by Ashley Nixon
“Help her get settled, Larkin,” Barren said.
They exchanged looks, and she knew he wanted to ask how long she’d planned on keeping this from him. Larkin took Sara’s arm and guided her back to the hatch, bringing the water canteen with her. They returned to her apartment below deck.
“You can sleep on the bed,” she said, reaching under the bunk and pulling out blankets to tie to the rafters. She’d make herself a hammock. It was better than the hard floor.
“I thought you were at the ball,” Sara said at last. “I remembered seeing your eyes and thinking they were familiar.”
Larkin paused. “Strange that you remember them.”
“Well, they aren’t exactly normal,” she responded, and then her eyes grew wide. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s perfectly fine,” Larkin said and sighed. “It’s never been a secret that I am half-Elf.”
There was silence between them, a reminder that they were really just acquaintances and this was still strange.
“Is it not true that Barren killed your fiancé?” Sara asked at last. Larkin froze and turned to face the girl.
“I-I’m…” she was going to apologize again when Larkin cut her off.
“Barren did not kill William. I did,” she said.
It was odd, admitting her sin aloud. It had been committed to save Barren and spoken of now to save him from more damnation. Sara seemed stunned.
“The sea is both beautiful and vicious,” Larkin advised. “It will use you to its own gain, and it will change you.”
Larkin felt the truth of those words more and more every day.
Sara did not sleep that night. Larkin only knew this because she didn’t sleep either. Each time she would drift off, Sara would interrupt her slumber with another question.
“How long have you known that Cove sailed with Barren?”
“About three months.”
“Only three months? How long has he known Barren?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe you should ask Cove.”
Silence.
“Has he ever…hurt anyone?”
“That is not a question I will answer.”
There was a lot of apprehension in her questions and Larkin couldn’t blame her. There was no way to unlearn this. What she discovered about Cove was final, and it would shape the way she saw him from this point forward. She was sure Cove had feared the same thing. They would have to work through the same problems she and Barren were still dealing with.
She must have fallen asleep in the midst of Sara’s questions because she woke with a start to a loud gunshot and fell out of her hammock to the hard floor. She rose to her feet quickly, reaching for her knife and running outside her apartment, only to find Sara holding a pistol.
“I’m sorry!” she said immediately.
“What are you doing?” Larkin demanded. She stormed toward her and wrenched the pistol from her. “You could kill someone!”
“What’s goin’ on down here?” Seamus appeared at the end of the steps followed by Cove and Barren. Larkin hid the pistol.
“Nothing,” Larkin said, glaring at Sara. “We’re fine.”
“Sounded like a gunshot,” said Seamus. Larkin glared at him too.
“It’s nothing.”
Barren and Cove exchanged a look.
“Sara, give Larkin and me a moment,” said Barren. Sara looked between the two and then slowly stepped toward Cove. He allowed her to move up the stairs first, and then he and Seamus followed.
Barren reached behind Larkin’s back for the pistol. “You said you would watch her. How’d she get the gun?”
“If she’d shut up for one second last night, this wouldn’t have happened,” Larkin snapped. “You try answering all her questions!”
He actually looked sympathetic for a moment. “Look, it’s going to take all of us watching her. She’s not like you.”
“Teach her to fight,” Larkin said.
“Teach Sara to fight?” Barren laughed at the idea. “Have you seen her?”
“She’s small and she’s probably never held a weapon until today, but you have to treat her like she’s strong or she’ll never be.”
Barren looked at her for a moment. He ran his fingers over his mouth and then nodded. “Okay. We’ll teach her.”
They smiled at each other and suddenly it felt like things were right between them.
***
The crew stood in a circle around the deck. Most had wandered from their work to watch the training that was about to take place. Barren should have sent them back to work. It would be hard enough for Sara to train without so many eyes on her, but Cove had drawn their attention when he’d protested the idea of Sara’s learning to fight. He’d finally conceded when Barren and Larkin had argued about how much better off she’d be if she could at least block an attack.
