by CK Dawn
“That’s where we’re headed,” Chloe shouted back.
Bram shot her a disapproving look.
“What?” she whispered.
“I swear you attract humans like they’re lost puppies or something,” Bram whispered.
“He was on the ship first. And we’re no better than anyone else trying to survive this mess,” Chloe hissed back. “I don’t care if the world has gone to Hell, or you think it’d be easier to just get rid of him somehow. Being a decent human being still means something to me. It has to!”
Bram grumbled something under his breath about going alone but didn’t argue.
“Lucky for you, I’m the bosun of the Kaleetan and can navigate these waters with my eyes closed, even with all the debris out there. Just can’t get the girl running, been tryin’ for days. Seems like you folks may have a magic trick or two up your sleeves though? But again, none of my business.”
See! Chloe gestured towards the ship without saying the word out loud.
Bram gave a final huff of defeat, shook his head, and chuckled. “Laszlo, I think it’s all our lucky day.”
Chloe and Bram made their way down to the Kaleetan’s platform and were greeted by the weathered, grey-haired man.
“Name’s Laszlo. Sorry. I said that already; didn’t I?” He shook Chloe’s hand eagerly as he helped her onto the ship. “Just damned glad to finally see some friendly faces around here.”
“I’m Chloe, and this is Bram.”
Laszlo waved once to Bram who nodded. Apparently, Laszlo could tell the fae wasn’t in any hurry to shake his hand. “Well, welcome aboard,” he said.
“Is there anyone else on the ship?” Bram asked coolly.
“Nope, just me.”
“How?” Bram crossed his arms over his chest.
“Ship was down for repairs the day before all hell broke loose. I came back early, prepping her to return to duty. That’s when, well, I don’t know what to call it, happened. Been stuck here ever since, watchin’ those things tear people apart. But they never came any closer to the ship. Felt like a sitting duck waiting for the end. Guess I have a guardian angel or somethin’.”
“It’s the iron,” Bram interjected, “and the water.”
Laszlo took in what Bram said and nodded. “Figure you’ll want to see the engine room? It’s this way.”
“There’s no need. I have to ward the ship first, though.”
“Whatever that means, if it gets me to my wife, I’m good with it.”
“Meet you on the bridge? We won’t be long,” Bram stated, letting Laszlo know he wouldn’t be leaving Chloe alone with him.
Laszlo nodded. “I’ll stop in the galley, fetch some coffee and food for the road.”
“That would be very nice, Laszlo; thank you,” Chloe said. She gave Bram a dirty look as the old bosun walked away.
“What?” Bram finally asked as he started warding the perimeter of the ship. He waved his hands, periodically creating spheres of amber light the hull absorbed.
Chloe followed behind, watching as he sprinkled things from multiple vials as they walked. “What do you mean, what? You have a problem with Laszlo. What is it?”
“I don’t know. It’s just…I don’t trust him.”
“Why?”
“He’s lying about something.”
“Well, I guess he’s in good company then,” Chloe snapped.
Bram stopped suddenly and looked at her. He appeared to be ready for another fight, but, he let out his breath and seemed to deflate as their eyes locked, instead. “That’s fair,” he said unexpectedly.
Chloe felt triumphant, albeit a little guilty, about the jab she had landed. “So, is he going to murder us in our sleep or something?”
“No. I can’t explain it. It’s just…Something is off, and he’s hiding something.”
“Well, we’ll just be careful, make sure we aren’t followed to Hadley’s. I don’t see a downside to all of us wanting to reach Bremerton.”
“Agreed. For now.” Bram started walking and warding again.
Chloe knocked on the door and stepped onto the bridge. “Moor lines are loose, and wards are up. We’re all set. Here,” she said, handing Laszlo a small golden coin. “Bram said place it on the helm, and she’ll start right up.”
Laszlo turned the shiny coin in his hand and harrumphed skeptically. “Coffee?” he offered. “Sorry; it’s cold, but it’s still caffeinated.”
