Ebba-Viva Fairisles: Immortal Plunder (Pirates of Felicity Book 1)
Page 25
Peg-leg limped closer and studied the ugly black tendrils along Cosmo’s arm. “I don’t know, m’hearties. It be lookin’ vicious-like. I’d hate for the lad to lose a limb over somethin’ like this, if we can help it.” The sorrow in his voice was clear, and no one could doubt he was remembering losing his own limb. He’d never truly gotten over it, though it happened well before Ebba was born. Peg-leg used to climb the riggings, embracing the challenge of the heights on a moving ship. Ebba loved the feel of swaying high above the ocean, and couldn’t imagine if one day that was suddenly gone. She guessed that was why her father asked her what she saw up there each day.
Of any of them, Peg-leg understood what Cosmo might lose.
Peg-leg didn’t take his eyes off the black mark. “Nay, I vote we be goin’ now.”
“I vote we go now, too,” Ebba said, heart racing. She liked to think helping Cosmo was equally important to her as leaving Zol for a change of scene.
“Well, I am the captain of the month,” said Barrels. “And as such, I have three votes. I vote no. We wait a few days longer and see if the mark worsens. It may not be anything to worry about. Plank?”
“Ye’re the one who wants to get to the bottom of all the magic, and ye said there be magic in Cosmo’s arm,” Ebba reminded Plank quickly. He and Grubby were the only ones who thought they should dig deeper into the strange occurrences of late.
Plank grimaced. “It comes down to safety, little nymph. Until we be sure the black gunk is magic and harmful-like, I ain’t sure we should risk runnin’ alongside Malice. I vote with Barrels—we wait a few days longer.”
Ebba blew out a loud breath and earned a reproving look from the eldest of her fathers.
“Aye then, four votes against two, we’ll do that.” Peg-leg tore his eyes away from the smudge.
Cosmo shrugged his wet tunic back on, shivering.
Barrels picked up his bowl and glanced to where Plank’s and Ebba’s lay empty atop the log. “You two must be hungry. You almost inhaled your food. Peg-leg, I don’t suppose there’s enough for these two to have seconds?”
Ebba’s jaw dropped open. Plank looked about the same.
Peg-leg’s face flushed with pride. “Aye, ye know there’s always plenty where that came from.” He shot an evil glance at where Stubby, Grubby, and Locks had been working earlier that day. They were probably eating coconuts back in the trees somewhere. “Especially as some pirates don’t see fit to join us for the meal.”
He scooped a ladle full of the blackened slop into her bowl.
Ebba watched the stringy glops splash until the bowl was brimming with stew. Plank’s face mirrored her own horror and the gentle sniggers from the other two reached her ears.
She took the full bowl and stared at the half-charcoal, half-watery-gray liquid mess before plastering a grin on her face for Peg-leg’s sake.
The sooner they got out of Zol, the better.
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