Go, she wanted to shout.
Stay, her heart cried.
The pirates, Ducot, Alyss, Noelle, Lavette, Varren, and…finally…Cullen left the boat. They jumped the short distance to the dock and walked out of Eira’s field of vision.
She waited, seconds ticking by. Half of her hoped that they would be back on board within minutes. Eventually, long after her fingers had cramped, she released her tension with a heavy sigh and hung her head between her shoulders.
They were gone.
Her friends had left. Eira wiped her face, half-surprised to find her cheeks dry. Nothing had ever hurt so much and yet felt so good at the same time. She pushed away from the railing and went to the bow of the boat, sitting. She imagined herself a figurehead, wooden and unfeeling. Trapped, but also free to travel the world.
Alone.
Was Adela in her room, still sitting at her chair, staring out the window? Eira imagined them as mirrors of each other. She closed her eyes and listened to the water lapping against the hull of the boat. Sounds of the docks faded away. Eira inhaled slowly, imagining Adela doing the same.
The pirate queen’s magic was there. Adela was too powerful not to be constantly emitting power, especially if she was holding an entire island in her thrall. Eira’s brow furrowed with focus.
Feel it, she commanded herself.Find the magic, like yours, and feel it.
If she could restore her magic now, then she could leave, too. Make a run for it while her friends were still nearby. Her fingers twitched. A drop of water.
Heart pounding once more, Eira scowled with focus. She could almost feel it there, like a current underneath a thick layer of ice. Her power churned, hunting for a way out. More water coated her palms.
Yes, yes!She was close. A little bit more and?—
A distant rumble jolted her. Eira tilted her head back. Dark gray clouds were rolling in, blanketing an ominous orange sky. Fat drops plopped down on her forehead.
She hadn’t been summoning her magic. It’d been raining.
Eira sighed and brought her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on them. Maybe it was hopeless. She would be better served learning how to live as a Commons than trying to fight to get her magic back.
Rain turned into a downpour. She allowed it to drench her, making no effort to retreat into the hold. It was cool and fresh, washing away the exhaustion of the past few days.
She couldn’t hear the footsteps over the pounding of the rain. It wasn’t until she could feel the vibration of the deck that Eira realized anyone was there. All her focus returned to the here and now. She slowly reached for her blade. Crow, Puck, or Zaila wouldn’t sneak up on her. Unless they were playing a joke? It did seem like something they might do…but probably not under these circumstances.
Drawing the blade, she feigned inspecting it. It gave away that she was armed. But it was worth giving away the element ofthat surprise—something a would-be attacker would’ve probably assumed anyway. Drawing the weapon had the added benefit of making sure she wasn’t about to stab one of Adela’s men as she caught a glimpse in the mirror of the blade.
The man was cloaked. Face cast in shadow but definitely not one of the pirates. He half knelt, creeping. Eira returned her blade to her lap and inhaled slowly. Did he notice she’d caught a glimpse of him?
Was it a Pillar?
She imagined her friends dead. The pirates slain. The Pillars were still hunting her and they’d caught up. It hadn’t been exactly difficult to follow them along the river, given the steady and very slow pace they’d had.
The man was right behind her. Eira pushed backward. He was ready. A hand clamped over her mouth, the other around her wrist wielding the dagger. Eira struggled, trying to twist free. Thanks to the slickness of the rain, she almost had escaped his grasp when a familiar voice whispered in her ear, “I found you.”
She inhaled sharply. Her heart stopped.
13
Feeling her relax, he let her go. Eira spun in place and whispered, “Olivin?”
The elfin man gave her a tired smile. “I’m here to save you.”
“Save…me?” She blinked, wiping away rain from her eyes to see more clearly. Her ears hadn’t deceived her. It really was him.Here.
“Yes, come on, there isn’t much time until they’re back.” Still holding on to her wrist, Olivin hoisted her up. Eira was too stunned to put up much of a fight. “What do I need to know? Who else is keeping you here?”
“Olivin.” She ripped her hand from his grasp and shook her head. He stopped when she did.
