He reached down and took her hand, then lifted it and kissed her knuckles. “All you ever have to do is ask.”
Her gaze softened, and she gave him a small smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She glanced at Bane and frowned. “If you’ll excuse me, Bane and I need to put the ship to rest. I wanted to make sure the Merfolk would honor their agreement to leave us in peace, but the seas are still calm. We should be able to sail peacefully enough, but we’ll need to make haste. The next full moon is less than a week away.”
He nodded and released her hand just as one of his crew came running up. The bedraggled sailor staggered to a halt in front of them, breathing heavily from the exertion.
“Apologies for the interruption, Captain,” Eshon said, shifting from foot to foot. “The hull’s been damaged. We’re taking on water. The Merfolk took out our bilge pump in the first attack, and we can’t get it working.”
“Dammit,” he muttered, scanning the horizon and the endless sea in front of them. Karga was the nearest port, but they were still several days away. “Get Joshen working on it. He’s a wizard when it comes to mechanics.”
Eshon shook his head. “Joshen’s gone. Ryley too. They went overboard. We’ve lost everyone who could fix the damned thing. The chain completely snapped, and the handle’s gone missing.”
Muttering a curse, Malek ran to the center mast where the bilge pump passed through the deck. It was designed from felled trees, with cups mounted on a chain. At least two crew members manned the pump, turning the handles to drain water from the bilge. Without it, they didn’t have a chance in keeping the ship afloat. With almost half the crew taken captive, their options to repair it were limited.
Blossom flew off Sabine’s shoulder to inspect the damaged pump. “Wow! They blew that sucker up! I bet it’s even worse down below.”
Sabine put her hand on his arm to get his attention. “Before we put the ship to rest, I can swell the wood to seal the holes temporarily.”
He arched his brow. “How long will that last?”
She frowned. “A few hours, but no more than that.”
Malek covered her hand with his and shook his head. “I’m afraid a few hours won’t give us enough time.” He considered the bilge pump a moment, debating his options. With Levin gone, they’d lost their navigator too. They didn’t even have enough people to work the sails.
He squeezed Sabine’s hand and asked, “How skilled are you at glamour?”
Blossom fluttered her wings and clapped her hands excitedly. “Sabine’s the best at glamour! She once made me look like a giant pixie.”
Sabine frowned at Blossom before turning back toward him. “I don’t think you’re interested in looking like a giant pixie. Why are you asking?”
“Can you shield the entire ship from view?”
Her brow furrowed as she swept her gaze over the ship. “Glamour doesn’t work like that. I can’t make something invisible. I can change appearances or plant a suggestion for people not to notice something, but I’ve never tried it on anything this large. Why? What are you thinking?”
“Even if the weather holds, we’re too far away from the nearest port. Given our time constraints with the Merfolk’s demand, I think our only option is for me to try to fly the boat out of here. I’d rather no one see me in dragon form, or rumors will spread all along the coast.”
Sabine’s eyes widened, and she pulled her hand away. “You can’t be serious. You want to fly with the ship? While we’re still on it?”
He gave her a grim nod. “I don’t see an alternative, and this isn’t ideal. The ship will likely take more damage if I have to fly with it, and it’ll drain my remaining power significantly.”
“Can you even do it? You’re a large dragon, but this ship is huge.”
Malek grimaced. “It won’t be an easy feat. I’ll likely need at least a full day to rest after it’s done. I won’t be able to shift again for a few days.”
Sabine frowned. “How much of your magic is required to change forms?”
He hesitated and then shook his head. “My magic is different from yours. My dragon form is a physical manifestation, not true magic in the conventional sense. I suppose you could say it’s just another facet of my power. But my magic will give me enough strength in dragon form to pick up the ship and take it to safety.” He paused, sweeping his gaze over his remaining crew. “I’m more concerned about the crew. We’ll have to replace all of them when they find out what I am. As it is, they already know you’re Fae.”
