Plague Arcanist (Frith Chronicles Book 4)

by Shami Stovall

  I couldn’t stand the idea of Calisto harming Biyu. Not even for a second.

  “I’ll try not to start a straight brawl,” I said as I stepped around a group of merchants on black horses. “But I won’t sit idle.”

  “If that’s how you feel, I’ll fight with you as one.”

  “Wait until we see him. Maybe we can attack him before he knows what he’s dealing with.”

  “As you wish, my arcanist.”

  Luthair stayed close to my feet, blending with my natural shadow, ready to merge with me at a moment’s notice.

  Halfway to the piers, I spotted a man near a stand selling leather. He wasn’t dressed in the usual clothes of the New Norrian citizens. He wore a long coat, baggy pants, and a thick belt. The weight of his many earrings stretched his ear lobe an extra inch, and his neck was marked with a distinct tattoo—three horizontal lines: 三. Fain had the same tattoo, as did anyone who served on Calisto’s ship. It designated them as pirates and crewmembers of the Third Abyss.

  I moved a man out of my path as I headed straight for the pirate. I never took my eyes off the cutthroat, even as I wove through the crowds traveling down the brick road. When I reached the man’s side, I grabbed his shoulder and yanked him around, barely able to control my rage.

  The grizzled pirate—who had more beard than face—regarded me with confusion.

  “Where’s Calisto?” I demanded.

  The cogs of his mind rotated at half speed. He stared at me, absorbing the words like a rock absorbed water.

  “Shove off,” the pirate finally growled, his breath mist-thick with alcohol. He jerked his shoulder away. “You ain’t gonna get anything from me.”

  I grabbed the front of his coat, and in one quick, powerful motion, threw him to the ground. I slammed his back against the bricks and loomed over him as I, once again, asked, “Where’s Calisto?”

  The patrons of the bazaar scattered, but no one fled the area. They watched from twenty feet away with a sort of morbid curiosity, whispering to each other and pointing. I suspected someone would get the Watch Battalion if anything got out of hand, but I was likely given the benefit of the doubt because I was an arcanist, and the pirate was not.

  The cutthroat, shaken, reached for a pistol inside the folds of his coat.

  I manipulated the shadows and ripped the weapon from his possession, the darkness tearing at his clothing in my haste. I tossed it across the street.

  Defenseless, he held up both his trembling hands. “Calisto’s at the Waterside Notable. It’s r-right over there.” Without moving too much, the pirate pointed one dirty finger down the road, straight to the cantinas and gambling halls.

  I left the man on the bricks, doubt creeping into my thoughts. Calisto would have his crew, and inside a dock-side cantina, it would be a confined location. Then again, Biyu would be terrified in a dark and dank cantina meant for pirates. I had to go no matter what.

  The Waterside Notable didn’t stand out from the other sandstone buildings. It was two stories tall, shutters over the windows, a heavy lock on the door—standard fare for a drinking establishment. There was, however, a skull painted in gray over the front door. Men with cutlasses and pistols guarded the entrance, their arms crossed as they leaned against the outside wall.

  I strode over, expecting to fight my way inside, but both men eyed my arcanist mark and allowed me entrance without a word. I stepped between them and entered the Waterside Notable, a cloud of smoke washing over me.

  Three women played music in the corner, two with oboes and one with a string instrument similar to a lute. They wore the same long robes meant to block the sun, despite the fact that all the windows were shut.

  A couple dozen individuals filled the room. There were high tables with tall chairs, and low tables with pillows on the floor for seating. Some tables even had a personal fire pit in the center where the patrons cooked their own meat. The vaulted ceiling made the place feel gigantic, and a small inside balcony was reserved for arcanists. The arcanists sat at the tables that overlooked the room, the railing posts spaced far apart, to allow for a generous view.

  “Capt’n!” someone shouted. “Capt’n Calisto!”

  A shiver ran down my spine as I panned my gaze across the cantina. The lingering smoke stung my eyes.

  Conversations quieted down.

