by LJ Andrews
He’d been with her from the beginning of her journey. He’d seen the changes, and he’d kept them private. Even when he’d told Smythe she had a dagger, he’d never disclosed the blade had unique abilities.
“I…don’t think I should say anything,” she finally said.
Atlas lowered his face to the ground, his jaw grinding. “I know you still don’t trust me, Nova, but I want to help you. I know you’re going to try and escape the Vengeance when we get to the Island.”
“How…who—ˮ
“No one told me. It isn’t difficult to figure out. I want to help you do it. Whether you believe me or not, I want to help you get out of here.” She studied his face, trying to distinguish his sincerity. Her stomach twirled when he smiled slightly. “Well, I’m glad you’re all right. If you ever need anything I will be there.”
Atlas turned to walk away. Nova bit her lip, fighting with the urge to unleash all her fears on someone else. Madame Sienna’s analysis had upset her to her core, but aboard the Vengeance, it would be impossible to take off the mask of unfeeling. One hint of vulnerability and the pirate vultures would devour her.
“Atlas, wait,” she said, closing her eyes tightly and hoping she wouldn’t regret confiding in him. Atlas turned and faced her just as he was stepping out of the gun deck. “The healer did say have more to say, and frankly…you are the only one who might help me make sense of it all.”
“I’m listening,” he said, kneeling next to her.
Nova took a deep breath and told him of the entire visit with Madame Sienna. When she’d finished Atlas’s brow furrowed in thought.
“I’m not sure what to say,” he admitted. “I never believed the old fables could ever be true, but…”
“What? Please tell me what you think,” Nova said, feeling more desperate to get to the bottom of her personal mystery. She leaned closer, without thinking. Atlas seemed to take notice, and relaxed next to her.
“It makes sense, to be honest, Nova. I don’t know about the Djinn part, but there certainly was a transformation with you after I met you. I’ve seen you do things, Nova, that most inexperienced young women could never do aboard a pirate ship. Remember when we went through the vetting process? I was saved because I could man a helm, but I was certain…I was certain they would find you out and either…do what they wanted with you, or kill you. But, that was the first night I knew something was different about you. When you faced them, something changed. Your eyes brightened, and as I watched you…I would have let you get away with anything.”
Nova rubbed her forehead, thinking back to every moment she’d felt the dark surge of confidence, arrogance, and power overwhelm her. Things happened as she wished them to happen. She’d often wondered how she’d survived among pirates so long when she’d been raised amongst blacksmiths, bakers and shipyard workers. She’d told herself it was due to her father teaching her how to handle her small sword, but if she was honest with herself, that small training didn’t explain how she’d recited the pirate code during her vetting. It didn’t explain how she was able to kill an enormous Lamian who had studied combat his entire life. The only thing she remembered was being on the brink of destruction nearly every time, allowing the power to overtake, and ending in victory.
“What are you thinking?” Atlas asked, breaking her from her trance.
“I don’t know what to think, Atlas. I…I’m honestly scared,” she admitted.
Before she could protest, she felt Atlas’s hands cupping her face and bringing her eyes to his. “Don’t be. Nova, if the healer was right, you have a strength within you. You could do anything you want. Nova, just think, what if you can alter fate to your desire? Think of what you could do.”
“I’m just…I’m just me though, Atlas. How could I ever do that?” she said, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes.
Atlas moved his face closer so she could smell his leather hat and the fresh scent of his stubble shadowing his face. She surprised herself when she didn’t pull away. The memory of Atlas kept her in place, and for a moment she imagined life without the night he’d abandoned her to Smythe. The smile crept on its own, tugging at her lips as she imagined.
Atlas brushed his lips gently over hers. It wasn’t right, she told herself. She couldn’t trust him. She’d been here before, but she didn’t want him to pull away.
“You are more than you give yourself credit for,” he whispered. “I’ll never be the same since meeting you.”
She smiled, he dipped his head down low again, and Nova found how greatly she anticipated his kiss. With a loud creak, the moment ended as Nova jerked her head up toward the hatch staircase.
