Born of Water

by Autumn M. Birt

  The woeful truth of it made Ria stumble on the word ‘kill.’ She twisted the rag around her hands, the fabric twining tight against her skin. Sitting up, she looked down into the darkness, her voice stronger but pained.

  “Grandma Sanoo said it was something in our blood, a curse of our family. She was more right than she knew.”

  Lavinia knew Ria well enough to know the unspoken thought lodged in her heart.

  “Ty will find a way to get us home. We’ll warn your family and tell them the rest. You’ll see. You’ll only be away a few days.”

  Ria nodded but like the cat’s cradle of cloth loops binding her hands, she doubted it was so simple. Her family already feared the Church, an uncommon belief they kept to themselves mostly.

  Will confirming my family’s fears change anything when the Church has a supposed Curse to hunt down anyone with this gift? My entire family won’t run and hide and if they did it would only make the Church notice us more.

  Ty’s presence had its own knot of anxiety. Against her will Ria remembered him holding her while they waited for Lavinia. Her best friend’s absence for that brief time had itched and crawled over her skin with a life of its own. In all her years, Ria never had thought she would ever need a thing from Lavinia’s brother, no matter the lingering glances he gave her. But as her mother had often said, she could choose worse than Ty.

  “You are taking us back to the Temple of Solaire! I knew you couldn’t be trusted.”

  The vehemence of Ty’s voice carried his words into the cabin and cut through Ria’s thoughts. Both girls leapt to their feet. Ria kept a hand on Lavinia’s back as she made her way to the stairs.

  As they emerged into the salt laden air, the boat slowed. Ty glanced once towards his sister, then reached for the ropes to turn the boom. The sail filled with the strong wind off the sea. Ty stood by the tiller post, adjusting the horizontal beam to move the rudder. Ria understood that much from the years of friendship with Lavinia and her family. The boat rode the waves, angling along the now distant dark shore.

  “I didn’t mean to . . . it is habit, nothing more.” Niri spoke softly to the wooden timbers of the deck.

  Ty ignored her and turned toward his sister and Ria. “The Priestess has been guiding the boat by controlling the water it sits in. She is taking us back towards the Temple, directly towards its creature she says is coming for us.”

  “I am not a Priestess any longer! Did you not hear?” Niri glared at Ty, hand balled into a fist. Moonlight caught a faint glint of dampness under her eye.

  “Nirine . . . ?” Lavinia said hesitantly under the glare from her brother.

  “Niri, only the Church officials ever called me by my full name,” she said, pulling the cloak to her sides and sitting down on a bench along the side of the ship.

  “Where are we heading?” Ria said, sitting on the bench opposite Niri. Lavinia joined her, sitting closer to where her brother stood.

  For a moment the only sounds were the creaking of wooden timbers as the ship plowed into the waves and the thrumming of the rigging holding the full triangle of sail. Around them, the moon in its lesser circuit tinted the wave caps a dull rose.

  “Karakastad is south, across the Sea of Sarketh,” Ty finally offered.

  Lavinia leapt to her feet, pivoting to face Ty. “You can’t be serious! We need to go home. We have to return this ship from whoever we took it from. We have to warn Ria’s family. We can’t sail this, this mess across the Sea of Sarketh!”

  Ty’s gaze never left his sister. “The boat belonged to the men who attacked us. All this stuff was already stolen.”

  Ty’s words registered on Lavinia’s face like a flower bud unfolding. Her eyes opened wider, tight muscles of her jaws loosening to part her lips, and finally shoulders dropping. With a blink, she looked away from her brother and sat down next to Ria. Ria took her hand.

  “Where have you been, Ty?” The wind carried her voice out into the open sea.

  “That isn’t something she needs to know.” Ty jabbed a thumb in Niri’s direction. “Look, I will tell you later, Vin. I promise.”

  Lavinia shook her head at the pet name that only her brother used but did not look back up at him.

  “It doesn’t matter, about telling my family, I mean.” Everyone glanced at Ria in surprise. She smiled sardonically. “I mean, they already know most of it. And it won’t change anything if there is a creature who will hunt us down no matter where we go.”

  “The Curse is real,” Niri said softly.

