“Follow me,” he said. “The captain’s holding a special meeting tonight.”
I tightened my hands on the tray and followed him toward the captain’s quarters. Joe pushed open the door and I followed him inside. The sound of laughter erupted as Thomas told a joke, while the captain plucked a simple tune on his fiddle.
William glanced up from a map he studied. When his eyes found mine he jumped to his feet and hurried toward me, reaching for the dinner tray. “You shouldn’t be carrying that. Let me take it for you.”
“Thank you.”
William glanced at the other men. “There is a lady present. Remember your manners.” I had to keep my mouth from falling open as the men, even the Capitan, rose to their feet, and bobbed their heads. “If you would be so good as to serve, Sheridan.”
“Yes, of course.” They all sat down and one by one, I took the plates from the trays and set them in front of the chairs, starting with the captain’s. The place next to William’s was empty, but as there were enough meals, I set one there, and made my way around the table. When all were served, I took the tray from William and gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
I turned to go but the captain’s voice stopped my retreat. “Aren't you eating with us, Sheridan?”
I spun toward him. “I hadn’t planned on it.” All I wanted to do was escape the watchful eyes of these men, grab a bite to eat and resume my search. I didn’t desire to be around the captain any longer than necessary. “I don’t mind eating with Joe in the galley.”
“We couldn’t separate a bride and bridegroom on their wedding night. Since William is needed for this meeting, and being the thoughtful captain that I am, I’ve arranged for you to eat with him. It is a great honor to dine with the captain.” The officers all murmured their agreement. He took a drink from his cup. “Consider it a wedding present. It would be rude to refuse.” The captain gestured toward the empty chair beside William.
All eyes on me, I forced a smile on my face and stepped to the offered seat. William held it for me while I sat, gently pushing me closer to the table. My eyes jealously followed Joe as he took the trays and left. I couldn’t begin to imagine why the captain wanted me here, but from what I knew of the man, I felt certain I would hate it.
Once I was seated, the officers began to eat, though the captain merely eyed me over his cup for a moment. To my surprise the men ate with dignity, using their utensils and linens rather than grabbing the food with their hands and drinking directly from their bowls as I had assumed pirates would do.
The captain had yet to take a bite of the meal, and I watched expectantly as he cut off a large piece of chicken and placed it in his mouth. As soon as the flavor hit his palette his mouth puckered and his eyes watered, the corners of my mouth twitching as he coughed and took a swig of his drink.
“Do you like it?” I asked sweetly. “I took extra care with yours. I added a bit of lime to your serving since you said you liked them so much better than lemons.”
That wasn't quite the truth. I had squeezed five limes onto his chicken and added a dash of spicy pepper as well. It wasn’t a proper revenge, more like a childhood prank, but with the blood oath it was all I could manage. I couldn’t do any real harm without the oath killing me in return. Besides, my revenge was far less important than Pearl’s life.
“It would hurt my feelings if you didn’t like it.”
William gave me a sidelong glance and I noticed the corners of his mouth curve up. “Please, don’t offend my wife on her wedding day, Clay.”
“Thoughtful of you to add the limes. My compliments on the meal,” the captain said, his eyes watering. He cut another piece and thoroughly chewed it with a challenging look. I couldn’t stop my smile as he forced it down with a wince and prepared himself to eat another bite. “Delicious.”
I gave him a nod that would have done royalty proud. “You are welcome.”
William hid his smile behind a cough.
The men ate quickly, except for the captain, who lagged behind. Once he finished his last bite and took an extra swig of his drink, he set the mug down and considered me. “Wench—”
William cleared his throat.
The captain rolled his eyes. “Sheridan, listen closely. I will let you stay while we discuss the matters of the ship since the blood oath makes you as much a part of the crew as the rest of the men. Just remember that revealing any of our secrets will kill you. You are aware of this?”
I nodded. But I didn’t want to know any of their secrets. All I needed was to find the medallion and then get off the ship.
“Good,” the captain said, rubbing his hands together. “We finally—”
“If you like,” I interrupted, “I could leave you to your conversation.”
“No, we need your help with this.” He took a long drink from his cup. “Gentlemen—”
The captain jerked in his chair and shot a glare at William, who had apparently just kicked him.
“And lady,” he added grudgingly. “I'm happy to tell you that once again, your captain has come through for you. We now have a witch who can break the spell surrounding the treasure.”
He pointed towards me. The men’s heads swiveled toward me and everyone applauded. My mouth dropped. Was this the real reason he had let me stay aboard? He hadn't given in because he felt threatened by my power, or because of William’s kindness; he had just needed a witch.
He smirked at me. “Because of some . . . unforeseen opportunity, the witch we had planned on bringing with us was busy elsewhere. But then, as luck would have it, you stumbled upon us.”
I couldn’t breathe. He expected me to perform magic on command. I may have lucked out on deck, but that was a combination of survival instinct and a miracle of nature. I didn’t know how it had happened and greatly feared I would never be so blessed again. I folded my napkin to give my nervous fingers something to do and watched as the captain reached into his jacket and removed something.