Atlas turned over his shoulder. “What are you doing, Lucian?” he growled.
Lucian’s eyes were wide beneath his floppy brim of the over-large hat. Nervously, he pulled at the greasy long curls hanging over his shoulder. His mouth dropped when he saw Nova, and his eyes narrowed. Without a word, the grimy pirate rushed up the stairs, back to the main deck.
Nova bit her lip, feeling her heart pound in her chest. “He’s going to tell the crew,” she whispered.
Atlas scoffed and leaned toward her. “And what if he does? Everyone knew about us before.”
Quickly, Nova stood, brushing off her dusty brown pants. “I’m not sure there is an ‘us,’ Atlas.”
Atlas’s light eyes looked at the ground. But he nodded. “I understand. Just know I’m not going to give up so easy.”
“I would expect nothing less of you,” she said, backing away slightly. “I’m tired now, and I have a great deal on my mind. There are so many unanswered questions and finding the truth is the only thing that matters right now.”
Chapter 14
The Ledger
She could feel their eyes on her back, mumbling under their breath, some laughing as she passed. The morning chores felt as if they might never end as men scrubbed the deck too close to her, their bloodshot eyes full of lust. Nova shuddered when the pirate from the night before, Lucian, knelt next to her as she scrubbed the base of a rail.
“All’s this time I thought ye be off limits, wench. How foolish of me to think ye wouldn’t use yer spell to overpower our helmsman like ye did before.”
“Leave me be,” Nova seethed, gripping her scrub brush and standing quickly.
Lucian grabbed her wrist tightly. Immediately, she felt a surge of anger. The wretched spy was threatening her. She’d survived without indecent incident on a ship full of wicked pirates since she’d left home. She wasn’t about to start now.
“Let me go,” she growled.
“Now, there’s no sense in ye bein’ short,” Lucian said.
Nova glowered from beneath her hat’s brim. Taking her other hand, she grabbed the tips of his fingers entangled around her wrist and ripped three backward, hard enough she heard the pop over the windy currents.
“Ahhh!” Lucian cried, releasing her and holding tight to his injured hand. “Ye witch! I’ll kill ye!” He reached for his cutlass with his good hand, but stopped as someone tugged on to his arm.
“I wouldn’t touch her,” Kale said.
“Don’t defend her, brig master,” Lucian shouted. “She’s nothin’ but a wench usin’ her looks to get what she wants from the helmsman. Didn’t ye hear what she be doin’ behind the cap’n’s back on the gun deck, even after he said no one touches her?”
Kale’s eyes drifted toward Nova, who saw the disappointment written on his face. Surprisingly, it cut through her fury and twisted her stomach with regret.
“I heard,” he said, turning his attention back on Lucian. “But it doesn’t concern us. If Atlas wants to break ship rules, that’s on him. But leave her be, or Captain Smythe may take out his anger on you.”
Lucian breathed deeply, seeming to calm his annoyance. Finally, he nodded. “Ye be right. No sense in bein’ punished for this wench.”
Quickly, Lucian stalked away leaving Nova embarrassed and ashamed next to Kale.
He turned an
d watched her for a moment. His eyes were flat, his face expressionless. “Well, I’ll let you back to your chores.”
“Kale,” she said. He stopped, but didn’t turn around. Her tongue was dry and words wouldn’t form against the tumbling thoughts in her mind.
When she said nothing, Kale kept walking, disappearing down the hatch toward the brig.
“Don’t let it get to you,” Atlas said, surprising her.
“We shouldn’t be by one another. You should tend to the helm,” she replied, bending down to continue scrubbing.
“Nova, don’t worry about Lucian. He’s a fool and no one pays him any mind.”
“It’s not just him,” she said, scrubbing harder.
Atlas clenched his teeth and nodded. “Ah, I see. You care about what Kale Tucker thinks.”
She threw her scrub brush into the dented tin bucket. “No, I don’t. That’s not what I meant. I care about finding the truth about my family. I care about finding my father. I care about finding my mother and begging forgiveness for the pain I’ve caused her. And you men insist on getting in my way!”