“Cove cannot be distracted trying to make sure you don’t die,” said Barren. “And we don’t want everyone else distracted trying to protect you. You need to learn how to defend yourself, even if it’s just the basics of swordplay.”
“You want me to learn to use a sword?” she asked.
Barren shrugged. “Or a knife, or anything that will keep you safer than your tiny hands.”
Sara looked down at her hands. They were pale, soft, and manicured. They rarely touched anything dangerous or unpleasant.
“Larkin,” Barren called. “Let her use your sword.”
Larkin stepped forward, pulling the blade from her sheath. The green gem glistened under the sunlight. It was the gift Barren had given her in Silver Crest, a symbol of trust.
As Sara took the hilt, the tip immediately dropped to the floor. She lifted the blade, her cheeks dusted with a fine blush.
Cove stepped forward. “Plant your feet,” he said.
Sara tried to mimic him, but her dress got in the way. He showed her how to hold the sword and a couple of defensive moves, and then they tried them.
“Too slow,” Cove commented. “Again.”
It was evident Sara was surprised by Cove’s shortness. They tried the moves again. Sara struggled with the blade, but she tried hard. For someone who had never held a sword, she moved instinctively to defend. Cove hit her blade too hard, and it clattered to the ground. He stepped back.
“Again,” Cove said. She glared at him as she bent to pick up the blade. She held it tightly in both hands, her pale fingers turned pink.
Cove charged, and Sara swung her blade with all her strength. The shaft of the sword slid down Cove’s blade fast and hit his fingers. The ambassador dropped his sword, and blood immediately dropped to the deck. Sara dropped the weapon as if it burned her and moved toward Cove, but he stepped away, hiding his injured fingers from her.
“You’ve done enough,” he said.
She halted, snapping her mouth shut.
“Can I suggest a change in weapon?” Leaf asked.
Cove looked at the Elf as he grabbed his bow and an arrow. “Try this, Miss Rosamund,” he handed her the bow. “It’s simple, really. String the bow taunt, aim, release.”
Sara took the arrow and bow. She fitted it easily and aimed with Leaf’s guidance. “We’ll aim for the center of that mast,” he said.
She released the arrow with a pluck of the string and it lodged in the wood of the mast with a split. It wasn’t centered, but it was a hit.
“Not bad!” Leaf proclaimed. “Looks like we found your weapon. You just have to practice.” She tried to hand it back, but the Elf refused to take it. “Hold onto that. All these people are afraid your pretty little head will roll.”
For a moment Sara looked bewildered, and then Leaf winked at her and she managed a smile. As the Elf moved back to his post, Cove stopped him.
“How did you know she’d be better with a bow?”
“Well, her hands are steady, but she’s small and a sword is heavy,” the Elf replied. “People are as strong as you let them be, Ambassador.”
“Ship!” Slay called. “Eastwar
d!”
Everyone paused and stared. It was closer than Barren expected which meant Slay had been watching the commotion on deck, not the horizon.
“They are holding a white flag,” said Leaf, and he paused. “It is Edward.”
“He’s not wanting a truce,” said Barren. “If anything, he wants to take me up on that challenge.”
Barren turned and immediately found Larkin. He knew that look in her eyes meant she wanted to fight Edward. He moved toward her, and her gaze snapped to his, darkening. She knew exactly what he was about to do.
“You and Sara, in the hatch. Now.”
She took a step back. “No,” she said. “This is my challenge!”
Barren reached for her. “This isn’t a game. Besides, you need to watch Sara. You said you would. She’s never been in a battle. She needs to know when and where to hide. Can’t you do that?”
Her response was to glare, but she could glare all she wanted as far as Barren was concerned. It would be too hard to ensure that both women were safe during this engagement. He held onto her arm as he made his way to the hatch. Sara followed close behind them. Barren cut through the hatch, searching for a reasonable place for them to stay.
