by Apryl Baker
Stephen stopped again, running a tired hand back and forth across his jaw. The act made a sound like sandpaper being run across a log.
“I guess I’m forced to come to a crossroads about you, because I want to believe you killed those people more than anything. Nothing would be easier. But everything was too perfect, everything pointed to you like a wrapped present.” Stephen let out a heavy breath. “Did you do it, Dragon? Did you kill those men?”
Ryder sensed the conversation teetering on a cusp. She took the opportunity to lock eyes with Stephen and travel closer to her cell bars. The chain dragging in her wake rustled across the floor like some long-forgotten python made of steel. Her hands clenched the bars of her cell so tight she felt them give ever so slightly under her grasp.
“I did not kill those men, Stephen. I swear to you.” Ryder met his gaze with conviction. She had a second to make the decision of telling Stephen what Tobias and Lukas suspected about the changeling. For better or worse, she decided to withhold the information. “Someone or something is setting me up. I am innocent.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Stephen said, a look of exhaustion written across his chiseled features, “but I believe you, Dragon. God knows why, but I believe you did not kill those people.”
A wave of relief washed over Ryder. If this many people thought she was innocent, maybe she had a chance. Stephen might never call her a friend, and Ryder shouldn’t care if the man liked her or not, but the sensation of gratitude for his visit bloomed in her heart.
“Thank you.” The words shocked her as much as Stephen. “I mean, for seeing past everything else.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Stephen straightened up and made for the door. “You’re still the only suspect we have, and all clues point to you. This is going to get worse before it gets better.”
Stephen’s fist hovered over the door, ready to knock and signal for the guards to let him out.
“Wait,” Ryder called, a question still lurking in the deep recesses of her thoughts. “How did you know it wasn’t me? Why do you believe I’m innocent?”
“Because even in the face of me hating you, you were never anything but noble,” Stephen said, not willing to turn to look at her. “Those murders are not in your nature.”
Without another word Stephen rapped on the door and left.
***
Allowed to run unchecked, gossip could divide any crew. Valeria was unwilling to sit by while rumors and whispers were shared of the events surrounding the murders.
It was this reason that had forced her to call an all crew assembly on the main deck. She would attack this like any problem, head on. There was no value in lying to her crew. They deserved the truth, and she trusted them to contain themselves once they had it.
A sea of faces looked up at her as she stood on the raised platform at the stern of The Emerald Queen. The gathered mob quieted as she moved to the railing and made ready to speak.
“By now you’ve all heard three bodies were found in the supply room,” Valeria said. Without pausing for affirmatives, she pressed on. “Three of our number were murdered. Connie, Jen, and Trooper.”
At this, an audible gasp from the crowd rippled through the gathered ranks. No one was brave enough to interrupt their captain quite yet, but a tension was building that would soon boil over if left unchecked.
“There is an investigation taking place as we speak to find the guilty party. We will find whoever is responsible for the act, and they will be dealt with swiftly. If anyone has information pertaining to what happened, you are requested to come forward.”
A hand off to the right of the crowd was raised. It was Ya-You, the ancient medicine man who always seemed to have a bottle close at hand.
“Yes, Ya-You?” Valeria nodded in his direction. “You may speak.”
“The Ryder, Captain,” Ya-You asked in his broken accent. “Is the Ryder at fault?”
“I think he means some of us saw her taken to the cells below.” This from a sailor named Davey. He held his hat in a tight bunch between white knuckled fists. “They were our friends. If the Dragon is responsible—”
An angry cacophony of agreement emanated from a dozen different throats.
“Ryder has not been found guilty,” Valeria boomed over the crew, silencing the murmurs before the scene could unravel. “She is being kept under my command until this can all be sorted out.”
Another hand. This one from one of Stephen’s surviving crewmembers. Valeria recognized the woman as Marm, the expert wheel hand.
Valeria nodded in her direction.
“Begging your pardon, Captain. Ryder must have done something for you to put her in the cell in the first place.”
Another round of nods and agreements from the crew echoed forth. Each uttered just under the decibels needed to hear them clearly.
“We are gathering the facts.” Valeria had anticipated this question and was ready for it. “She is under guard as much for her safety as for yours. No one is going to take this into their own hands, deciding for him or herself who is guilty and who is innocent. I know this may sound vague, but you have my word as your captain, as soon as we have all the facts, they will be made known to you. I swear it.”
That seemed enough for the crew. No more hands were raised. When Val gave the signal of dismissal, they all went back to their tasks on the ship. To the untrained eye, it would seem all was right with the world.
To Val, it was clear this situation needed to be resolved quickly. An uneasy air had begun to build, and the tension did not dissolve when the meeting adjourned. Valeria did not anticipate any of her crew would disobey her orders, but fear coupled with paranoia could do strange things to a sailor. Valeria had witnessed this firsthand.
One thing was certain. Valeria had to find the guilty party as soon as possible or the body count would grow.
