Wielder's Prize

by Elle Cardy

  They couldn’t stay here.

  They had to escape.

  Last time, the sound of Finn’s voice drew her out of the void. This time, it would be the need for Finn’s survival.

  Follow me. Careful to keep their connection through the touch of her hand in his, she released herself from his embrace. She thought of Sapphire Cove, of its blue waters and high cliffs. She thought of the cold sand against her cheek, the gathering storm and the charged air.

  She thought of the light and all the things she wanted to live for. She thought of her ship. She thought of Finn. His presence brought her warmth. It was a light that glowed through her and radiated into the emptiness. His love neither of them knew he had filled the void. Every space. Every portion.

  Remember to breathe. The darkness fled. Air, real air, rushed into Jasmine’s lungs. She blinked against the brightness. For a moment she couldn’t move. The smell of the sea caught her attention. Voices chattered over her.

  “Now what do you have?” someone asked accusingly.

  “I will have your abilities even if I have to squeeze them from you.”

  Power burned large and sharp and heavy above her. It vibrated the air and danced in the storm. It gyrated and tossed and whirled. She knew that power. It was her own, but not.

  Jasmine opened her eyes and stared at the pale granules of sand. They sparkled in the strange storm light that hung over everything like a cloth of gossamer. Then she knew. Kahld. Marcelo was right. Kahld was too dangerous. She saw the burning seas in that power. She smelled the ash and destruction in that power.

  He had to be stopped.

  In one fluid motion, Jasmine gathered her own power and took hold of Captain Kahld’s booted ankle. That was all she needed. She released her power in the only way she knew. She hid herself and then she hid her captain. The crewmen of the Prize cried out. This was wielder’s power. They had no part here. They wanted to flee but Durne stood firm.

  The captain looked down at her. “How?”

  She ignored his question. She had to concentrate.

  Kahld struck at her with his power.

  Nothing happened — just as nothing happened when Angelica had tried to wield against her when they were both hidden. Jasmine let out a sigh of relief. That was one theory proved right at least.

  Kahld’s eyes flashed. She’d seen that look in a man enough times in her life to know he meant to strike her next. He lifted his gloved hand but didn’t get the chance to swing.

  Calm.

  Jasmine could see him fighting the power that wove around him. It lulled him into a false sense of peace and harmony. He twitched.

  Jasmine didn’t think the false calm that Marcelo had pushed on her would be strong enough so she changed the flow. It thickened and grew heavy around the captain. She hoped she remembered it right.

  Confusion, she breathed into the captain’s mind. His fighting stopped. His face went slack, his fist loosened, and his arm dropped as if he moved through molasses.

  “What have you done, Midge?” Durne called. He could always see her, no matter how hard she tried to hide.

  “I’ve hidden the captain,” she called out over the whistle of the wind. “I’ve blocked him from wielding.”

  Marcelo moved. Although she had her back to him, she sensed his movement as she could sense a bad smell. She made herself visible to all and, still holding the captain, swiveled around to face him.

  “No,” she cried. He stopped. “You can’t silence him. You can’t silence anyone ever again.”

  “Despite your terrible ordeal, you have to see reason. He must be silenced.”

  “He must be stopped, yes. Not silenced.”

  “Midge.” Durne marched forward. “We can help. Make the captain visible and I promise he will be stopped.”

  Finn stirred. She hadn’t had time to think about Finn. It must have taken him longer to recover from the silencing. He staggered to his feet, wavered and righted himself.

  “You can trust Durne.” Finn sounded breathless. “He has taken control of the Prize.” She still hesitated. “You can trust me.”

  Durne peered at her through his thick eyebrows. “Finish what you began, boy, or you’ll never stop running.”

  His words transported her back to the first mate’s quarters when he had tried to help her. She had thought she was alone. He was right. She did have to stop running. She just didn’t know how.

  “If I release him, he’ll be able to wield again.”