“What about Aethea?” Larkin asked.
“I’ll take care of her,” he said, turning to Larkin. He clasped her shoulders. “Do this for me. If anything happens to her, Cove will never forgive us.”
Sara sat down on the floor, and Barren guided Larkin to sit as well. He kept his eyes on her a moment longer, hoping that it was enough of a plea—and a warning—to make her stay. There was something about Larkin. It was like she was a magnet for danger. She couldn’t stand it if she couldn’t see it and immerse herself in the thick of it.
He left them then and hurried to the brig where Aethea was kept. The assassin stared at Barren as he approached.
“Having a little trouble?” she asked, tilting her head.
“I’ve not come to entertain you,” he said. “We’re about to engage in a fight, and as bad as I hate to, I need to keep you alive.”
She smirked. “You’re all charm, aren’t you?”
He didn’t say anything as he unlocked the door to the cell. He unlatched her arms from the wall. Just as he expected, she tried to reach for one of the blades at his hip, but his was already drawn and pressed to her neck. “Drop it.”
She laughed a little, and then dropped the blade. “You’re better than I thought.”
“And you’re not as smart as I thought.”
He proceeded to chain her wrists together.
“If any cannon fire comes through these walls, lay on your stomach, and cover your head.”
“You’re going to leave me here, in this small box with nowhere to run?”
“You can run around in this box if you feel the need,” he said. “But I’d advise you to stay as still as you can.”
Then he left. Before he made his way to the deck, he watched Larkin and Sara from the shadows. They sat against the wall. Sara’s legs were drawn up, and she stared forward, but it was as if she wasn’t really seeing anything. Barren had a feeling that despite her innocent and sweet disposition, she dealt with fear in a quiet and brave way. Larkin, on the other hand, was tense. Her hand was on the knife she had drawn, her back straight. She had opened her senses to everything. She was ready to fight.
If there was ever a woman born in the wrong world, it was Larkin Lee.
***
Larkin hated the calm before the storm, especially now that she could only imagine what was going on above deck. When it began, it was sudden. The clash of blades rang out, and the ship groaned as if extra weight were coming upon it all at once. Beside her Sara sat staring forward, silent. Larkin was surprised by how calm the girl was.
“Will they kill us?” she asked. Larkin looked at her, but the girl was still staring forward, her wide-eyed gaze unseeing.
“They might kill me.”
She blinked and then looked at Larkin. “Will they kill Cove?”
It was strange to watch these two. They’d been friends for a long time, and though there were secrets between them and anger divided them, their love for each other was unending. Larkin’s heart hurt a little more.
“No,” she said. “They won’t kill Cove.”
She said it because she truly believed it. Though their deaths were an everyday possibility, Larkin really couldn’t imagine any of them dying. She didn’t want to. It was better to think that the people she sailed with were invincible. Maybe that’s why Barren pretended to be.
But Larkin had never witnessed pirates fighting pirates. She wasn’t sure how skilled Edward was. What she did know was that Cove had broken his wrist easily, and it wouldn’t yet be healed.
She heard commands and gunfire. She shuddered. How was she supposed to sit here while everyone else was fighting for their lives? She wanted to help, needed to help. After all, she was the one Edward was angry with. He’d threatened her.
“Stay here,” Larkin told Sara, standing. “If shots are fired, lay flat and cover your head. I can’t sit here and not know what’s happening.”
“But Barren told you to stay.”
“Just because he tells me to stay doesn’t mean I have to do it,” she said. Larkin took a step away, and then turned around, offering her knife.
“If you have to use it, don’t hesitate,” she said. Sara reached forward and took the blade. It looked so strange in her small hands, and Larkin hoped giving it to her was a good idea.
She turned around, lifting her long sword in the other hand. She moved up the steps carefully but was surprised when the hatch flew open and a man rushed down the stairs. She didn’t recognize him, and he immediately engaged her, his blade dark. She blocked the blow with her sword.
