Eira had no doubt the pirate queen could still hear everything. And, even if she couldn’t, half her crew was stilllingering, watching with keen interest. No doubt eager to report back. Not that Noelle seemed to care. She had never really been one too concerned with privacy regarding personal matters.
“If she wanted to hurt you, she would’ve by now.” Ducot tried to grab her hand.
Noelle was still having none of it. “Fen”—she picked him out from among the group—“can you please show us where the hammocks are?”
Fen made a noise of hesitation but finally said, “Sure, I can do that.”
“What’re you lot still lollygaggin for?” Pine had stepped away with others on Adela’s orders but had now returned, stopping as he was crossing the deck. “You heard the captain’s orders. Go.”
The pirates scattered. The decks were a sudden burst of energy. Rigging clattered. Coordination and commands were shouted.
Eira stepped next to Ducot as they followed Fen toward the bow of the ship. The rest of them were moving as well. But he continued to stand still, shoulders sagging. She rested her hand lightly on the middle of his back and he jumped.
“She’ll come around,” Eira said softly. “She can be like this.”
“I know she can.” Ducot sighed. Eira could feel the pulses of his magic underneath her palm. They stretched out, seemingly reaching for the woman walking away from him, placing tension between Eira’s ribs. “But I wish she would trust me more.”
“She does?—”
“If she did, truly, she wouldn’t keep doubting me. She’d believe I’m able to keep her safe.” His tone wasn’t angry. Merely hurt.
Eira could see both sides of the equation. Distance gave her some clarity. She could see how Ducot was caught between the only family he’d ever known, including the captain he’d sworn fealty to…and the woman he was falling in love with. She couldunderstand Noelle, all too well, and the wish that his love would be enough for him to rally against it all and stand up for her no matter what. Eira’s gaze shifted, briefly landing on Cullen’s back. She swallowed thickly.
“It’s not that she doubts you, it’s just…” Eira trailed off, searching for words.
Ducot wasn’t going to wait for her to find them. “It doesn’t matter what she says. Her actions are of doubt and mistrust.” Ducot shifted the heavy-looking bag he carried on his shoulder. “Either way, we shouldn’t dally. Let’s get you belowdecks.”
As they headed for the companionway at the bow of the vessel, a dull throb of magic had Eira skipping a step. She spun, looking for the source. But her gaze followed the direction the magic went—skyward.
A hole cleaved into the clouds, pushing them away. The sky parted, a curtain of rain dragging over the boat and away. Eira blinked at the starry heavens above them. Another pulse of magic drew her to the nearby railing. The seas were churning beneath them as the heavy clanking of the anchor chain filled the air. A small whorl opened beneath the boat they had left Ofok on, sucking it under the dark waves as it crumpled.
“The boat…”
“Adela can always get another boat,” Ducot explained. “It’s more dangerous for her to have things that could tie her back to this place and time.”
“I see.”Get another boat. The words stuck in Eira’s mind. Even though everything was in flux, she was constantly thinking on what might be next for her and her friends.
Lavette and Varren needed to get back to the Republic of Qwint. She had to go back to Meru…hopefully with the means to end Ulvarth once and for all. Ideas had been forming in the back of Eira’s mind during her time with Adela—theories for how shemightbe able to use her magic to end him if she could get back tohim. Alyss, Noelle, and Cullen could choose their next moves for themselves and Eira could have the means to fulfill those wishes.
A short stair led to a salon that extended just below the main deck and back into hammocks suspended between the deck’s supports. Before them, at the bow, was a galley and tables. At the very back was the head. The stairs looped down again to what Eira suspected was the gun deck, based on the anatomy of the ship that had been visible from the outside.
She wondered how many more decks there were and what they held. Some kind of jail, from what others had said. A hold of treasures, no doubt. One Eira would be keen to explore if she had the chance to sneak away.
“The open hammocks are back there.” Ducot pointed. “I have some duties to attend to.” He was gone before Eira could say anything else, heading back up the stairs promptly.
Eira briefly debated going back to her friends. They were engaged in a conversation with Fen and Krut, no doubt going over the rules. Olivin’s eyes drifted in her direction and Eira gave a small nod. She stepped back for the stairs; he went to move and she shook her head. He stayed.
No one stopped her as she went back up on deck. The anchor had been hoisted, sails filling with wind given by sorcerers perched on the aft quarterdeck. The crew had people of all shapes and sizes. There were draconi working alongside elfin. Morphi shifted knots into ropes that humans fastened into place. Some were short and stout, others tall and lithe. Old and young. Eyes and limbs missing. Those magical and those not.
The Treaty of Five Kingdoms had been arranged to bring people together to work toward a common goal and it had been hailed as novel.Nothing of its like had ever been done before,was what they’d said. And perhaps it was true. Bringing five nations together was different than bringing a ragtag bunch of misfits into order…but Adela had somehow found somethingthat the nobles and royals and leaders hadn’t; she’d found a glue that had turned those people into a crew that the treaty hadn’t come close to touching.
Eira walked straight back to a stately doorway that Crow was leaving from.
“Shouldn’t you be belowdecks?” Crow asked curtly.
“I came to see Her Frostiness.”
“Adela isn’t taking guests.” No sooner had Crow said as much than the door cracked open with a pulse of familiar magic. Adela was using the frost that covered the ship to have control of it—every part. She could no doubt feel where her crew was stepping.
