Phoenix Burning

by Bryony Pearce

  “You can’t go any further.” Toby pointed at the rising waves. “Give up.”

  Mother Hesper ignored him – the water was up to her shoulders now and her hair was lifting into the poisoned currents like seaweed.

  Finally Mother Hesper stopped. The water lapped at her chin. Then she started to wade forwards once more. As she walked she spoke. “My death curse upon you. May the Sun burn you all the days of your life. May the Moon never shine on your nights. May you suffer the loss of the thing you hold most dear. May you die in agony.” She kept talking, getting louder and more crazed, until her words turned to bubbles. Soon all that Toby could see were her eyes, then a wave covered her head and she was gone.

  He sat down, staggered and looked at Judy for an answer. “How could she do that?”

  Judy shrugged. “Insanity? This religion takes people – blindness, starvation, death.”

  “Silence.” Toby said quietly. Then he gasped as a dark shape floated up beside the boat. Mother Hesper’s robes were tangling in the waves and her pale hand floated, bone-like, pointing at Toby as if reinforcing the curse she had put upon him.

  “May you suffer the loss of the thing you hold most dear…”

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  The boat smelled like the engine room on a bad day. Toby wrinkled his nose and, despite his interest in all things mechanical, he shifted further from the billowing smoke.

  He strained back towards the beach, trying to see the captain, but his sight remained blurred.

  Tears filled his eyes and he swiftly wiped them on his sleeve. Judy sat straight-backed, her eyes out to sea, one hand on the rudder as she guided them around the shallow rocks and headed for deeper waters. The breeze ruffled her blond hair.

  “So,” Toby muttered eventually. “You’re my mother.”

  Judy said nothing for a long moment. Then she gave a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Don’t you remember? I thought maybe when you saw me at the festival…”

  Toby shook his head. “Sorry.” He shuffled on the seat. “Will you take me back to my ship?”

  “Your ship?” Judy raised her eyebrows.

  “The Phoenix.” Toby clenched his fists.

  “You mean the ship your father stole. It rightfully belongs to General Hopewell.”

  “I don’t know any General Hopewell. The Phoenix was always the captain’s – he designed and made her.”

  Judy snorted.

  Toby forced himself to take a long breath. If this woman wasn’t going to take him back to the Phoenix, he had to get away. He glanced at the shore and tensed, poised to jump.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Judy touched his knee.

  “Why not?”

  “You know why not.” She tilted her chin towards the salt. “And do you really want to go back to Gozo?”

  Toby flinched. Could his mother’s plan for him be worse than being recaptured by the Solar Order? As he stared back towards the island, racing through his options, he spotted someone on the rocks.

  “Ashes.” He leaned forward. Ayla was crouching on a rapidly shrinking island of rock, wrapped in a white sheet.

  She saw their boat, rose to her toes and waved frantically.

  Why had no one picked her up?

  As he watched, the rocks at her feet vanished and poisonous foam lapped at her ankles.

  His mind raced and pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. Dee and Marcus were on the island. He hadn’t had time to think about why… Dee must never have truly abandoned the Phoenix. It had all been a set-up to take berth on the Banshee and find out what Nell was planning.

  Dee would have made sure they were the ones selected to rescue Ayla and Toby, perhaps by claiming familiarity with Gozo, perhaps because they could not be easily identified as Banshee crew.

  When Dee realized Toby wasn’t with Ayla, they must have sailed right by.

  He should leave her, just as Dee had intended. Judy was already turning the boat into the current that would take them out to sea.

  “Wait.” Toby could barely believe the words were coming out of his mouth.

  Judy frowned. “You’re coming with me. Accept it.”

  “I know.” He took a deep breath. “I can make it very difficult for you to take me. Or…”

  “Or?” Judy narrowed her eyes.

  “If you pick up Ayla, I’ll come without complaining.”

  “Ayla?” Judy sneered. “Your Moon. I don’t know what you two were doing on Gozo – whatever it was, it didn’t go the way you’d planned.”

  Toby swallowed and said nothing.

