Page 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The guard crumpled to the floor, crying out as blood poured from the wound in his leg. Celeste had to swallow her horror.

“I thought we agreed no bloodshed,” Bastian argued before he fired his own weapon. The second guard went down screaming. “Now how are we to stay in town and get a crew?”

Raiden hefted Celeste in his arms, adjusting his grip. “I suppose we’ll have to figure something out,” he said, stepping over the guard and bolting down the hall. The others followed, ready for a fight.

But there was no need. As they sprinted through the front of the building, they found the other guard still unconscious on the floor. Kiyami tracked down her belt laden with weapons, checked her favorite sword, and the four of them—plus the Admiral—fled from the jail.

Outside the sun was bright, blindingly so compared to the dark cell they’d come from. Celeste squinted, taking in the city around her from a new perspective. Port Romsey felt like a different place than the one she was dragged through the night prior. Everywhere she looked there were humans going about their daily lives—shouting over each other, laughing, bartering, fighting. She saw a few animals similar to the Admiral poking around a pile of dirty crates, their matted fur far different from the prince’s well-kept pet. The crates sat beside a couple of stands with what looked to be food—the scent of it was incredible. But before she could get a better look, the group turned onto a side street.

“We should go to the Broken Compass,” Bastian gasped as they ducked into a darkened alcove to avoid a passing officer. “We can lie low there. Pick up more crew. I’d rather that than risk leading them back to my family.”

“Worth a shot,” Raiden agreed.

The Broken Compass, it turned out, was Port Romsey’s most notorious pub and inn. It sagged on the corner of two streets that crossed at a narrow angle, looking as though it had been squeezed in order to fit. Its peeling red paint was faded to pink, and its windows were opaque with dirt. Even the doorway was crooked. The entrance was marked by a large wooden sign displaying a circle with four arrows painted on it, the downward one red. Celeste recognized the image immediately. It was just like the gold thing she had scavenged for her collection at home. Compass , she thought, but she wasn’t sure how it was broken.

The group paused at the entrance.

“This the place?” Kiyami eyed the pub with distaste. “Doesn’t look like much. The pub I went to last night was far nicer.”

A cry came from down the street. “Stop! Criminals!” Apparently, a guard had woken up.

“I think it looks lovely,” Raiden said, voice tight. “Shall we?”

Before anyone could respond, he shoved open the door with his foot and marched into the pub, Celeste still clutched in his arms.

“What are you doing kicking open my door?” a low voice called out.

Bastian and Kiyami hurried inside, ushering the Admiral in with them. Behind them, the guard was steps away.

Bastian took one look and closed the door in his face. He turned, pressing his back to the door, which trembled as the guard outside pounded on it. Raiden’s shoulders relaxed, and he set Celeste down on her feet.

“My lady,” he teased.

Celeste pushed away from him, rocking a little but able to remain upright. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimly lit interior of the pub. If the room was loud before, it was certainly quiet now. Only the clink of glasses and a few murmurs filled the room. A pair of men sat at the bar, nearly falling out of their seats as they leaned on one another. Looking around, Celeste could gather that a pub was a place where they served whatever made humans drunk. She still didn’t understand the point. Why sell something that made humans act odd and then lock them up when they did? But considering Kiyami was unaffected this morning, she gathered water was harmless.

Celeste was distracted from her thoughts by the approach of a whale of a man, at least a head taller than Raiden, with a knit hat upon his head and a thick black beard. His muscular frame cast a shadow over their small group, reminding her of the guard who’d apprehended her. His tanned arms were thicker than one of Celeste’s thighs.

“Who are you, and what trouble have you brought here?” the man asked.

“I’m Captain Raiden Sharp.” Raiden dipped a little as if in a bow. “And this is my crew. We’re looking for a place to stay.” The banging on the door sounded again. “You don’t happen to be the owner of this fine establishment?”

“I’m the cook,” the man growled. “And the one who keeps trash like you from bringing us trouble. Looks like you have a friend outside who wants a word.” He stepped toward the door.

