Wielder's Prize

by Elle Cardy

  Finn paled. “Kahld didn’t orchestrate the attack on the Seahawk for gold. He’s after Marcelo.”

  “You think he’ll try to use you to get to your trainer?”

  Finn nodded.

  “You still want to run away?”

  “More than anything.”

  Chapter 18

  Jasmine crouched behind the door inside First Mate Durne’s quarters. She’d been there only once before. The room was cramped, big enough to house a single berth and a cherry wood desk and little else. A square port let in diffused light, but the sea couldn’t be seen through the frosted glass panes.

  It was hard to know if she was doing the right thing. She was desperate. She needed help, and Finn seemed against every suggestion she made.

  The door opened. She held her breath as the stocky man walked in and sighed. He’d just come off his shift and so he would be weary. He closed the door behind him without looking. He went to his desk and poured himself a short nip of rum, his back to her. She watched him knock his drink back in one swig and pour himself another.

  “Are you going to explain your reasons for this intrusion, or are you going to stand there in silence and watch me get drunk?”

  Jasmine cursed her unreliable power to remain hidden. She had planned to reveal herself after he had settled. He didn’t turn to look at her, but downed his second glass of rum.

  He muttered something to himself, then went to his seat behind the desk and fell into it. He sighed again and looked up at Jasmine. He didn’t seem to be in a rush to reveal her presence to the captain. That, at least, was a good sign.

  She took a tentative step forward and said, “I didn’t steal the captain’s diamond.”

  Durne grunted. His dark eyes were lost in shadow behind his bushy brows and windswept hair. “Then what did you steal, boy?”

  She gave him a blank look.

  “What did you do that the captain wants you found so badly?”

  Jasmine swore to herself. She hadn’t thought this through. She hadn’t thought up a story to explain herself. She had no evidence against the captain. She had nothing.

  “I—,” she began, uncertain she could trust the first mate. Her conviction wavered. She backed toward the door to escape.

  Durne growled at her. “Finish what you began, boy, or you’ll never stop running.” He reached for a second glass and poured a small portion of rum. He pushed it across the table to her. The amber liquid sloshed in the glass. She had no desire for the hard liquor. Durne’s relaxed demeanor was enough to steady her nerves.

  She cracked her knuckles, an action she’d picked up from Cook. “What would happen if a captain of a ship hired men to kidnap his own crew and imprison them on another ship?”

  Rather than knocking his rum back as he’d done with his first two shots, he sipped and let it sit on his tongue before he swallowed. “And why would a captain do such a thing?”

  “So he could fight to get his men back. So he could take the spoils from the rich merchant ship of his choice. So he wouldn’t be labeled a pirate.”

  “That’s an interesting tale you’re telling, boy. If a captain were caught committing such a crime, he could get himself hanged for his troubles. If there was evidence to be had.”

  Jasmine grimaced.

  Durne nodded. “Without evidence, the one who would accuse a captain of such a crime could himself be accused of mutiny. That too is a hanging offence.”

  Jasmine’s heart beat faster. It felt like a caged bird flapping in desperation to get out. She calmed herself and pressed on. “What if the men he hired were pretending to be prisoners of the ship? Would that be considered evidence?”

  Durne sipped at his rum. He didn’t answer for some time. “That would be one man’s word against another.”

  Jasmine swore a hearty curse.

  “Watch your mouth, boy. You’re speaking to an officer of this ship.”

  No one had ever told her to watch her tongue, except Cook. Cursing was the language of the sea. It came as freely as breath. Although she’d heard the first mate curse plenty, she chose not to argue.

  She turned her mind back to her problem. As a cabin boy, she had no authority on the Wielder’s Prize. To make things worse, she was hunted for theft. Her word was worth nothing. Roberts and the others would simply deny working for the captain.

  Then a spark of an idea came to her. If she were supposedly the captain’s daughter then, according to Finn, she had her father’s powers. She couldn’t lie to the captain so maybe the “prisoners” wouldn’t be able to lie to her.