  Thunder rumbled across the sky and echoed in the cliffs. Power rode in the storm. Jasmine gasped and looked up. Lightning flashed down and struck the sand between her and the captain. The force blew them apart and knocked the wind from her. She clambered to her feet to see the force had knocked down everyone but the captain. He could wield then, just not directly at her.

  The strike had severed her power over him. The others could see him now. Power erupted from him in a surge that joined the storm. Darkness rolled across the cove. Before the others could recover, the captain drew his dagger — the same one he’d used to kill Second Mate Gregor.

  “You cannot exist,” Kahld muttered and leapt for her.

  It happened too fast. The shock caught her off guard. Kahld raised his hand to attack. Their eyes met. His emerald eyes, that housed so much power, stared into her stormy eyes. Her vision blurred. The captain punched the weapon into her stomach. Pain burst through her. Blood filled her vision. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. Every thought turned to her wound. It was fatal. Too much blood poured out. She gasped when he wrenched the dagger from her. Then blinked.

  The pain vanished. It was just a vision. The captain still stared down at her. No time had passed. It seemed she had Marcelo’s visions.

  She caught Kahld’s wrist. “I can give you what you want.” She closed her eyes and thought of her prize. Power burst through her like an eruption. It surged through every vein. The captain’s eyes widened as she gave him the visions. She showed him the oceans burning. She forced him to breathe in the ash. She carried him through the vortex of power and dragged him through the devastation.

  “No,” Kahld murmured. “This cannot be.”

  “You know it’s true. You have the vision now. It’s what you wanted.”

  “No.” The captain shook. “No.”

  Power snapped through the charged air. Finn’s power. The captain flew off Jasmine and landed in a crumpled heap in the sand.

  “No,” Kahld continued to murmur. Still caught in the vision, he curled into a ball and chanted his denial over and over.

  “Are you harmed?” Finn caught her in his arms.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  He held her away from him so he could run an eye over her. “Truly?”

  She smiled. “Truly.”

  Someone wielded. She turned to see Marcelo crouched by Kahld’s side.

  “No!” she screamed and pushed Finn aside. “Someone stop him!”

  The beast stirred. Power. It sensed luscious, sweet power. It needed power to grow. It needed power to escape. Jasmine’s throat tightened. She felt herself falling. No. Not now. She could still see the world but darkness surrounded her.

  Brusan appeared. He hadn’t stayed at the hut. Somehow she knew he wouldn’t. His jaw clenched. He didn’t know what was happening but he’d seen Kahld threaten Jasmine. He’d seen the strange forces at work. He didn’t understand wielders, but he did understand survival. He knew one simple fact — Kahld had to die. From afar, Jasmine watched Brusan stride up to Marcelo. She watched him push the old man aside. Without remorse he drew his cutlass and ran his captain through.

  Kahld stiffened. His green eyes stared up at Brusan. “Thank you, old friend.” He released a slow sigh and died.

  The beast howled. The howl of denial reverberated through Jasmine. So much power, so close, lost. It sniffed the void. It sensed something familiar. Jasmine hid. Someone shook her.

>   “Come back to us,” someone cried. “Come back to me.” Panic filled the voice. Desperation. “Jasmine!”

  Her name. Her name was a beacon in the dark. It called to her and promised safety. It promised love. This was Finn’s voice. He called to her. The darkness faded and she blinked away the fog.

  “Jasmine,” he said and held her close.

  “Finn,” she said into his chest. This was worth living for.

  Chapter 31

  Jasmine stood on the deck of her beloved ship. The timbers felt smooth and cool beneath her feet. A subtle power flowed from her to the ship and back again. It was a power she’d not noticed before. Perhaps she only noticed it now because she knew the ship was her talisman. Perhaps she simply grew stronger every day, more aware of the things she could do. Whatever the reason, it was this power that helped her hear the ship’s song. The Wielder’s Prize hummed in the waters off Sapphire Cove. The light breeze caressed her face and played with her growing hair.

  “We’re almost ready to set sail.”