Nova huffed away, leaving Atlas surprised but seemingly amused by her outburst. She glared at him once she leaned against the opposite rail across the deck. Her blood felt hot when he returned her pout with a knowing smile. He knew she was finally letting him back into her life, and because he knew it she felt even angrier.
Later that evening, Nova hung her legs through the open rails around the stern of the ship. The sun was fading, filling the sky with bursting shades of orange, purple, and green. The crew was below deck dining on tasteless gray fish and dried blackberries from the swamp the captain had traded for when they’d gone to Vagis for her healing. Nova’s stomach rumbled, but she couldn’t bring herself to join the crew with them believing the things they did. Kale wouldn’t be able to talk all of them out of their ideas about her. She was certain by the end of the night Kale wouldn’t even try. He’d hardly spoken to her the entire day.
Nova tossed a chipped piece of wood over the rail and watched it sink below the cloud line. “He won’t even let me explain,” she said to the open sky.
“Maybe ye should try harder then, missy.” Nova turned around and smiled at Taylor. He held a tin cup filled with the dried berries. “Ye know, I’m a pirate to me soul. I love the thrill of a good plunder, but I must tell ye, ever since ye came aboard I find meself battlin’ more with this silly lovey nonsense between ye and few of our better men.”
Nova chuckled. “I would never want to drag you into anything honorable, Taylor.”
He smiled, casting a glare with his gold teeth. “As ye shouldn’t, cause I assure ye I’d disappoint ye, lass. Missy, why do you let that silliness distract ye? After Sienna said them things she said, I must say I thought ye’d find the strength to learn about yer history more. Not worry about other people. Ye set out on a mission when ye ran from your Ma, now finish it, miss.”
Nova inhaled a rattled breath, taking the tin from Taylor’s outstretched hand. “You’re right Taylor. I let myself get distracted. I have to find my parents.”
“After that shipwreck we saw, are ye still lookin’ for Phoenix?” he asked.
Nova bit into one of the berries as she thought. It bled sweet juice down her throat though it had been dried and it seemed to invigorate her mind. “I think if I could find him he would still be a good ally to have. But I don’t really know anything about him, other than he scares Smythe.”
“Well, yer pap knew Captain Smythe, didn’t he?”
Nova nodded slowly, studying Taylor’s face. “Yes, but why does that matter?”
“Well, maybe yer pap can tell ye why ye found a seal of the Scarlet Moon with yer dagger. And maybe he could answer why Smythe might fear Phoenix.”
Nova scoffed. “And how do you expect my father to tell me that? He’s missing, if you didn’t remember.”
“Aye, he is,” Taylor nodded, stuffing a handful of berries into his mouth. “But he left somethin’ behind, somethin’ from his past did he not?”
Nova caught her breath and widened her eyes. Answers had been in front of her the entire time. “The ledger,” she whispered.
Taylor nodded. “Yer sharp, lassy.”
Nova smiled. “So, I’m supposed to plunder my own captain, huh?”
“Nay, that would be too much like a pirate,” Taylor said. “And ye refuse to be a pirate.”
Nova smiled slyly. “Well, I suppose just for one night I might have to make an exception.”
***
“I don’t think this is wise,” Atlas whispered once Nova was on the quarterdeck. He gripped the helm and kept his eyes straight ahead. The night was a pure ebony sky with the bright moon hidden behind wispy clouds. Even the stars were concealed; nothing lay ahead except endless darkness.
“My father never anticipated his future daughter would read his ledger of pirate deeds. I’m certain he held nothing back in that book. I want to read it and discover for myself what he knows about Madame Sienna’s theories. Remember, the ledger is what led Smythe to the Three Brothers. My father knows about these types of things in our world.”
“Yes, and if Smythe catches you what am I supposed to do?” Atlas argued.
“I’m sure you’ll let her go overboard. When it comes to saving skins, I have a feeling you’ll choose yours since you already proved that once before.” Kale leaned against the rail of the quarterdeck.
