Black Sea Bright Song

by Shelly Jarvis

  Myrthe was at Evan’s side before she’d had time to recuperate. She yanked her arm, pulling Evan towards the cave entrance. Evan asked, “What about the plan?”

  “Forget the plan!” Myrthe said, eyes wide. “Why didn’t you tell us you’re a Merewif?”

  “I don’t, I mean, I didn’t—”

  “Forget it,” Myrthe said, coming to a stop on the ledge by the cave’s entrance. She looked down at the water mere inches away from them as she ran her hands over her spiky blonde hair. Planting her hands on her hips, she seemed to reach a decision. “We have to get you out of here. The plan is shot now that Juno is here and knows what you are.”

  “What exactly are you?”

  Evan and Myrthe both jumped at the sound of the voice. They turned to see Nolan leaning against the cave wall. He somehow managed to look casual, as if it were completely normal for him to be standing in this dark place, eavesdropping.

  “You!” Myrthe spat. She lunged towards him, her fists balled, desperate to strike.

  “Ah, ah, ah,” he said, wagging his finger as if scolding a child.

  Shapes melted from the walls, revealing two men from his crew who’d been hiding so stealthily that neither Myrthe nor Evan saw them. Myrthe’s body stilled, but her face was full of movement. From her twitching cheek to her eyes shifting between the men of Nolan’s crew, her tension was on display.

  Without a warning, Nolan pivoted forward, swung his cane at Myrthe’s feet, and knocked her into the pool. She floundered for a moment out of shock. Before she had time to regain her senses, Nolan gave a slight nod and his men dove in after her, grabbing her arms and pulling her through the water.

  Nolan stepped closer to Evan, drawing his index finger down her cheek. He was close enough for Evan to get a whiff of brine and bergamot. He breathed, “I can see why Calix wants you. You’re a pretty one.”

  She smacked his hand away. “You don’t get to touch me.”

  A smile crept over his face. “I like feisty women, but you are just a girl.”

  His eyes flickered to his men and they moved towards her. Evan stood her ground, head raised defiantly as they tightened their grips on her arms.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Juno asked, emerging from the cave behind Nolan.

  If he was surprised to see her, he gave no indication. His eyes traced her for a moment, as he seemed to take her measure. He said, “I’m collecting a stray for the prince.”

  “King,” Juno corrected, dragging out the word as she eyed Nolan.

  With a sly smile, Nolan inclined his head and said, “Yes ma’am. My mistake.”

  “On behalf of His Majesty, King Calix IV, I thank you for your service. But I’ll take the girl from here.”

  Juno stepped towards Evan, but in a quick sidestep Nolan sidled between them. Evan watched as he shifted his cane in front of his body. He’d made the movement seem casual, but Evan was certain it was anything but.

  “That’s kind of you, surely,” Nolan said, his voice as smooth as butter spread over warm bread. “Unfortunately, the king’s thankfulness isn’t what we’re looking for.”

  Juno pursed her lips. “The reward.”

  Nolan’s smile broadened as he lowered his head in a flourished bow. “It is why we’re here.”

  “I have no need of the money. I just want to be the one to bring her in,” Juno said.

  Again she tried to move past Nolan, but he seemed to block her movements before she made them. With a shrug he said, “I just don’t see that happening.”

  Evan saw Juno’s eyes flash silver. She opened her mouth to warn Nolan to look out, but he was already moving from Juno’s reach before the words formed on Evan’s tongue.

  A black-handled blade flashed in Juno’s hand as she swung for Nolan, but he dodged her easily, his body moving as if he were dancing. Juno lunged towards him, her body seeming more rigid with her anger.

  Nolan dodged another of her attacks, and this time he had the audacity to smile as he did so. Juno let out a guttural shriek, but Evan laughed. Both Juno and Nolan paused their attack as they turned towards Evan’s laugh. It was as if they’d forgotten she was there.

  Nolan shot her a grin in return. Juno dived towards her. Evan jumped back, but Juno grabbed her waist and pulled her to the ground. Evan kicked at her, but Juno held tightly to her legs and tried to pull her into the water.

