Of Sea and Song

by Chanda Hahn

  Brennon’s scowl deepened, and he turned without answer. He went to the wall and ran his hands along the crevice until his burly fingers found an indentation. He pressed a certain stone, and the door slid open, revealing an empty alley. Vasili and I passed through, and Brennon closed the door behind us.

  “What is with the secret door? Why don’t you go out the front?” I asked.

  “Because there're hundreds of women who stalk him.” Vasili wiggled his eyebrows. “Some well-wishers, others who want to throw themselves at his feet, offering their love, their hearts, and their bodies.”

  My mouth dropped open. “Really?”

  Brennon let out a snort. “No, he’s exaggerating. There are not hundreds. Usually a dozen at most.”

  My mouth snapped close. I realized he was teasing me.

  Brennon had dressed down out of his royal robes and was in clothes similar to what I had seen while on the ship—white sleeveless tunic, brown pants tucked into black boots.

  Brennon was nervous as we walked side by side through the market, being a gentleman. He pointed out all the various treasure troves of goods that were only available in the kingdom of Isla.

  “This is the only place in the world where you can find starfruit. When cut, it resembles a star, and we turn it into candy, which is a favorite among the children of our kingdom.”

  “And yours,” Vasili added. “It was your favorite treat growing up. If I recall.”

  Brennon bought a handful and popped one in his mouth. “Still is.”

  He handed me the yellow candied starfruit, and I chewed it slowly, savoring the slightly sour flavor of the rind and the added sugar coating.

  “What do you think?” Brennon asked.

  “I think it may be my favorite candy too,” I added. “Although, I have had little candy in my life.”

  “Really?” Brennon exclaimed.

  I shrugged. “Nihill isn’t a place that sold those kinds of extravagant treats. The only candy we ever received was when Lorn would bring us a bag when he came and stayed with us during the summer months.”

  “Who’s Lorn?” Brennon asked. I sensed his inner jealousy rising.

  “He was our teacher. When we came of age, he would test us and give us our area of study. My sister Rosalie is a death seeker. She can dream of someone’s death before it happens. Maeve is an Animagus. She can shape into animals, but the easiest for her are predatory birds. Eden has the gift of glamour.”

  “And you?” Brennon asked, stopping in front of a table full of necklaces. He fingered a beautiful glass shell and without looking up, he added, “What is your gift? Besides putting hapless ship captains under your spell and annoying people.”

  My cheeks felt warm. “Um, well, that’s what is odd. Most of my sisters can tap into magic by using words or incantations. I struggled with them. I found it easiest when I….” I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.

  “Yes?” Vasili leaned forward, placing his elbow on the table in front of us. Both men looked at me expectantly, and I became nervous. Even though they both experienced what I can do firsthand, I couldn’t say it out loud.

  “Never mind,” I answered. When they tried to press for more, I became silent. When Brennon couldn’t get any more out of me, he dropped the subject. We soon became lost in the market and dress shops.

  “Buy an arm cuff, my lady.” A fairy flew in front of us. She was one of the larger fairies I had seen, her slim body held aloft in the air by blue-and-purple wings that looked too small to keep her body afloat.

  When she had gotten our attention, she flew back over to the table of arm cuffs manned by a brownie. His short, stocky form sat on a tall stool that put him eye-level with me. Dark, beady eyes peered at me over a long nose. Shoddy overalls covered his thin limbs. He didn’t speak but nodded gruffly to the table of beautiful arm cuffs.

  Not wanting to be rude, I stopped to peruse the matching sets of cuffs. Most had a trident motif or circular patterns. Many were inlaid with expensive jewels, but those weren’t the ones that caught my eye. I instantly fell in love with the double swirl pattern that reminded me of the whirlpools to the Undersea. It wrapped around the arm twice and had the matching pattern on the bottom, both inlaid with aquamarine stones.

  I carefully perused with my eyes, because I lacked money.

  Vasili whispered into my ear, “Would you like one?”

  “I do, but I can’t afford any of them. I lost all my money weeks ago at the inn.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’ll buy one for you. Just pick the one you want.” Vasili reached for his money pouch.

