She considered the many lookout positions, all equipped withsignal horns, but discarded the idea. “Not without also getting the attention of the Amaridians.”
“I sense you have another idea,” James said. “An idea that I’m not going to like.”
“We’ll circle wide and come in from the south.” Her focus moved from the island to James as he pulled his shirt over his head and retrieved his sword, slipping it through his belt. “There is a route we can take using a series of rock formations that will keep anyone from spotting us. I think we can get onto Vexis without the Amaridians seeing us, and we can sneak around to warn Aren discreetly. We let them drop off the grain and leave, and Katarina will be none the wiser.”
Because the last thing she wanted was Amarid’s queen determining that her plan had failed and turning to violence to achieve her ends.
“How long will it take to get a ship to Eranahl to warn them?” James asked, his eyes tracking west.
Too long.She bit the insides of her cheeks, knowing that she was banking on the heavy surf slowing the process of transporting the grain into the island stronghold, for the merchant ship would be far too large to access the harbor. Except all it would take was a few sacks of flour distributed to make bread, and the whole city would be dead within days. If not for the horror of it, Ahnna might almost admire the perfect efficiency of Katarina’s plan.
“The choice is made.” James slid an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. “Focus on the battle before you.”
Instead of allowing herself to take comfort from his presence and his words, she gave a tight nod and let her mind descend into the place it always went during a battle. She eased the ship wide to avoid the eyes of the ship lookouts before circling around to the scattering of karsts that hid the harbor entrance from easy view from the open sea. Spotting the one she was looking for, she said, “Lower the sail and tie everything off.”
James did what she asked, and Ahnna eased the small vessel into a narrow slot between two karsts. “Lower anchor.”
It rattled down, and taking hold of a mooring line, Ahnna waited until the vessel swung close to a small ledge of rock and jumped. She landed with ease on the slick surface, then tied the rope to a hook ring embedded in the stone for just such a purpose. “Let’s go. Watch for snakes.”
“That seems to go without saying,” James said as he leapt over to join her, and together they scampered up the sharp rocks. She led him on a path between the rocky pillars jutting from the sea, leaping gaps and keeping low until finally, they had a vantage point that overlooked the cove.
The large ship was anchored in the midnight-blue water, the cove full of smaller boats ferrying sacks of grain to the beach.
And returning to the ship loaded with something else. The something else revealed itself when two of the sailors fumbled a chest, spilling coins across the sand.
“That bitch is taking our gold,” Ahnna hissed, her cheeks burning hot with anger as she noted the stacks of wine crates and barrels in the shadows of the trees. “It wasn’t enough to poison us, she had to rob us as well!”
And it wasn’t gold Aren could afford to lose, given he’d likely had to borrow it.
James shaded his eyes, surveying the scene. “Both ships are packed with soldiers, Ahnna. If it comes to a fight, the casualties are going to be high. It might be better to wait for the transaction to happen and for the Amaridians to set sail.”
“No.” She ground her teeth. “I’m not letting her have any form of victory here. They are not taking that gold.”
He caught hold of her shoulders and turned her to face him. But rather than arguing with her, he said, “You have a plan to stop them?”
Ahnna did have a plan. But it was one she knew he wouldn’t like. “I’m going to blow up the ship containing the gold.”
James’s eyes tracked to the cove, following the multitude of sharks lazily circling the ship in the hope of receiving an easy meal.
“The cove is deep but not unreasonably so,” she said. “It will take a bit of time, but we can retrieve the gold.”
James didn’t look convinced, but all he asked was, “And just how, pray tell, do you plan to blow up that ship without anyone seeing you, Ahnna? They have eyes all around, so they’re going to goddamned notice if you row up to the side and start setting explosives on their hull.”
“I’ll swim. I’ll go deep and come up on the opposite side from where they are unloading—they won’t see me.”
James blanched. “Absolutely not!” He jabbed a finger toward the cove. “It’s full of sharks. Sharks with a taste for human flesh, and I’ve seen firsthand how swift they are. You can’t outswim them.”
Ahnna shrugged to hide the fear in her stomach, because he wasn’t wrong. “I’m aware. That’s why you’re going to bait them out of the cove. I’ll only need a few minutes, and then they can come back and feast on Katarina’s soldiers when their ship sinks. Then we’ll move on to the other vessel—Aren will have reinforcements nearby.”
Hopefully.
“No.”
Ahnna blew out a long breath between her teeth. “James, if that ship full of gold sets sail, we will never get that coin back. Ithicana can’t afford that sort of loss.”
“Your arm is—”
“It’s healed. Tighten up my splints and I’ll be fine.” And because she knew what he’d say next, Ahnna added, “I’m faster in the water than you’ll ever be, and if a shark decides to take a look, I’ll know how to deal with it.”