  Judy drummed her nails on the rudder then drew her blade.

  “I’d never hurt you, Toby – you’re my son. But if you try me, I’ll stab the girl in the throat.”

  Toby’s vision faded in and out as he strained to see. The salt had risen to Ayla’s knees by the time the boat banged against the rocks.

  Judy handed the rudder to Toby. “Hold her steady.” She leaned out over the side. “Take my hand,” she ordered.

  Ayla took a deep breath but she didn’t move.

  “Up to you.” Judy began to withdraw her arm but Ayla leaped. She gave a small cry as the salt enveloped her and her fingers closed around Judy’s.

  Judy hauled her over the gunwale and Toby shifted his feet away from the trailing edges of her sheet.

  Ayla crouched in the bottom of the boat, bedraggled and dripping. She looked up at Toby, eyes still hazy from the drugs. “How did you…?”

  “I should be blind, right? Or dead.” Toby turned his face from her. “Just be grateful I’m not like you – I couldn’t leave you to die.”

  “Toby…” Ayla started to speak, then she hung her head. “There aren’t any excuses, but Nell insisted. I’m loyal to the Banshee, just like you are to the Phoenix. That’s more important than our stupid feelings.” She looked away from him, then back. “Anyway you abandoned me to the St George attack. We shouldn’t trust one another. We’re all out for ourselves. That’s how it works.”

  “I could have died.” Toby’s mouth was dry. “They staked me out to take my sight. You left me to be blinded – after all we went through.”

  “I asked you to leave with me,” Ayla said. “I begged you to go early, but you wouldn’t, remember? Once the Banshee was at the island, I couldn’t change the plan. Nell would’ve—”

  “So it’s my own fault you betrayed me?” Toby sneered.

  “That’s not what I meant.” Ayla shrank back. “I don’t expect you to forgive me…” She trailed off.

  “I would never have done it to you,” Toby said.

  “You betrayed my son? He almost went blind because of you?” Judy growled and Toby flinched.

  “Your son?” Ayla’s eyes suddenly widened. “Toby, who is this?”

  Toby paled. Suddenly it didn’t seem like such a good idea to have Judy and Ayla in the same boat. “Ayla—”

  “You’re Judy Ford.” The name rasped from her throat, raw with hatred. “You murdering junk-dumper!” Ayla launched herself across the boat. Her hands curled into claws and she dropped the sheet that had been wrapped around her. It tangled in her ankles, but she still managed to land on Judy and knock her blade into the bottom of the boat. Toby grabbed the sword and threw it overboard.

  When he turned back Ayla had a hand curled around Judy’s throat. She raised a fist but Judy broke her hold and blocked the blow.

  Ayla no longer seemed groggy, but Toby could see that her reactions were slow. He lurched forwards to help her – if the two of them took Judy out, they could go back to the Phoenix – but before he could reach his mother, she hammered a fist into Ayla’s temple and Ayla flopped down.

  Judy rubbed her knuckles, sat up and dumped Ayla to one side. “What the hell was that about?” She gave Ayla a kick, then bent and put her hands under her waist, preparing to roll her from the boat.

  Toby caught her wrist. “Stop!”

  Judy frowned. “You promised to go with me if I pic
ked her up. I did. She attacked me. She’s lucky I knocked her out first. She’s going.”

  She heaved, but Toby clung to Ayla’s shoulders.

  “If she goes over the edge, so do I,” he said.

  Judy glared at him. “You wouldn’t.”

  “I would.” Toby forced resolution into his expression.

  Judy sneered. “She betrayed you. Are you so weak?”

  “If you say so.” Toby shrugged.

  Judy frowned. “Why not throw her overboard and be done?”

  “She’s my friend.” Toby said quietly. “But then you’d know all about betraying friends, wouldn’t you?”

  Judy staggered back as though he’d hit her. Immediately the rocking of the boat rolled Ayla back into the middle.

  Toby carried on speaking. “Did you think we wouldn’t find out what you did after we left? Ayla’s the surviving child of Nell Wright. You had her sisters and father burned alive – and now you want to kill her, too!”