  “Do you really think we could find some way of stopping it in the Temple of Dust?” Ria’s youthful frame was tense as she sat on the edge of the bench, looking across at what had been her worse fear until a few hours ago.

  “I trust Sinika . . . and it is the only place we know that may hold some answers.”

  No one denied the statement. Ty moved first, shaking his head from side to side.

  “No, I’m not taking her. We are not taking a Priestess with us!” His anger was back and he met his sister’s gaze hotly.

  “Are you so against the Church?” Niri asked as she stood swiftly.

  “It hasn’t done me any favors. Are you so for it, former Priestess?” Ty drew out the title, the lines of Niri’s mouth tightening with every syllable. They squared off, facing each other across the back of the boat. Ria and Lavinia glanced at each other.

  “No, yes . . . they haven’t done me any favors either.” Niri said, sitting down suddenly. Ty blinked at her sudden retraction of anger and watched her wearily. Niri’s eyes were closed as she spoke, “But it is all I’ve known since I was nine.” Niri gave her head a little shake as a tear slipped down her cheek.

  Without anyone to direct his anger at, Ty tried reasoning with his sister. “The Church is looking for her, knows who she is. They don’t know who Ria is or that she isn’t alone. We have a better chance of getting away without her.”

  “She saved Ria’s life,” Lavinia retorted.

  Ty gave his sister an annoyed glance.

  “What happens if Ria uses her power again? The Curse will come.”

  Ty answered Niri without turning to face her. “She never used it before. She may not need to ever again.”

  “But you won’t know. She could be using it now for all you can tell.” Now Ty swiveled to face where Niri sat. She met the look he threw at her, tilting her chin up and firming her back. “I can protect Ria from the Church and herself. The Church might not know who she is now, but her potential is recognizable. There is no hiding her from a member of the Church. Is she is seen, she will be known.”

  Ty had no argument to deny Niri’s words. He simmered for a moment. “We are to trust you then?”

  “Yes.”

  His mouth tightened at her simple answer. A faint smile of victory played on Lavinia’s lips.

  “So, we’ll go to the Temple of Dust?” Ria asked, wanting the decision to be made, the answer reached.

  “Yes, but Lavinia is right. We can’t go in this boat. Not as it is now. There isn’t fresh water or food enough to make the crossing.” Ty grudgingly admitted.

  “Then what will we do?” Ria felt lost with the technicalities of sailing across the sea. Ty’s ease with the idea was the first reassurance she had felt all night.

  “It is a merchant vessel, even if a small one. We can go to Dion and sell anything we can find of value. It should be enough to get us across to Rah Hahsessah.”

  Ria could feel Lavinia tense next to her. Lavinia’s fingers curled under the bench, the idea not sitting well with her.

  “Dion is a far sail for one night.” Niri said to Ty.

  Ty’s half smile and one lifted eyebrow appeared roguish to Ria as Ty glanced toward Niri. “We can make it if we work together.”

  Amusement danced across Niri’s face. Her eyes filled with lavender as the ship sped forward far faster than it ever could have under sail alone.

  CHAPTER 5

  HUNTED

  Ty could feel
the Priestess tremble against his shoulder, her muscles as taught as a rigging line holding a full sail. By contrast, Ria melted against his side, barely a weight under his arm. Lavinia stood in front of Ria so that she was blocked from view. Ty’s awareness of the warmth of Ria pressed against him nearly distracted him from the danger they were in. Twenty yards out in the bright light by the dock, a group of five Priests milled impatiently, waiting for their boat to be readied.

  A Priest, who wore a long cream tunic embroidered in rippling gold and red flames over robes the color of lava, paused in his conversation. He glanced around as if he sensed something. In the shadows of the alcove set under the colonnade, Ty held his breath. Niri shifted further away from her former compatriots, inadvertently pressing into Ty.

  The accusation that she had contrived this ‘accidental’ meeting with a group of Priests died in his throat at the terror in Niri’s wide eyes, the paleness under her natural warm skin tone, and most of all, by the tenseness of her body. The former Priestess seemed to be more afraid of the Priests than even Ria, if that were possible.

  Niri, Ty corrected himself, she is not a Priestess any longer. He wasn’t sure he believed it.