Sabine bit her lip. “I might not be able to hide the ship completely, but I can help with the crew.”
He arched his brow. “How?”
“You have some Faerie wine in your hold, correct?”
When he nodded, Sabine gave him a mysterious smile. “If you can bring up a few bottles from the hold, I’ll take care of the crew. In the meantime, I need to help Bane. Ilwan’s departure eased some of his burden, but the connection with the ship is still draining him.”
Without waiting for a response, she walked toward Bane. Malek would be damned if he could figure out what Sabine saw in the demon. For whatever reason, she trusted him. The same could be said for Bane and his trust in her, which was surprising given what he knew of demons.
Malek waved Eshon back over and said, “Have the remaining men manually haul buckets out of the bilge for the time being. We have a plan in place, but it’ll take a bit of time before we’re back under way.”
Eshon nodded and scampered away to round up the necessary crew. Malek headed over to the ladder leading to the hold of the ship.
Blossom landed on his shoulder and asked, “Can I come too?”
“All right. Just be careful,” he said, climbing down the rungs. “I don’t know what condition everything’s in down here.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Blossom said, giving him a salute.
He chuckled and climbed down to the floor of the hold. The strong scent of salt and fish filled his nose, but it was impossible to see anything. The only illumination was close to the entrance, provided by the sunlight streaming from the open hatch.
He reached over and activated the dwarven crystalline lantern hanging nearby. The magic contained within the crystals began to glow brightly, chasing away the shadows and casting some light throughout the hold.
“Dammit,” he muttered, stepping over destroyed containers of merchandise he’d planned on selling to help fund their mission. Crates had been toppled, shattering glass and spilling rare herbs and other items onto the floor of the hold. The gems and gold he’d hidden were likely safe enough in his cabin, but the more delicate items probably couldn’t be salvaged.
His men had secured the crates before they left Akros, but the Merfolk’s attack had negated their efforts. Now he’d be lucky if he was able to salvage even a small portion of the items he’d acquired over the last several months. Malek carefully picked his way around the fallen debris, trying to locate the crate containing the bottles of wine.
Blossom fluttered around. “Oh no! I hope the wine wasn’t destroyed.”
Malek didn’t reply, worried about the same possibility, especially when he caught sight of where it had been stored. The wooden box containing the last of the wine had tipped over and the lid had fallen off. With another curse, he knelt beside it to assess the damage. At least a dozen bottles were broken, the expensive wine pooling on the floor of the hold.
Blossom landed on his arm and said, “Sabine’s going to be sad. She loves Faerie wine.”
Malek made a noncommittal noise, remembering the evening they’d shared the magical wine together. Since Sabine had learned he was a dragon, she’d been wary of him. Traveling together over the past week had softened some of her resistance. He’d hoped to convince her to share wine again while they sailed to Razadon, but that possibility had been shattered, along with the glass bottles under his feet.
He sighed. “We’ll have to get her more when we arrive in the dwarven city. They still trade with
Faerie periodically. That’s where I got the last shipment.”
“You like her a lot, don’t you?”
Malek lifted his gaze to meet Blossom’s inquisitive stare. He chuckled and said, “I don’t think I’ve made any effort to hide my interest.”
“She likes you too.”
Malek winced when he cut himself on a jagged piece of glass. “I’d like to think that, but she’s been avoiding me. I think she’s still coming to terms with me being a dragon.”
Blossom shrugged and landed on top of the crate. “Yeah, but can you blame her? You could eat her for dinner if you wanted. I used to be scared of Bane and Dax because they could eat me, but Sabine promised not to let them. Maybe if she knows you’ll protect her, she won’t be scared of you either.”
Malek moved aside another broken bottle. He suspected Blossom had the right of things, but he wasn’t sure how to overcome Sabine’s reservations. “Any suggestions?”