  “Capt’n Calisto!”

  “Is there a reason you’re disturbing the whole cantina?” a man answered back, his voice familiar. It was smooth, but weighty—and laced with a threat he hadn’t yet put into words.

  Everyone stopped talking. Even the band silenced their instruments.

  “We found her, Capt’n. The one you wanted.”

  “Who? If it’s not someone important, tell me about it later. I’m busy.”

  Then I spotted him.

  Calisto sat in the balcony portion of the cantina, in the farthest and darkest corner. Others sat with him—his arcanist crewmates, I was sure—but that didn’t matter. I tried searching for Biyu, but she was so short, and everyone in the nearby vicinity was so much taller.

  I hurried around the edge of the room, moving past other patrons, trying to find her.

  “It’s the girl with the missing eye, Capt’n. She was here in the city. We got her.”

  “You what?” Calisto asked, his tone shifting to excitable. “She was here?”

  Calisto stood from his chair, kicked it aside, and then leapt over the railing. He slammed onto the floor of the first story, landing between tables, with no apparent harm to himself. Several people jumped away, knocking over a table and several chairs in their panic. Desert milk spilled across the floor, the stink of alcohol hidden by the smoke.

  “I can’t believe my luck,” Calisto said. “This trip will be interesting after all.”

  He stood straight, an amused smirk across his face. His arcanist mark contained a fearsome manticore, and unlike most arcanists, his glowed with an inner light. Calisto’s eldrin was true form—something rare and precious, and it made his magics deadlier than before.

  He wore a coat that hung to his ankles, one with crimson lion mane stitched into the collar and parts of the shoulder, accentuating his already broad shoulders. His copper-auburn hair complemented his dark shirt and black pants, and I knew he wore a trinket of poison immunity around his neck. He carried pistols on his belt, knives on his boots, and various bracelets on his wrists.

  But…

  A second realization hit me. His voice, his appearance—they were more than just familiar. My heart sank into my gut as the pieces of this puzzle fell into place.

  The Dread Pirate Calisto was the man in Zelfree’s memories.

  He was Lynus.

  That fact drained me of urgency. The rage in my system stagnated. Confusion replaced everything, and I wanted nothing more than answers. Why hadn’t I realized sooner? I had met Calisto before, over a year ago, so why hadn’t I put one and two together? In all the dream-memories so far, Lynus had been beaten, bloodied, or in the dark. I hadn’t seen him completely, and his voice never registered as Calisto’s.

  I supposed I never expected Lynus to be anything other than a friend to Zelfree. Maybe I didn’t want to see it.

  How could this have happened?

  Everyone inside the Waterside Notable cleared away from Calisto and the two goons who had called for his attention. That was when I spotted Biyu. She was trapped between the two pirates, each holding one of her arms.

  “Here she is,” one man said as he pushed Biyu forward.

  Biyu stumbled a few steps, but managed to stay upright. She held her book close, both arms wrapped around it, as though it was something sacred and worth defending. She trembled as she tilted her head back to stare up at Calisto—she was four feet tall, while he was well over six.

  Calisto rubbed at his copper-stubble-covered chin as he gave Biyu the once-over.

  “What is this?” he asked with a sneer.

  The pirate lackey motioned to Biyu’s eyepatch. “Y
ou said you wanted the girl who was missing an eye. We found her in the bazaar, and—”

  Calisto shot him an icy glare, ending the other man’s will to speak.

  “I wanted the rizzel arcanist,” Calisto stated. “The one who attacked my ship, fool. I don’t want whatever this is.”

  No one said anything and the tension thickened. Calisto clenched his jaw as he glared down at Biyu. He was muscular and athletic—she wasn’t. He carried weapons and knew how to use them—she didn’t. Someone like him, harming someone like Biyu, was unforgivable. My anger came back in full force. I couldn’t allow it to happen.

  “My arcanist,” Luthair whispered. “There are others arcanists here, most on Calisto’s side. You must be cautious.”