  Nolan moved to Juno, working to pry her off Evan. Juno’s grip was iron, unbreakable as she struggled to keep her prize. Nolan finally pulled one of her hands loose and Evan kicked as hard as she could, fighting to escape. Juno’s free hand grabbed for her knife, raking it along Nolan’s side.

  Nolan cursed as the blade sliced his skin. Blood instantly soaked through his shirt. Juno eased her grip on Evan as she stared at the blood oozing out, her face alight in bizarre pleasure.

  Evan twisted out of Juno’s grip. She threw herself into the water, diving low beneath the cave entrance. It was dark, the water too murky for Evan to see, and the rush of blood in her ears made it impossible for her to think. Trying to remember the route they’d taken earlier, Evan made a wrong turn and found herself sucked out from under the cave, caught in a current that pulled her away from Protea.

  Evan turned to fight her way back towards the city. She needed to get away from Juno, but she also needed to draw attention away from Cas and the crew headed towards Triton. As Evan fought the current, she saw Nolan emerge from the cave, the water painted red around him. A small craft came alongside him, a door opening like the mouth of a whale collecting dinner.

  Evan found herself surprisingly thankful to see Nolan get rescued. He may not be an ally, but she hated to think of the fate awaiting anyone who got in Juno’s way. As the current moved her further away and the distant light from the city faded, she found herself smiling. She thought back to Tago’s words as they had stood in the market: the darkness is something you have yet to face.

  Evan turned, facing the swirling water of the deep. It was time to face the darkness.

  Twenty-Nine

  A strange metallic taste filled Evan’s mouth. She sat up but was overcome with dizziness and unable to stand. She probed her fingers along the knot forming on her head while trying to blink away the spinning room. The darkness made it impossible to know which way was up, and her senses struggled to right themselves.

  Once she regained her faculties, she swung her feet to the floor and stood. The metal was cold on her bare feet. She stepped forward, arms outstretched as she searched for the door. She’d only taken a few steps when her fingers brushed against a flat surface. She ran her hands over the wall, instinctively dropping them to waist level to grasp the knob.

  Evan slid the door open to peer outside. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light in the hallway, but once they did, she could see she was inside a carriage. No one guarded her room, so she stepped into the hall. She crept down the corridor, checking each handle she passed. They were locked.

  At the end of the hall she stood in front of a narrow door with a small glass window in the top. She stood on her tiptoes until she could see inside. There were buttons and levers spaced across a wide panel. Two figures sat facing the panel, but she couldn’t see either person’s face.

  “Hello, Princess.”

  Evan spun on her heels at the voice behind her. She felt the breath she was holding rush out of her when she caught sight of Myrthe. She rushed to the girl, throwing her arms around Myrthe’s neck and whispering, “Thank Poseidon.”

  Evan felt Myrthe tense, as if she were uncomfortable with the attention. Evan released her and stepped back. “Sorry. I’m just happy you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine,” Myrthe said. “How are you?”

  “I’m okay,” Evan said. She wondered at the way Myrthe had asked. It sounded as if she expected something to be wrong.

  Myrthe pursed her lips. “You were floating near the surface, surrounded by reef sharks when we found you.”

  Evan gasped
. “Was I? I hate sharks.”

  “They seemed to like you. It was as if they were protecting you.”

  Evan took the information in, but wasn’t sure what to make of it. She didn’t remember anything from the time she’d left the cave until the moment she woke up on this transport. “Where are we?”

  “Nolan’s ship.”

  Evan scrunched up her face, unsure if this was good or bad news. “Is he okay? It looked like Juno cut him pretty bad.”

  “She barely scratched me,” Nolan said.

  Evan turned to see the suave smuggler propped against the doorframe to the cockpit. He had changed clothes since the fight with Juno, and Evan wondered if it was because the other set was covered in his blood.

  As he walked past her, Evan could see him favoring his uninjured side. He might have the others convinced he was okay, but they hadn’t seen the amount of blood that poured from him. She wasn’t fooled.

  Nolan stopped at the first door in the hallway and knocked. An auburn-haired girl stepped out of the room, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Nolan tipped his head towards the front of the ship and said, “You’re up, kid.”

