Syd looked back and forth between the three of them. “What am I missing? What’s so important about her going ashore?”
Dustin wasn’t sure they could trust Syd. Not yet. She seemed solid enough, but they’d known her less than two days. “There’s not really time to explain. Let’s just say—”
The captain cut him off. “She’s come to find a traitor who we believe is working with the Barskall.”
“Ah.” Syd didn’t seem entirely surprised.
“I stand corrected,” Dustin muttered. “I guess there is time to explain.”
The three other ships were all raising their sails, preparing to surge toward the city.
Roy glanced at Dustin. “Looks like it’s time for you to go to work.”
Dustin nodded and gripped his staff.
Abbey stepped in front of the captain. “I’m going ashore, captain. Are you going to let me use your dinghy, or am I going to have to swim for it?”
Roy shook his head. “Sea and stars, you’re a persistent one.” He thought for a moment. “Syd, you’ll accompany her ashore.”
Syd looked surprised, but not displeased.
Abbey bristled a bit. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I’m not offering you one. I’m giving you an ally. I don’t care what a badass you are. No one can do this alone.”
“Fine.” Abbey turned to Dustin. “You’ll give us the wind we need?”
Dustin smiled. “Abbey, I’m going to get you there so fast you’ll have time for dinner before the other ships arrive.”
Abbey crouched down in the dinghy, clinging tightly to its sides as it was lowered over the edge of the ship and down into the water. Syd, on the other hand, stood in a wide-footed stance, looking as calm as if she were on dry land. Abbey let out a surprised grunt as the boat landed in the water with a splash.
Syd grinned at her. “I hope you’re better on land than you are on a ship, or we could be in trouble.”
Abbey clutched the side of the boat. “Don’t worry about me. I just hope you know how to use those two swords.”
“I’ve swung them on occasion,” the bald woman said. She raised the dinghy’s small sail and settled in on the bench seat.
A thick fog hung over the water now, and the other three ships were no longer in sight. Abbey looked up at the bow of the ship. Dustin stood there, clutching his staff, his eyes glowing a blue-green. He nodded down to them, and Abbey didn’t have to understand the code of light signals to take his meaning. He was about to send them on their way.
Syd sat down and put a hand on one side of the boat. “If you weren’t holding on already, you’ll want to now.”
No sooner had the words left her lips than wind slammed into their backs, sending them speeding through the fog.
Abbey’s first instinct was to tense up. After all, there were three large ships ahead, and for all she knew they were about to crash into them. But then she told herself that if they were going to crash, there was nothing she could do about it anyway. Then she forced herself to relax. After a minute or two, she found she was actually enjoying the ride.
“You’ll recognize the Barskall Warriors by their lack of armor,” Syd said, shouting to be heard over the wind rushing by. “Remember, they will have drunk their nasty seiderdrek before engaging us. That means they don’t feel pain like you or I. All they have is their aggression. The only way to stop them is to stop them permanently. Drop their asses, and do it fast.”
“Got it,” Abbey called back. There was confidence in her voice, but she felt a twinge of doubt. Not that she couldn’t hold her own; potion or not, she was looking forward to testing her mettle against the legendary Barskall Warriors. It was just that she’d never killed anyone before. Never even seriously hurt anyone. Most of the beatings she’d dished out had been with practice swords with dulled edges. The worst she’d ever hurt anyone had been the guards at Jarvi’s house. But now she wouldn’t have a choice.
Suddenly, they broke through the fog, and Abbey gasped. All three ships and the city of Bode all came into view at the same moment.
“It doesn’t look all that different than Holdgate, does it?” Syd asked.
“A bit smaller maybe,” Abbey answered. “And a lot more on fire.”
At least half the buildings along the water were ablaze.
Syd shook her head sadly. “Those Barskall bastards.”
Dustin’s wind pushed them forward as fast as ever. Syd kept her hand on the rudder, guiding them between Thunderclap and High Tide.
A few moments later, the dinghy settled on the rocky shore.
