A Jewel Bright Sea

by Claire O'Dell

  The bright lights spilling out from the open door illuminated his face, and Anna felt a small shock. His jaw was rough with stubble, his eyes were shadowed with exhaustion, and his face had a pinched look. Thea would have a word to say about that once he returned to Asulos.

  Andreas turned away from the inn. Anna hesitated a moment. This is madness, she thought. Her father had taught her better about logic…

  She marked his direction, then released her hold upon the magic current. Her soul rushed back into her body, so fast she almost collapsed, as she hadn’t done in several months. But she couldn’t wait. She had to find Andreas before he vanished into Iglazi’s back alleys.

  Anna ran down the stairs and out the inn. She heard a startled exclamation from the innkeeper, but she didn’t stop to explain. Outside, the moon had dipped below the horizon and the streets were smothered in shadows. With a whisper of magic, she called up a magical light and hurried in the direction she’d last noted, hoping that Andreas had not taken a different route back to wherever he came from.

  No sign of anyone at the next intersection. She gulped down a breath and forced herself to listen hard. Her ear caught the faint echo of footsteps off to her right. She darted down the street to the next intersection. There. In a lane winding down the mountainside, she saw a figure that she knew was him.

  “Andreas!”

  The figure halted a moment, then continued at a faster pace.

  “Andreas, godsdamn you—”

  She was about to summon up a magic blaze in pure frustration, when Andreas stopped and turned to face her.

  Anna cupped her magical light in one hand and lifted it high. The alley was paved here and there with moss-covered bricks, the rest was packed dirt, turned into mud by the rain. Andreas raked his fingers through his wet hair. How long had he waited outside the inn?

  “Thank you for the kind words,” she said awkwardly.

  He shrugged. Not an encouraging response.

  She nearly turned around, but instinct said no, said to push ahead. Even so, she had to swallow several times before she could bring herself to speak.

  “How did you find me?” she asked.

  “Threats. Bribes. The usual.” Immediately he flipped a hand outward. “I’m sorry. That was an awful joke. I was down by the docks this morning, seeing my gear aboard ship. I ran across a friend from the regular mainland route who said you were leaving Eddalyon tomorrow.” He paused. “Perhaps I did bribe someone after all, but I swear I only meant to leave that message—”

  “Wait. What did you say?”

  “Ah.” He paused and actually looked embarrassed. “Eleni didn’t mention it to you?”

  She glared at him, which was apparently answer enough, because he went on to explain.

  “I’ve sold my ships,” he said. “The Konstanze and—”

  “I know the names of your ships, dammit. Why did you sell them?”

  And where are you going, she thought, but could not bring herself to ask.

  “Ah, right. I sold them to Daria and Hahn. They volunteered to take my place in serving the commander here. As for me…Well… Maszny had word two months back that the Emperor’s survey ships discovered a new chain of islands to the east. The Emperor wants Maszny to command a new expedition to oversee construction of a garrison and a new trading outpost. And Maszny wants me to command a fleet dedicated to patrolling the waters around those islands. To guard against pirates and brigands.”

  “The edge of the Empire,” she said softly.

  “The new edge.”

  ...the wind streaming past. The tang of saltwater in the air...

  A position perfectly chosen for him, for his ambition and his abilities.

  “I’m leaving Eddalyon within the week on the Imperial courier ship,” Andreas continued. “Maszny will hand over the jewel to the Emperor, and he wants me in Duenne to attend the interview. After that, we’ll work on provisioning the ships.”

  Her breath caught. Oh. Duenne.

  At least their paths wouldn’t cross again. And that was good, she told herself. She had money enough to recreate her life. Two rooms, a lock for the door. That mattered.

  She released the light, so it floated high overhead, and reached out a hand. “I’m glad you sent me the letter,” she said. “And I wish you all the best.”

  They shook hands—as two friends, two allies, two partners in danger. Anna found it hard to let go, and from his expression, so did Andreas Koszenmarc. Here, here was how she wanted to remember him. The rain-fresh breezes of this hour. The salt tang mixed with the spicy scent that was unmistakably of these islands.

  “Anna…” Andreas’s voice was rough and low. “Do you think…?”

  Anna waited, her pulse beating fast. “Go on,” she said, when he didn’t continue.

  “Do you think that you might—” With a sudden soft laugh, he gathered both her hands within his. “Anna, what if you joined the expedition yourself?”

  That brought her heart to a sudden stop.

  “What are you suggesting?” she whispered.

  “Exactly what I said. Maszny would be glad to take you on. He wants more than just a crew of soldiers and sailors. He needs mages. Surgeons. Clerks.” Andreas spoke faster now, as if to finish before she could argue. “You wouldn’t need to see me at all, even after we land. It’s a fleet of ten ships, after all. But if you wished—”

  He drew a quick breath, as if to fortify himself, then gazed directly into her eyes. “Anna Zhdanov, I know you have no reason to trust me. But if the gods could grant me one favor, I’d ask for a chance to start over. To earn your trust and keep it safe, more precious than any jewel.”

  We ask the gods for small gifts, we pirates. We grasp the great ones ourselves.

  Oh. And yet, could she believe him?

  Jump, he’d told her. I’ll catch you. I promise.

  She reached up and touched his cheek. “Then, yes. My answer is yes.”

  THE END

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

  I wrote the first notes for this novel many years ago, on an airplane bound for Hawaii. (Because, hey, a vacation on a lovely tropical island is a great inspiration for writing about adventures on the high seas.) It took me several years to finish this book, in between writing six other novels, working full-time, and moving house twice. But eventually, I did get to THE END with the help and encouragement of many friends.

  A big shout out to Delia Sherman, Aliette de Bodard, Stephanie Burgis, Nerine Dorman, Sara Uckelman, and Hyeonjin Park for reading my drafts and cheering me along. I am forever grateful for all your wise and helpful comments and for keeping me focused on the story.

  Many, many thanks to my eagle-eyed editor, Liz May, and to the team at Rebel Base Books for turning my manuscript into a book.

  A round of applause to my awesome agent, Lane Heymont, for keeping things real.

  Last, but never least, hugs and thank you to my husband and son for giving me the space and time and support to write.

  Look for Anna and Andreas’s continuing story in The Empire’s Edge, available from Rebel Base Books.

  About the Author

  Claire O’Dell grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, in the years of the Vietnam War and the Watergate Scandal. She attended high school just a few miles from the house where Mary Surratt once lived and where John Wilkes Booth conspired for Lincoln to die. All this might explain why she spent so much time in the history and political science departments at college. Claire currently lives in Manchester, CT, with her family and two idiosyncratic cats.

  Follow her on Twitter and Facebook @ClaireOdell99. Or visit www.claireodell.com.

 

 

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