Phoenix Rising

by Bryony Pearce

  Ayla bit her lip. “What position would I hold?”

  “Does that matter?”

  Toby felt her grow stiff beside him.

  “I’m second in command on the Banshee. Something happens to Nell and I’m captain. Here, what would I be? An old enemy no one can quite trust.”

  “It wouldn’t be like that.” Toby managed to catch her fingers and she let him hold her hand for a brief moment then pulled away.

  “Yes,” she said, “it would.” She touched the plaster around her arm. “I’m not joining the Phoenix, Toby, just like you wouldn’t join the Banshee. I’m not giving up the map and you won’t give up the solar panels. Where does that leave us?”

  “I-I don’t know.”

  “I have to go back to the Banshee,” Ayla said. “I’ll take the map to Nell and ask her what she wants to do. If she decides to swap it for fifty per cent of the solar panels, then that’s what’ll happen.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Toby stood up. “We can speak to Nell together.”

  Ayla laughed. “You have a death wish?”

  Toby hung his head. “If she says no, I’ll never see you again.”

  Ayla sighed. “If she says no, you’ll see us again all too quickly.”

  The sunrise woke Toby. He had fallen asleep with his head at the wrong end of his berth, so that the porthole above him angled the light directly into his eyes. He shifted awkwardly, expecting to find Polly at his shoulder and Ayla curled up next to him, but Polly was still in the boiler room where he had left her, and where Ayla had been, his side was cold, his bunk empty.

  “Ayla?” He sat up, stretching. In the night he had thought of more arguments that he could use to persuade her to stay. The berths around him were full of soundly sleeping crew members so he rose quietly to his feet. At some point Hiko had crept into the sleeping quarters and now the younger boy was curled up on the floor in his little nest; tufts of his dark hair were all that showed beneath the blanket.

  “Toby?” He raised his head and blinked, sleepily.

  “Go back to sleep, Hiko.” Toby stepped over him and tiptoed into the passageway and past the mess hall, where he saw Uma fast asleep with her head on a table, her medical kit spread around her and the worst of the injured lying on the floor.

  Harry’s body was no longer on a table; it must have been moved to the deck in preparation for his sea burial. Toby was relieved to see that Marcus still slept next to Dee and that Big Pad and Rita were also there.

  He slipped past the galley, knowing that if Peel and Crocker were anywhere they would be sleeping inside. Then he climbed the ladder, opened the hatch and exited into the dawn light.

  The day was already heating up, the sun a bright yellow. Automatically he turned to greet the watchman. But Arnav was lying on the deck, his arms splayed out, his eyes closed.

  “Arnav?” Toby ran forward. The old pirate never, ever, slept on duty. He shook him, but there was no response. As his head lolled, Toby saw that there was blood on his scalp. “Arnav!” The old man’s chest rose and fell and Toby sagged in relief, then he sprung to his feet, his head already knowing what his heart refused to accept. “Ayla,” he shouted.

  As he turned he realized that there was something missing from the deck of the ship – there was a space where Birdie should be. Ayla was gone.

  Toby ran to the winches. Birdie was already floating on the salt but she was empty. Ayla must have winched her down, but where was she? Toby leaned over the gunwale.

  A rope dangled from a chock and Ayla was abseiling down slowly, using her one good hand. The pack dangled from her back.

  “Ayla,” Toby yelled. “Come back!”

  She looked up, face pale. “Your captain would never have let me leave with the map, Toby. I have to go.”

  “Not like this.” Toby’s knuckles whitened on the gunwale.

  “What’s going on?” Hiko stood at his side, rubbing gritty eyes.

  Toby jumped. “It’s Ayla, she’s running.” He punched the rail as she lowered herself closer to the salt.

  “Why?” Hiko frowned.

  “She’s taking the map to Nell.” Toby leaned over again. “Wait!” he called.

  Hiko screwed up his face. “But it’s no use to her without me. She can’t read it.”

  “Gods, you’re right.” Toby stared at him. “Nell won’t swap that map for solar panels. Once she has it, she’ll attack the Phoenix and take both you and the captain. It’s the only thing she can do.”