Abbey looked around, scanning the city. What she saw made her gasp. Men and women without armor, wearing only thin cloaks were scurrying through the streets with broadswords. Abbey saw one of them, a tall, fat man, swinging wildly at a boy who couldn’t have been more than fifteen.
Abbey glanced at Syd. “Holy shit. They’re slaughtering the townspeople. We have to get in there.”
“I thought this was about finding the traitor.”
Abbey stepped out of the boat and onto the shore. “It is. But I’m not going to let these Barskall pieces of shit kill these innocent people. Not when I can do something about it.”
Syd smiled and drew the two swords from the scabbards on her back. “I was really hoping you’d say that.”
The two women dashed toward the street. A Barskall Warrior was standing over the fallen body of a woman.
“Bastard!” Abbey yelled.
Without stopping to think, she charged the man. He smiled as he saw Abbey coming and raised his sword.
Abbey stabbed at his midsection, but he knocked the blow away. Abbey was momentarily taken aback by the force of the counterstrike. Syd hadn’t been kidding. This guy was the strongest foe she’d ever faced by a long shot.
The Barskall Warrior swung at Abbey, but she managed to duck out of the way. He attacked again. And again. And again.
Abbey remembered what Syd had said. When the Barskall had drunk their seiderdrek, they became creatures of pure aggression. There was no thought behind his attack, no strategy.
She ducked his next blow, then lunged forward. Her sword sank into his belly.
To Abbey’s surprise, he didn’t even react to the wound. He simply struck again with his sword. This time, Abbey spun out of the way and stabbed him in the throat. He fell to the ground, clutching the neck wound.
Abbey stared at him for a long moment. She’d killed her first enemy.
A hand touched her shoulder, and she turned. It was Syd.
“Well done. But there’s plenty more of them. Let’s keep moving.”
Abbey nodded. She turned and saw another Barskall Warrior. He was approaching an elderly man, who was holding up a rusty sword with a shaky hand.
Abbey started toward them, but Syd grabbed her arm and said, “Wait. That’s Randall. First mate of Thunderclap. He’s got this.”
Abbey saw the man she was referring to. He may have been the tallest person she’d ever seen. He was dressed in leather armor and carrying a sword Abbey recognized as one of her father’s.
Randall stalked toward the Barskall. When he’d almost reached him, he turned, smiled, and stabbed the old man. The Barskall Warrior bellowed in laughter.
“The traitor,” Abbey whispered.
“Abbey, look around.” Syd’s voice was filled with horror.
Abbey did as instructed. What she saw made her quake with anger. All around her, she saw Holdgate fighters and Barskall Warriors working together. Cutting down townspeople. Breaking down doors. Hauling away valuables.
There wasn’t just one traitor, Abbey realized. There were hundreds.
Thunderclap. High Tide. Summer Wind. They were all traitors. Every one of them.
The Storm Raiders were real. And they were working with the Barskall.
14
Benjamin sat in his jail cell, waiting for the inevitable.
He’d been locked up for almost two full days now. Since th
e time the city guards broke into his home, and he’d been dragged through his shop and to this cell, he hadn’t really been worried. He was innocent of the crime for which he was being accused. Clearly, someone was trying to frame him. There was nothing he could do to clear his name from in here, so all he could do was wait, remain steadfast in his innocence, and hope the real criminal would be brought to justice.
And if he wasn’t? What if Benjamin died for a crime he didn’t commit? Well, that wouldn’t be the biggest injustice the world had ever seen. He’d persecuted enough people during his time as a Hunter in Arcadia that his death would be deserved.
The only thing that gave Benjamin worry, the thing that kept him awake through the long, cold nights, was his concern for Abbey and her safety.
He knew the city guard was hunting her, and he knew they hadn’t caught her yet. If they had, they would have been using her life as leverage to get him to confess. He had to assume his daughter was still free.