  “What if,” she said, “these men were to speak against this captain?”

  “Aye, that would be considered evidence. If they weren’t killed trying to escape.”

  “What?”

  Durne put his empty glass down. “You’ve been in hiding for some time now, Midge. It seems you’re unaware of some nasty business that recently transpired.”

  “Trans-what?”

  Durne grunted. “Happened.” He glanced at his empty glass and seemed to consider refilling it. “The prisoners from the Seahawk killed Seaman Matthews while trying to escape. They fought and were themselves killed.”

  Jasmine’s mouth fell open. “Matthews, Roberts, Lars and Peters are all dead?” The only other man she knew who was a part of the captain’s schemes was Brusan. A twinge of fear grabbed her. “And Brusan?” Her fear for Brusan’s safety surprised her. Why did she even care about the man?

  Durne frowned at her. “Why would you think Cook would be involved?”

  She realized she couldn’t betray him, even if he wasn’t her real father. “Because he used to take them their meals.”

  Durne relaxed. “Your father is fine, but yes, the others are dead.”

  She didn’t know what to say to this new information. The men had no reason to escape. They’d been treated well, fed well, and paid well. It was all too convenient. She paled. The captain killed them because of her. He knew she could make them speak the truth. He killed them to protect himself.

  “Are you all right, boy? You look like you could sit down.”

  “I’m fine,” she said automatically. Durne couldn’t help her. There was nothing he could do. She wasn’t entirely sure he believed her anyway. “I…I’m sorry to bother you, sir.”

  “Wait, Midge,”

  She didn’t wait. She fled the room and became once more one of the many shadows on the Wielder’s Prize.

  *

  Jasmine sought refuge in the ship’s rigging. It had been a long time since she’d climbed up there, and far too long since she’d felt the wind in her face.

  An ocean made of slate surrounded her in every direction. A sky made of ash looked down on her. A thick blanket of hoary clouds cradled the world and the frost in the air tried to burn her with its touch.

  She ignored the chill and closed her eyes to the grayness. In her bones, she felt the rock and pitch of the ship beneath her. She felt it at the very core of her being. Leaving the ship wasn’t an option. She would rather die than to be forced to leave. Of course, she wasn’t ready to die either. As she saw it, she had only one choice left.

  Jasmine opened her eyes. She wrapped a tie line around her arm to brace herself. Crouched on the second highest yardarm, she began to wield. It was hesitant at first, but with confidence it grew stronger. She gave the power no real direction. She didn’t wish to push the ship through the waters. She didn’t want to play with the weather. She didn’t try to hide. Her only purpose was to become a beacon. Being noticed was her only goal. She wanted to be found.

  A whisper hung in the air like an echo across distant mountains. It might’ve been a name. It might’ve been a mayday. It was Finn. He could sense her wielding. He could feel the wildness in it, the power behind it, and he was afraid. She blocked the wielder from her thoughts.

  She needed more power, more strength. She lowered herself so she stretched out on the yardarm an
d her arms wrapped around the wood of the ship. She gained vitality from her ship. It lent her strength as an old friend could lend support.

  From the ship itself she drew a power she had never felt before. It ignited within her like a fire on a watch tower. She let it burn until she couldn’t contain it any longer. With a gasp she dropped it as if she’d let go an iron skillet that had scolded her. The power spilled from her in a sudden deluge. She couldn’t catch it back up. It burst out like a ball shot from a cannon. The power plunged into the sea beneath the ship and exploded.

  Watery mountains erupted out of the sea. The crest of the mountains looked like windswept snow made of boiling foam. They overshadowed the ship and threatened to drown them all. Chaos erupted. The warning bells rang.

  “All hands on deck!” someone shouted.

  Never had any of the men seen anything like this. Jasmine felt their panic in her own. The Prize rolled at an alarming angle. She held on for her life. In her need to stay with the ship, had she destroyed them all?