  Jasmine turned to see Durne standing beside her. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and looked out to sea as she had done. “The old man’s books and notes are finally stored to his satisfaction.”

  “He has a lot of them,” she said, not knowing what else to say.

  Durne turned to face her. “Will you be leaving the Prize when Marcelo alights in Auslam?”

  Jasmine’s eyes widened. Her heart took a leap. “I thought I could rejoin the crew.” She hadn’t considered the new captain of the Prize may not want her. She had assumed she could simply rejoin them. “If you’ll allow it, Captain,” she added hastily.

  Durne frowned and rubbed his long black beard. “I heard you don’t want to be cook’s assistant anymore. Why would you want to continue with duties you despise?”

  She wondered where he had heard that from. If she found out who ratted on her she’d make sure they would suffer in some way.

  “I’ve been apprenticed to Brusan for so long. I know everything there is to know about cooking. I could be a great service.”

  “We already have an exceptional cook. And he loves what he does.”

  Panic welled up inside her. She had to say something to convince him he needed her on the Prize. She couldn’t have gone through so much only to lose her precious ship again. She couldn’t bear it.

  Durne rumbled deep in his chest. Jasmine didn’t know what it meant until she saw a strange sparkle in his eyes. He clapped her on the back. “I can’t continue to torture you. I’ve already discussed the matter with your father. I’ve a place for you on my crew. If you are interested, of course.”

  Jasmine’s heart pounded. This time it beat for a different reason. This time an unfamiliar joy threatened to break loose.

  She opened her mouth, about to accept his offer, when Durne interrupted her. “Before you answer, you have to know it will be hard work. You’ll not get any special treatment. You’ll need to toughen up. And no more hiding.”

  “Aye, Captain.” She couldn’t believe her good fortune. Then a thought occurred to her. Durne had offered her so much. More than she thought he realized. She couldn’t continue to lie to him, even if it meant endangering her position on the ship. She swallowed. “There is something you need to know first.”

  “And what might that be?”

  Her mouth went dry. She tried to lick her lips but it only made the dryness worse. “I’ve been lying to the crew.”

  Durne raised a bushy eyebrow. “Is that so?”

  She didn’t know how to tell him so she just blurted it out. “I’m a girl.”

  Durne blinked. “And?”

  “Pardon?”

  Durne shifted from one foot to the other. “We all know you’re a girl. Well, woman really.” He coughed.

  “You do?”

  Durne chuckled. He pulled Philips aside. “Philips,” he said. “did you know that Midge here is a girl?”

  Philips pulled his hat off and fidgeted with it. He looked down at the decking. “Aye, sir.”

  “And would it bother you if she were a part of the crew?”

  “Nay, sir.” His face went a rosy red as if he’d caught too much sun. “She’s made a fine addition to the crew in the past. Can’t see a reason why that should change.”

  “Good man. Back to your duties.” He turned his attention to Jasmine. “You see? It was Kahld who had a superstitious problem with women on ships. So we played along and pretended we didn’t know your secret. Of course, it’s become more obvious in the last year or two.” He coughed again. “If you can keep up with the rest of the crew, then I have no problem with you staying aboard as long as you desire. You’ve proved your loyalty and your resourcefulness. It can’t hurt having two wielders signed on as crew.” Durne smiled. He seemed pleased with himself.

  “Two wielders?”

  “Of course. Finn has requested to sign up as the ship’s official wielder. He makes a great asset.”

  Dumbfounded, she nodded. With all the preparations, plans for restocking, shifting of cargo to fit all of Marcelo’s possessions, she hadn’t had a chance to speak with Finn. To be honest, she had avoided him. She didn’t want to explain that she could never leave the Prize. She wasn’t sure what his reaction might be if he discovered her talisman was the ship itself. Even then, that wasn’t what she’d feared most. She was afraid he would want to go back to his old life. The sea was not his first love like it was hers. He was not a born sailor. But now Durne told her he had signed up to stay. She couldn’t get her head around it.