  I couldn’t hide the excitement. It was my first genuine gift not bought by a sibling. My eyes went back to the cuff with the matching swirls.

  Before I could point to the cuff I wanted, Brennon snagged it and its larger counterpart off the table. He dumped a handful of gold coins in the brownie’s lap, who sputtered at the gross overpayment. The cuffs disappeared into Brennon’s satchel, and he gave me a blank look.

  My joy left. The other cuffs were beautiful, but none spoke to me the way the other one did. It was as if it was meant for me, and now it was gone, and Brennon didn’t even care.

  “Oh, uh…” It seemed a waste to buy a cuff now. “On second thought, maybe you could get me something else.” I tried to keep my voice light, but I was feeling disappointed.

  “As you wish,” Vasili said. He noticed my sudden mood change and the reason. He glared at Brennon, who already moved on to the next stall filled with books.

  Well, that would make me feel better. I edged up next to Brennon and was looking at the colorful leather-bound books, when I felt a prickle of warning along my back. I glanced over my shoulder and saw nothing, just a group of women who stopped at the same cuff booth I did, a faun and an Islayan woman passing by, and someone pulling a cart.

  Maybe it was just me being paranoid. I tried to go back to enjoying the day with Vasili and Brennon, who seemed to be constantly challenging each other and bickering like brothers. Each street we traveled, I had the distinct feeling I was being watched.

  “We need to stop at Mosca’s.” Vasili pulled on my elbow, and without telling Brennon, we parted ways. “You haven’t lived until you’ve tried Mosca’s treats.”

  “What is it?” I asked, craning my neck to see if I could figure out who was tailing us and if they were following me or Brennon. Someone in a cloak passed the street and turned the opposite way.

  I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding.

  “It’s candy snow.”

  “But it’s a tropical island?” I held up my hands, signifying the warm breeze.

  Vasili grinned, showing off his pointed canines. At first, when I saw them, they made me uncomfortable. He knew that and was very careful to hide his smile. Whenever I spotted them now, it was a rare treat for me, because I knew he was truly happy.

  “Just let me show you.” Vasili was like a kid, running in front of me and making an enormous deal out of a woman covered head-to-toe in fur and gloves over her hands. Even in the intense heat, her nose and cheeks were red as if she was close to frostbite.

  “Mosca, I presume.” I eyed the woman who stood over a pail of fresh water. She dipped her finger in the water and swirled it around, and it instantly froze. She then chiseled out a section of ice, ran it through a grater and into a cup. She poured candy flavoring on top and added sugar candies in the shape of seahorses.

  Mosca saw Vasili, and her chubby face lit up. “Hey, Vas, the usual?”

  “Yes, please.” He waited eagerly next to the tub as she ground up the ice, and instead of adding the sugar candy to it, she reached below that counter, pulled out a glass jar, and uncorked it. A whiff of fish hit me hard, and I had to cover my mouth. She slathered the ice with it and then added a sardine to the dish, handing it to Vasili.

  “Mmm, my favorite.” He took a bite, and his eyes rolled back in pleasure. He shoved the fish-smelling ice under my nose, and I wanted to gag.


  “No, thank you. I’ll just take a red one.” I pointed to the safe colored candy ice the child next to me had, his lips and cheeks painted red from the dish.

  “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

  “Uh, I think I do.”

  Mosca handed me my ice, and it almost slipped from my hand when I caught a familiar face staring at me from across the way.

  His hook nose and mangled ear were hard to miss. A group of soldiers passing by hid him from my sight, and when I looked again, Fang was gone.

  “What’s the matter?” Vasili asked.

  “What happened to Fang and Thorn when we landed?” I questioned.

  “They’re imprisoned at the wharfs, awaiting their trial. Sea crimes are tried by a maritime court.” He licked up the last dregs of his ice then tilted the cup back and slurped up the fish-based sauce.

  “Are you sure?” I asked. The uncomfortable presence was back. I was definitely being watched, and now I knew who it was.

  “Of course, he had them delivered to the guards to await their trial for crimes at sea.” He finished his treat and ate the hard cake dish it was served in.