  “I’m not going back to the Banshee.” Hiko retreated as if they were already coming for him.

  “And I can’t let Ayla take that map to Nell.” Toby grabbed the winch and swung his legs overboard.

  “What are you doing?” Hiko grabbed his arm.

  “Stopping her.” Toby abseiled backwards. Hiko flew to the railing and watched him drop.

  “Polly’s in the boiler room. I’ll send her after you,” he shouted.

  Toby waved acknowledgement and sped down the Phoenix’s hull, the rope burning the palms of his hands.

  Ayla looked up, realized that Toby was coming and started to slide faster.

  They thudded into Birdie at almost exactly the same time, making the boat rock.

  “Ayla, what are you doing?” Toby grabbed her arm.

  She tossed her head in refusal. “This is the only way.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Why can’t you trust me, Toby? This is the best solution! I tell Nell about the map, she swaps a copy for a share of the solar panels. Then we can search for the island together.”

  “Nell won’t make the deal you want, Ayla. She’ll attack the Phoenix and you’ll tell her exactly how weak we are, won’t you?” His lips twisted.

  “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “Well, are you going to tell her that Hiko is the only one who can read the map?”

  Ayla hesitated.

  “Thought so.” Toby made a grab for the bag and Ayla arced her body backwards.

  “You haven’t even asked about Arnav, the old man you hit.”

  Ayla winced. “Is he…?”

  “He’s alive, so you won’t be in too much trouble. Come back up.” Toby closed his hand around the strap and pulled. “If you take the map to Nell, she’ll come for Hiko.” Ayla slid backwards and lost her balance, falling to the seat.

  “Why couldn’t you just give me the coordinates for the panels,” she shouted. She wrenched herself round and kicked his arm, dislodging his hold.

  Birdie rocked, dangerously and, as the Phoenix pulled ahead of them, Toby realized that they were in the open sea.

  From the deck of the Phoenix even the largest junk didn’t seem so big. Now, on either side of his head, mountains of rusting metal and pitted plastic tilted crazily in the oily waves, threatening to crush them at any moment.

  “How did you row through this?” he breathed.

  The junk creaked and rocked in the swell, leaning towards them and then away.

  “Bloody idiot!” The squawk came from above his head and Toby looked up. Polly was gliding towards Birdie. Hiko waved from the deck.

  Ayla took advantage of his distraction, rose to her feet and swung at his head. Her arm, solid plaster, connected with his forehead and he flew back. The last sound he heard was Polly’s screech of rage, then his skull connected with the rowlock and everything went black.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Toby groaned. His eyes seemed to be glued together. He rubbed them with his knuckles but, before he could prise them open, warm water washed over his face. He sputtered, rolled and rose on to his knees, confused and disoriented.

  “Is that any better?” Ayla’s voice.

  Toby nodded but the light felt like metal spikes going through his eyes and into his brain. His eyes stung and his vision was blurry.

  “My head!” He clutched at his temples. “Where’s Polly?”

  Ayla was silent for a moment. “Can you see yet?” she asked.

  Toby forced his eyes ope
n and looked around. Ayla squatted in a grey passageway. She wore a fresh uniform and new boots. Her hair had been cut so that the singed ends were no longer visible. In fact, one side of her hair was chin-length, the other reached her breast bone. Her braids were back, the beads once more brightening her face. But she avoided his bloodshot eyes.

  Toby tore his gaze from her face and stared instead at the bars that separated them. The mangy cat crouched at her feet, staring at him with yellow eyes.

  “Where am I?” The accusation in his voice made Ayla wince.

  “You’re on the Banshee,” she whispered.

  “I figured that out for myself,” Toby snarled. Automatically he felt for Nix, but his sword was gone.

  “You’re in the brig.” Ayla fiddled with one thin braid and the cat purred.

  “And where’s Polly?” Toby fought to keep his voice even.

  “Captain Nell has your parrot-thing.”

  “Ayla…” Toby struggled to keep himself under control. “Polly saved your life.”

  “I’m doing my best to get her back. Nell has the map. She’s trying to translate it. She’ll swap a copy for the solar panels, I know it.”