Bastian and Raiden exchanged glances.

“Let’s not get hasty, Mister...?”

“Nasir,” the man supplied.

“Nasir,” Raiden repeated. “A pleasure . Well, Nasir, I’m sure there’s something we could work out. You let us hide out in this wonderful establishment, and we’ll owe you.”

“ Captain Raiden Sharp your name is?” Nasir asked, eyeing him.

Raiden cocked a brow. “Yes.”

Nasir considered him for a moment. “I know a gunner from Yenri. He’s been looking for work. Take him on, and I’ll let you stay.”

“It’s a de?—”

“Wait!” Bastian interrupted, frowning. “A gunner from Yenri? What’s his name?”

“Torben Helvig.” Nasir crossed his arms.

Raiden paled and glanced toward Bastian. “Name another price. Anything else.”

“No,” Nasir said. “Take it or leave.”

“Let me in! By order of the guard!” a muffled voice called. The door rattled.

“All right,” Raiden said quickly, “he can join us.”

The two shook hands.

“Get upstairs,” Nasir said. “I’ll get rid of your friend.”

* * *

“This calls for a toast!” Kiyami said, waving down the bartender.

The group had reconvened in the bar once they’d been alerted the guard had gone. Apparently, Nasir had convinced the guard they’d escaped and led the man on a wild chase heading clear across town. As soon as he returned, Nasir sent an errand boy to fetch Torben, an interaction that Raiden watched with obvious annoyance.

As the day drew on, many men entered the Compass to speak with the prince. News had spread that a captain was putting together a crew at the Compass. Raiden accepted them all, and it wasn’t long before Celeste realized that him offering her a role on the ship wasn’t a compliment. The man was desperate. This crew he was forming looked about as competent as a herd of sea slugs. Raiden was a prince, so why was he accepting any schmuck who wandered into the pub? Was he a prince of a different kingdom, with no pull here in Ethoria? Celeste knew Kiyami was not from here, and Kiyami had told her she and Raiden knew each other as children, so it was likely he wasn’t from here either. Or was it rumors of his last crew all dying at sea that kept any sane person away?

Over time, Raiden’s posture began to slump, and Kiyami, bored, left the table to “chat” with the barmaid—although the chatting looked a lot more like flirting. Celeste, however, found everything fascinating. The very idea of sailing on a human ship was something she had fantasized about nearly her entire life.

Celeste learned that Bastian, as the quartermaster, was in charge of managing supplies and ensuring the crew followed the captain’s orders. Between interviews, Raiden and Bastian almost exclusively conversed about which supplies they would need, where they would get them, how they would afford them. Typically, such dry talk would bore Celeste to tears. But everything Raiden and Bastian said was a new discovery. Humans apparently needed quite a bit to survive on the ocean. Food, water, livestock (whatever that was), feed for the livestock, ale, rum—the list went on and on.

“Do ya think you’d be able to get some chickens?” Nasir asked in his soft voice as he approached the table with four plates of food balanced on his forearms. “Always a treat to have fresh eggs.” The food was completely different from what Celeste had seen in the jail. He called it chicken curry and rice, and it smelled of earthy spices and meat. Celeste nodded in thanks as Nasir placed a plate in front of her, and he gave her a warm smile in return. With his massive frame and quiet demeanor, Celeste would have thought him a warrior. But he positively lit up when talking about food.

Kiyami returned to the table just in time to eat, the barmaid watching her go with lovesick eyes as big as saucers.

“This looks delicious,” Kiyami said, pulling up a stool and flicking her long, dark hair over her shoulder. She was right. The food was delicious. As warm and as comforting as a loved one’s embrace. The complex, colorful flavors danced along Celeste’s tongue, and before she knew it, she had finished. Nasir returned to take the cleaned plates away, and Celeste couldn’t help but soften at his pleased smile when he thought no one was looking.