  The girl started towards the cockpit but stopped when she saw Evan. Eyes the purple of the evening sky took in every inch of Evan’s face, while her mouth stammered uselessly. Finally she seemed to get her wits. She ducked into a bow and said, “It is an honor to meet you, my One True Queen.”

  Nolan sighed. “Yeah, Ova, we get it. You grew up alongside her, she’s your idol, blah, blah, blah. But I’m your Captain. So get to your station.”

  Ova’s cheeks were crimson as she ducked past Evan and Myrthe. Nolan shook his head at the girl and walked into the vacant room.

  Myrthe wagged her eyebrows and said, “Nolan, I’m impressed. First time your crew has had some decent eye candy.”

  Nolan rubbed his chin. “Most people don’t complain about this face.”

  Myrthe grimaced, but Evan cut off her retort and asked, “Who was that?”

  “Some silly Triton I picked up a while back. She’s about as deep as a puddle, but she’s quick with a blade and wicked with explosives.”

  Evan’s eyebrows rose as she asked, “Explosives? They’re outlawed.”

  Nolan chuckled. “We’re criminals, Princess. Explosives are in our wheelhouse.”

  He motioned for Evan and Myrthe to follow him into the cabin. It was sparsely decorated, containing only a desk, a chair, and a cot. He said, “Close the door.”

  He sat down on the cot and leaned against the wall. Evan saw him wince before leaning to the side to take pressure off the cut. She stared at Nolan, trying to figure out exactly who this man was, but she couldn’t seem to glean anything from him. She reached out with her gift, tentatively prodding his emotions. He was curiously blank.

  It wasn’t the frightening void it had been when she’d tried the same thing with Calix; in fact, Nolan’s lack of emotions was more like he was using all his emotions at once, balancing his feelings in a way that made him unreadable. She felt his eyes on her and raised her head to meet them.

  He watched her, curiosity and disgust warring for control of his face. “What are you doing?”

  Evan shook her head, dismissing his question. “Nothing.”

  “I feel you poking around. I just can’t figure out what you’re after.”

  Evan blinked hard, taken aback. “How?”

  He wagged his eyebrows and smirked. “I wasn’t positive until you confirmed it.”

  Evan sighed and folded her arms across her chest. “So what’s the plan here? What are you going to do with me?”

  “I’m taking you to Calix. I thought we’d already been over that.”

  Evan glanced at Myrthe, but she seemed unsurprised. Evan said, “I thought since one of his people stabbed you that you might not be interested in turning me over. I can pay you just as much as they can.”

  Nolan nodded. “I’m sure you can, but the reward is only half of what I’m after.”

  “And what’s the other half?” Evan asked. “Maybe I can help.”

  Nolan shook his head. “Calix is the only one who can help. Believe me, I wouldn’t go near that blockheaded half-wit if I had a choice.”

  Evan scoffed. “Calix may be a fiend, but he’s no fool. Be careful not to underestimate him.”

  “I know who I’m dealing with,” Nolan said through clenched teeth.

  Anger seethed from him now, and Evan could feel pressure just below the surface, ready to burst. She pressed into the emotion, feeling around for what caused it. No matter how she tried, he was still too well-guarded to give anything away. The only thing she could deduce was his anger stemmed from a pain still raw within him.

  “Stop it,” Nolan said, the yellow centers of his hazel eyes ablaze with fury.

  Evan squirmed under his gaze. She whispered, “I’m sorry.”

  “You can’t go around poking at whoever you want. My pain is my own; it’s none of your damned business. Got it?”

  Evan nodded. She didn’t need to prod any further. She could see straight to his core. Calix had taken someone from Nolan, someone more precious than anything else in his life, and Nolan would do anything to get them back.

  Evan swallowed hard, realizing there was no way Nolan would let her go. No amount of money she could offer would be enough. He was using Evan as a bargaining chip to save the person he loved.

  “I understand,” Evan said, meeting his gaze.

  Nolan stared back for a moment, before averting his eyes. He said, “I’m not happy about what I have to do. But I don’t have any other options.”

