—Captain Wynona Wavedancer to her first mate on theSpindriftinCaptain Wynona Wavedancer and the Battle of the Krakens
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Trick finally breaks the stunned silence.
“Well, that’s it. We’re doomed.”
He winks at me, and I laugh. We’ve mutually bemoaned our lack of any form of musical talent in the past, usually at festivals. He says his singing is so off-pitch his Guild forbade him even to whistle in the Guildhall, and I told him what the Sister said about me. We decided never to subject each other to our horrible voices and laughed about it, but I thought at the time that I wasn’t the only one feeling a little wistful.
My gaze meets Kaelen’s, but his eyes are hooded and his face closed. He must be regretting that kiss even more than I do, for reasons of his own.
“This isn’t a laughing matter,” Andras says icily, which sets me off again. I can’t help it, and maybe there’s a little hysteria in the mix, because Chitai suddenly walks over and smacks my back, which startles me to silence.
“Good for hiccups, too,” the warrior says, grinning at me. “Or to bring someone back from being strangled nearly to death.”
“Sure,” I say faintly, taking a subtle step away from her.
“There’s also a safe path through by using magic,” Kaelen says, watching Elianna. “I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned it yet.”
She makes a dismissive gesture. “Rumors and folk tales, just like Soli’s ridiculous idea of singing the draugrs to sleep. And even if itwere true, I’m too depleted from healing that ferryman to perform any major magic.”
This feels … wrong. Her Guild tattoos are so extensive she must be an extremely powerful sorcerer. And she’s Air Touched, believed to be among the strongest in magic. Why would that healing still affect her so much? I try to remember if I’ve read anything on the subject, but Bern clears his throat, distracting me.
“Begging your pardon, Lady Elianna, but why is it ridiculous?” Bern’s earnest face looks troubled. “They’re restless spirits. I know my nan sang lullabies to the babies when they were restless, and it worked.”
“Yes. Babies. Human babies. Not restless spirits of the dead.” She rolls her eyes and refills her mug with tea from the steaming kettle.
“Spirits of the restless dead,” I mutter. “Not sure if it’s a distinction that makes a difference, but it’s always ‘spirits of the restless dead’ in the books.”
“Doesn’t seem to make much difference if it’s the spirits or the dead who’re restless,” Trick says, shrugging.
Everybody bombards me with questions.
“What song?”
“When do you sing it?”
“What does the song do?”
“Canyousing it?”
I answer them in order: “I don’t know what song. The only lyrics I ever saw were in a bard’s warning to avoid the Barrows. I don’t know when to sing it—when they attack, I assume. The song is supposed to soothe them back into their graves. And no, I definitely can’t be the one to sing it. I am no singer.”
“I’m sure—” Kaelen begins, but I cut him off.
“I’ve been told my voice is so bad, it would probably make the spirits of the restless dead even more restless,” I admit. “But we desperately need to retrieve the key, if we can even find it. Can you sing?”
He shakes his head. “What about you, Andras? The Sylvan are known for their musical ability, right?”
Andras shrugs. “I can sing if necessary. Is there anything else, Soli?Anything you forgot you forgot?”
It’s an odd question, but I see what he’s getting at. I try to turn around my thinking to come at the problem from the other side … and remember one more piece of wisdom, fromJourneys through Myth in Altarra, either the second or third volume.
“Maybe? It’s not a big secret, though. Just a warning to never, ever enter the Barrows at night.”
“Easy enough, riverlanders,” Chitai announces, tossing a dagger into the air, catching it, and making it vanish. “We won’t go in at night. Why don’t you all get some sleep? We’ll leave at dawn so we can cross at midday, long before the first shadows of dusk.”
Neville stands. “Still on for first watch, Chitai?”