  “You hit me,” Toby finally snapped. “This is the life you want, is it? Well, you’re welcome to it. Let me out of here and I’ll get Polly, take Birdie and go.”

  Ayla rose unsteadily to her feet, but made no move towards the cell door.

  “Let me out, Ayla.” Toby’s voice dropped dangerously low.

  Ayla shook her head. “I can’t. Just wait. Nell will let you out when she decides to send a copy of the map to the Phoenix. You’ll be sent back with the offer, you’ll see.” She retreated to the passageway wall. “She’s just mad because I was burnt. When she saw my arm, she went insane. She’ll calm down in a while. I have to go – I’m supposed to tell her when you wake up.”

  “You’re a fool, Ayla.” Toby grabbed the bars. “She’ll never let me go. She holds all the cards now. Open the door, before it’s too late.”

  Ayla shook her head, backing down the passageway. The cat followed her, tail raised and swishing. “If I let you go, I’ll be the one who pays. Just hang on. Everything will be all right.” She looked at him one more time. “You shouldn’t have followed me, Toby.” She and the cat disappeared leaving Toby in the cell, alone.

  Despite the heat outside, the brig of the warship was cold. For Toby, who was used to the warmth of the Phoenix’s boiler room, it was worse than being on watch in the North Sea. At least when he was nestled in the crow’s nest with his waxed hood pulled over his eyes he knew the day would end with one of Peel’s soup cups warming his icy hands.

  This cold was deceiving. It started out with a slight chill on whatever part of Toby touched the floor and it grew insidiously, until it was bone deep. There was no respite, only more cold.

  As Toby wrapped his arms around his knees and shivered, he remembered that Hiko knew where he was. Maybe help was coming. Then he thought of the injured crew of the Phoenix.

  It was selfish of Toby to hope for a rescue party, especially when he had betrayed them all. Why hadn’t he called the alarm when he realized what Ayla was doing? If Theo and Simeon had gone after Ayla instead of Toby they would all be home right now. Once more he had put Ayla before his crew and now he was paying for it. He had no right to expect a rescue.

  Although the cold seeped into his chest and slowed the beat of his heart, Toby’s ears still pricked at the sound of Ayla’s voice growing louder and a flare of heat burned in his belly at the thought of seeing her face again.

  “Fool,” he muttered to himself.

  But it was not her face that was first around the corner. Ayla was backing towards the cells, waving her arms.

  Toby sat up.

  “You’re not listening to me,” Ayla was saying. “Toby saved my life! We could work together. The Phoenix isn’t bad, not like you say.”

  “Stupid child,” Nell sneered, striding ahead. “You’re all of fifteen, what do you know?”

  At Nell’s reply, Ayla flinched. Then she straightened, searching for dignity. “I’m your second in command, you should listen to me,” she said quietly.

  Nell came to a stop outside Toby’s cell and looked in, her eyes stony. The same as her daughter’s, but without any of their warmth. Toby wondered, with a shiver, if Nell had ever laughed in her life.

  “Captain.” Ayla held out a hand. “Please.”

  “Begging now, Ayla? You know what that gets you on this ship.” Nell stepped close to the cell, not taking her eyes from Toby. She pressed her hands against the bars. “You have no idea how long I have waited for this.” She hawked and spat, forcing Ayla to step to one side. “Barnaby won’t be long behind his son.”

  Toby shook his head and Nell cocked hers to one side.

  “You disagree, boy? One thing about your father was never in doubt. He does love his son.”

  Ayla caught her mother’s arm. “I-I don’t think anyone knows where Toby is.”

  “Is that the truth?” Nell gave a shark-like grin. “Then, while Barnaby is distracted searching for his precious boy, let us ready the trebuchet. We take the Phoenix, the solar panels and anything else they have of value.”

  “No.” Ayla gasped.

  “Yes. We’ll capture the other boy alive, but the rest we don’t need. Go and give the orders. We’ll fire as soon as we’re in range.”

  “What about the solar panels?” Toby clutched at the bars between them. “You still need those, right? The captain is the only one who knows how to find them.”

