“Don't need one. The whole ship is mechanized,” she said happily. “She's called the Flying Fish, and we're the only two that reap the rewards of ferrying.”
“Ah," I said, absently. As she spoke, I drifted into my thoughts, barely comprehending her words. I may as well have been in a bubble, deaf to the world around me. A wave of dizziness rushed to my head and cleared. I’d been swept away by the demands of the past two days, and I hadn’t stopped to absorb the gravity of my situation. It was like breaking free of a fever and realizing you were outside in the cold instead of safe in your bed.
For a moment I swayed, wondering how I’d gotten to this point, and how it could possibly be reality.
We were on a boat, ready to cross the largest body of water I had ever seen. Our destination was unknown. Somehow, I was leading Expedition: Fix Kat's Messed Up Life. I hadn't wanted other people with me, but here they were.
My eyes focused, my hearing returned with sharp clarity.
“This is it,” I said to the guys. “This is your last chance to go home.” The reminder was meant as much for me as it was for them.
Dylan was looking out at the angular swells of the blue-green water. “Some of us don't have a choice,” he grumbled over his shoulder.
“Not a chance, Kat,” Kyle said, ignoring him. “I should be here.”
“Sterling?” I asked.
“None of us should be here,” he answered, frowning at Kyle. “I don't know how you found this place, or what you're doing here, but they took Ruby. Either I help you get her back, or I go home to wait and wonder if something had gone wrong. I've never been good at sitting on the sidelines.”
I felt horrible.
Congratulations, Ruby, you're Kat's best friend! As a prize, you get to be locked up in a foreign keep!
Remembering Carmine, I quieted my tone. “Guys, this could be very, very dangerous. Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Sterling said definitively, with Kyle nodding beside him.
Outside, an arm of Breakwater's bay was outstretched to the left. The approaching storm was darkening the sky and the sea below it. White caps were forming in the distance. It was time to leave the security of land, and for that, I was exceptionally nervous.
“Alright,” I said to Carmine, my even tone belying my fear. “Let's go.”
“Hurrah,” said Dylan, deadpan.
“Good!” said Carmine, sweeping to action at the controls of the ship. Her hands glided over the panels, twisting knobs, clicking switches, and pushing levers into position. The Flying Fish responded by vibrating and humming more dramatically as she went. “You know what they say about time and tide!”
“Actually,” Kyle said, watching her with interest. “We don't.”
“Time and tide kill indiscriminately,” she recited more cheerfully than the phrase deserved. Resting her left hand on the wheel, she used her right to push up a lever with a brown leather handle.
The Flying Fish's humming rose to a grumble, and finally, a roar. The entire vessel rattled with such ferocity, I was nearly knocked from my feet. Sterling stumbled, crashing into the wall behind him. Kyle's hands shot out at his sides for balance. Instead of mirroring the fear on our faces, he was grinning like a kid at a carnival. Carmine didn't act as though the jostling of the ship was anything abnormal, and continued at her work.
Dylan, who was staring out the window, turned to look at us like we were a bunch of maladjusted imbeciles. “It's only lift off.”
“Lift off?” I repeated, hoping my hands weren't shaking too obviously. “Do you mean we're flying?”
“If we weren't, she'd just be called the Fish,” Carmine said with a smirk. “Another reason I saved you from those other ships. Slow, archaic things.”
“Flight technology is illegal,” Sterling blurted, as though Haven’s laws applied everywhere.
Carmine laughed. “Very funny. So, this is your first time. No shame in it. Go have a look outside.”
Like children, Kyle and I hurried out of the control room, down the hall and out onto the mid-deck. Sterling trailed behind us with far less enthusiasm.
Gouts of steam billowed from the tubes and horns at the rear of the ship. Water blasted out from beneath the hull, spraying the dock and instigating the angry shouts of workers in the line of fire. We were climbing, rising steadily into the air.