***
Lukas asked Valeria to join him as she walked back toward her cabin. She nodded wearily, well aware of the fact Lukas had grown fond of the Dragon. She fully expected him to rake her over the coals for prematurely locking the girl up. He might very well be right. She’d reacted to seeing her people slaughtered instead of taking stock of the situation and then deciding on the proper course of action. The crew’s questions only confirmed locking the Dragon up had given them all the impression she was guilty.
Once they were inside, she sat behind her desk, and Lukas remained standing. He looked around the cabin, curious. His eyes swept over the maps she’d decorated one entire wall with. Atlantian maps. He walked over to peruse them. She frowned. He’d seen them many times before, but he acted as if this were the first time he’d laid eyes on them.
“We need to settle this quickly.” His words were clipped, thick with anger. “This cannot continue. The crew needs justice.”
“And they will get their justice.” She leaned back and rubbed her eyes. She could feel a headache beginning to form. “As soon as we are sure who did it.”
“We know who did it.” Lukas turned to face her, his expression fierce. “I just don’t know why you’re waiting. She should be held accountable.”
Val’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. This couldn’t possibly be the same man who was only this morning trying to convince her to let the Dragon roam freely without guard.
“You’ve certainly changed your tune.”
He looked down, his shoulders tense. “I was wrong about her. Our crew is looking to us for guidance, to keep them safe, and we allowed her on this ship. We allowed her to roam amongst them, to deceive us all. It can’t be allowed any longer, Emerald.”
Well, now, what was this? Lukas never called her anything but Valeria when they were alone. “What do you expect me to do, Lukas? I can’t very well execute the girl without an investigation into the deaths.”
“What more investigation do you need? We found a piece of her dress clutched in Connie’s hand. She must have tried to defend herself and ripped the cloth. Isn’t that enough ev
idence?”
“No, it’s not. She is not allowed to be out without supervision, and the entire time she’s been aboard, she’s never broken that rule. I need a little more than a piece of cloth if I am going to damn someone to death.”
A growl of frustration slipped from his mouth. “Fine. Then I will go find evidence that she’s guilty and needs to pay for her crimes.”
She watched him storm out of her quarters, disturbed. Something was not right. Another knock interrupted her thought and she shouted a “come in.”
Gordon, Scab, and Geordie crowded into her cabin. They looked a little fearful, but determined. She braced herself to hear them demand she take action against Ryder. It wasn’t something she was prepared to do, despite the crew’s obvious wishes.
“Mum.” Scab nodded to her. “We need to speak to ye.”
“Speak freely.”
“We been talking, we have.” Geordie’s lower lip twitched, a sure sign of his nervousness.
“And?” she prompted when none of them said anything more.
“The Dragon, we don’t think she be the one responsible for our mates dying.”
“You don’t?” Now that was something truly amazing. The crew had been suspicious of Ryder from the moment they’d found her on board.
“Nay, Capt’n.” Gordon’s piercing gray eyes were sincere. “We been spending time with the girl up on deck, watching ’er. It’s not in ’er nature to do this. She’s kind, she is. It takes pure evil to do what happ’n to our mates.”
“Thank you all for sharing your thoughts with me. I’ll take it under advisement. No one is going to be doing anything rash, I promise. I’ll get to the bottom of this, whether it’s the Dragon or someone else.”
“Thank ye, Capt’n.” Gordon nodded to her once again, and then the men took their leave.
It was a strange day. The crew was supporting Ryder, and her most staunch supporter had done a complete turnabout. It didn’t make sense to her.
Nothing made sense since they’d entered the Crucible. Nerves were wearing thin, tempers rising. All she knew was that this situation needed to be resolved sooner rather than later.
Chapter Twelve
Tobias rubbed at tired eyes. When the sun refused to set and day was the same as night, it played with one’s mind in strange ways. It was no coincidence the sleep-deprived crew was being tested by a changeling at this very moment.
Tobias found himself alone once Valeria had made her announcement to the crew. She was a clever girl. She had done the right thing in addressing the topic head on. But would cleverness be enough to see her safely through this test?
Memories of a time long past sent Tobias’ mind wandering as he crossed the deck to what was quickly becoming his favorite spot, the bow of the ship.
He recalled how his own journey had taken him back to Atlantis as a young man and his own struggle with completing the Crucible. But the tests weren’t always the same. They still targeted the three essential components of courage, bravery, and truth, but in different ways.
Tobias’ own pilgrimage had not set a murderous changeling loose on board his vessel. Once Tobias reached the very front of The Emerald Queen, he rested tired hands on the smooth railing. There wasn’t much to see, given the never-changing landscape of stone walls to either side, the sea below, and the net above, but Tobias had not come here for the scenery.
A figure joined him to his left. Tobias didn’t have to turn to see who it was. It could only be one person.
“You told them who I was,” the changeling hissed in a way that made it sound more snake than human. “This changes our arrangement.”
“This changes nothing.” Tobias stared out toward the endless labyrinth of stone and net in front of them. “Our agreement remains the same. I snuck you on board. You leave my heritage with Valeria out of your test. My withholding information of your origin was never discussed. Besides, they would have known something was amiss if I had no knowledge of you or your kind.”