He hoped she’d listened to his instructions. She wouldn’t be safe at Jarvi’s home forever; eventually, the city guard would come knocking on his door. But Jarvi would see her away to somewhere safer. If everything had gone well, she could be traveling south already. Her life in Arcadia wouldn’t be easy, but at least she’d have the chance to start over. And he had every confidence in her ability to survive under even tough conditions.
Benjamin got up from his bed and walked to the middle of the room. He then did a few stretches and squats to loosen up. After only two days, he was already learning that time worked strangely in here. As boring as it was, it was easy to let many hours slip away while he just sat on that bed. He had to force himself to stay active.
He dropped to the floor and did some pushups. It was chilly in the cell, and the exercise warmed him. Blood flowed into his stiff muscles. After a couple of dozen pushups, he started to feel like his old self.
He tried not to think about whether he’d ever see Abbey again. The possibility that he wouldn’t was too painful to face. But he also couldn’t imagine any reunion that didn’t involve her being thrown into the cell next to him. As much as he missed her, he’d gladly give up ever seeing her again if it meant her safety.
If only he’d told her the truth about himself and his past. Now, he’d probably never get the chance. Jarvi had likely told her by now. At least, Benjamin hoped so. She had to know Arcadia’s views on magic if she was going to live there.
“Hey, blacksmith!”
Benjamin paused mid-pushup. He recognized that voice.
Most of the guards had been indifferent to him during his stay, ignoring him except to give him food or water, or to empty his waste bucket. Benjamin assumed the torture would begin eventually, probably after they gave up on finding Abbey and became desperate to elicit a confession. But so far no one had laid a finger on him.
One guard was different, and that was the guard standing at his door now. This guard seemed to take pleasure in hurling insults at him. Everything from Benjamin’s profession to his Arcadian heritage, to his perceived lack of intelligence were fair game for the man’s insults, and he remained undeterred by Benjamin’s lack of response. Benjamin was surprised at how much the insults were beginning to bother him. He supposed when you had almost no human contact, the little you did have took on greater significance.
“Hey, blacksmith, I’m talking to you.”
Benjamin slowly got to his feet and turned toward the guard. The man wore his usual smirk.
The guard shook his head sadly. “You’re pathetic. Only two days, and you already look like you’ve been here a month. You’ll be lucky if your daughter recognizes you when we throw her in the cell next to yours. How I’m looking forward to that day.”
Benjamin clenched his teeth and fought the urge to send a fireball flying at the man. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t use magic unless he absolutely had to. Once he did, they would treat him much more carefully.
“I can’t believe it, blacksmith, but you have a visitor.”
Benjamin looked at the guard in surprise. Who could be visiting him? Or was this guard just screwing with him again?
The guard chuckled. “He’s got deep pockets, too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be letting him in here. I hope you two have something important to say to each other, considering the price he paid.”
“Actually, we do.” The voice came from somewhere out of Benjamin’s line of sight. “And we’d prefer to talk in private.”
A figure rushed forward. Benjamin saw a flash of blue and a metal rod flying toward the guard, striking him in the stomach.
The guard convulsed, then collapsed to the ground.
Benjamin couldn’t help but smile. “He let you bring a shocker in here?”
Jarvi bent down next to the guard and began searching his pockets. “I told him it was my walking staff. I am quite advanced in years, you know. Ah, here we are.” He pulled a keyring out of the guard’s pocket and stood up.
“Jarvi, what are you doing here? As much as I appreciate it, escaping isn’t going to help my case for innocence.”
Jarvi unlocked the cell and pulled the door open with a flourish. “Indeed. I thought about the matter long and hard before taking action. I finally decided you’ll do yourself more good out here then you will in there. Now, come with me. We have work to do.”
Benjamin stared at his old friend with wide eyes, so surprised he couldn’t force himself to move.
“I do believe there’s more than one guard here,” Jarvi said with a smile. “Perhaps we should go before the others arrive and we’re forced into a fight. I’ve only got this one trick.” He hefted the metal rod in his hand.
The shocker. Even looking at that old thing brought back terrible memories for Benjamin. He’d gladly traded it to Jarvi in exchange for the older man’s help setting up a new life in Holdgate, and he’d hoped never to see it again. And now it had been used to help secure his freedom.