The door to the bar opened with a bang, and a short, broad man lumbered in, looking very much as though he didn’t belong. For one thing, his blond hair was shaved on the sides, with the rest of his hair long and braided down his back. Silver rings adorned the braid, a style Celeste had not seen on any other men in town thus far. He was also shirtless and boasted a rather impressive amount of muscle beneath many black markings. Drawings perhaps? Across his hips he wore a heavy belt, upon which hung an ungodly number of weapons. Some of them she recognized, like daggers and swords, but many others she had never seen before. They jangled against each other as he stalked into the room, silver-blue eyes scanning.

“Oh no,” Bastian breathed, shrinking in his seat.

“I’ve heard someone is hiring a crew,” the blond man shouted above the din of the bar.

“Torben!” Nasir’s eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled, pushing through the doorway that led to the kitchens. Nasir looked upon the man as though there was no one else in the room.

“My heart,” Torben said, closing the distance between them. “Where are the men who asked for me?”

Nasir nodded toward Raiden and Bastian, both of whom were looking determinedly in the opposite direction. Kiyami snorted.

“Gentlemen,” grunted Torben, sauntering toward the table. “I have heard you requested my assistance on your crew.”

Raiden turned first. “Ah! Torben! I didn’t see you come in.”

Do all humans know each other? Celeste wondered, looking between them.

At seeing Raiden, Torben straightened. His eyes grew as wide as saucers. And a smile lit his face, as if a vast treasure had been dropped directly into his lap. “If it isn’t Captain Raiden Sharp!” Torben roared, his large hand smacking Raiden on the back. “I haven’t seen you since you were no taller than me!”

Raiden’s answering smile looked stiff. “Has it been that long?”

“Didn’t your father send you off with your own crew?” Torben helped himself to a chair and Celeste’s full tankard of ale. “Why are you lookin’ for crew in this hellhole of all places?”

The prince’s eyes narrowed. “If Romsey is such a wasteland, why are you here?” The way he said this led Celeste to believe Raiden already knew the answer. Torben’s expression darkened.

“We actually came to speak with Kiyami,” Bastian said, eyeing his captain. “We left Velluno, and Raiden heard she was last seen here. But it was our luck we ran into your husband, who told us you were”—he searched for the words—“between jobs,” he finished delicately.

Torben downed the remainder of Celeste’s ale and slammed the tankard on the table. “What’s the job?”

Raiden looked toward Celeste and then leaned toward Torben, dropping his voice. “We’re hunting treasure.”

The man’s eyes practically glittered, a devilish grin growing on his face. “Treasure?” His face sobered. “Where?” he asked, growing suspicious. “I haven’t heard of anything.”

The prince laughed, but there was no warmth in it. “You must believe me a fool if you think I would tell you the location.”

Torben’s face burned red. “Do you want to say that to me again, boy?” He spat. “Just like your father. Disloyal bunch of?—”

“I’m not sure if an old-timer like you would be up for it anyway,” Raiden interrupted.

Torben looked like a volcano, ready to erupt. “We’ll just see about that, won’t we?” he shouted, leaping to his feet. “Try to keep me away, boy! Which is your ship?”

“The Red Revenge ,” Raiden said, the picture of calm.

It was as if the prince had poured water over the man. One second he was a raging fire, and the next he was a wisp of smoke.

“The Red Revenge ? Valencia’s ship?”

“It’s my ship now,” Raiden said with an icy grin.

“You dare steal from the Queen of Pirates?”

An uncomfortable silence fell, not just on their table but over anyone within earshot.

“Commandeered. And she’s no queen,” the prince said, his voice as sharp as a blade.

From across the table, Kiyami’s eyes locked with Celeste’s. Her expression was as clear as day: What exactly have we signed up for?

“Like I said”—Raiden took a drink—“I’m not sure an old-timer like you would be up for it.”

“You bastard,” Torben said, sticking out his hand. “I’m in.”

Celeste’s mouth fell open as the two men shook hands, laughing.

“Good, I hope you have some men you can bring along. We still need plenty of bodies for our ship.” Raiden removed his hand, stretching it as though pained.