Her wings fluttered excitedly. “I bet if you help save Esme, she’ll forgive you for not telling her you’re a dragon. Esme’s one of her favorite people. Then she’ll know you won’t eat her.”
“I’m going to make every effort to save Esme and Levin,” Malek promised, moving aside broken glass and packing material. Underneath were two bottles that appeared to still be intact. Lifting them up to the light, he checked for any signs of damage. “Hopefully this will be enough. I’m not sure how much wine Sabine actually needs. Any idea why she wants it?”
Blossom grinned. “Magic!”
He chuckled and stood. If Blossom wasn’t going to tell him why Sabine wanted it, he’d have to find out from the intriguing woman who had captured his interest. And maybe, during their journey together to save their friends, he might also manage to soften her heart toward him too.
Sabine frowned at Bane. “I don’t see any other option.”
Bane’s eyes flashed silver, and his voice took on a sharp edge. “And what’s stopping him from flying this ship north to the Sky Cities? Both of us are now too weakened to fight him. The timing is a little convenient, Sabine.”
She sighed and rubbed her temples to ward against her impending headache. The need to rest was becoming more urgent, especially with her magical reserves already low. Arguing with Bane was always exhausting, and their current situation wasn’t helping.
Bane might be sworn to protect her, but they sometimes had different views on what that entailed. She didn’t argue with him as frequently as she had with Dax, but the end result was the same.
“Bane, I’m not disagreeing. Nothing about this situation is ideal. But if Malek wanted to fly the ship to the Sky Cities with us on it, he could have done it before now. He knew my magic hadn’t replenished itself, which is why he agreed to share power with me. Like it or not, this is the only option we have.”
Sabine frowned and stared at the waves. Somewhere below the water, Esmelle was being held prisoner. She had to trust the rest of the Merfolk would honor Ilwan’s vow, but the bleakness of their task threatened to steal her resolve.
Bane took her chin in his clawed hand and forced her to meet his gaze. “Do not be foolish and trust this dragon blindly, little one. I’ve seen the way you look at him, but there is no future with him. Your people will never accept a dragon at your side.”
“You think that’s what this is about? That I’m misguided because I’m attracted to Malek?” Sabine pulled away from his grasp and flung her hand toward the sea. “Esmelle is counting on us to rescue her. Malek’s people are down there too. He has just as much at stake, if not more. If he has any hope in acquiring the artifacts used to seal the portal, he won’t dare betray me. We will do this, and we’ll support Malek however possible in this endeavor. Right now, I’m more concerned about saving Esme’s life.”
Bane considered her for a long time. Finally, he inclined his head and said, “Very well. I see you’ve decided to trust him in this matter. I will raise no other objections, but I do not enjoy being at the dragon’s mercy.”
Sabine stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “I know, and I’ll try to avoid making such demands on you in the future. You may not think of yourself as a hero, but if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have been able to capture one of the Merfolk. You helped save all of us today, Bane.”
He lowered his head and slapped his clawed hand against his chest, the gesture a sign of deep respect and loss. “I know how much the witch means to you. In truth, I’ve grown fond of her too. I will do what I can to help save her.”
Sabine nodded at this truth and wrapped her arms around Bane. She leaned against him, grateful for his presence. They might argue now and then, but it never lasted. Holding his death magic over the ship for so long had taken its toll. Demons respected strength, and his current weakness had made him irritable. He rarely complained to her, and she needed to remember to be more cognizant of his needs. Demons may not experience grief in the same manner as other races, but in some ways, they felt things more deeply. They were just different.
“How much do you know about the Merfolk, Bane?”
He pulled her closer. Running his hand over her hair absently, she felt him siphon some of her magic away and infuse it with his aura. She had little to spare, but she couldn’t begrudge him for it.
“They don’t care much for my kind. When our people were forced into the underworld by the gods, we claimed some of their territories. They tried to object but could not stand against our might.”
Sabine frowned and lifted her head to regard him. “But why? Demons can’t live underwater.”