  Calisto grabbed Biyu’s eyepatch and ripped it to the side. She gasped and tried to step back, but he held her in place.

  I shoved past two patrons, my hand on the hilt of my blade—I’d get one good surprise attack, and now was the perfect time to test out Retribution’s powers. Luthair offered more protests, but I knew he’d merge with me when the moment came.

  “Didn’t you already cut this girl’s eye out?” one of the pirates asked. “Maybe you want the rest of her?”

  “This isn’t my handiwork,” Calisto stated. “It’s sloppy. Someone else did this.”

  Ten feet away from Calisto, I forced myself to slow, uncertainty creeping back into my thoughts. He sounded much more like Lynus when he had said that—the tone in his voice changing slightly, as though he might’ve been forcing himself to sound a certain way.

  “I told you,” a woman from the balcony area said.

  I backed up, closer to the other patrons, and removed my hand from my weapon. My heart refused to cease its rapid beating.

  Calisto glanced over his shoulder. “What’s that?”

  The woman leaned over the railing to speak, her low-cut shirt exposing more of her bosom than considered acceptable. “I told you Captain Redbeard had returned, didn’t I?” Her long, black hair hung free, spilling over her shoulders. “He’s trying to lure out a manticore and make it white. Maybe he’s jealous of yours?”

  I knew the woman. I had fought her in the past. She was Spider, Calisto’s first mate and a kappa arcanist.

  “Redbeard?” Calisto repeated. He had a growl on his breath as he muttered something I couldn’t hear. “He thinks he can come back to these waters, does he? It’s time I went and set the record straight. We have unfinished business.”

  The Dread Pirate Redbeard was famous for his exploits all throughout my island nation back home. He targeted ships with mystic seekers specifically—or anyone carrying magical resources. Redbeard’s name had come in Zelfree’s dream-memories, but I didn’t realize they were one in the same.

  “Where’re you going?” Spider asked.

  “I’ll be back soon. Keep the game goin’.”

  Calisto stepped around Biyu and headed for the door. He shoved a man aside, but before he exited out into the streets of New Norra, one of the pirates held up a hand.

  “Wait, Capt’n! What should we do ’bout the girl?”

  “Throw it back in the gutter where you found it,” Calisto replied, cold and sarcastic. “What do I care?”

  His crew didn’t bother following that up with a response.

  Then Calisto slammed out into the streets of New Norra, his superhuman strength on display when he busted one of the hinges straight out of the stone doorframe.

  Manticore arcanists were in a league of their own when it came to physical prowess. I could still feel the sting of the time Calisto had broken my sternum in a single attack—even while I had worn Luthair.

  With everyone focused on the door swinging by the last functional hinge, I shadow-stepped next to Biyu, wrapped my arm around her, and then pulled her into the darkness. I should’ve warned her about the suffocating sensation, but I didn’t want to risk losing her. Instead, I quickly shifted through the shadows, feeling my way out of the cantina and around the corner into the dark alleyway between buildings. Only then did I exit the darkness with Biyu still in my grasp.

  She gasped for air. I struggled with my loss of energy and burning magic, but I knew I’d survive.

  “Are you okay?” I asked as I set her down. I knelt to get eye-level with her. “Did they hurt you?”

  Biyu tried to fix her eyepatch, but her whole body shook, making it difficult. I reached out to help, but she flinched away, her shoulders bunching at her neck. Finally, with some effort, she managed to get it on over the scarred eye socket.

  The alleyway was deserted. We were alone.

  I scooted closer and offered my hand. “Biyu, I think we—”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her throat tight.

  I shook my head. “You don’t need to apologize.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  The repetition confused me, so I decided to ignore it. “Biyu, let’s get back to the Sun Chaser, okay? I can get us there fast. We just have to go through the shadows a few times.”

  She gulped down her breaths and then turned her one eye to me. “Please don’t tell Captain Devlin.” Her voice and chin both quavered. “Please. I’m so sorry.”

  “We need to tell him what happened. He has to know those pirates almost hurt you.”