  Judy’s hand hovered at her throat and she took a breath, as if she was being suffocated. Toby curled his lip.

  “It was Barnaby,” she said eventually. As Toby bristled, she held up a hand, begging him to listen. “If he hadn’t decided he was too ‘principled’ to make weapons for his own country and turned traitor to St George, none of it would have happened. He took you from me and left. I couldn’t stop him; he’d already gone when I got his message. He’s a kidnapper.” She spat the last words.

  “There’s no excuse for what you did,” he muttered.

  “I didn’t know they’d set the fire…” She turned her face away. “I thought they’d go after Barnaby. I just wanted to get you back.”

  Toby’s whole world slid to one side, his blurred vision adding to a sense of unreality. Suddenly he saw Judy’s point of view – her husband had turned traitor, taken her son and fled with him. She told the authorities and instead of helping her bring back her child, they burned down the house of the friend who had helped him escape.

  “How did you know where I was?” Toby whispered.

  “I’ve been following you for the last ten years. I went after every sighting of the Phoenix, but I was always too late or I couldn’t get to you. Barnaby never let you leave the ship – did you never wonder why?”

  “He was worried I’d be held to ransom.”

  “He was worried that I’d find you!” Judy shouted.

  Ayla groaned and stirred, and Judy quieted her fury. “This is the first time the Phoenix has anchored for long enough for me to catch up. I was searching the festival for you, hoping you’d been let off the ship. Imagine my surprise when I found you on the throne.”

  “What if I’d wanted to stay?” Toby murmured. “For all you knew I was there for my own reasons.”

  “I don’t care.” She clenched her fists. “A boy needs his mother.”

  Toby bit his lip, unable to answer, and she turned her gaze out to sea.

  The engine chuffed as the boat sailed into the evening. Ayla continued to sleep. She twitched and groaned from time to time and it was all Toby could do not to wake her – but he knew what would happen if he did.

  Finally the shape of a larger ship came into view. Toby squinted, but he could see only the silhouette against the evening sky, dappled with the glowing white spots that still filled his vision.

  At first he thought it was the Phoenix: a giant paddle at her side, but his smile faded as the silhouetted ship became clearer.

  She was a long low vessel, bristling with hatches and painted a dark, unrelenting grey. He sat up, his heart suddenly pounding. At the front, half hidden by one of the floating spots in his eyes, a flag was flying.

  “That’s a St George vessel,” he yelled. “I don’t think they’ve seen us. Quick, turn around.”

  “You’re right, they haven’t seen us.” Judy stood up and waved. “Ho, the ship!”

  “What’re you doing?” Toby hissed. “Quiet!”

  A voice rang over the waves, carried by the evening breeze. “Commander?”

  “Send down the winches,” Judy shouted. “I’m not alone.”

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  Toby stared. “You’re a Greyman! A commander!”

  “You make it sound like a bad thing.” Judy caught the first line that was thrown down and attached it to one end of their boat.

  “It is a bad thing.” Toby grabbed her arm. “The Greymen are evil, they’ve been after us for years.”

  “Because you’re pirates, Toby. Attach the other line, will you? We’re the good guys, you’re the bad guys. We’re the law.”

  “There is no law on the salt.” Toby ignored the cable and Judy sighed as it splashed into the sea.

  “There are laws, our laws – your father chooses to ignore them.” She reached over him for the second line and started clipping it to the hook in the stern. When the winch was secure she gave the cable a tug. “Hold on.” She sat and wrapped her fists around the rudder pole. Toby continued to stand, wobbling only slightly when the boat began to rise.

  “St George doesn’t own the salt, no one does.” Toby folded his arms. “We’ve seen the result of your Greyman laws. You can’t take me up there.”

  Judy raised her eyebrows. “You’ve seen the result? You never leave the Phoenix.”

  “The crew has. You demand taxes people can’t give, people who aren’t even on the isle of St George. You’re nothing more than racketeers under the guise of a government.”

  “Do you believe every word you hear? The word of criminals, of people who are fleeing the law? If you’ve never seen for yourself, Toby, you can’t judge.”

