19

Marcus

I lose the thread of conversation when Ash approaches. “You look like you’re feeling better.” Ironic she’s so fond of a sailor, what with her terrible sea legs.

“I’m cured.” She smiles and taps her wrist.

“Reminds me of the day you cured Marcus of the hiccups,” Rowten says, trying not to laugh. “Using Lilian’s pet skunk.”

I grimace. “No need to bring that up, Captain.”

“Very angry pet skunk, you mean.” Ash’s laughter rises toward the sails. “I thought if I startled you, they’d go away. Didn’t think the skunk would be more panicked than you.” She tries to say “Sorry,” with her hand over her mouth, holding in the giggles.

“I don’t think you’re sorry at all. The story gives you too much pleasure.” I cross my arms.

“I’ll never forget your face!” she says.

“I’ll never forget the smell.” Rowten chuckles.

“Such bad timing, with the visiting savants from Aku arriving.” Ash has tears in her eyes. “And that girl. What was her name?”

“I don’t recall.” How did we get on this topic?

Her name was Sophia, De’ral supplies. I liked her.

“No one asked you.” Heat burns my cheeks.

She and Rowten chuckle until the ship hits a trough. It slams down hard, and I grab the wheelhouse for support.

When it smooths out, Ash wipes tears from her eyes and asks Rowten, “What of your sister, Lilian?”

“You haven’t heard?” He seems surprised.

I frown at her. Just last week I shared with her the good news of Lilian’s baby. I hesitate before trying to explain. “Ash has only just been released from the healer’s hall.”

“And it’s not like I dropped in for a cup of tea before we fled Baiseen. Tell me!”

Piper warned there could be more lapses.

Ash doesn’t even realize anything is amiss as she shakes a finger at Rowten. “Give me the details, immediately. I want to know everything.”

“Baby girl! They call her Roxanne.”

“Exact birthday?” Ash takes a deep breath, not waiting for an answer. “Has the Bone Thrower been? Alters run on her dad’s side, and callers on yours. How much did she weigh? Black hair like Lil’s or red like Dev’s?” Ash shoots one question after the other.

“Hold on.” I smile at them both. “Before you launch on this story, I’m turning in. You should, too, Ash. Healer’s orders.” I clasp Rowten’s hand and give it a shake. “Really glad you’re with us, Captain, and congratulations again for Lilian.”

“Again?” Ash says and gives me a haunted look. “I’ll be a moment, Marcus.” The vibrance fades from her smile, then lights back up.

Rowten doesn’t seem to notice. “I won’t keep her long.” He nods, and I head to the hatch. I can hear their conversation resume while I climb down to the galley. It is a boon, having the captain of the Royal Guard along on this journey, raising our morale, protecting, and guiding. And if we must fight, he and his phantom are no small menace.

My boots click on the polished wood ladder as the walls of the hold rise over my head. The air turns warm from the galley stove and the close quarters below. I reach the bottom step and hear the scream.

Ash!

The cold fear in her voice sends De’ral shooting to the surface, roiling under my skin as I spin around and race back out of the hatch.

Time slows to a near stop, like in a dream. Each rise of my foot takes forever before I can plant it down on the next step. I grip the railing, hoisting my bulk upward. Damn the bones. My sword. I’ve left it behind in the hold.

“Attack! Arm yourselves,” I cry out to the others in the galley. Sweat beads at my temple as my eyes come level with the deck. It gives me an unobstructed view of the mast. I make out Ash’s boots and as I climb higher, and her black riding pants appear.

Her knees bend in a crouch, the scream trailing off. Her ponytail flies upward as she ducks. A sword swings straight for her neck.

It’s Rowten’s blade. Rowten’s hands gripping the hilt.

He swings in a steady, relentless arc, cutting downward, an inevitable connection approaching as it slices through the air. Unstoppable, save by her skin and bones. My boot hits the deck, as Ash tries to drop lower, her bangs flying up off her forehead. I will never get there in time.

“Ash!” My eyes beg to shut out the horror. But I keep them open and run as time snaps back to normal speed.

A whistling sound falls toward the deck, joined by a bolt of lightning. The blur of white light streaks down from the crow’s nest. A man? With a blade? He plummets, feet first, sword in front of him like a cross pinned to his chest, point down. Before Ash’s neck cracks under Rowten’s blade, the other weapon finds its mark. It slices Rowten straight through from the top of his shoulder to the hip, piledriving his body into the deck. The captain’s sword clatters harmlessly to the side.

Ash’s savior lands on one knee, still gripping his sword double-handed. He pulls it out of Rowten’s prone body. Splinters fly from the deck with a spray of blood and gore.

Kaylin.

Who just killed Rowten.

Kaylin, who saved Ash’s life.

My stomach’s in my throat as I sprint toward them. When I reach Ash, she’s sitting on her heels, trying to breathe. Her face is drained of blood and her eyes stare blankly. I hold her shoulders, gently lifting her, shaking her, trying to snap her out of it. “Ash! Ash! Look at me.”

“Don’t break the lass’s neck after I just saved it,” Kaylin says. He pulls himself from the splintered deck to stand. I’ll be surprised if his legs are not broken, along with his spine, but he stands unharmed.

“Kaylin?” Ash asks, eyes welling. “What happened?”

Before either of us can speak, Samsen, Belair, and Piper arrive. They take in the scene, Rowten’s skewed body stuck into the deck, Kaylin’s blood splattered clothes, me holding Ash in a crushing grip.

They hazard a guess, draw their swords and point them all at Kaylin.

“Hold,” Samsen commands him. “Hands where I can see them.”

Kaylin shows the palms of his hands but doesn’t let go of his sword hilt.

“It wasn’t him.” I step between the sailor and the others, dragging Ash with me. “Kaylin saved her.”

“Saved who?” Piper keeps her sword trained on Kaylin’s throat.

“Me,” Ash manages to say as she pulls herself out of my stronghold. “It was Rowten. He tried. He...he…”

“He attacked her.” I finish the sentence she can’t get out. “He would have sliced her head clean off if Kaylin hadn’t been there.”

“Been where?” Belair tries to make sense of the scene.

I point toward the crow’s nest high above. “He jumped, feet first.”

Slowly the others sheath their swords, their faces pinched, eyes glancing from Kaylin to the hero of Baiseen’s body pooling in his own blood.

Kaylin speaks softly to Ash. “Are you hurt?” He brushes hair back from her forehead, examining where Rowten’s blade chopped a corner of her bangs short.

“Ahoy! What’s this?” Captain Anders arrives on the scene with his first mate. “Kaylin?” He waits for an explanation but seems as concerned with the damage to the teak wood deck as he is with the dead man embedded in it.

Kaylin ignores him, his attention only on Ash.

I flank Ash, too, ready to help her, bent on understanding what I witnessed, but Captain Anders, getting no answer from Kaylin, holds me back. The rest take Ash below. I want it to be my protective hand on her back, my voice offering reassurance. I must deal with Anders first.

She is safe with Kaylin. De’ral seems to prefer me topside, watching for signs of further threats.

“And she wasn’t with me?”

De’ral doesn’t answer. He doesn’t have to. Ash was not safe with me. I walked away and she nearly died.

We were betrayed.

My jaw tightens, fists clench. “But why?” I swallow over the tightness in my throat.

Truth is, Rowten is dead, cut down while trying to kill Ash. This journey is cursed from the start.