“You’re the one he’s lookin’ for,” said the man. “The wench from Maris.”
Larkin drew back, taking one step down. This was not the ideal place to fight. The man had the advantage, being taller and standing higher than she was.
“Better not fight too hard,” he said, taking a step down. “This will already be bad for you. You don’t want to make it worse.”
“I’m not sure why men always think they can take me,” she said. The man swung at her, and she ducked, moving her blade across his legs in a hard swing. He screamed, and fell from the steps. The fall would hardly kill him, but he wouldn’t be able to walk. As she emerged from the hatch, she was immediately engaged by a pirate with a nasty gash across his forehead. And as she fought him, she realized she was not used to this. This pirate fought dirty. He used his body, hit and kicked. It was unfair, it was brutal, and she found herself tiring quickly.
She heard him before she saw him. Barren plowed toward her, cutting down the man who was fighting her. She was shocked by how easy he’d done it, and then she suddenly understood something about Barren. He had a switch—he could fight fairly, and he could fight brutally. He turned on her fast, pulling her toward him. She wanted to tear herself away, not because she was afraid of what he was going to say, but because he was angry. His eyes were ablaze, blood spattered his face, and sweat beaded off his skin.
“What did I say?” he snarled.
And then it happened. The ship rocked as cannon fire released from the opposing ship. Barren crashed into Larkin, sending her to the deck of the ship. She ignored the pain in her back and head and pushed against Barren to free herself. She crawled to the hatch. She imagined all the possible scenarios she would see once she was there. If anything happened to Sara...well, no one would forgive her. She’d abandoned her post.
As she came down the steps and hurried to the back of the ship, she saw the damage. A gaping hole split the hull of the ship, debris was scattered everywhere, and one of the beams had fallen in exactly the place Sara had sat. She was nowhere to be found.
“Sara!” Larkin called. She dove into the debris, tossing aside pieces of wood and metal, thinking it would be a miracle to find her charge unscathed. She g
rabbed at pieces of splintered wood, feeling it cut her skin, but she didn’t care. The faster she moved, the sooner Sara would be safe. As she pushed a barrel out of the way, she could see the end of Sara’s dress.
“Sara!” she breathed, relieved, but as she went to reach for more debris, she found herself being ripped away from where she stood. She screamed and then landed on the hard ground, her blade out of reach. She faced Edward and other members of his crew she recognized from Sanctuary. They had entered the ship from the blast site. He stood over her, smiling, his arm hanging from a sling at his neck. She knew if she hit him there, she would beat him, but what about the others? They weren’t injured and their weapons were ready.
“Too bad we don’t have more time. I’d like to teach you more than one lesson.”
He lifted his blade, took a step forward, only to find an arrow in his hand. He screamed and the blade clattered to the ground.
“You’re really pushing it,” said Barren. “One more mistake and you won’t have hands at all.”
Edward turned and glared, breathing heavily through his teeth. He was unsure of what to do with his injured hand. He couldn’t pull the arrow out or even break it because his other hand was broken. “What are you going to do? Kill me? That’s against the code.”
“You challenged me,” said Barren. “You were to fight only me, instead you chose to attack my crew. Now you are an enemy.”
“And what have you become? Choosing her over your brothers?”
“I didn’t have to choose her over anyone. She chose me. Now you can either return to your ship and leave or…”
“Or what?” He spat. “Will you kill all of us? Get rid of your problems just like that, huh?”
“Or I’ll take your hand,” said Barren. “If you choose the former, Leaf will remove the arrow from your hand and heal it. He might even help you set that nasty break to your wrist. I’m sure it has been causing you some pain.”
Edward looked down at his hand and the expression on his face said everything. “Fall back,” he ordered his men, snarling. His crew seemed confused, and it took them a moment to drop their weapons. From their perspective, their captain had turned coward.