Plague Arcanist (Frith Chronicles Book 4)

by Shami Stovall

  Traces purred and rolled onto her side. “I like this plan. I approve.”

  “And I…” Lynus bit at the words, unable to say something. He shook his head. “I do want you to meet my eldrin. Maybe we will see whose cat’s claws are larger.”

  I awoke without warning, the dream-memory terminated at a jarring speed.

  Someone knocked on the storeroom door, startling me out of my groggy state. I slid out of my hammock and massaged my temple as I stepped around the many barrels. When I opened the door, I hadn’t been expecting to see Vethica and her new eldrin, Akhet.

  “Volke,” she whispered.

  The dim lanterns informed me that it was evening. “Yes?”

  “I wanted to tell you thank you for what you did. And that… Karna and I will make sure you get a ship that’ll take you through the Lightning Straits.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “But that might be impossible.”

  “Finding a way through the Grotto Labyrinth was impossible. Finding a ship will be nothing in comparison.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, I guess finding a ship would be easier than solving a decades-old mystery. By the way, I never got a chance to tell you that I was impressed you made it through the maze without any assistance.”

  Akhet wiggled in Vethica’s arms. “I was impressed, too. That is why I bonded with her, even though she carries a lingering illness.”

  “We’re going to find a way to fix it,” Vethica stated. “I promise. As soon as I can—as soon as I master even the slightest of healing—it’ll be everything I focus on.”

  I nodded. “I believe you.”

  Vethica held her khepera close, her determination apparent. “The Marshall of the Southern Seas has everyone cooped up in the docks, so we’ll have plenty of ships to ask for passage. Someone will take you. I promise.”

  Again, I smiled. “Thank you.”

  33

  Leaving New Norra

  I wanted to participate in the search for a ship, but with Jevel and other plague hunters wandering the streets of New Norra, I couldn’t risk it. The crew of the Sun Chaser, along with Fain and Adelgis, had said they would handle the matter. In the meantime, I practiced aura manifestation.

  A piece of me feared it would take weeks to convince a captain to help us—weeks of my limited time—but I tried to remain optimistic. What did Biyu say? Look forward, not behind?

  “You’ve handled this well, my arcanist,” Luthair said from the dark corner of the storeroom. “Mathis never handled unexpected changes with as much patience as you’ve displayed.”

  I wanted to ask about Luthair’s first arcanist, but the door to the storeroom opened, breaking my chain of thoughts. Fain and Adelgis wandered into the room, neither looking too pleased. They gave me polite nods, just enough to acknowledge my presence. I nodded back.

  “So, what’s your father doing at this Excavation Site?” Fain asked Adelgis.

  “His notes said he’s overseeing the excavation.”

  “Of what?”

  “Something large. Perhaps massive would be a better word. My father stopped in New Norra to hire more people for digging. According to his expense report, he hired twenty people.”

  “Twenty people?” I asked. “Is he digging up a city?”

  Adelgis took a seat on his ratty hammock. It swung back and forth as he mulled over my question. Fain leaned against the bulkhead, his fidgety movements and intent gaze betraying his restlessness.

  “I think it’s a creature,” Adelgis said. “One letter addressed to my father mentioned the condition of bones.”

  My thought immediately went to the black bones I had taken from his office. Perhaps Theasin had unearthed the corpse of a powerful mystical creature? Long ago, there had been thirteen god-creatures and arcanists, but they had all perished, and only their remains proved they had once existed. My shield was made from a scale of the mighty world serpent—what if Theasin had found the rest of the body? The power contained in the corpse of the world serpent would be tremendous, and I suspected Theasin didn’t have noble intentions.

  But were they evil intentions? I still wasn’t sure.

  “Well, the faster we get there, the faster we’ll have the answer,” Fain muttered.

  I couldn’t sleep.

  For the entire night, I stared at the ceiling, trying to clear my thoughts and manifest an aura. For a short period, I thought I had it. So close. But then I’d think of Illia and mess up my own concentration. Where was she? What if she had already found the new world serpent?

  I wondered…

  A creak in the corridor beyond the storeroom door halted my musings. Tense, and slightly on edge, I slipped out of my hammock and crept to the door. The soft footfalls of someone on the other side got me curious. Instead of opening the door, I stepped into the shadows, slid under the door, and emerged on the other side, far enough away so that I exited the darkness behind the mystery individual.

