She couldn't get warm.
The wine flowed down her throat in a hot lump, falling into her stomach and heating up her veins.
Lily wasn't worried about the men. Rowing would help them get warm; they didn't need alcohol. She, however... Actually, if she weren't pregnant, she would have helped them. She might not be of much help, but at least it would have helped her get warm. Still, her condition precluded her from that. A sport like that strained the muscles she didn't want to strain. Let them make do without her.
"Are you all right?" Ellis asked, not turning around.
"I am."
"Then look ahead. Find the shore."
"Fine."
Lily didn't mind being a lookout. Land... She would have given everything to see it once again.
***
By daybreak, the bottom of the boat scraped sand. Why had it taken so long?
The distance to the shore turned out to be longer than she had thought, and the two men had a hard time rowing so far. They weren't complaining, but the force with which they moved the oars gradually decreased.
True, it was hard, exerting themselves so soon after a battle. Ellis' hands were tough as leather, but Anthony immediately chafed his skin raw. First, he got blisters, and after they burst, he was forced to wrap his hands in rags provided by Lilian Earton, who was happy with her foresight. It didn't console the baron much, but he had to keep rowing. Ellis would have gotten them to land even without his help, but when would it happen? By sunset? Really, it was better to work.
Everyone was silent.
The men knew that if either of them started a squabble, it wouldn't stop. In turn, Lily wasn't going to be the first to speak up, rightly believing that she would immediately become the scapegoat. After all, men usually blamed women for everything.
And so, when the boat finally reached the sandy shore, she was happy to jump right out of it.
Oops!
"Holy crap!"
For some reason, the treacherous sand beneath her feet started shaking.
Lily had completely forgotten that it could happen. When they sailed upstream from Laveri to Altver, they never moved far from the shore, often visiting the seaside towns. Considering the way she had felt back then, which was about as nasty, she made use of every opportunity to stretch her feet. This voyage was quite different.
How much time had she spent stuck in that disgusting rocking tub?
Oh!
She fell on the sand, holding out her arms and legs. The planet was rocking, and so was the sand. It all seemed like a grand conspiracy against Her Grace. But it didn't matter. She’d manage.
We'll make it, kid, right?
Lilian's hand slid to her belly. A second later, she came to her senses and removed it, but...
Maybe she imagined that, but there, under her clothes, she felt the beating of a tiny heart.
***
The men didn't even notice her gesture, busy pulling the boat out of the water and securing it. Then they finally looked each other in the eye.
What did either of them see?
Ellis Rois saw a foppish courtier, a spoiled rich boy used to winning over people with his handsome face. Without it, he was nothing.
Anthony Lofrayne saw an ordinary deckhand.
Well, not quite ordinary. Why in Maldonaya's nethers did that yokel get in his business? That was the first question expressed under the rising sun.
Ellis spat on the sand. So he would have to talk. Of course. And if so...
"I'd rather listen to why you abducted a person."
Lily pricked up her ears. She was curious, too, vitally curious. She was also quite certain that these two wouldn't resolve their issues in peace. But what could she do, really? Stand between them?
No thanks.
Lily believed in Ellis; he looked stronger than Lofrayne and had more experience. Honestly, she hoped that her revenge was about to come true. She had failed to drown Lofrayne; maybe Ellis would simply cut him down, to the countess' utmost satisfaction?
"It's my business!"
"Right now, your business is staying alive, brat!"
"Oh, Uncle, are you going to threaten me?"
"Maybe I am."
"Screw you."
"You..."
A large rigging knife flashed in Ellis's hand.
Tony cursed and flinched back. He hadn't brought a weapon along.
Ellis laughed.
"Getting cold feet, are you? Going to piss yourself? Get gone, or I'll cut your guts out!"
Anthony took a step back, then another...
"Fine. Just let me take my boots."
"What boots?"
"These!" Tony yelled. He wasn't going to leave in peace. Instead, he jumped to the boat and grabbed an oar. In his hands, it looked comically enormous, but Tony still managed to keep ahold of it, even if with an effort.
Ellis laughed.
"Are you trying to scare me with this? I'll cut you down where you stand!"
"Try!"
Tony clumsily swung the oar.
Ellis laughed and dove right under the makeshift weapon. He was planning to stab the baron in the gut and roll aside. Really, what could that fop do?
As it turned out, quite a lot. Tony wasn't going to use the oar to fight. As soon as Ellis bent down to duck, Tony released the oar and gave his opponent a good kick in the face. He didn't miss.
Lily tried to sit down. She wasn't very good at that, and taking part in the fight was out of the question. Getting involved in something in a state like that was a recipe for disaster.
Ellis fell on his back, and Anthony leaped forward and immediately sidestepped the sailor's swinging knife. He grasped Rois' arm and tried to dislocate it...
The men grappled each other and started rolling across the sand.
Lily stared at the fight wide-eyed. Who was winning? Who got the weapon?
When two are fighting, it's hard to make out what's what, unless it's a movie shot in slow motion. In real life, when two experts go toe-to-toe, a layman shouldn't try to get involved if they valued their life. You wouldn't do anything, only make it worse.