  Nell threw back her head and made a sound that made Toby’s knees quake. She was laughing at him. “You don’t know?” She wiped her eyes. “Your father’s not the only genius at sea, boy. Before I was on the Banshee I worked with him at a St George facility. I was in charge of the last working computers on the planet. And now I’ve got Polly – the most sophisticated AI ever made. If Barnaby Ford knows where the solar panels are, so does your AI. Everything she’s seen is on her database. All I have to do is hack her.” She smiled thinly. “So, you see, the only crew member on the Phoenix of any interest to me now is the boy. I will let your father live … long enough for him to see me cut his son into pieces. Then I’ll strap him to the prow of my ship and let him starve. I need a new figurehead.”

  Toby would have fallen if he hadn’t already been sitting down. “You worked with my father?”

  “Your father and I were once very close.”

  Toby’s head whirled. “He would have said.” Then he remembered his father’s words; I know Nell; she would do no such thing.

  “But if you were friends, then why?”

  Nell just sneered.

  Ayla caught her arm. “It isn’t right.” Her voice revealed a high-pitched desperation that Toby had never heard. “We can each have a copy of the map. We can find the solar panels together. We can all find the island – share the riches. There’s no need for this.”

  “We’re pirates. We don’t share,” Nell jeered.

  “We could,” Ayla pleaded. “Aren’t you tired of living like this?”

  For one shocking moment Nell’s eyes seemed to soften. “I’ve been tired of living like this for a very long time,” she whispered. Then she looked her daughter in the eyes. “Go and give the orders.”

  “Mother.”

  “Don’t mother me.”

  Toby gasped as Nell raised her hand and backhanded her injured daughter across the passageway. “On this ship, what do you call me?”

  Ayla stood upright, her cast by her side, her cheek reddening. “Sorry, Captain.”

  “Go and give the orders, Ayla.” Nell’s voice was savage.

  To Toby’s horror, Ayla nodded. Her mother’s handprint stood out on her white cheek as she turned, unable to look into the cell where Toby now stood, shaking with cold.

  Nell stayed, examining Toby, tilting her head one way and another as she took him in.

  “As soon as you’re gone my daughter w
ill get over her infatuation.” She shook her head. “I’ll hire a few younger crew members and let her take her pick. You may be the first boy, but you won’t be the last.” She turned on her heel and smiled back at him. “Think about that,” she said, as she started to walk away.

  The door to the passageway sprung open before she reached it. “Captain.” A rangy crew member stood in the doorway. “We pulled these two out of a Phoenix lifeboat. They say they want to defect.”

  “What?” Toby leaned as close to the bars as possible and Nell looked back at him. Then she stepped to one side so that his view was uninterrupted.

  “Little boy.” Peel lifted one hand in a salute. “I bet they’ve got an operational oven or two on this big beauty.” He rocked on his heels. “You must be Captain Nell.” He smiled. “I realize that you might not be in the market for new crew but I’m an excellent cook and I have secrets to trade, oh yes, I do – the secrets of the Phoenix.”

  “You said two.” Nell frowned.

  Crocker stepped from behind Peel’s bulk. “Aye, there are two of us all right.” He smiled. “Hello, Toby, you little shit. You look like hell. I hope I get to watch you die real soon.”

  “Peel!” Toby clutched the bars. “We should have known you’d do this. The captain should never have trusted you. You’ll pay for this. Just you wait. I’ll make you pay.”

  Nell watched the exchange with one hand resting on her long knife. “Well, well. I was wondering whether this was the rescue party … but it seems not.” She stepped towards Peel and took his arm. “Come then, Peel, was it? I have time to interrogate you.” As Peel’s eyes widened she smiled sweetly. “Oh, sorry, did I say interrogate? Of course I meant debrief you.”

  And with a final glance at her prisoner, she escorted the defectors through the door and out of sight.

  TWENTY-SIX

  The great warship shuddered as she turned. Toby closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to the floor, feeling for the engines, wishing he could tell them to stop.

  “Toby?” Ayla approached with the cat, Boudicca, once more at her feet. “You were right.”