  Biyu grabbed the sleeve of my shirt, silent tears falling from her eye. “Please don’t. Please.”

  “I… don’t understand. Why wouldn’t we?”

  “I don’t want him to throw me away,” she said, desperation in her voice. “Please. I’ll be happy again. I’ll be the perfect cabin girl. I won’t make trouble for anyone.”

  “He wouldn’t—”

  “Yes, he would!” Biyu pulled herself onto me. She threw both her arms around my neck and squeezed tightly. “Everyone does,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “Mother said… Father said I wasn’t…. I wasn’t…” Biyu pressed her face into my shoulder. “I want everyone on the Sun Chaser to love me. I w-want… I want them to be my family. Don’t tell them I broke the rules. Don’t tell them I caused trouble.”

  I embraced her, unsure of what to say.

  For a long while, I just patted her back, hoping it soothed her to have a calming presence and a shoulder to cry on. In my heart, I knew a man like Captain Devlin wouldn’t abandon Biyu because some pirates had abducted her. How could I convince Biyu of that fact?

  “My arcanist,” Luthair said from the darkness. “A member of the Watch Battalion approaches.”

  I released Biyu and stood.

  She held her hands together, her face one of genuine fear. “Please don’t tell.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll handle this.”

  After one short trek through the darkness, I emerged at the end of the alleyway. Luthair stayed behind, no doubt to guard Biyu, and I appreciated his forethought. It would be beyond frustrating if something happened to her a second time.

  An arcanist in black-and-copper armor headed straight for the Waterside Notable, her scimitar in hand. Fain walked along beside her, and the ground near her feet rippled like water, despite the fact that the street was made of bricks.

  I jogged out to greet them. Fain pointed to me, and the arcanist turned with a harsh glower. Her mark had a stone golem laced through the points.

  While I wanted Calisto punished for his many crimes, the city of New Norra would only take action on crimes committed here, and the kidnapping and release of a girl without any harm wouldn’t amount to much. If I wanted to keep this a secret from Captain Devlin, as Biyu wanted, I couldn’t report this. Calisto was lucky. This time. The last time.

  “Everything is okay,” I said to the member of the Watch Battalion. “Our cabin girl was mistaken for someone else, but I have her now. It was all just a misunderstanding.”

  The soldier narrowed her eyes. “You don’t need assistance?”

  “No,” I said.

  “And you don’t want to take anyone to the hall of justice?”

  �
�No. That won’t be necessary.”

  The woman shot Fain a disgruntled glare. “Next time I’d appreciate it if a pair of arcanists attempted to solve their own problems before notifying the Watch Battalion.”

  “Yes, of course,” Fain muttered.

  The stone golem arcanist sheathed her sword and then turned on her heel. The rippling in the bricks followed her away from the Waterside Notable. Was it her stone golem hiding in the sandstone? Probably.

  “It was a misunderstanding?” Fain repeated once the woman had disappeared down the street.

  I motioned to the alleyway. “I’ll tell you later. For right now, we’re not mentioning this to Captain Devlin, do you understand? Not a word.”

  Although he gave me an odd glance, Fain eventually nodded. “If that’s what you think is best.”

  23

  A Moving Labyrinth

  Biyu, Fain, and I left the dock bazaar and headed for the sky port, the heat of the day intense, even in the shadows. Although I hadn’t been paranoid when we had traveled together before, now I couldn’t help but examine everyone who drew near, no matter how frail or unassuming they appeared to be. I kept Biyu within arm’s reach, concerned Calisto’s pirates would search for her.

  If she had been Illia, I would’ve done the same.

  “Look forward, not back,” Biyu whispered. “Have hope, not regret.”

  Wraith appeared by her side. Biyu lit up, despite his ghastly visage. He wagged his tail and allowed her to pet the skull over his face. For a few blocks, she said nothing, but once we rounded a corner and headed for the city walls, she muttered to herself once again.

  “Look forward, not back. Have hope, not regret.”

  Fain stepped closer to me, and under his breath, asked, “Is she okay?”