  I looked over my shoulder. Maybe I’d been mistaken. Maybe it wasn’t Fang.

  The ice candy suddenly didn’t seem all that appetizing, and I felt worried as the feeling of being followed intensified.

  “Vasili, I think we should leave.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Someone is following us.” I was anxious and feeling exposed. I didn’t know why, but something was wrong.

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded.

  Vasili sensed my mood and looked around. A worried expression came over him, and he nodded. He grabbed my hand, and we hurried through the streets at almost a run. We zig-zagged, double backed, and even hid in an alcove, not even sure what we were running from. But I saw Vasili’s eyes glint with excitement as he thought this was another game.

  The second time traveling through the city and taking the back streets, I noticed a different side to Isla. It wasn’t as vibrant and fruitful as I originally thought. I had only been on the major thoroughfare. Now, I saw fountains that were no longer flowing with water. They had dried up and were filled instead with refuse.

  As we ran, I finally heard it. Heavy footsteps following us. There was no mistaking we were being chased or hunted. A stitch in my side slowed me down.

  One second, we were in town, with sandstone buildings and colorful roofs and shutters, and the next, we were in the dense forest and running and branches snagged my hair.

  “Vasili, where are we going?” I cried out.

  Vasili came to an abrupt stop. He flung his arm out to catch me as I almost went over the cliff.

  “This is wrong.” He leaned over and looked at the cliff and the rushing river below. He pointed across the vastness to the remains of a rope bridge that had been severed and lay useless on the other cliff.

  The crashing and footsteps slowed, and we turned. Vasili bravely stood in front of me as Fang and Thorn stepped out to address me.

  “What do you want?” I asked from behind Vasili’s back.

  Thorn unwound his whip and flicked it, sending a spray of dirt our way.

  “Revenge, for one,” Fang answered. He pulled his cutlass from his belt and tested the edge of the blade against his finger. “But it seems we aren’t the only ones looking for you.” He beckoned to the woods behind him. “Told you I recognized her from the wanted poster in the prison.”

  Three more shadows came into the light, and I froze. My hand reached for Vasili’s arm.

  The Brunes Guild.

  “Very good, Fang. I knew posting your bail was a magnificent idea. Never have we had such issues tracking someone,” the tattooed leader spoke up. “Something keeps hiding her from us.”

  My mouth went dry with fear. It must be all the mists from the waterfalls from within the palace grounds that hid my presence. But now that I was in the open again, they could track me.

  “Give her to us,” the leader called out.

  My heart plummeted. Five against two. There was no way Vasili could take them alone. My hands trembled as I knew what I needed to do. I stepped from behind Vasili and moved toward Fang.

  “Always knew you were trouble.” Fang held his cutlass out at me. His lip curled, and he warned, “Leave her be, Vas. We have no beef with you. Just the girl. Go, and we will let you live.”

  “Now, Fang, as appealing as that offer sounds—living and all—death seems way more exciting.” Vasili smiled, his hands reaching for the two short swords holstered on his back.

  I dropped my hands to the side, lifted my chin, and was about to open my mouth to sing, when a blur dashed out of the woods. Steel clashed against steel.

  Brennon appeared out of nowhere. He rushed forward and met Fang’s sword with his own. He quickly overpowered Fang and began an offensive attack, an overhead strike, followed by an underhanded punch to Fang’s gut. The older man crippled over in pain.

  “Aaah!” Thorn cried out, coming to Fang’s rescue. He released his whip, and it wrapped around Brennon’s sword arm. With a yank, it went flying out of his grasp to clatter in the dirt.

  Brennon, head lowered, raced forward and tackled Thorn to the ground. Brennon was bigger, stronger, and quickly gained the upper hand. With a single punch to the jaw, he knocked Thorn out. He raced to his feet and placed himself in front of me.

  The Brunes Guild was not as easily intimidated. Their leader looked on with interest, while their assassin selected a weapon from his bandolier. He shuffled his knife from hand to hand.

  “Vas!” Brennon cried out, reaching for his own sheathed knife. “What are you doing, taking bets? Get her out of here.”