He gave the coin a little tap on the dash, possibly for luck, before laying it down flat. “Okay, here goes nothing.” Laszlo held his breath as he turned the ignition key and pushed a small circular button. Bright amber symbols radiated up out of the coin before floating down and soaking into the helm. The ship started right up, and Laszlo quickly shut off all the dash lights, as well as the lights around the hull. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
On a hunch, Chloe flipped the switch on the hot plate the cold pot of coffee was sitting on. She smiled when the little red square light lit up. “Yes!” she said, holding up her coffee cup in victory.
“Nice!” Laszlo agreed. “I take it the plan is to keep the ship at a crawl across the sound with no lights. The less we’re seen the better, type of thing?”
“Yep.”
“Copy that, Captain.”
Chloe giggled. She quirked her head as the warming coffee’s scent filled the small space. “The coffee smells wonderful but different. What is that?”
Laszlo raised his chin. “Oh, the lavender. I always put a few buds in with my coffee grounds. Find it soothing.”
She took a sip. “It’s lovely, very relaxing.” Chloe took another sip and thought of the Spree. “It reminds me of a wonderful place we had to leave.”
“You don’t say?” The old bosun stated, as he steered the ship away from the harbor. “And, still some wonderful places left in all of this, I hope?” He looked at Chloe.
She nodded and gave a sad little smile as she reminisced about her wonderful experience in the Spree.
“Good to know.” Laszlo turned back around and they began their journey. “I hope you don’t mind me saying this, and it’s in complete contradiction to your appearance, but you look like you’ve been through hell.”
“I kind of feel like it, too,” Chloe joked, looking down at her perfectly-coiffed Famke glamour.
Laszlo shook his head. “Sorry; that wasn’t my place. It’s just… I was a bartender for over twenty-five years, and reading people is a hard habit to break. Wife and I are able to spend half the year on Bremerton now to get away from the Texas heat. That’s how I came to be the bosun of the Kaleetan here. But I’ll always be a bartender at heart. I just get a vibe from people is all.” Laszlo nodded to himself. “You’ve been through hell,” he stated again, matter-of-factly. “Count myself lucky, being stuck on this ship, spared all you must have seen out there.” Laszlo knocked on the wooden captain’s wheel with his knuckles.
“Yeah.” It was all Chloe could muster to convey all she had seen, all she had done.
Bram opened the door, then, and stepped onto the bridge.
“Nice cup of hot coffee?” Laszlo offered with a seasoned bartender’s inflection.
“Yes, actually. Thanks,” Bram said sincerely.
“Anyway, from what little I saw, it looks like hell out there, and at this speed, I reckon we have several hours before we reach Bremerton. The captain’s quarters are just off the bridge here. Has a nice hot shower.” Laszlo shrugged. “Figure if this little trinket is powering the engine and hot plate like normal, that that should be working as well. If anyone was interested?”
“Oh my God, that would be amazing!” Chloe beamed and looked at Bram. “Can you…?” She mimicked taking the glamour from her face. “I’d like to shower in my own skin.”
Bram looked at Laszlo, but the bosun was sitting in the captain’s chair concentrating on the task in front of him. Bram gave Chloe a disapproving look anyway.
“We’re on a warded ship being powered by an ench
anted coin. I think Laszlo’s been sufficiently inducted into the magic-is-real club. He’s not going to care what I really look like.”
“Not my business.” Laszlo focused out the front window as he steered the ship. He waved one hand in the air nonchalantly, not looking back at them as they argued.
Bram huffed under his breath but did as Chloe asked and removed her Famke glamour entirely from her body.
“Thank you,” she said. Staring down at herself, she touched her fragile-looking dark-blonde hair which had returned, almost feeling as if the Famke glamour was somehow a protective shield she had just lost. Un-glamoured, she noticed her trench coat was crusted in scab blood along with some of their residual dust. Gross! she thought. Yes, a hot shower is most definitely what I need right now.
“Lost and Found’s two doors down from the captain’s quarters. No promises, but you might find a fresh set of clothes in there.”
Oh my God! Chloe couldn’t believe what a luxury it was to get to use an actual working toilet. After running out of the Spree, she had been mortified when she’d had to finally duck behind a car and pee, reluctantly, while Bram waited far too close by. At least it was raining, she thought.