  A second power filled the ship and fought for control. The Prize bucked against this power, then obeyed. The force righted the ship in the surging waters. The mountainous walls collapsed and rained down on the crew in a flood. The sea drained away from the decks and calmed to a gentle sway as if nothing had happened.

  Silence filled the cold air. And fear.

  The captain’s power had saved them from her. Her mouth went dry. He was right to try to kill her. She had never believed she could wield that much power. She had never believed she was so dangerous.

  A force hit her in the side. If she hadn’t been holding on so tight she would’ve been knocked from her perch. Kahld had seen her.

  Jasmine gasped and vanished. She scrambled from the rigging and bolted below decks. What had she done? She ran blindly through the lower decks and slammed into Finn. She almost knocked them both off their feet. Finn’s strong hands steadied them.

  “What did you do?” His face was contorted in anger. All his boyishness had vanished.

  “I didn’t mean to…”

  Finn frowned and pushed her forcefully into the light flowing in from a hatchway. He looked into her eyes and his frown deepened. “I don’t understand.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve never felt so much power from one person before, yet you aren’t showing signs of having reached your limit.” He gave her a sharp shake. She felt like her bones would rattle if he did it again. He was stronger than he looked. “How?”

  Jasmine tried to push him away but he was immoveable. “The captain,” she gasped.

  Finn’s eyes narrowed in doubt then widened in surprise. “That was the captain?” Thoughts raced through him as clearly as a river that cut through to the sea. She let his reasoning carry him to the lie.

  “You tried to call the Guardians,” he said slowly.

  She nodded.

  “But the captain found you.”

  One thing she had learned was that, while Finn could sense when someone wielded, he couldn’t tell who it was unless he saw them wielding.

  Finn let her go. “The captain is more powerful than I thought.” He turned an angry scowl at her. “You shouldn’t have tried to call the Guardians. After that display of power, they’ll surely come. And they will find you.”

  She scowled back at him. “They’ll find the captain first.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  Chapter 19

  From the deck, Jasmine scrutinized a beautiful ship with maroon sails. Finn had told her the Guardians would arrive on the Wild Rose. This had to be the ship. Jasmine couldn’t help but admire the workmanship. Every detail appeared lovingly made by skilled craftsmen. The hull had been painted black and the trims painted gold. Her rounded shape made her sit comfortably in her environment as if she owned the sea itself. She was smaller than the Prize but Jasmine guessed she was faster.

  Through signals, the Wild Rose requested parley with the captain. Kahld accepted. Maintaining her distance, she launched a boat to cross the gap between the two ships. Jasmine watched as a burly sailor worked the oars on a small rowboat. It carried three passengers. Even from that far away, there was no mistaking the power those passengers harbored deep within them. The air shimmered around them.

  She frowned at herself. She shouldn’t be able to recognize a wielder by just looking at them. Not even Finn could do that. It seemed the more she wielded the more she discovered she could do. It might’ve been better if she’d never learned she could wield. It might’ve also been better for everyone around her.

  She suddenly wished Finn was by her side, though she couldn’t have said why. It wasn’t like he could hide like she could. His plan had not changed since she’d called the Guardians. He would remain in his prison cell and make the captain believe he still didn’t have his talisman. He wielded to protect himself from Brusan, but he allowed the captain to beat him. He couldn’t wield in the captain’s presence, otherwise Kahld would learn from him. Jasmine wondered how Finn could bear it. Then she reminded herself she had allowed Brusan to beat her all her life because she thought she didn’t have a choice.

  Jasmine turned her attention back to the passengers fast approaching. They wrapped themselves in dark cloaks to ward against the cold. One of the passengers was considerably shorter than the other two. This one made Jasmine the most wary. Based on the size of the shimmer, this one carried more power than the other two combined.