But what was going on? She peered inside the squabble until her eyes hurt.
There they were, rolling across the beach, entangled—and there they separated. But who was left lying on the sand?
Lily cursed. It was Ellis. Somehow, Tony had managed to reach for his knife-wielding hand and wrung it out, impaling Ellis on his own blade.
“No!"
Somehow, she got up on all fours and tried to crawl to the wounded man, but it was clearly pointless.
A penetrating wound to the stomach with a dirty knife? All she could do was to finish him off so he wouldn't suffer.
Real death never looked nice. In stories, people might die slowly and nobly, getting the chance to declare their will and list out their descendants, while their grieving family wiped down their tears and brushed cold sweat from the brow of the deceased.
It wasn't like that in reality. A dying man doesn't care about lofty words. He doesn't have enough air in his lungs.
Ellis was writhing and groaning, and Lily put her hand in front of her mouth, trying to suppress an urge to retch. Then she turned around and puked.
She had seen dead men before, of course; that was just her pregnancy speaking. She performed surgeries and watched people die and be born, but in her current condition, even a small impetus was enough to start vomiting.
Anthony sank down on the sand. Things didn't look good.
True, he had Lilian Earton. However, they weren't on a ship but on the distant shore of either Avester or Ivernea. The only thing he could tell was that it was a beach surrounded by a forest. But where to go?
Aldonai only knew!
What did they have in the way of supplies? How was he to prevent her escape?
There were many questions, but not much in the way of answers. Actually, he didn't have any answers.
What was he to do next?
H
e didn't have an answer to that either.
***
"Ma-ma..."
Miranda patted Jyce's head.
“Yes, honey. Mama."
The girl was miserable.
Mama...where was her mother? How was she? Miranda didn't know, and she was worried. But how could she tell that to the babies? To Roman and Jacob, who kept asking when their mama would come, to Jyce, who was only starting to speak...
The door flung open.
"Papa!"
Miranda all but flew up from the carpet where she and Jyce played with blocks.
"Mirrie," Jerisson said as he swooped her up in the air.
Jyce immediately bawled out, jealous, forcing Jess to take him up as well and give him a kiss for good measure. Two kisses, actually.
"Anything new?"
Jerisson shrugged.
"The Dancer reached Altver, but Lilian isn't there and never was there. Clarissa's been checked at sea. The other four ships haven't been sighted."
"Mama's not there..."
"No."
"I hope this Lofrayne gets eaten by ants," Miranda blurted out in anger.
"I'm sure he will. What's new in Taral?"
Miranda rubbed her forehead.
"Papa, I have no idea how Mama managed to do all that. It's always something—missing yarn, not enough bobbins, the children acting up... Hans brought in another child. I can understand him, but she's a real monkey!"
"Well, that's right up your alley," her loving father quipped. "You do love messing with animals, don't you?"
Miranda snorted.
"Only if they have a tail and four paws. I get it, the girl was all alone, but she's a tornado in a skirt! It's horrible!"
"Everything will be all right," Jerisson said, trying to cheer her up. "How are you doing?"
“Not well. It was different with Mama," Miranda confessed. "When she did it, everything worked out so nicely, and everyone obeyed her. It's not the same for me."
"Learn. Don't forget that you'll have to travel to the Khanganat in a few years. Just the place for taming wild cobras."
"Papa, you can't tame snakes."
"Really? Lily said that—"
Miranda shook her head.
"It's not really taming. A snake won't love you, care for you, or appreciate your efforts. It will simply repeat a specific set of actions."
Jess waved his hand.
"Ah, to Aldonai with snakes. Mirrie, please, don't travel alone."
"All right, Father. Why?"
Another girl wouldn't ask that question, but Lily had taught her daughter to always inquire about things, always keep digging. She didn't have to disclose the truth, but she had to know it so she could understand what was going on. Jess had long since come to terms with having a curious child.
"Hans said they had found another body."
“Holy Aldonai!”
"All the girls were blonde, but who knows with this bastard?"
"Papa, I promise you, I'll never leave the palace without the dogs and the guards, even for Taral."
It wasn't hard for Miranda to make that promise. She didn't want to upset her father in any way.
"And Mirrie, if a man tries to court you, if he sets his eyes on you..."
"I'll tell you at once. I promise."
Jess nodded and suddenly scooped both of his children up.
"Mirrie, it's so hard for me without her..."
Miranda pulled up Jyce to make him more comfortable and froze in her father's embrace. True, parents took care of their children. But sometimes, they needed their support, too. They needed to see a reason to go on.
At home, Jerisson could allow himself to relax. Nobody could see him there but Miranda, as the babies were too little. She, however, could understand. She had already understood.
Miranda didn't say anything. She didn't need any pretty words. Instead, she put a hand on her father's shoulder.
"She'll be back."
Her words were full of faith and utter conviction.
Aldonai, help Lilian! I beg you, help her! She may be strong, but she needs your help, too...
***
Lily was sitting and staring at the water.