  The higher the boat rose up the side of the grey ship, the more panicked Toby became. Tension thrummed through him. He couldn’t allow them to be taken on the Greyman vessel – they’d never get off again. “You’re back at your ship, so why not let Ayla and me go in the boat?”

  “Sorry, Toby, you won’t be leaving until I can trust you to come back. I suspect that’ll be a long time yet.” She fixed him with her cold stare and Toby shuddered. “You’re with me, now. You can see what it’s like to be on the side of the law for a change.”

  “And Ayla?” As Toby said her name, she stirred and her eyes opened. She lay still for a long moment, then sat up.

  “I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re still a Greyman,” she said and gestured dismissively at the ship that bumped their starboard side. Her brave words belied the paleness of her cheeks. “What better job for a murderer than St George Security?”

  Judy ignored her and spoke to Toby. “The pirate you picked up will be going in the brig.”

  “You put Ayla in the brig and you’ll have to put me in there, too,” Toby said.

  “Don’t be such a child.” Judy’s eyes hardened. “I don’t know what discipline is like on the Phoenix, but I can imagine: your father was always soft. On a St George ship you obey your commander or you get thrown overboard, is that clear?”

  “You’ve spent all this time looking for me, only to chuck me in the salt?” Toby glowered right back.

  “You’re correct.” Judy rubbed her eyes with the back of a hand. “I won’t have you thrown in the salt, but I will have you flogged.”

  Ayla guffawed and Toby spun to face her. “You think this is funny?”

  She shook her head and leaned back. “Check out the new boss – same as the old one.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Judy narrowed her eyes.

  “You know what it means, murderer. Life on that ship isn’t going to be any different to life on the Banshee. At least my mother has a good reason to be a hard-faced maniac. What’s yours?”

  Judy scowled and looked up – their boat was almost at the top of the creaking winch. “My son was stolen and hidden from me,” she murmured.

  The boat rattled and rocked as it docked. Once it hung still, Judy stood up. Toby sank back into the seat, his eyes met Ayla’s and he saw panic.

  “What do we do now?” she mouthed.


  Toby spread his hands. They were trapped.

  A grey-coated man with a thin beard pushed a set of steps up to the side of the boat.

  Judy took his hand and stepped down. “Out,” she said over her shoulder.

  Crewmen had gathered around their small boat.

  Toby climbed down the steps. Despite the circumstances, the movement of the deck was almost comforting compared to the stillness of Gozo.

  Ayla landed beside him. She had wrapped the sheet tightly around her shoulders and she stood so close to Toby that the fingers of her dangling hand touched his.

  “You found the boy!” An older woman squirmed through the gathered crew. She was hunched over, her long arms looping around her chest. She drew in close to Toby.

  “I found my son.” Judy’s voice was drum-tight. “You’ll want to report to General Hopewell.”

  “Oh yes.” The woman stared right into Toby’s eyes until he shifted uncomfortably. “I see the resemblance.” She wheeled back to Judy. “Now your son’s off the Phoenix, the fleet can attack – as per your deal with the general. Get the coordinates off the boy. I’ll be waiting in the telegraph room.”

  “What?” Toby jerked as if the salt had splashed him in the eyes. “You’re going to attack the Phoenix?”

  The woman turned around. “Didn’t you know? The only reason the Phoenix hasn’t been taken back to St George all these years was that your mother struck a deal with the general. She demanded your safety in return for her silence about the Wrights’ deaths. As long as you were on board, the Phoenix remained free. Now it’s ours.”

  “You’ll never find her,” Toby laughed. “We have anchorages all over the place – safe ports, friends…”

  “True.” The woman smiled. “But now we have you. And you know all of them.”

  Toby sagged and Ayla’s fingers dug into his forearm, forcing him to straighten. “Don’t give them the satisfaction,” she murmured.

  Toby forced steel into his spine.

  Judy turned to her son with a grimace. “I’d hoped to give you a little time…” She shook her head. “But as you’ve heard, we have none. Where is the Phoenix anchored?”