  “Fast way or slow?” Vasili asked, his voice lighthearted despite our circumstances.

  Brennon gave a quick glance over his shoulder to take in our surroundings. His face became grim. “Fast. And if something happens to me, promise you’ll take care of her.”

  Vasili nodded.

  Fast? Slow? I didn’t understand Vasili’s question, but I wasn’t going to leave Brennon.

  Vasili grabbed me around the waist and lifted me into the air.

  “No!” I screamed, trying to fight him. I had to help Brennon.

  Vasili spun us around and jumped off the cliff. The wind tore at my hair; I kicked my legs and screamed as we took the fast way down the cliff.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Cold enveloped me as I crashed into the rushing river below. Vasili and I separated during our freefall, and now I was bobbing and turning in the water. The rapids were tossing me about like a toy. I didn’t know which way was up. I gasped. Water crashed over my head as I fought to stay above the torrents. It wasn’t slowing down but going faster as a soft roar filled the air, and I realized I was about to be swept over the largest of the three waterfalls.

  I fought to swim against the current, swimming at an angle. It was no use. I was quickly running out of steam. I opened my mouth to sing, but water rushed in, choking me. The rapids pulled at me, and I closed my eyes and knew this was it.

  A rocket of flesh hit me in the side. Arms wrapped around me in a cocoon as we tumbled over the falls. I became weightless, lost in a white cloudy mist, the roar of the falls dulled to a soft hum. And I wondered if this is what death felt like.

  Then my vision cleared, sounds came back like a crash of thunder, and we hit the rocks at the bottom.

  My mouth was dry, my eyes crusted with sand, and my body felt broken and disjointed as I tried to lift my head. The rust-colored sky swam above me as I rolled to my side and blinked. I could see Vasili sprawled out next to me, his back covered in dark bruises. He grabbed me as we went over the falls and positioned himself to take the brunt of the impact as we hit the rocks. He protected me.

  “Vas,” I croaked out, kneeling by his battered body.

  Blood dripped from his mouth, and he was struggling to breathe. His lungs rattled, and his ey
es were as big as moons.

  “You stupid fool!” I cried out as I gently shook him. “Risking your life for me.”

  His lips opened to make a sly retort, I’d bet, but he coughed, and more blood came out. He was dying, and I was losing him.

  I couldn’t let it happen. I wouldn’t let it happen. I gathered him close to my body, his head pressed against my heart, and I sang.

  First, the soft, wordless lullaby of my childhood I used to sing to comfort my younger sisters, and then I formed the notes of healing. My magic was a blend envisioning the sigils and singing them into existence, and I focused on the word healing. Healing was not my strength and was almost impossible, but I wouldn’t let that stop me.

  Nothing was happening, and I could feel Vasili’s life slipping away. I sang harder, poured my soul into my words as they echoed into the sky. The sea became violent as my sorrow and doubt built. My arm burned as the curse siphoned my powers from me even as I used them to heal. I felt his lungs rebuild and repair; the bones of his ribcage reknit.

  I wasn’t fast enough. Even as his body healed, his soul slipped away.

  His last breath rattled in his body as he went limp in my arms. It wasn’t fair that even now the sea witch was stealing from me. He sacrificed himself for me.

  “No!” I screamed and let my anger fuel my power and not my voice. I grabbed onto the essence of Vasili’s soul, used my magic, and sang.

  Come to me. Obey.

  I flung his soul back into his body.

  Vasili’s eyes opened and he gasped. He sat straight up, his hand over his heart as if he was in pain. He blinked in confusion and looked around at his surroundings, the rocky beach and the waterfall that was twenty yards behind us.

  “What was that?” he murmured, wincing in pain.

  “Are you okay?” I asked fearfully. Maybe I hurt him more instead of healing him?

  “I think so.” He closed his eyes and drew his face toward the sky. “I was dead. Or at least I think I was, then—” He blinked at me. “—you pulled me back. It’s impossible.”

  “No,” I quickly denied what I had done, knowing I overstepped my bounds. “I only healed you. You came back on your own.”