  “Permission to take my leave?”

  Durne smiled in a way that made her think he knew what went through her mind. “Permission granted.”

  Jasmine ran through the ship. She knew exactly where Finn was in the ship. She knew where everyone was. Her ship spoke to her in a way that made her a part of the ship itself. It frightened her how much her power had evolved in such a short time. She kept picking up new abilities whether she meant to or not. The vision of the burning seas stayed with her in nightmares. She hoped that alone would keep her from becoming like her father.

  Jasmine buried that fear when she came to a door in the officer’s quarters. She raised her hand to knock, then hesitated. Perhaps Finn only accepted the job as the ship’s wielder as a short term job. Perhaps he meant to earn enough money to reach the next port before he left. A desire to run away overcame her.

  The door opened. Finn’s sudden appearance caught her like a rabbit in a trap.

  “Jasmine! I thought I sensed you here.” Without hesitating he grabbed her around the waist and gently pulled her into the room. He leaned down and kissed her on the mouth. She didn’t protest. She pressed herself into his touch and let all her fears melt away. When he pulled back, her fears returned.

  “I heard you asked to join the crew,” she said. “How long do you think you might stay?”

  Finn held her away from him for a moment and frowned. “As long as you’ll have me.”

  His frown melted away and an open expression took its place. “I know how much this ship means to you. I would never ask you to leave. I also know how much you mean to me.” Her heart did a strange flutter. “What I feel for you is real. I’ve never felt it for anyone else. Jasmine, I want you to know, I would do anything for you. You can trust me.”

  She didn’t know what to say. There were no words. The emotions she felt were unfamiliar. She moved into him, buried her face into his neck and simply held him as he held her. She could get used to this. The ship crooned.

  Finn’s hold tightened.

  She sensed tension in him. “What is it?”

  “You’re wielding.”

  “I am?”

  “It’s all around you. You have to be more careful. Marcelo can’t know you’re untrained. I can’t lose you.”

  “I’m not untrained,” she said. “Marcelo told me himself.”

  Finn didn’t seem to beli
eve her.

  “Apparently I’m just not trained well. He thinks I picked up how to wield from Kahld.” She shuddered involuntarily.

  “Then you’re safe from the Guardians?”

  “Aye.”

  Relief flowed out of Finn. It was so strong it could have been a physical force. “Then I can speak to him about finding you a talisman.”

  “I have a talisman.”

  Finn’s expression changed. “So you were lying to me then.”

  “I didn’t know it was my talisman. Marcelo pointed it out to me.”

  “What is it?” He cast his gaze over her but couldn’t see anything different about her.

  “I’d prefer not to say.” She grew more uncomfortable and stepped away from Finn. She was beginning to feel cornered again.

  “Have you hidden it?”

  “No.”

  “Why won’t you tell me? You know my talisman.” He held up his hand to show her the ring only she could see. After all this time it had remained hidden on his finger. “You still don’t trust me?”

  “Of course, I trust you.” She felt her cheeks flush from a rise in sudden anger.

  Finn’s shoulders slumped. “Forgive me. That was wrong of me to push. I will respect your wish to keep that secret.”

  Jasmine sighed. “It’s the ship.” Finn gave her a blank stare as if he thought she’d changed the subject. “My talisman is the Wielder’s Prize.”

  She was sure Finn paled. “The whole ship?”

  “Aye.”

  Slowly he shook his head. “And Marcelo told you this?”

  “Aye.”

  “He must be mistaken.” Without saying another word, Finn left his cabin and stormed through the passageways. Jasmine hurriedly followed him. He went straight to Marcelo’s borrowed quarters. He didn’t bother to knock, but burst in.

  Marcelo stood among crates of books, parchments, and rolled up rugs. He stood in the corner of the room and watered his bromeliad.

  “It’s true what she says,” the old man said without looking up. He whispered something to his plant and put down his watering can. “The ship — the whole ship — is Jasmine’s talisman.”