She unburdened herself of most of her weapons and her boots, placing them on the counter as close to the shower as possible. The trench spike would go into the shower with her, though. The Lost and Found had indeed contained some clothes Chloe’s size. She picked out a pair of jeans and a form-fitting, cropped leather jacket because they both had nice deep pockets for weapons. The jacket looked warm, and she could also easily wear it under her trench coat. She placed the fresh clothes next to her weapons. After stepping into the shower, she found a hook to hang the trench spike within reach. First, she washed away all the blood and scab-dust the rain had missed from her trench coat before hanging it over the door to dry. Then, she turned the water as hot as it would go and stood under it. She tried to wash the nightmare away in an attempt to recharge and make life a little more bearable. Chloe stayed under the water’s calming heat well until after it had run cold.
“Chloe?” Laszlo asked as she stepped onto the bridge.
“Oh, right, sorry. Yeah, this is the real me,” she said, helping herself to another cup of Laszlo’s delicious lavender coffee.
“Well, it’s nice to officially meet the real you, then.” He beamed. “Feel better?”
“So much better. Thank you.” She took a seat next to him at the helm. “Where’s Bram?”
Laszlo sat up and pointed down, out the window. “Bow. He left right after you did, saying he wanted to keep watch.” The old bartender shrugged. “Figured he needed to be alone for a while.”
“It really is hell out there, Laszlo, but I’m glad you were safe here on the ship, and I hope your wife is okay on Bremerton.”
“As do I, love. As do I.” Laszlo was quiet for a moment, seeming like a man with something heavy sitting on his chest. “Hope you don’t mind me saying, but it seems to me that that boy is barely holding onto his humanity by a thread. Shouldn’t call him boy, though; that’s not quite right. He seems older than his years.”
Chloe looked down at Bram again. The royal fae was leaning on the rail looking out over the water.
“You’re his anchor.”
“Huh?” Chloe asked. “What do you mean?”
“We all need something to hold onto in this life. Something worth fighting for. For him,” Laszlo said, gesturing with his chin down at Bram, “it’s you.”
Chloe was quiet for a while. “I think you’re giving me too much credit.”
“Nah. You’re good people, Chloe. I can tell. You keep him grounded and whole. That’s important, for all of us, to have something like that, but especially for him. Somethin’ is telling me that the fate of our world just might be resting on that man’s shoulders down there.”
Chloe walked down to the bow with a towel under her arm. Bram still seemed drenched from the earlier downpour. She wondered if it was by choice. Chloe walked up behind him and put the towel around him anyway. She let her hand linger on his shoulder. Without turning around, he put his hand over hers. As their fingers intertwined, he lowered his head and stared down at the water. She slipped her body between him and the rail and faced out towards the water as well. Bram put his chin on her shoulder.
“Is there some spell or magical power that would let us just stay here, just like this?” Chloe asked, knowing it was an unattainable fantasy.
“Now, that would be something,” Bram whispered in her ear, “I would give up everything for.” He wrapped his arms around her waist.
She leaned back against him and closed her eyes. “Me too.”
They were both silent for a while, just enjoying each other’s company.
“Lux-Dorcha Echelon,” Bram admitted.
“What?” Chloe asked.
“The reigning fae. Royals are called Lux-Dorcha Echelon,” Bram stated.
“Well, there’s no way I’m calling you Your Majesty, now,” she teased.
“Ha! Nevah,” he teased back. “It’d be Your Highness, actually anyway.”
“Ha! Not going to happen,” she proclaimed.
Bram’s chest started to heave with laughter from behind Chloe.
“It wasn’t that funny. What’s got you so giggly?” she asked.
“A bit of iron-y, maybe?” He chuckled again.
“Huh?” Chloe squeezed her eyebrows together, trying to decipher his humor.
“A big old faerie...” he started, prompting her to finish his sentence.
Chloe rolled her eyes and laughed. “On a big old iron ferry. Oh, ha! Now that, is funny. Does that make this a Royal Caribbean Cruise Liner, then?” she teased.
