Page 49 of The Sea Witch (Salt & Sorcery #1)

“The silence between the patient and the doctor will be preserved,” Fatima answered.

“Gossiping with the crew is not one of my diversions,” Ben added.

He helped Alys to her feet and remained solid as she leaned heavily against him, and they slowly made their way to her berth.

She swore the entire journey.

Slowly, she lowered herself onto the mattress. Fatima bent over her leg and unwrapped the drenched bandage. Alys clenched

her teeth as Fatima examined her wound.

“I must clean it,” the doctor announced, “and then sew it shut.”

“As you please,” Alys said.

“We can summon someone to cast a numbing spell,” Fatima suggested.

“After all the magic we’ve used today?” Alys shook her head. “Everyone’s exhausted. More rum will do.”

The filled cup was in her hand instantly, courtesy of Ben. Once she drained it, he filled it again, and she downed all the

rum within it. As she attempted to drink herself insensible, Fatima put on a pair of spectacles and prepared her instruments.

To distract herself from the agony coursing through her, Alys studied the medical tools.

They were beautifully engraved metal instruments of many shapes, delicate and precise works of art, forged by experts to perform complicated and important work.

They were adorned with red enamel flowers and vines, the color of the lacquer likely chosen to hide any blood.

Fatima had brought them with her when she had joined the crew, saying they had once belonged to her great grandfather but had passed to her when none of her male relatives expressed an interest in pursuing medicine.

She had added to her collection over the course of the year, and had taken tools from some of the vessels they’d captured—always careful to let the ships’ doctors keep the most essential equipment so they could continue to perform their duties.

Fatima helped Alys strip off her boots and ruined breeches. Then, with her leg completely bared, the doctor bent over the

wound, her curved needle and catgut ready.

Alys reached out her hand. At once, Ben took it. He held her firmly through the whole painful procedure.

Despite Fatima’s urging that what Alys needed was rest, she called a gathering together in her quarters. Luna had brought

a chart of the area, and spread it on the table.

Alys sat, while Stasia, Polly, Luna, and Ben stood around the table, as everyone contemplated the map, showing them all the

possible routes to Lethal Lambert’s enclave.

“The Jupiter and its creatures stand between us and our destination,” Stasia mused. “Now that they are riled, there is no way past them.

They will patrol in widening circles and be ready to attack with their beasts.”

“You look like you’ve got an opinion,” Alys said to Ben.

After a pause, he said carefully, “Another route is possible.”

“Show us.”

“We take this route, and stay clear of the Jupiter .” He pointed to a narrow channel that ran between a series of islands.

All the women exchanged speaking glances.

“What don’t I know?” he asked.

“This.” Alys tapped her finger on the largest island, which formed a jagged, rocky coastline. “The cliffside location of the

Redthorns’ monastery.”

Just saying their name caused a ripple of unease to travel around the table.

“Redthorns.” Ben shook his head.

“Mages of the deepest and most fanatical devotion,” Alys explained. “They hide themselves away from the world. Study the darkest

magic. To them, the natural world’s theirs to exploit and defile.”

“Why call themselves Redthorns?” Stasia asked.

“I can only speculate,” Alys answered.

“For all their piety, they can be bought,” Polly added. “They act as mercenaries for whomever can afford them. In battle,

they never leave survivors.”

“Not very holy.” Ben frowned. “They’re monks?”

“So it’s said,” Alys replied.

He muttered a curse. “I may have seen them.”

When he hesitated to speak, Alys waved toward him. “If there’s something you know, we need to hear it.”

“This must have been... three months ago? We were at sea, about a day from San Domingo. It was late, but I don’t know what

hour. No one rang the ship’s bells. I remember thinking that was odd. I struggled to wake up, and when I left my quarters,

everyone was asleep. Everyone . I managed to get myself on the top deck. Even the watches slept at their posts.”

He continued, “A schooner came alongside us. The ship seemed made of darkness. Instinct had me hide myself as a trio of men

in monastic robes boarded. Huge men. Their hoods were up, so I couldn’t see their faces.”

“None of this is pleasant to know,” Stasia muttered.

“Warne and Lieutenant Oliver, they were awake. They met the monks and took them to the admiral’s quarters,” Ben continued.

“They were sequestered for an hour, perhaps two, and when they came back on deck, they carried a small strongbox. They sailed away. The watches woke up, and I hurried back to my quarters. Neither Admiral Strickland, Oliver, nor Warne ever spoke of it.”

“Did you ask them about those men?” Polly asked.

“I suspected I wasn’t supposed to see or know about them, so I kept my silence.”

“They’re allies, then, to the navy,” Alys said bleakly.

“We face them,” Polly said, “or run right into the Jupiter ’s arms.”

“With its kraken and leviathan,” Luna added.