Torben’s eyes lit up. “What about my husband? He’s an excellent chef, and he once trained as a surgeon.”

Bastian’s expression lifted. “ A surgeon? ”

Nasir, who had been watching the exchange, frowned. “I haven’t practiced in years. Not since I’ve lived in Ethoria.”

“Still,” Bastian pressed, “a rare find.”

Torben looked upon Nasir, beaming with pride. “He certainly is.”

“It is true we are in need of a cook, and having a surgeon on board would certainly be an asset,” Raiden said.

“I—would have to consider it,” Nasir hesitated. “Who would run the Compass?”

“Viktoria can handle things,” Torben insisted, taking up his husband’s hands. “Come with me, my heart. This way we won’t need to be separated for so long.”

Nasir looked at Torben’s face and softened. “All right,” he said, then looked to Raiden. “I’ll join your crew.”

The captain clapped his hands. “Excellent. Now, what shall you both require?”

Once they finished discussing, Torben agreed to bring his men and meet them at the docks in the morning. He kissed his husband goodbye and left.

Nasir turned and smiled warmly at Raiden. “Thank you,” he said, before disappearing into the kitchen.

As soon as the cook was gone, Bastian whirled on his prince.

“What was that ?”

“Whatever do you mean, Baz?” Raiden drew his dagger and began picking at his nails with its blade.

“I thought we were agreed! We weren’t going to bring on Trigger Finger Torben!”

Raiden shrugged. “We had already promised Nasir. And now we have a surgeon.”

A creeping unease settled into Celeste’s stomach. She knew humans died on voyages like these all the time, even without siren interference. A competent crew could mean the difference between survival and death. Yet the prince was still accepting just about anyone. She was about to be stuck on a ship with the worst that Port Romsey had to offer.

What was making the prince so desperate? Was someone else after this treasure? Or was he running from this Valencia, the Pirate Queen? Celeste had never heard of her, but her very name had shaken every human at the table. Or was Raiden hiding something else? Perhaps there was something he needed this treasure for. A debt he owed?

A familiar itch rose up Celeste’s neck, and she turned to see the prince’s eyes on her.

“Don’t worry,” he said, with a wink. “I’ll whip this crew into shape.”

Celeste bristled. He hadn’t correctly guessed everything she was thinking—but he knew what she was feeling. Straightening, Celeste ignored him. If he had hoped to ease her mind, he hadn’t. In fact, he had only made her more nervous. This human was entirely too aware of her. How long before he found out something she didn’t want him to know?

“Why didn’t you want Torben on your crew?” Kiyami asked.

Raiden laughed. “Wherever did you get that idea?”

“He’s got a bit of a reputation,” Bastian said.

Kiyami arched a brow. “What sort of reputation?”

Bastian winced and looked to Raiden.

“You may have heard of him by a different name.” The prince slid his dagger back onto his hip. “Most call him Ol’ Trigger Finger.”

Kiyami tensed. “You can’t be serious.” She looked between Bastian and Raiden, incredulous. “That’s Trigger Finger Torben? You’re hiring him to be on this crew? Do you have a death wish?”

Celeste seemed to be the only one who didn’t already know about this “Trigger Finger,” so she elbowed Raiden in the side.

“Haven’t heard of him, have you?” he asked with a smirk.

Celeste shrugged.

“Torben ‘Trigger Finger’ Helvig is known for being a bit of a liability. He’s worked as a master gunner all his life and is said to be brilliant when it comes to managing and building weapons—explosives in particular. But he’s difficult to work with and volatile,” Bastian said.

“He’s a psychopath,” Raiden corrected. “The last ship he was on, Torben went against direct orders from his captain and started firing on a passing ship without cause. It was Valencia’s ship. Torben got most of his crew killed. And she nearly sank them.”

“Wasn’t he on your father’s crew?” Kiyami asked.

Raiden paused, jaw tightening. It looked as though he was going to ignore her question, before he let out a breath and nodded. “Yes.”

