“Alyss is tired; she’s just catching her breath a moment.” Eira stayed close to her friend and gave Adela a hard stare, silently challenging the pirate queen to say anything about Alyss’s exhaustion.
But Adela continued to surprise her. “It’s incredibly understandable, given all the magic she has exerted.” Adela’s attention shifted to Alyss. “I can help you up, if you would like?”
“If that’s a genuine offer, I would be a fool to refuse,” Alyss said with a tired smile.
“You would be.” Adela smirked. “But so often I am astounded by the fools who end up in my company.”
With a soft laugh and a nod, Alyss agreed. Eira had been expecting to see Adela use the same technique that she had implemented to transfer Eira between the two boats on the river. But instead, she used ice and not water to bring Alyss up to the main deck.
Adela pressed her frozen hand against the hull of theStormfrost. The hand disappeared into the thick layer of ice that covered the boat. She sank her arm in, up to the elbow, as though it were sinking into the ship. At their right, a similar icy hand emerged from the frozen hull. But this time the palm of the hand was as tall as Alyss.
“If you please,” Adela said with mock formality as she gestured to the waiting palm with her free hand.
“Don’t mind if I do.” Alyss played along and settled herself on the edge of the frozen palm, as though she were perching herself on a swing, kicking her feet with excitement.
“Now, don’t get used to this.”Therewas the usual edge to Adela’s voice.
The hand slid magically up the side of the hull of theStormfrost, carrying Alyss with it. She let out a surprised yelp that quickly became a laugh of wonder and excitement. She passed the others in a swift blur.
All the while, Eira remained focused on the magic at play. The whole of theStormfrostwas completely covered in Adela’s power; it was as if the ship were more magic and ice than wood, rope, or tarp. But what truly amazed Eira was how seamlessly Adela could fuse different magical applications together. Everything she applied her magic to became one extension of her. One sustained, stunning act of control.
As soon as Alyss was deposited on the deck, she immediately leaned over the railing and called down, “Eira, you absolutely must learn how to do that!”
“I’ll do my best,” she called back. Eira didn’t want to sound too confident, otherwise Adela might second-guess teaching her, or having her on board the vessel entirely.
“I did not realize that was an option.” Noelle huffed from three fourths of the way up the ladder. She had slowed almost to a stop.
“You did not ask,” Adela said as she withdrew her hand from the hull. “You cannot expect to receive if you never ask what you can get.”
“Well then, will you take me the rest of the way up?” Noelle glanced over her shoulder.
“I think you’re close enough to the top it would be pointless,” Adela replied. Noelle made a noise that was halfway between a grunt and a groan, but she continued to climb. Adela glanced in Ducot’s direction. “I can see what you see in her.”
“She has a pleasant audacity to say the least.” Ducot’s voice oozed fondness to the point that Eira was surprised theStormfrostdidn’t melt from the warmth that radiated from him.
“That’s certainly a way to put it. She’s much like every other Firebearer I’ve ever had the pleasure, or displeasure, of knowing.” The last sentiment devolved into a mutter. Adela said, stronger, to the crew still around them, “Now, make sure everything that we need is off this vessel.” Then she turned herattention to Eira. “What’re you waiting for? I am not carrying you up there.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.” Eira began climbing. It was a long climb, but not a hard one, thanks to how the ladder had joined at points with the ice, making it fairly stable.
Eira savored how the ice no longer bit into her fingers with sharp shards or piercing cold. The wind continued to blow and rain pelted her. But no longer was it unwelcome. Every heavy drop was a kiss to her cheeks. Every curl of her fingers around Adela’s ice radiated with a familiar power.
She joined her friends on the main deck of theStormfrost. They were corralled into a group by a semicircle of pirates, waiting awkwardly. The drawn swords made it clear that they didn’t have free reign of the vessel and still weren’t trusted. But their postures also didn’t feel hostile. If anything, Eira suspected they were simply awaiting orders—ready to kill or welcome them on a word.
But Eira took note about how none of them seemed particularlysurprisedto see them. Adela would’ve certainly communicated her mission before going ashore, at least to a certain extent and to some of the crew. So was the plan simply well-known among the crew and they expected Adela to take her “impostor” back aboard? Or was it common for them to gain new crew members this way? Given how the others of Adela’s crew had spoken, she could guess it probably was.
Eira’s assessment of their circumstances was brief. No sooner had she joined the group than Cullen pulled her into his arms. The embrace was long enough that she could hear him draw a shuddering breath, and exhale a sigh of relief that became a soft hum as his arms tightened briefly around her shoulders. But he let her go promptly. Though the slow pull of his hands across her back made it clear, if only to her, that he still wanted to hold tight.
“I’m so glad you’re all right,” he said. “When the pirates told us what Adela was probably sending you to do…I was worried you wouldn’t be able to get back to us. I know by now I shouldn’t worry about you. I know you can more than manage. But I worry anyway.” Cullen gave a slight smile and a nervous laugh.
“I understand; I was worried about all of you, too. I saw the fighting happening from a distance…I’m sorry I couldn’t help more.”
“Getting that gate open was incredibly helpful,” Noelle said. She turned to the two elfin brothers. “I suppose we have you two to thank for that as well.”
“It’s good to see you again.” Alyss smiled warmly at them. Then she said, just to Yonlin, “And it will be good to have a chance to properly get to know you.”
“Likewise, I’ve heard so much about you all that I feel like I know you already.” Yonlin glanced up at his older brother with an expression that was only readable to Olivin, judging from the way that Olivin’s smile dropped briefly.
“I wanted to make sure he knew of all the people who he owed his life to,” Olivin said with a shrug, recovering his nonchalance in the process.