“What we need your help with is this.” He opened his fingers and revealed the item nestled in his palm. My medallion!
I clenched my jaw, to keep my mouth from falling open. My nostrils flared as I fought to keep my breathing even. “A medallion? What do you expect me to do with it?”
“This one belonged to the Emmía herself.”
“Indeed?” I managed to ask. Why was everyone so interested in my medallion? The kingdom sent a Hound after it, Aleah counseled me to retrieve it, and the pirates had stolen it to begin with. Would I finally learn why? “Isn’t it worthless now that the enchantment on it is broken?”
“It’s true; one of its spells is broken. But the other two still remain.”
“Edict medallions have only one spell.”
“Every other edict medallion in the Manacle—what you call the kingdom—serves only one purpose, but this one had three, three separate spells. And each one was put upon it by a different person.”
Despite my doubt, I found myself leaning forward in my chair. “What are the other two spells? Who put them there?”
The captain grinned. “The second was put on it by Princess Dawn.”
“You’re expecting me to believe that there is a spell on this medallion placed on it by the first Emmía herself, one that no one else has ever heard of?”
He nodded. “However, that part of the story is not important right now. The part that concerns you is its original purpose. It’s a map.”
“A treasure map?” I leaned back in my chair. Just like all the stories that James had told me, when it came to pirates, it all came down to gold. My life lay in ruins and Pearl’s hung in the balance because of their greed. I clenched my fists so tight, my nails dug into my palms. I gnawed on the inside of my check until I tasted blood. I didn’t bother to hide my anger as I asked, “What was the cost of obtaining this map? What was the price paid for the one who once wore it? Is your gold worth it?”
“It is a treasure far more valuable than gold.”
T
he captain raised his chin, but avoided my eyes. “The young lady left it on our ship.”
Even though the blood oath had dampened my feelings, hearing him speak so casually about what had happened on this ship made the small embers glowing inside of me ignite. My dinner churned in my stomach and I clutched the knife beside my plate, determined to stab it into the captain’s chest, blood bond or no. My whole body tightened and rage pounded through me. I’m not sure what made William aware of the change in me but he put his hand over mine.
“Let go of the knife,” William whispered in my ear. My fingers tightened around it but he managed to pry it loose. “I’ll hold that for now,” he added, shooting me a disapproving look.
The captain held up the medallion, the now-red stone illuminated by the lanterns.
I forced myself to look into his eyes. “And you're proud that you somehow corrupted the Emmía enough for her medallion to fall off?”
“It was for the greater good. I might not have had the opportunity again. I had to act.” The captain rolled his shoulders. I looked around the table and all of the men lowered their eyes.
“And none of you cared about what happened to her?” Anger laid strength to my words.
“Of course we did,” the captain said, his nostrils flaring.
“Then couldn't you have come up with a different way to get this map, if that’s what it is?” I tapped my nails against the table.
The captain stroked his chin. “I tried, and it nearly killed me.”
“And all of you approved this plan to rob her of her medallion?” I met each of their eyes one by one and they dropped their gaze until I got to William. “Even you?”
William tightened his grip on his knife till his knuckles turned white. He glared sideways at the captain. “I wasn’t on board, or I would have opposed it.”
He placed his hand back on top of mine, softly this time. For a moment it felt like I had a friend. I twisted my fingers through his, taking the small comfort before pulling away.
“So what did become of the girl?” I finally asked. Did they know? Did they care? Did they ever even think of what it had done to me? “Is your map worth the death of the Emmía?”
“We tried to bring her with us, but the Manacle snatched her back. She’ll be fine, though,” the captain responded, then paused to take a sip, the glass trembling in his hand. “Until she delivers them an heir, they wouldn’t dare harm her.”
“Is that how you justify it? Do you honestly think that she was able to resume her life with no consequences? From what I heard in Rizo, she is scheduled to be executed.”
The captain shot to his feet and leaned across the table. “You lie.”
“Do I? What does the blood oath tell you?”
The captain's gaze dropped and his lips twitched as he felt out my words.
“It’s the truth,” he said finally. He sunk into his chair, his face grew pale, and for a moment he looked like a lost little boy. “Did you hear any of this when you were in Rizo?” He looked to William, who shook his head.
“I hope your precious treasure is worth it,” I said. “It's so gratifying to see the measure of the crew that I joined myself with.” I pushed back my chair with a violent shove and began gathering the dishes.
I reached for the captain’s plate without looking at him and was surprised as he encircled his hand around my wrist. I flinched as if I had been burned. “Who issued the order for her death?” he asked, his eyes wide with horror.
“The prince. James.” I ripped my hand away.
The captain's brows drew together. “James?”
“Yes. He ordered that the execution be carried out immediately, before his father could find out and overrule it.”
The captain voice’s was barely a whisper. “He took her beyond the barrier, then ordered a quick death. He truly loved her.”
His words made no sense to me, but before I could question him, his eyes flashed silver. “Sit down, Sheridan,” he ordered. Without thought I took my seat again. I realized with a frown it was the blood oath that had made me obey so quickly. The captain was silent for a long time. He looked around the table, meeting the gaze of each officer, a steely determination permeating from him. At last he spoke, his voice low and determined.