  “We should walk back before they see us.” Ty whispered in Niri’s ear a scant four inches from his lips.

  Niri calmed herself so that she no longer shivered, but shook her head. “They may see us if we move. They’ll be gone soon. It is best to just wait.”

  From the tone of her voice, he would have thought her unaffected. But her body betrayed the fright she felt. Without meaning to, Ty unraveled his finger’s from Ria’s, leaving her tucked under just one arm. He placed his freed hand on Niri’s shoulder.

  Niri flinched at his touch but then relaxed, leaning further into him as they watched the Priests order their bags onto the boat. Ria grasped hold of Lavinia’s arm to replace Ty. Silently, they waited.

  The day in the market had gone well. They had arrived exhausted in Dion just as dawn lightened the sky. Ty was accustomed to sailing at night. During the brief time at his apprenticeship, he and Ryic had been assigned the night sail for the first few months. But Ty had been running for weeks, worried about not making it home before his sister was to leave on her apprenticeship. He had not wished ill fate to repeat itself with her. Dawn had found him so overtired he was giddy.

  Niri too had been lightheaded as she released her hold on the sea. The ship slowed to a normal pace as they entered Dion’s harbor.

  “I’ve never used my power before for so long or in such a way,” Niri had confessed as she fought off dizziness, gripping the handrail of the bench with white knuckles as she sucked in lungfuls of air. Her brown eyes were shut tightly and ringed in dark.

  Exhaustion had made Ty more candid. “I’ve never heard of a naiad controlling a boat before.”

  Niri had exhaled a laugh. “Nor I.”

  Ty had smiled, turning toward her and saw in the brightening light the gleam of the robe of a novice Priestess. The smile had died on his lips.

  Too weary to do more than dock the boat in the merchant section, they had slept until mid-morning. Before attempting to organize the main cabin and find goods to sell, Ria had cobbled together an outfit of sorts to replace Niri’s priestess robes. In a burgundy blouse that exposed Niri’s bare shoulders and a dark skirt whose ragged hem revealed glimpses of her calves as she walked, Ty found it much easier to forget she was a former Priestess.

  The market itself had been uneventful but profitable. He had found the time to buy Ria and Lavinia clothes other than the dresses they wore at the solstice ceremony. Ria had danced when he’d handed her a heavy silk shirt the same green as her eyes and a yellow skirt that was a poor match to the color of her golden hair. Lavinia had been equally happy for sailor’s pants, sandals and a blue tunic in her size. She’d thrown her arms around Ty when she found the sailor’s knife hidden in the folds of cloth. Niri had smiled at the girl’s enthusiasm. Ty had felt the slightest rush of warm guilt that he’d brought her nothing. He’d pushed it aside. They’d found clothes for her on the boat after all.

  It wasn’t until the weary walk back towards the boat that disaster had struck. Rounding the last corner to the docks, he and Lavinia had walked into a group of five Priests.

  Luck had been with them. Niri and Ria had been a few paces behind. The Priests had seen Ty and Lavinia rooted to the stones on which they stood with pale shock painted on both their faces. It had been enough of a warning for Niri to catch Ria’s elbow and swing her into the shadows of the colonnade.

  Ty and Lavinia’s startled pause and proximity had earned them several scathing glances from the Priests. Not recognizing anything more than two youths, the Priests had turned away with an air of dismissal. It had only taken a few seconds for the four to be rejoined in the alcove trapped from retreat by the bright sun.

  Ty felt Niri lean forward, her eyes narrowing as she watched the Priests. There was the one Fire Elemental, an Elemental from the Order of Water in violet robes and embroidered tunic set off by his dark skin, two Earth Elementals in robes of gray blue, and a final Priest shorter than the others with dark hair in long braids and wearing the yellow robes of the Order of Air. Niri was focused on the Water Priest. The sight of the yellow robes made Ty’s stomach turn and he closed his eyes.

  “Do you know him?” Ty hissed to Niri.

  When she didn’t answer right off, Ty looked over at her. It was the first time he had been so close to her and really paid attention. With a start he realized that she was barely his senior, maybe a year or two older than he was. With her serious air he had thought her far closer to thirty.