  Evan nodded. As much as she hated to admit it, she would probably do the same if it would help her get Celia or Declan back. She rearranged her features into her court face. “When are we going to the castle?”

  “Now,” Nolan said. “That’s why I sent Ova up front. She’s got a good rep with the dock guards.”

  Myrthe jumped from the table and towered over Nolan. He didn’t bother showing her the courtesy of being afraid. Her eyes flashed silver as she hissed, “I can’t believe you’re going to do this. What about all the crap you said to Venus about being a changed man? What about the promises you made her?”

  Nolan rolled his eyes. “Venus had the smarts to know better, kid. Why do you think she left me? She knew I would never walk the straight and narrow.”

  Myrthe ran her hands over her head as she started to pace the room. “It’s not as if Venus is a saint, you know? She’s a smuggler. She doesn’t expect you to be perfect. She just wants you to show a little decency when you have the chance.”

  “She gave up on me, Myrthe! She knew I’d never be what she wanted, no matter how hard I tried.”

  “How hard did you try?” Myrthe asked.

  Nolan pushed himself up from the cot. His hand instinctively went to his side. Evan put her hand on his shoulder. “You’re hurt.”

  He waved her away. “I’m fine.”

  “I saw the blood, Nolan. I know it’s worse than you’re willing to admit.”

  He looked at her, almost pleadingly. “I only have to make it through turning you in. He’ll release Layne and I can finally give up.”

  Evan pushed Nolan back onto the cot, surprised he didn’t object. She lifted his shirt where Juno’s dagger had sliced him. His chest and stomach were covered in beads of sweat; his body was tense, highlighting each muscle. It would’ve been a pleasant sight, if not for the pus-filled streak across his side.

  “Holy Hades,” Myrthe cursed over Evan’s shoulder. She stumbled out the door behind them, hurling up her lunch.

  Myrthe’s puking drew the attention of the rest of Nolan’s crew and several came running. One of the men pushed Evan to the floor and held his sword above her. His eyes clouded over with worry when he saw the wound on Nolan’s side.

  “What have you done to him?” the man said. He had a strange twang to his voice, and Evan was certain he’d spent a good bit of time on land.

 
Nolan glanced at his side, now slightly green in color, before nodding to his crew. He said, “I’ve had worse,” then promptly passed out.

  Before they could react, Evan said, “He got stabbed by the Siren in the cavern.”

  The man shook his head. “He said he was fine.”

  “He lied,” Evan replied.

  “No blade could do that,” the man said. “None I’ve seen.”

  “I’ve seen it before,” Myrthe said from the doorway.

  Nolan’s man put his sword away and helped Evan to her feet. Turning to Myrthe he asked, “What did this?”

  “An athame. It’s old as time, rare. Chthon herself used them to kill her rivals. The tiniest prick of the blade can kill within a few hours.”

  “You’ve seen it before?” Evan asked.

  Myrthe nodded. “It’s the same blade that killed my mother.”

  “Myrthe—”

  “Don’t,” Myrthe said. “I don’t need your pity. This is a good thing.”

  “How?” Evan asked.

  “I knew my mother didn’t kill herself. It was Juno, but I couldn’t prove it. Now I know for sure. I can avenge her.”

  Evan stood and placed her hands on Myrthe’s shoulders. “I can’t even begin to imagine the pain you’re feeling, but we can’t afford for you to be focused on revenge right now. You’re the only one who has seen this before.”

  Myrthe nodded, but her eyes were glassy and far away. “What do you need?”

  “What can we do to help Nolan?”

  Myrthe shook her head. “A Merewif’s blade is deadly, always. There’s nothing we can do.”

  “In the cave, Juno called me a Merewif,” Evan said. “Maybe I can use that somehow. Why does she think I’m a sea witch?”

  Myrthe blinked, the faraway look gone. “You took her power. After you touched Juno you were able to shapeshift.”

  “It happened before,” Evan whispered, more to herself than the others. “In the market, when I touched Tago. I had a flash of the future.”

  “It’s like the old stories we heard as kids,” Myrthe said.

  Evan shook her head. “I didn’t hear Siren stories.”