“You’re pushing your luck, old man. I not only know who you are, but I have no vested interest in keeping our agreement if you insist on—”
Tobias had enough. Not only did he feel filthy dealing with the creature, but he refused to stand and be blackmailed by it.
With speed that disagreed with his age, Tobias darted toward the changeling. His right hand wrapped around the creature’s throat, forcing it back over the railing. Green magical power pulsed into Tobias right palm, eager for action.
It was now that Tobias got a good look at what he was talking to. For the moment, the changing was still in a form that resembled Lukas, but now a thin tongue slithered in and out of a cave of sharp teeth.
“Please, Heir to the Throne,” the changeling scoffed. “You won’t kill me. You’re not fooling anyone with your show of anger.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Tobias pushed the changeling so far over the railing that the monster had to hold on to the wooden barrier for balance. “Tell me, why wouldn’t I kill you here and now?”
“Because this is your granddaughter and her crew’s Crucible, not your own.” The changeling pushed Tobias back, gently regaining its balance. “You’re much colder than I imagined. You didn’t even mention the three sailors I slaughtered in the belly of this ship.”
“Valeria is the only one of importance to me.” Tobias felt his anger start to recede. He took a step back and looked the changeling deep in its slotted eyes. So strange how despite the few differences it looked so similar to Lukas. “I’ll refrain from assisting the crew in your capture if you hold your word in revealing my identity to my granddaughter.”
The changeling pouted its bottom lip and lifted its eyes to the sky as if it were in deep thought. It was clearly enjoying its moment of power. “I agree. But you’re going to have to tell her sooner or later. What do you think will happen when you reach Atlantis? This secret is much larger than the two of you.”
“That’s for me to worry about, not you,” Tobias said with such finality in his voice the changeling took a step back. “Now, be gone with you. Go about your task.”
“Maybe I was wrong.” The changeling shifted its teeth, tongue, and eyes back to resemble a perfect double of Lukas. “With such resolve, maybe you will be a match for Atlantis’ current king…maybe.”
***
Lukas watched as Tobias released the creature he called a changeling. His first instinct was to confront the man, but he refrained from acting rashly. One of the first lessons he’d learned from Valeria had been to think things through and not act on his first impulses.
Tobias stood there and conversed with that thing. True, he’d dangled it over the railing, but he’d ultimately released it. Was this part of the test, or was it a betrayal on the most basic of levels? Tobias knew so much more about Atlantis and the Crucible than any of them. In the same breath, none of them knew Tobias aside from the fact he’d been a slave when they’d found him. His history, his motives, remained a mystery to them.
So what was he to do?
He decided to follow the changeling. Tobias wasn’t going anywhere, but if he lost the changeling, it could cause more deaths. Which rested squarely on Tobias’ shoulders if there were more casualties.
Lukas stuck to the shadows, trailing behind the creature. It stopped several times to speak with the men. He’d hazard a guess it was to gain support for executing Ryder, which seemed to be its purpose. When it went below decks, Lukas skirted the men it had spoken to and followed it down. When it went into Valeria’s quarters, he snuck closer and pressed his ear to the door. The conversation that followed confirmed his suspicions. It wanted Ryder to be found guilty. He moved away and turned the corner when he heard it about to exit his captain’s quarters.
“Lukas!” Grasshopper, as they liked to call the small man who served as their cook, stopped him. The man was wiry, thin, and bounced on his feet all the time. Nervous energy.
Lukas closed his eyes, knowing he’d never be able to catch the
changeling now.
“I need to be speakin’ with ye or the capt’n. We got issues.”
“Issues?” Like they needed more.
“Aye, sir.” Grasshopper nodded. “With the food supply.”
“What’s wrong with the stores?” he asked. “We restocked right before we departed the island. We should have plenty for at least another three months.”
“The food is spoiling, sir. I got no good reason for it to be happ’nin’, sir. Even the hardtack is going bad.”
“How much do we have left?”
“Maybe a week, week ’n a half.”
Lukas let out a string of curses. They had no idea how long they’d be in this never-ending maze. He’d bet there wasn’t a place to restock in this godforsaken place either.
“Yup.” Grasshopper worried a toothpick he’d stuck between his teeth. “My reaction too.”
“Thanks for telling me, Grasshopper. Ration what we have left. Cut everyone down to a third of what we normally give them. Let me know if the situation worsens.”
He left the man and went to see his captain. Valeria looked up, surprised when she saw him enter.
“Back so soon?”
“Never mind that,” he said. “We have a serious problem. Our food stores are spoiling, even the hardtack.”
“What? How is that even possible? Some of that should be good for a year or more.”
“Aye, but this cursed place is wreaking havoc on everything. Grasshopper has no explanation for the why, but he says we have less than two weeks’ worth of food left. I’ve ordered it rationed, but if we don’t get out of this soon, things are going to go very bad very fast.”
Val rubbed a hand over her eyes, the gesture telling Lukas how weary she really was. He wished he could do something to take the burden from her, but in this, neither of them had options.