And still, he hesitated. A part of him had hoped his name would be cleared and he’d be able to go back to his old life. He would become the reliable Arcadian blacksmith the Storm Captains sought out to equip their crews, and this would all be nothing but a bad memory. It hadn’t been a very good possibility—once the Magistrate considered you guilty, odds of seeing the light of day again were very slim indeed. And since this involved his own son’s murder, Benjamin assumed he wouldn’t be very forgiving.
But as soon as Benjamin stepped out of this cell, he’d be a fugitive. Any hopes of going back to his old life would be squelched.
Jarvi seemed to know his friend’s mind. “Benjamin, I know you didn’t kill the Magistrate’s son. That means whoever did it is roaming free. If we can find them, we’ll clear your name and help keep the people of Holdgate safe. But you can’t do either of those things from a jail cell.”
Benjamin sighed. The thought of this killer framing him and getting away filled him with fury. If he could do something to bring that monster to justice, it was worth living life as a fugitive. He stepped out of his cell.
Jarvi smiled. “Good man. Now, let’s get the hell out of here.” He turned on his heel and marched off without waiting for a reply. Benjamin bent down and took the fallen guard’s sword, then hurried after his friend.
Jarvi led Benjamin toward the south side of the building. They walked through a long, narrow corridor with windows high on the wall, looking out over the sea. At one point, Jarvi held up a hand, and they both froze. A pair of voices, chatting casually, filled the air. They seemed to be coming closer, but just when Benjamin thought the two men must be upon them, they began to fade away. Jarvi nodded down the corridor, and they kept going.
Benjamin silently followed his friend. Jarvi seemed oddly familiar with the layout of the building. He led them down deserted back hallways, narrow places with thick layers of dust on the stone floor. Benjamin wanted to ask Jarvi why he knew the building so well, but he didn’t dare speak.
Finally, after walking through what felt li
ke a mile of hallways, they came to an unadorned oak door. Jarvi pulled a key from his sleeve and unlocked it, then opened it. Benjamin followed him, and a moment later, they were standing in an alley behind the building.
Benjamin looked at his friend. The older man’s face was illuminated in pale moonlight. There were so many questions Benjamin wanted to ask. Most of them could wait until later when they were safely away from this place, but one could not. “Jarvi, did you help Abbey leave the city?”
Jarvi paused for a moment before answering. “I did.”
Relief rushed through Benjamin’s body, and his legs suddenly went weak with the force of it. He put a hand on Jarvi’s shoulder. “Thank you, old friend. This means more to me than you could ever know. I’ll join her in the south; then we’ll start a new life. I can’t go back to Arcadia, but we can go somewhere else. Maybe the Heights.” Benjamin noticed the drawn look on his friend’s face. “What is it?”
Jarvi didn’t meet Benjamin’s eyes when he answered. “I sent her north, not south. She went with the stormships.”
“What?” Benjamin blinked hard, unable to believe what he was hearing. “Why the hell would you do that?”
“This is bigger than us, Benjamin. Bigger than any of us. The girl is our best chance at finding the truth. You and I can search for evidence here, but we needed someone in the north, too. Near the Barskall. It’s the only way we’ll ever find out if there really is a traitor.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass about the traitor!” Benjamin realized he was speaking too loudly for a man escaping from a jail cell, but he was too angry to care. “The sea can take Holdgate and everyone in it. I just want Abbey to be safe.”
Jarvi’s voice was cold when he answered. “Then I’m glad you were locked in that cell when she and I made the decision. This isn’t a time for selfishness, Benjamin. If traitors are working with the Barskall, many more lives are at stake than just your daughter’s. Imagine Holdgate in flames, Barskall Warriors running through the streets drunk on their potions as they kill our people and steal everything we need to survive. If someone doesn’t do something, that’s exactly what will happen. Abbey was brave enough to put aside selfish things for the greater good. Are you?”
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