I planted my palms on the rail of the deck, peering over the side. Mist showered my torso and I smiled, reveling in the thrill of a new experience. The blue water was being pushed away from us. The flat bottom of the ship was level with the walkways of the pier.
“Be careful!” Sterling barked at me from where he stood in the doorway of the cabin.
Kyle was beside me, laughing.
I rocked back on my heels, leaning away from the rail. “How high will we go?”
“Carmine said she'll hover at six feet,” he told me, over the noise of the engines and the water.
“Can you believe this?” I said with excitement, squeezing his arm. “We're flying, Kyle!”
He smiled at me as the Flying Fish reached her full height above the water and moved slowly out into the harbor. When we were safely away from the dock, I heard a great clicking sound come from the masts as their two horizontal beams extended outward, beyond the width of the hull. They snapped into place and split in two, length-wise, the bottom half extending downward to reveal a sail that was held taut between them. The Flying Fish had wings.
As the wind filled the sails, aiding the engines to propel us forward, I watched the land recede farther and farther away from us. There was a lump of fear in my throat that brought a tense giggle out of me. Turning, I walked to the other side of the deck, facing the open ocean and the storm. Together, they were dark, menacing, and churning with deadly beauty. I shrank in on myself, feeling tiny and insignificant. If land was out there, I couldn't see it. It struck me, how little I belonged here, among these titanic elements.
Why was it that I was standing on the deck of an incredible flying ship, embarking on a journey over the sea for the first time in my life, all in the name of saving a mother I had never known, and he was the one that bubbled up in my mind? In Haven, I’d worked so hard to forget him and move on with my life. But I wasn’t in Haven anymore, I was in his world.
My barriers cracked and crumbled.
I wish I could say the sweet memories were the ones that showed themselves first. Maybe our kiss in a solitary tower, or him holding me in the firelight until my body stopped quaking with shivers. Or the way he told me that I was everything he’d always wished for.
Instead, I remembered him pinned to the ground by wicked branches of metal. I saw him calling out to me through flames of his own making, telling me to run. Regret stabbed at my chest.
Rune Thayer, where are you?
I’d seen hovering ships before, infinitely larger than the Flying Fish; military ships. Was he taken away on one of those? What did he think about when he looked at the water? Did he feel as small as I did? Control over fire couldn't save him from a hungry ocean.
I felt myself being pulled toward him, wherever he was. I savored the insistent tug. It was a link that connected us, and I found comfort in that. The direction was out there, on the sea.
I wish I knew that meant he was alive.
Chapter 12: Pulling
“You have what?” Carmine asked, in utter surprise, leaning over the control console.
“The Pull,” I repeated. “I can find anything I look for, but I have no idea where I'm going.”
“I know what the Pull is. I've just never met anyone who possessed it.”
“We'd be happy to add a bonus to your payment if you continue that line of thinking,” Dylan said conspiratorially. He was right, we didn't need Carmine reporting me to the authorities.
“Of course. As far as I'm concerned, you're simply a paying customer that chooses to follow her heart. You know, I'm a romantic, myself,” she smiled, winking at me.
“That you a
re,” Dylan agreed, summoning his charm.
“She's smart enough not to want any trouble,” Kyle said jumping in to defuse Dylan's advance.
“Is that a threat?” Carmine asked him, her tone sharp.
“No,” I said quickly, glancing at Kyle with exasperation.
“No, no, I just meant, well, you're smart, and if we were in some kind of trouble, you'd rather disentangle yourself from it than get caught up in it. Right?” Kyle stammered.
Carmine gave him a knowing smile.
Good gravity, she was perfect. I was a bit of a sloppy mess beside her. If I were the jealous type, I would have envied her womanly charisma.
“Don't worry, Katelyn,” she told me with sincerity. “I won't give you away. We each of us have our secrets.”
That got my attention. Was I wrong in trusting her? What secrets did she have? Would her secrets hurt our secrets? Would there be some kind of secrets battle? Was there a prize?
Focus, Kat.
Kyle ducked his head to look at Sterling. “You okay, Ster?”
