flash beads. I closed his channel and mine with it.”
Eira waited for Adela to mock her, to be disappointed. Flashes of her parents overlapped with the pirate queen. She had failed one. Why wouldn’t she fail another?
But instead, Adela smiled, wider than Eira had ever seen. Her eyes gleamed. “Oh, you are an interesting one, aren’t you?”
Before Eira could respond, Adela made a scooping motion. The water resembled the pirate’s palm as it rose. Eira was pulled off her feet by the sudden current. She fell back into Adela’s watery, magic hand. They glided across the river to the other vessel. Eira was gently deposited on the deck, in a perfect upright position, left soaked and amazed.
“How did you manage to get just the right upswell of water?” Eira couldn’t stop herself from asking. “It was enough to support me, but not enough to make me uncomfortable, or send me flying.”
Adela shifted her shoulders, subtly adjusting her stance, the movement like a preening bird. “Many would be horrified to hear you praising my skill.”
“Any who wouldn’t praise it would be lying.” Eira’s mind was still on the magic. “It wasn’t cold, so you didn’t use ice to thicken and strengthen the water at all.”