“We must not fail gentlemen. We must find it. It's more important now than ever. This news is a call to action.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment.
“The girl’s death is regrettable,” Thomas said, breaking the silence. “If we act quickly, though, there may still be enough magic in the medallion to guide our trip.”
The captain nodded. “Alert the crew to make full sail. Dismissed.” The men arose and began filing out, with the captain at the lead. William stayed behind.
Once we were alone, he turned to me. “Do not mistake my kindness for weakness. I know what you wanted to do with that knife and I won’t allow it. If you could have stabbed him before the blood oath killed you, any man there would have slain you for it.”
He moved around the table, pausing at the door. “In all honesty, it was your anger tonight that surprised me more than anything. I’ve never seen one blood sworn able to have that much fury toward their liege. I’ll be watching. Don’t make me regret my decision to help you.” A bell tolled above deck. “I have to report to duty. Please make sure these dishes are taken care of.” He gave me a quick nod before leaving.
I sank down into my chair, trying to absorb everything that had happened this day. Above all the emotional turmoil, one thought buoyed me up: the medallion was on board the ship. Now all I had to do was steal it.
I gathered the dishes and headed for the kitchen. Lafe was waiting for me outside the room. He took part of my stack and accompanied me in silence.
“There's one more plate we need to serve,” Joe greeted as I entered the galley. “I’d almost forgotten ‘bout the prisoner myself, but just because a man's in the brig, it ain't right to starve him. Take him a plate of food.”
“A prisoner?”
“Another stowaway like you.”
In all that had unfurled since I’d snuck on board the ship, I’d forgotten about the other stowaway. I wondered who else would be crazy enough to throw their lot in with these pirates.
I picked up the tray and let Lafe guide me down to the brig. A single torch lit the barred cells in the dark room. My nose involuntarily scrunched at the odor that permeated the air. It smelled sour, like rotten seaweed and mold. I saw the prisoner and stifled a gasp. It was Dorian. He lay on the ground in one of the cells, his arms crossed over his eyes. I couldn't imagine being stuck here, and for a moment I felt sorry for him.
“I brought you some dinner.”
Dorian pushed up on his elbows. “About time.”
The guard inspected the plate before sliding it under the bars.
“Might I have a word, sir?” the guard asked Lafe. His eyes flicked toward me. “In private?”
Lafe led him into the passageway and the two conversed in hushed tones.
Dorian grabbed his dinner and dug into the food. He paused and sniffed the air before turning his gaze on me.
“I’m on this blasted ship because of you, Emmía,” Dorian said in a low voice.
My breath caught in my throat. I had never told him about my disguise. How did he know me?
“What did you just call me?” I whispered. Even in the dim light his smirk was impossible to miss.
“I know you, Emmía. Your potions can’t fool a Hound.”
I frowned and stared at the ground. Not only did this jeopardize my current plans, it also erased any hope I had of getting out of this situation alive. Even if I somehow managed to rescue Pearl and escape, I could be tracked down no matter how I disguised myself. I hadn’t realized until that moment that I still had any hopes of personal survival. The blow didn't hurt like I would have expected.
“How is it my fault you’re stuck here?”
He took another bite of his chicken. “I watched y
ou get aboard but you didn’t leave before the ship left port. I had to sneak on before you and the medallion were both out of my reach, and sure enough, the wards detected me.” He wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin. “I started to think you were going to leave me here to rot.”
“I didn’t know you were here. I’ve been busy.”
“Busy doing what, exactly?”
“Getting married.”
Dorian choked on his potatoes. “Married?”
“I didn’t have a choice if I wanted to stay on board.”
“Who’d you marry, the captain?” He laughed at his own joke.
“No, I married the first officer.”
Dorian scoffed. “Not much better, seeing as how they're brothers.”
My head snapped towards him. “Brothers? How do you—”
“I'm a Hound. It's my special talent to know things.” He ripped a bite out of his chicken.
Brothers? My only friend on board turned out to be the brother of my most hated enemy. I felt alone again and my heart sank. But could I condemn William for the actions of his brother? It wasn’t as though he could control to whom he was related. And he’d not been on the ship when they attacked the Iris. My thoughts were as tangled as a ball of yarn. I looked at the Hound, chewing his chicken, the one person on the ship who cared if I succeeded.
“Thank you,” I said, settling down on the filthy ground. “For sneaking aboard and making sure I’m not alone in this.”
“Don’t thank me. I’m not a gallant type of man.”
I pursed my lips and studied him. “So I see. I thought you couldn’t get on board the ship at all. I thought finding the medallion was my part of this.”
“Yes and you’ve done a wonderful job.” He gave me a level stare. “So how is it seeing your beloved pirates again? The ones you killed the prince for?”
“That isn't what happened. I was fighting the pirates and trying to save the kingdom. August accidently got in the way. As for the captain, I very nearly tried to kill him. I think he is the very vilest of men.”
Dorian smiled. “Well, well. Maybe you’re not totally daft after all.”
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