Sterling wobbled on his feet. “What?”
“Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he barked, looking more than a little green.
Kyle wasn’t convinced. “Yeah? Cause you look like you ate a trough of week old salmon.”
Sterling burped and a palm shot up to cover his mouth. When he got himself under control, he lowered his hand. “I said I was fine. I’m fine!”
“If you say so,” Kyle grinned.
“So what's the best way to approach this?” she asked, rotating the wheel slightly.
“I don't know,” was my response.
“Don't over think it,” Kyle said, leaning his back against the front end of the console. “What direction should we be heading, right at this moment?”
I strode to the wide, front windows. Sea birds were coasting below us, just ahead of our bow. Small fish leaped by the dozens, startled by the pressure our vessel was exerting on the water's surface. The birds caught and devoured them in mid air.
Attempting to clear my mind, I let go of every thought but that of my mom. Keenly I felt the desire to turn around and walk to the back of the ship. It didn't make sense. That was the way we had come. Breakwater was that direction, and eventually, Haven as well. I realized my error. Like Dad said, I never called her, “mom.”
Mother.
I tried again, but the Pull nudged me to the rear of the ship a second time.
Everyone was watching me, waiting. A sheen of cold sweat developed on my forehead. What was wrong with me? When I was exploring Breakwater, I felt the Pull urging me toward the sea. Had I made some horrible mistake?
Kat, you idiot.
This woman hadn't been my mother in a long, long time. Kassey Kestrel had taken that job, and my life was far better as a result. I ached with sudden homesickness. I had no control over the love I felt for the woman who had raised me. My birth mother had revoked her title. She was only what her career made her. I concentrated on Paperglass To Be.
The slightest sensation, like remembering where I'd misplaced something, told me to take a step to the right. I faced the window directly, and pointed. Relief flooded me. It was working. “That way.”
Carmine pulled a lever, spun the wheel, and we turned smoothly to the right. Our new heading gave us a better look at the storm that was nearly upon us. I peered into the darkness and saw a single flash of lightning touch the thrashing surface of the water, far, far ahead. A tiny smile touched my lips. It was like a message, meant for me.
“For this to work, you're going to need to stay up here with me,” Carmine said, bringing me back to the real world.
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” I agreed. “If she moves, our direction will change.”
“She?” Dylan broke in. “So we're hunting a person.”
Ugh. Good job, Kat. Some professional field agent you're turning out to be.
“We're not hunting anyone, but yes, I'm here to find a person,” I said grudgingly.
“Well, who?” Kyle asked, bewildered. He probably had so many questions for me.
“She,” Dylan snorted, as though he knew. “If you’re looking for Rune Thayer, there’s no reason to hide it from us.”
“No,” I said, shooting him a warning look. I wrung my hands until I realized I was fidgeting. “It’s my mother. My real mother.”
Carmine didn't look too interested, but I decided that was all I would say in her presence. Kyle, on the other hand, was obviously confused and concerned, and Dylan wore a similar expression.
“Where's Sterling?” I asked, realizing that the big guy had disappeared.
“He's in the room next door,” Kyle told me. “Throwing up in a bucket.”
* * *
“You okay?” I asked.
Sterling looked horrible. His eyes were watery, red, and ringed with dark circles. You could tell by his face that he was plagued with nausea. He was sitting on a lower bunk, elbows on his on his knees, with a rag pressed to his mouth.
“Yeah,” Sterling croaked.
“Man, you look awful,” Kyle said emphatically. The three of us had stolen away to speak in private.
“Kyle,” I caught his attention and shook my head, gesturing him to shut his mouth.
“I've never felt better,” Sterling insisted. He didn't so much as attempt to stand, and I was glad. I didn't want to end up a casualty.
Kyle laughed hard enough to buckle over. “Really, man? Okay, then how bout we have a spinning contest. Whoever falls down first, loses.”
Sterling looked as though he was desperately fighting the urge to repaint the bunkroom. “No.”