“The king pushed him overboard in the middle of the ocean,” Bastian said. “Rumor was, he’d drowned, but it seems he managed to make his way here.”

“It’s not as though I’m much better,” Raiden said, so quietly Celeste almost didn’t hear him over the noise of the pub.

Bastian stiffened. “What happened to our crew wasn’t your fault.”

Raiden nodded and looked away.

A wave of nausea rose within Celeste at the memory of that night. The hundreds of writhing bodies. Her mother crying in a cell. She was tired—emotionally and physically. The more she learned about these humans, the more confused she became. It didn’t help matters that she hadn’t slept properly in days. She must have looked as horrible as she felt, because Kiyami glanced at her and laughed.

“You awake there, Celeste?” she teased.

The siren blinked, realizing her eyes had been drooping. A blush warmed her face, and she lifted her hands to hide it.

“It’s getting late,” Bastian said. “Why don’t we all head off to bed? We’ll want to set sail as soon as the ship is readied tomorrow.”

And so their small crew dispersed. Kiyami and Celeste were given a room to share in the inn. The two of them walked up the winding staircase in the back of the pub to the second floor. Their room was number five, the farthest door to the right. Kiyami inserted the key the barmaid had given her into the lock and heard a satisfying click as she twisted. It took a couple of tries to open the door, as if it didn’t want to admit them, but eventually it relented. The room was simple. There was no decoration upon the wooden walls, save for one portrait above the dresser that looked like a painting of the ocean from the docks. Two small beds with simple blue blankets faced the door, and between them was a window that faced another building.

It was the most perfect room Celeste had ever seen.

As soon as Kiyami had closed the door behind them, the exhaustion hit Celeste like a wave. The muscles at the back of her neck ached, as if she had been on high alert ever since she had become a human. She hadn’t felt this fatigued since her early days of training for the Chorus.

Kiyami collapsed onto her small bed, removing her shoes, and Celeste did the same. The window showed the building next door was darkening, but as she looked up, she could see a small sliver of sky. A silver moon shined down upon the port town, the same crescent shape that darkened her wrist. Too tired to think anymore about the mess she found herself in, Celeste lay down on the bed, fully clothed and still clutching her Wayfinder coat. Sirens were perfectly comfortable floating as they slept. But many enjoyed having the option of lying upon something, so the concept of a bed wasn’t entirely foreign. This bed, however, was far more comfortable than any surface she’d laid upon before. Springy and full of some sort of stuffing, it creaked as she moved. But she found her eyelids closing before she could inspect it further.

Despite her fatigue, every noise sent her bolt upright, heart racing. She noticed when Kiyami slipped out of the room sometime in the night, likely meeting with Viktoria, the barmaid. And when sleep at last found the little siren, it was wrapped in nightmares.

* * *

Celeste awoke to a loud banging. She gasped, feeling as though she couldn’t breathe. There was no water around her. But as she sat upright, everything came flooding back. Her confusion was over in a moment, but it was a rather unpleasant way to wake up.

“Hurry, or we’re leaving you on shore,” Raiden called through the door.

Celeste turned and found Kiyami’s bed empty. The sun shone brightly through the window behind her head. How long had she been asleep? She slipped off the bed, combed her hands through her hair, and opened the door.

“Did you sleep in that?” Raiden said, fixing her with an appraising look as he leaned against the wall near the stairway.

Celeste ignored him.

“If you ever need help changing, love, I’d be glad to be of ser—” Before he could finish his sentence, Celeste hurled her coat at his head.

He caught it easily, bursting into laughter. Indignant, Celeste marched past him, snatching the coat back before making her way down the stairs. The prince followed smoothly behind. Even the way he walked irritated her. Why did he insist on tormenting her every waking moment? As Celeste reached the bottom of the stairs, she noticed the pub was empty.

“The rest of them are already on the ship,” Raiden said.

Why hadn’t they woken her?

“You refused to wake up,” Raiden said, as if he had read her mind. “You nearly strangled me to death when I tried.”

Celeste sighed. It was a shame she hadn’t succeeded.