  “No . . . I thought maybe. But they are all full Priests, not novices.”

  “What do you think they are doing?” Ria whispered from the other side of Ty.

  “Going to Mirocyne,” Niri answered.

  “To look for us,” Lavinia finished.

  While they watched, the Priests formed a tighter knot. The boat was nearly ready and a sense of purpose infused the men. Their conversation became louder as their expressions hardened. Over the sounds of the busy harbor and city streets lined with carriages, donkey’s pulling wagons, boats docking, and folk shouting, Ty could only catch a few words from the Priests such as “threat,” “aberration,” and “traitor.” Niri winced with the last word, but did not look away. Finally, the five boarded the boat. Wind filled its sails almost before it was untied from the dock.

  “We need to get further away from Mirocyne, I think.” Ty whispered as the Priests’ ship maneuvered into the harbor.

  “Do we have enough to cross the sea yet?” Even with the threat gone, Ria had not moved from the protection of Ty’s arm.

  Ty shook his head, his lips faintly brushing Ria’s forehead. He didn’t think he intended that. “No, but we could try Kyrron. There is a bigger market there. It may take a day or two, but it should get us enough.”

  Lavinia bit her lip, looking out across the busy harbor. She kept hold of Ria’s hand as they made their way back to their stolen boat, but would not look at her brother. As Ty pushed The Grey Dawn away from the dock with his foot, Lavinia’s thoughts finally spilled into words.

  “Ty, we can’t keep running like this. You, and Niri, look exhausted. I think we need to stop for a day.”

  Ty pulled his attention away from raising sail to glance at his sister. Her blue eyes were sober as she sat with her hands clasped before her. It reminded him so much of their father that he had to blink to bring her into focus.

  “Not while we are only a day’s sail from Mirocyne. We need to get farther . . . from the Church and the Curse,” Niri answered to Ty’s surprise.

  Lavinia frowned slightly and looked away, a tiny line forming between her eyebrows. That would be their Mom in her, Ty thought with a hollow tug.

  “It’s okay, Vin. It has only been one day. We’re all tired, but Ty will be fine. He’s the only one who can sail us to Kyrron.” Ria reached over and put a hand on top of L
avinia’s entwined fingers while she sent a fond smile towards Ty. He was so surprised that he didn’t smile back.

  He had been enamored of Ria since childhood, in love with her like every boy in Mirocyne. But these last two days were the first she’d shown any acknowledgement of him. He was still struggling to catch up to the change.

  The line between Lavinia’s brows grew deeper. She looked down with a slight shift in her eyes toward Ria next to her.

  “I could help too,” Lavinia said in a quiet voice.

  Ria’s vote of confidence made Ty feel all the more tired. He ached. Even when he dreamed it was a yearning for more sleep. Despite having grown up sailing and having sailed this same boat in the months past, he still felt the pull of the rudder from the night before in his shoulders. Even now with the boat slicing through the busy harbor, the pitch induced by the full sail twinged the muscles of his back. His body felt far older than his years.

  But Ty had grown used to odd pangs: hunger, sore muscles from unaccustomed work or uncomfortable places to sleep, guilt. He was surprised he wasn’t numb to it yet. Worry churned in his stomach so that he doubted he would rest even if he could lay down. At its best, sleep was an oblivion earned by overwhelming exhaustion.

  It was the last thing he wished for his sister. They held each other’s gaze, the same blue locked together across the deck. Looking at the slight shadows under her eyes from the night before crushed his heart more than he thought possible. He could reconcile Ria being on this journey. It saved her life. He had always wanted to be her protector in some way. But his sister did not have to be here.

  She should not be with us. Lavinia should be home, safe, preparing for her apprenticeship. That thought reminded Ty of why he had come home in the first place. He swallowed and looked away, finding no easy answer.

  “Ty, why do you know how to sell in the market?” Lavinia’s question made Ty close his eyes.

  “It isn’t important.”

  “Then why not tell me?” Lavinia was on her feet now. Ria stared at her, eyebrows raised and delicate mouth formed into a silent ‘oh.’ Niri watched the two siblings from her side of the boat, her expression closed and unreadable.