“Yeah? Why not?” Kyle asked, unable to control his chuckling. “Because you’re seasick?”
“No! I just don’t feel like it!” Sterling scowled, and only succeeded in making Kyle laugh harder.
“Kyle, come on,” I complained.
Kyle cleared his throat and forced his grin to be a little less obnoxious.
“Okay, okay. What did you want to talk about?”
“I don't know how much I should say in front of Carmine,” I told them, trying to keep my voice down, even though we were in a different room.
“We can trust her,” Kyle assured me.
“Why? Because she's tall, beautiful, and wears really nice boots? I'd seriously love those to be good enough reasons, but they're not.”
“No, it's not that. I mean, she is incredible, but that's not why,” Kyle said, smirking.
“She's too old for you,” Sterling informed him.
“She is not!”
“She'd never go for it, you're just a kid to her.”
“Says the guy with the queasy tummy,” Kyle slung back.
Sterling gave him a baleful look that made me glad he wasn't at his full strength. He’d always seemed like a gentle-giant to me, until I saw him defend himself in a schoolyard brawl. How far could Kyle push it before getting his face pounded in?
“Guys, save it for the return trip,” I interrupted. “Why are you so sure we can trust her, Kyle?”
“Well,” he said, sitting down on the bed opposite Sterling. Bad choice of location. “When I was helping her with the engine, I walked around to get a look at it… you should see the craftsmanship on that thing! If I had the design sheets on it I could... sorry. Anyway, I passed a bin that was disguised as a secondary boiler casing. It had an open panel. When I glanced in, I saw some papers. They all had a symbol on them. Triple gears with a circle around them.”
“So? What does that mean?” a grumpy Sterling demanded.
“So! That's the other Prince's symbol! Prince Varion,” Kyle said.
I was surprised. “How the heck do you know that?”
“Well… when we were in Breakwater Keep, we were left in a room to wait for you. It had a table with some open books. I saw the image in one of them. When I found it here, I knew I had to tell you guys. You can't blame her for wanting to make a living on both sides o
f the fence.”
“How is that supposed to be comforting?” I said, alarmed. “She could be dragging us to the other Prince!”
“She’s just a ferryman. It said so on the papers,” Kyle defended.
“And that makes her trustworthy?”
“We can’t assume everyone trying to make a living is against us. Besides, you have the Pull. She’s following your directions and you’d notice if she changed course.”
“That’s true,” I admitted.
“My point was that we can trust her. If she’s a citizen of the other kingdom, she has just as much to lose if we’re caught.”
“I guess you’re right. It’s good to know.” We’d just have to wait and see about her. She seemed like a good person to me, but I’d been fooled before.
“Is now an okay time to ask why your mother is in the Outside World?” Kyle asked.
Taking in a breath, I surrendered and told both of them about my meeting with Officer Loring. They were taken aback by the events that had transpired. Especially when I mentioned the part about Haven being fed information through another dry pool for centuries. I had a bit more to explain to Sterling, since I hadn't told him about my trip to the outside a year before. “I think we need to figure out a way to let Carmine know we're not on Prince Raserion's side.”
“I'll do it!” Kyle volunteered.
“Are you sure?”
He looked at me like I was crazy. “Of course.”
“However you break it in, make it sound natural, or accidental.”
“Don't worry, I've got it,” he grinned.
Sterling looked sicker than before.
“How will we deal with Dylan?” Kyle asked. “How much should we tell him?”
“I don't know,” was my honest response. “Oh! We should have done this sooner. How could I have let myself forget? Could have been the end of us, right out the door.” I fished through my bag until I found a familiar vial. “You both need to put these drops in your eyes. We're lucky no one has noticed. People here don't have grey eyes.” I handed Kyle the eye drops first, and he put one bit of the liquid in each eye.
“I noticed that. The colors look weird,” Sterling said, finally bringing the towel away from his mouth. He applied the drops, and when he blinked them clear, the three of us had matching brown eyes.
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