“Ha, ha, if only,” he responded. “I hear the Caribbean is lovely this time of year. How ‘bout it? How does hiding out on a beach sipping on coladas sound?”
Chloe was quiet, looking out at Mt. Rainier. She shook her head.
“What?” Bram asked. “Oh, come on; you know I was just kidding. What is it?”
“I just can’t believe it’s still there.” Chloe gestured towards the sleeping, snowcapped giant. “I thought for sure they would have caused it to erupt like they did so many of the others.”
Bram let out a heavy sigh but didn’t say anything.
“Oh, no you don’t. Spill it, Tice,” she demanded.
“That’s probably on me.”
Chloe looked at him intently.
“Avery and the others were onto Hadley. They must have known I was somewhere close.” Bram paused. “When Hadley’s building crashed down around us, and I protected you, it would have only confirmed their suspicions.”
Chloe furrowed her brow in confusion.
“Using that much power, that type of power, calls to them.” He scoffed. “Mt. Rainier is still standing only because Avery wanted it that way. She rarely does her own dirty work and wouldn’t dare be seen hunting for me in a storm of filthy soot.”
“Wow. I never thought I’d be so glad that the evil princess is so vain.”
“That she is.”
Chloe looked longingly at the mountain. The unknown fate of her parents lingered in the silence between them.
“No one would blame you for forgetting all of this. Just dropping this crusade and finding your folks.”
Chloe turned completely around and faced him, searching his eyes.
“I go where you go,” Bram stated, gripping the ship’s railing on either side of her. His breath warmed her skin against the brisk sea air. “Wherever that may lead, it’s you I follow.”
“Not them?” She questioned his loyalty, worried he might realign with the royals he’d known, possibly, for centuries. Who was she to Bram, but a fleeting memory in so long a lifetime?
“Never them.” Bram twirled some of her damp blonde hair between his fingers. “Never,” he stated without the slightest hesitation.
Chloe nodded but turned back around. She wanted to trust him, to have no doubts,
and for the moment, that had to be enough. Looking out over the water, she confessed, “I can’t help but think about it, getting my parents. But acting on it?” Chloe picked at some of the paint chipping off the iron rail. “No. I can’t worry about dragging them into all of this. And if there’s a battle coming, they’re safer right where they are. Besides, school is outrageously expensive,” she added jokingly. “If they knew I had the chance to fix any of this, they would be super pissed if I didn’t.”
“You’ll see your parents again, Chloe. Whatever it takes, we will get to them.”
“I know we will.” Chloe tried to convince herself. She peeled a flake of paint from the rail and twisted it in her hand. The size and jagged shape of it reminded her of the scabs as they combusted and turned to smoldering cinders. She crumpled the piece of dried paint between her fingers and threw into the water. “But first, we have a world to save. So, let’s go get that royal Echelon bitch.”
Chloe woke as the ship started moving faster. Finally out of the main channel, the ship had been able to pick up speed with minimal chance of detection. No longer protected by her glamour, the cold breeze swirling around the deck chilled her skin. Bram had insisted she get some sleep, reassuring her that he didn’t need rest since regenerating for so long. Chloe had relented but didn’t go far, which had brought a warm smile to Bram’s face. She had snuggled into a bench on the deck and fallen fast asleep. Besides the time she had collapsed in his lap from exhaustion, Chloe couldn’t remember the last time she had actually slept. It appeared Bram didn’t want to be too far from her side either. He still stood at the bow of the ship, within view.
Aqua-colored light radiated up out of the water at the tip of the bow. Chloe walked over and rejoined Bram, who still stood watch. She looked down into the water and gasped. Tiny bright-blue bioluminescent creatures were bow riding the waves, inches in front of the ship’s hull, just like a pod of dolphins were known to do. Water sprites! Chloe thought. They were magnificent. Jumping and spinning up out of the water, they were as graceful as tiny jellyfish with the speed of hummingbirds. It was such a fanciful and whimsical sight after the horrors observed on Seattle’s streets.