“Look at me, growing sentimental in my age.” Adela had a note of disgust with herself and withdrew her hand from Eira’s, but surprised her when she patted Eira’s knuckles. “For now, we focus on the task at hand. We continue training, you and I, and exploring our theories and plans.” Plans that Eira still felt like were more wishful theories than practical. “We keep working. Seeing all you and your friends can do so that way I may properly exploit your powers. And in a few days more, we’ll dock.”
“At the outpost you mentioned?” Eira clarified. “Black Flag Bay?”
Adela nodded. “When we arrive, you and your friends may disembark and get anything you need. It will be our last stopbefore we arrive at Carsovia. As long as you are with my crew, no one will bother you.”
“Understood.”
“After, you will deliver me the head of my nemesis.”
Eira nodded and stood, hearing the dismissal between Adela’s words. When she glanced over her shoulder, Adela was back to staring out the windows. The words echoed in Eira’s mind as she suspected they continued to in Adela’s as well.
There was more to the pirate queen than the myths had said. She was not just a legend, a ghost, or a curse…Adela was a woman of flesh and blood. One with dreams—albeit bloody and questionable ones. But one who had also looked after her crew and built an empire of her own across the seas.
Looking back, Eira wasn’t really sure what she had been expecting when it came to Adela. But she was glad this was what she’d found.
29
Eira hadn’t realized until a speck of land dotted the horizon just how long it had been since she’d last seen anything but ocean. At the first cry of, “Land ho,” they had all been on deck, blinking into the sunrise.
“It really is in the middle of nowhere,” Lavette appraised. The eight of them—plus Ducot—were lined up along the bow of the ship.
“You said it was two thirds the way to Carsovia?” Eira asked Ducot.
His arms were loosely wrapped around Noelle’s waist, holding her from behind. They rocked slowly with the ship. Noelle reached up and gently caressed his face with her now scarred and gnarled hand. They had grown more outwardly affectionate by the day. Perhaps it was something about being trapped together on a vessel that made hearts open. Eira’s eyes drifted to Cullen and Olivin, snapping back when Ducot spoke.
“About that far…it’s close enough to Carsovia that they tried one time to reclaim it from the pirates.” Ducot smirked. “That went about as well as one might imagine.”
“I am certain Adela’s diplomacy was stunning.” The way Lavette spoke, it sounded like a bad thing. But Eira admiredthe pirate queen for her shrewd and uncompromising nature—for taking what she wanted and needed and defending what was hers. If Eira was being completely honest with herself, it was something she wished to imitate.
“You said there was good food and drink on the island?” Noelle asked Ducot.
“Always. Being a common stop for us scoundrels means that there’s always a fresh supply of loot, booze, and tasty morsels to devour.” He leaned forward, nibbling at Noelle’s neck while making chomping noises.
“Yargen bless, you two, get a room,” Yonlin groaned. He looked to Alyss of all people. “Am I right?”
“I’m fine with them not having a room, more content.” Alyss tapped her pen on her notebook as Noelle laughed.
“You would feel that way.” Yonlin rolled his eyes, but wore an overtly affectionate smile. Eira caught it, but Alyss was too focused on her writing to notice.
“Will they have additional notebooks there?” Alyss had a singular mind.
“Have you already filled that one up?” Cullen tried to look over Alyss’s shoulder. “Ready to let us read a bit?”
“Hardly, this is wholly research and planning. I’ve yet to actually begin penning the story.” Alyss made a show of snapping the journal shut before Cullen could catch a single word.
“There should be some kind of notebooks there. But I’d imagine they’d be more like ship’s ledgers, therefore less portable than what you have now,” Ducot said.
“That’s fine.”
“I am glad to see that you lot are like the rest of my crew.” Adela’s sharp voice cut through their discussions. “Ready to spend the whole day lallygagging just because we’ll be in port by noon.”
“Of course not.” Eira shifted to face the pirate queen. “We’re ready to practice, aren’t we?”
“Speak for yourself,” Alyss muttered under her breath.
“Suck-up,” Noelle mumbled nearly at the same time. The two shared a conspiratorial look and a snicker. Eira rolled her eyes and pretended not to hear.
“Then let’s begin, we’ve a busy day ahead of us.” Adela tapped her cane on the deck and they broke apart, resuming their usual places opposite each other for practice and sparring.