“And a hundred guns,” Ben noted.

“Magical monks, or sea creatures and a first-rate man-o’-war.” Alys exhaled in the grim silence. “Seems that the Redthorns

are the slightly less horrible option.”

“The monastery has the high ground.” Stasia’s words were foreboding. “They will see our ship pass by their abbey and attack.

Even with the number of witches aboard our vessel, we will be unable to defend ourselves against whatever magic and spells

they aim at us.”

“Couldn’t you sail around them?” Ben asked. He pointed to the other islands near the Redthorns’ monastery.

“For a navigator,” Stasia said tartly, “you know precious little of this area.”

“The navy seldom sails in this territory,” he fired back. “I didn’t get the opportunity to chart it.”

“That archipelago is called the Broken Serpent,” Luna said darkly. “It’s made up of miles of rocky islands surrounded by shallows.

You can’t get through them on a full-displacement ship such as ours.”

“The only way out is through,” Polly said. “We’ll need a diversion.”

Alys nodded. “A party will make its way off the Sea Witch here.” She pointed to a location on the peninsula that was a short distance south of the monastery. “We’ll approach the abbey,

provide the needed distraction to let the Sea Witch sail past, undisturbed, and then rejoin the ship here.”

She rapped her knuckles on a spot north of the monastery.

“I’ll lead the landing party,” Alys said.

“Is that wise?” Stasia glanced at her injured thigh.

“I’m the fucking captain,” Alys snapped, “and I’ll manage.”

Stasia held up her hands in acceptance. Alys resisted the urge to glance at Ben.

Continuing in a clipped voice, she said, “Stasia, Susannah, and Thérèse will make up the rest of the group. Polly, you have

the bridge while I’m ashore. We’ll run the Sea Witch through the strait at midnight.”

Ben frowned, but wisely said nothing to contradict her.

“There’s something you should know about that area,” Luna added. “The tide’s too low after dark for the Sea Witch to clear the channel.”

“Then we go just before dawn,” Stasia said.

“The last tide before sunrise is too violent,” Luna said. “Our ship would be smashed against the cliffside. We’ll have to

catch the tide before dusk. There’ll be enough water to pass through the strait, but not so violent that we’ll wreck.”

“A daylight operation.”

“That climb will take an hour at least,” Luna pointed out.

Alys planted her hands on her hips. “What choice have we?”

“If the winds hold, we’ll reach the Redthorns’ monastery tomorrow, just after three bells,” Luna explained. “Exactly in the

window we need to navigate the strait successfully.”

Another thoughtful silence fell.

“Rest well tonight,” Alys said. “Dismissed. Oh, and, Stasia,” she added as everyone filed out, “find someone to serve as our cook. We’ll need to dine abundantly this evening to shore up our power.”

“We may dine abundantly,” Stasia said, pausing on the threshold, “but we will not dine well. Josephine’s culinary ability

was unmatched. She could roast a lamb even better than my yiayia.”

“At least Olachi and her crew get the benefit of Josephine’s ability.” Alys sighed.

When the last of her crew had left her quarters, Alys permitted herself to slump in her seat.

“Find someone else,” Ben said in the silence.

She glanced up at him as he stood close. “Step back, Sailing Master. You’re casting a shadow.”

He moved back, but looked defiant.

“What I hated the most about being married,” she continued, “was being told what I could and couldn’t do.”

“You’re injured,” he pointed out. “Leading a party against these fanatical Redthorns could cost you your life.”

“I’m the captain. When it comes to missions this important, I’m the one in command.” When he opened his mouth to argue further,

she held up her hand. “I’m not asking your permission. This is what’s going to happen. Any more comments or complaints will

see you sleeping in the brig.”

His jaw flexed, but after a long silence, he said, “Understood.”

She pushed herself up to standing and limped to her berth. “Until our supper of questionable quality arrives, I’m going to

rest.”

She lay down on her side, her back to him.

A minute passed, and then his heavy footfalls sounded, approaching her. “You didn’t want to tax the rest of the crew, the

ones that fought or used magic. But I’ve been idle. No duties are demanding my attention. If you’re in need of balancing...

I find myself conveniently available.”

She hesitated. “Fine.”

The berth dipped with his weight as he lay down behind her, snugging his body close to hers. His warm breath brushed along the sensitive fine hairs along the back of her neck.

She stiffened. Cuddling with her lovers wasn’t something she indulged in, and balancing with witches wasn’t the same as this...

this intimacy. Yet when he continued to lie with her, simply cupping his body to hers, she exhaled. In gradual degrees, her

own body relaxed.

Soft golden light enfolded them. Energy flooded her, warm and healing, filled with a sense of purpose, a purpose that had

been shifting and evolving. It shored up her own flagging resolve. At that moment, she was capable of doing anything.

She would need that strength to face what was next.