The sea was far from calm; it boomed and it rattled, licking the pebbles and trying to take the boat away. As if they'd let it! The sea had already gotten enough spoils that day with the pirates and their ship. A boat would have been too much. The sea, however, didn't agree with that sentiment and kept rocking the craft—to no avail. Ellis, the poor dead Ellis, had done a good job driving the stakes, or whatever it was tied to, into the ground. Lily didn't know the correct name of these things. They had also arrived during high tide. At the moment, the sea was departing—and trying to take the humans' vessel with it, sweetly and stealthily, picking at it with a hundred sticky paws...
The boat didn't resist. It was made for sailing, but nasty people had tethered it, forcing it to dry in the sun.
Maybe they should simply let it go?
"What are you thinking about, Lilian?"
Anthony walked up to her and sat on the rocks.
Lily sighed, nursed her knees, and put her head on top of them.
"Lofrayne, do you understand how bad our situation is?"
"I wouldn't say it's that bad," Tony replied, shaking his head. "Although it's not especially cheerful."
"We're stuck Aldonai knows where," Lily said, folding one finger.
"I suspect that we're already in Avester, maybe on the border with Ivernea."
The countess chuckled. State borders were rather arbitrary in that world unless they went along a river where people lived, so they were plotted on maps. But forests? Deserts? With no topographers, mapmakers, geographers, and other useful people, the coordinates were far from certain. There were no border outposts with guards and dogs. It was a forest, for God's sake! It was impossible.
"I suspect it doesn't matter to us. We have the sea on one side and the forest on another. I don't think the crew will notice our disappearance soon."
"I always come down for breakfast, and they'll bring you food, too," Anthony said with a shrug.
"Breakfast? Where's breakfast, and where are we?" Lily was quite pessimistic. Nothing new for pregnant women, actually. Sometimes, she felt as if she didn't want to live. The large dose of hormones in her blood took its toll, coloring the world into ash and charcoal. Life felt hopeless, her prospects grim, and her further actions...
What actions? She'd rather crawl in a dark hole and wait. Let them all die, just as long as they left her alone!
Anthony had no idea about such nuances, as well as his companion's pregnancy, which is why he kept droning on, unfazed.
"When they discover that we're missing, they'll start looking for us."
"And they won't find us," Lily said, nodding.
“Really?”
"Or they'll find us too late. Baron, how much do you know about ships? Their rigging, their shape, their size..."
"Not much."
"And neither do I, even if I'm a shipwright's daughter."
Anthony stared at her in confusion.
"What does it have to do with us?"
"Imagine this isn't a sea but a meatball soup with pirates as meatballs."
"Meatballs?"
"It doesn't matter," Lily replied, brushing him off. "Baron, we cannot let them know about us. If pirates see a sign and come here... Do you really want to die a painful and premature death? They can take care of that."
"We could hide in the woods."
Lily shook her head, allowing Anthony to realize the perils of such an idea. The pirates could easily notice the Mermaid in any case, and if they landed... No, Lilian didn't want that at all, and neither, on second thought, did the baron.
"They won't come back for us," Lily concluded sadly. "We're alone here."
Anthony coughed.
"Well...maybe."
She slumped her shoulder, nursed her knees even tighter, and closed her eyes. It was going t
o be all right after she opened them again, wasn't it? She would be home with Jerisson and Miranda...or maybe even home with her parents and Alex... What had she done to deserve that?
Tears came unbidden.
There, there... It's going to be all right, girl. Don't cry.
But self-consolation wasn't helping. The coarse fabric of her pants grew moist. Poor Ellis. He wanted to help so much, and he had done it...
You son of a bitch, Lofrayne! Ellis...
Suddenly, that name became the trigger that turned Lily's thoughts upside down. That man had tried to help her. Ellis arranged her escape, did everything he could, gave his life for her...was she going just to throw that gift away?
Never!
And for starters...
"Where's Ellis' body?"
Lily straightened her back, and Anthony was startled by the expression on her face. Her tears hadn’t dried up yet, but her lips were pressed together, and her eyebrows were knit.
"There it is," the baron said, gesturing at the body.
"We have to bury him."
"What?"
Anthony was quite sincere in his indignation. Digging a pit? With what? They didn't have a shovel, and the soil there was rocky and hard.
Lily looked around. They were on the seacoast. The beach itself mostly consisted of pebbles that gradually turned into a forest floor with pines growing on it—not especially tall, as seaside plants were generally shorter than those deeper in the woods, but still.
"Trees usually grow on sandy soil. We can bury him there."
"Let's say we do that," Anthony agreed. "But how will we dig a grave? With our hands?"
Lily sighed once again and stood up. Why the hell had she been sitting on those pebbles? Did she want to freeze her kidneys so she'd have to run to the bushes every five minutes to pee? Mark the territory like a cat?
Enough. She had already had a meltdown. She had cried. She would grieve more, but that would be later.
"Lofrayne, I can't help you. You'll have to carry Ellis' body to the trees, where we'll dig a pit and bury him."
Tony snorted. He wanted to argue, to fight, but was it truly worth it?
That woman might throw a fit, leaving him to deal with it... Fine! He'll bury the corpse! Throwing him into the sea would have been much easier, though. The tide might have taken him away...
A New World Page 33