  The captain stood at the quarterdeck, his hands clasped behind his back. He’d donned a heavy navy-blue jacket with brass buttons. He’d trimmed his beard and wore his cutlass at his side. Power swirled around him like a swarm of bees. It was as if this was the first time she’d seen him. She didn’t know if he was wielding or if this was the normal way his power sat with him. She shuddered at his strength. There was no containing that power.

  She wondered what she might look like if she could see herself. She studied her hand, and saw only sun-browned skin, long fingers, and filthy nails. She could detect no power within herself as she could in others. Perhaps that was because she was wielding herself hidden. It seemed when she hid, she automatically hid her power as well.

  When the rowboat reached the Prize, First Mate Durne instructed crewman Fisher to lower a rope ladder to the passengers. They climbed with practiced agility to the deck. The short one climbed last and was helped aboard by his companions. He brushed himself off and approached the captain with confidence. Jasmine guessed this one was the leader. It made sense since he was also the strongest wielder.

  “Welcome aboard the Wielder’s Prize,” Captain Kahld said.

  The leader lowered his hood. It turned out that he was a she, like no woman Jasmine had ever seen. She tied her long brown hair into a tight bun. Not a single strand flew free. She had thin lips, a pointed chin and high cheekbones. When she pulled back her cloak, her figure could be seen more clearly than if she’d worn a dress. She wore black leather pants and a tight leather vest. The only adornment she wore was a thin chain around her neck. If a pendant hung at the end of the chain, no one would know since it remained hidden between the woman’s breasts. The way she stood with her legs apart and her hands on her hips made Jasmine think she was more arrogant than she should be. It was almost as if this woman thought she had something to prove, although Jasmine didn’t know why. She was strong, commanding, and powerful. Jasmine glanced at the crew. They stared at this newcomer as if they witnessed some mythical creature rising from the sea.

  The woman nodded in a contained show of respect toward the captain. “You honor us, Captain Kahld.” Her voice had a raspy tone. Jasmine had expected a more girly voice, probably because of the woman’s petite stature.

  Something flickered in the captain’s eyes. “You know who I am.”

  The woman gave him a thin smile. “Your reputation and the reputation of this ship precede you.”

  “You are at the advantage then.”

  “Forg
ive me. This is Langer,” and she indicated the lankier of her two companions, “and the other is Brill. I am Angelica.”

  A flicker of power touched briefly on Jasmine. She gasped and stepped back. She forced herself deeper into hiding, but remained on deck. Angelica’s companions were searching the ship with their power. The one named Langer had almost detected her. She had to be more careful.

  Langer bent to whisper something in Angelica’s ear. “There is something familiar here, though I cannot name what it might be.”

  Jasmine should not have been able to hear him. She swore at her lack of control. Finn may have been right. She didn’t have the ability to control her wielding. She could only hope she could remain hidden. It was the only thing that would keep her from being found.

  Angelica’s attention turned back to the captain. “May we speak in private?”

  Kahld nodded. “Of course.” He gave Durne command. “Follow me,” he said to the visitors.

  Jasmine followed them to the captain’s quarters. She hesitated on the threshold. The last time she’d been there, she’d learned that the captain was her true father. She recalled the revulsion he’d turned on her when he learned she could wield. She relived her vulnerability, her fear, her near death. The thought of being trapped in that room sent a chill through her. She took a step back. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t enter.

  The door closed and she stared into the face of the brass serpent knocker. It seemed to hiss a warning to leave. She swore and backed away. There was nothing she could do. The only way she would hear what they had to say was to wield, and she couldn’t do that. She had to limit her wielding.

  Jasmine found herself back at Finn’s prison in the cargo hold. For some strange reason she found comfort in that tiny enclosed room even though it wasn’t open to the sea and had no natural light.

  Finn sat with his back against a corner. He gave her a weary smile when she entered. “They’re here, aren’t they?”

  “Aye.” She settled in the corner opposite him. “I was hoping they’d take out the captain the moment they saw him. Instead they’re having a private discussion with him in his quarters.”