“No, but there are caverns that exist deep below the sea. We sealed off the territory we claimed, denying it from them permanently. It allowed us more freedom of movement since we’re unable to live above ground during the daylight hours without a host.”
Her eyes widened. “So your people would travel in those caves during the day and then at night, they’d go to the surface?”
Bane chuckled. “Indeed. The gods may have intended for us to be confined to areas of their choosing, but we’ve never been meek nor passive. The human priests of this world may have tried to discourage their sheep from making pacts with us, but we have always been… resourceful.”
“Hmm,” she murmured, leaning against him again. At least she had a better understanding of the contention between the demons and Merfolk, but it wouldn’t get her any closer to locating this Pearl. If she’d known about their issues ahead of time, they could have taken precautions. Her lack of experience with the world outside of Faerie had led to several miscalculations over the years, but it would pain her deeply if Esmelle and the others had to pay for her mistakes.
Blossom flew toward them, her wings sending a smattering of pixie dust everywhere. It seemed to happen more often when she was overly excited. “We’re back! You should have seen the mess in the hold.”
Sabine straightened, catching sight of the ship captain heading their way. Bane’s warning flitted again through her mind, but she pushed it aside. He was wrong about Malek. Dragon or not, he’d proven to have no small amount of integrity.
“Sadly, this is all that remains.” Malek held up two bottles of wine. “I’m not sure what you have planned, but short of figuring out how to get spilled wine off the floor of the hold, this is all I can offer.”
Sabine hesitated and then gave him a curt nod. “It’ll have to be enough. If you can bring them into your cabin, this shouldn’t take long.”
Bane’s eyes narrowed on Malek, but the demon didn’t argue. Instead, he followed Sabine toward Malek’s cabin located off the quarterdeck. Sabine pushed open the door, ignoring the belongings still strewn all over the floor. She took one of the bottles from Malek and placed it on the desk, using her knife to uncork it.
“You can open the other one,” she said and lifted the bottle to take a sip. She closed her eyes as the power rushed through her and used the wine to fortify her remaining power. The bottle was affixed with a gold cap, indicating it was extre
mely potent for magical workings. It might be perfect for her needs, but it was a shame to give such a rare vintage to a bunch of humans who could never appreciate it.
Sabine opened her eyes. The wound on her hand she’d used to revive the ship had already healed. She suspected it was the goddess’s doing, but she wasn’t going to risk asking Blossom. From what Sabine was told, the goddess didn’t appreciate being questioned.
She grasped her knife and pricked her finger. Sabine counted out three drops of blood, part of the recipe for most magical workings. If she were attempting to coerce other magical races without their permission, it would require a greater sacrifice. But humans were extremely susceptible to Fae magic.
After taking the other bottle from Malek, she repeated the gesture and said, “I’ll need you to gather your remaining crew on the deck. They each need to take at least one swallow, but more would be better. I’m not sure how many of your crew are left.”
Malek hesitated. “You don’t intend to share your memories with them, do you?”
She looked up at him, somewhat surprised by his reluctance. Understanding dawned, and she bit her lip to keep from laughing. Gods. That would be awkward. What she’d shared with Malek had been extremely intimate and not something she’d dream of sharing with random strangers. “No, nothing like that. I’ll use the magic in the wine to put them to sleep. I’ll give them some pleasant dreams and obscure their memories of my heritage, but that’s all. No harm will come to them, and they won’t be aware you’ve shifted to dragon form. It’s the best I can do without full access to my magic.”
“Ah,” he murmured with a trace of a smile. “It’s probably for the best. I’d hate to have any more competition for your affections.”
Her mouth curved in a small smile, but before she could respond, Bane picked up the bottles and shoved them in Malek’s direction. “Here. You’ll need to order them to drink. They know she’s Fae. It’s unlikely they’ll take it from Sabine’s hand.”
By Blood and Magic Page 4