Nova whirled around, surprised he’d joined them so quickly. Atlas seethed, his bright eyes darkening into fury.
“Kale, stop,” Nova said, irritated. “You don’t need to attack. I didn’t think you’d come.”
“I almost didn’t,” Kale said, closing the gap between them, his face still angry. “And forgive me Atlas, maybe this time will be different.”
“This isn’t savvy including so many people in the plan,” Atlas argued, glaring at Kale.
“I think you’d like to just spend the night without me interfering in your other activities. Maybe more personal activities,” Kale said sarcastically.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Atlas snarled.
“Stop it, you two,” Nova said, but they ignored her.
“Don’t worry. I won’t get in the way if you two have a rendezvous planned later. I just want to get off this ship for good.”
Nova closed her eyes, fighting off the desire to lash out at Kale. He was one of the last people she wanted to let the inner struggle attack. “That was too far, Kale.”
He sighed and looked at her. “Sorry. You two don’t have to do this. I’ll sneak in and get the ledger myself.”
“We all have a part. Atlas is going to keep an eye out for Smythe, Taylor is distracting him below deck, and you and I will search the cabin,” Nova whispered.
“You don’t need to explain anything Nova,” Atlas cut in. “I think Mr. Tucker doesn’t like the idea of competition, especially against someone who was first in the race.”
“Oh, not again. Atlas…” Nova said, feeling the angry tightening in her chest.
“Pardon me if I don’t like Nova falling for your sweet words again. As far as I’m concerned you pulled yourself out of any running when you set her up to be killed,” Kale scoffed.
Atlas released the helm and stepped closer to Kale. “You speak so freely of something you don’t know anything about.”
“Stop!” Nova demanded. The wave of anger was so powerful, everything seemed to stop and obey, even the wind beating against the sails. Kale glared at Atlas, his jaw clenching tightly. Nova rolled her eyes and stepped between them. “I’m doing this with or without you. Preferably without you, if you’re going to behave like children.”
“Fine,” Kale said with a pout. “Lead the way.”
“Be careful,” Atlas said in a low voice as they made their way down the short flight of stairs toward the captain’s cabin.
Very few crewmen stayed on the main deck late at night. Nova and Kale stayed low in the shadows as they
slunk toward the door. Those meandering along the deck didn’t appear to take any notice as they turned the gold handle and stepped inside.
The cabin was dimly lit. The great desk was covered in parchment and maps, and it smelled strongly of old pipe smoke. Smythe had his compass open with a silver spyglass folded inside itself next to it.
“I’ll take this small chest of drawers,” Kale whispered.
Nova nodded. “I’ll take the desk.”
They spread out across the cabin, ruffling as quietly as possible through books and papers tucked about the cabin. Inside the desk, Nova found a small dagger. The blade was so sharp it seemed it might cut through even the thickest of metal if given the chance. In a lower drawer, Smythe had a heavy supply of pistols and guns. On the surface of the desk, underneath one of the unrolled maps of the kingdom, she saw a heavy brown book. The title was etched in strange symbols, but it seemed familiar.
Opening the book, Nova smelled the dust and mildew on the pages. Sprawled in dark black ink were strange drawings and symbols. The odd symbols titled every page. Nova stopped on a page with a sketch of a face. A woman’s face. She had bright eyes, long hair, and perfect lips. Nova couldn’t make out the odd language, but she sensed, as she studied the portrait, it was the woman in white. Nova felt slightly ill, feeling frightened that it was possible Lurlina was real and not just in her head.
“Did you find it?” Kale asked.
She shook her head and closed the heavy book. A loud crash from outside the door startled her.
“Ah, Captain,” Taylor’s voice shouted from a distance. “But what about Little Joe’s hand? I’m tellin’ ye Willy outta be punished.”
Smythe replied, but his snarl was too far away and low to make out.
“Smythe’s coming,” Kale said. “Check that bookcase.”
Urgently, Nova turned around and ruffled through the shelves. The bookcase was cluttered with old books on sailing, pirate lore, and maps of islands. Atlas stomped one foot above their heads on the quarterdeck.