  Karna stood in the hallway, unaware of my presence. She hovered around the door, almost like she was caught in a silent debate.

  Her outfit…

  I had seen her in stunning garments before, but this seemed more elaborate. The two-piece dancer’s outfit shimmered, even in the low light, and exposed her stomach, arms, and most of her legs. Her sandals laced up to her knees, but otherwise, she wore nothing else. Had she been out dancing?

  Bells rang in the distance, signaling the approach of dawn.

  “You look beautiful,” I said.

  Karna flinched and whirled around on her heel. Her expression held more anger than fear, but it softened the moment she recognized me.

  “Oh, Volke. I came to see you.” She straightened her blonde hair and forced a smile. “You’re up early.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No.” She stepped close and placed a hand on my upper arm. “I have good news, actually.”

  “Really? Did you find a ship?” I hadn’t meant to sound so eager, but it slipped out regardless.

  Karna nodded. “I did.” Her expression became distant and her voice low. “Vethica, Jozé, and I spent all of yesterday narrowing down our options. Only certain kinds of ships can make it through the Lightning Straits in the short time frame the storms aren’t active.”

  I held my breath, absorbing every word.

  “And there are only certain captains who have the capability to defend themselves from plague-ridden creatures,” Karna said, but each word came out as if specially chosen. “And we need someone who will ignore the Marshall of the Southern Sea’s commands. The ship we need requires all three things. You understand that, right?”

  I understood her words, but not her hesitation. “Which captain said they would help us?”

  For a long while, Karna said nothing.

  Why was she afraid? Any captain willing to take us was a hero in my book.

  “Does this captain want an exorbitant payment?” I asked. “I’ll find a way to get the coin.”

  “It’s not that. I arranged payment. It’s…”

  “What?” I shook my head. “Enough of the games. Just tell me.”

  “Well, I know how upstanding and chivalrous you can be,” Karna said. She grabbed my arm and pulled me close, her gaze hardening into a glower. “But you have to let some of that go. The only captain who has a fast enough ship, and the crew to handle the plague, and the rebellious attitude to defy the marshall, is a dread pirate.”

  I gritted my teeth, unable to find any appropriate words. My gut twisted in fear as I imagined the worst possible outcome.

  “Tell me it’s not Calisto,” I whispered.

  Karna lifted a delicate eyebrow. “You know him?”

  Curse the abyssal hells.

  I pulled my arm from her grasp and stepped away, my heart hammering hard. Out of all the pirates—out of all the ships—it had to be the Third Abyss. Calisto’s vile vessel was the last place I wanted to visit.

  “Calisto is the man who cut out my sister’s eye,
” I said.

  “You have a sister?”

  “My adopted sister. Illia’s family’s merchant ship was attacked by Calisto. He killed her parents and took her eye. And now you want me to sail with the man? I just… I can’t do it.”

  Even knowing that Calisto had once been Lynus—once Master Zelfree’s confidant—I still found it impossible. Boarding the Third Abyss would be a betrayal to Illia. I could already see her reaction to the situation. Her anger and pain would haunt me forever.

  “I know Calisto as well,” Karna said matter-of-factly. “And he’s never gone back on his word to me. When I asked him for passage through the Lightning Straits, I made him agree it would be a simple trek. He won’t attack any merchant vessels or harm anyone innocent. I knew you’d never be okay unless those terms were in place.”

  “I don’t think you understand. I once attacked Calisto. My sister and I boarded his ship. We even wrecked it. I doubt he’ll want me as a passenger.”

  “My arcanist,” Luthair said. His shadows slipped around me. “You never faced Calisto by yourself. I was always armor covering you. He may not know.”

  I shook my head. “I’m a knightmare arcanist—there aren’t that many of us. He’ll figure it out. And then what?”

  Karna grabbed my arm a second time, tighter than before. She held me close, almost like she didn’t want to lose me. “I didn’t know any of that. Let me speak to Calisto again. Unlike you, I know exactly what he likes, and he’s always happy to see me. It won’t take much persuasion. He’ll agree to take you.”

  “Fain was once a member of his crew,” I said, searching for any possible reason to sour this deal. “There’s no way Calisto will tolerate a renegade pirate.”

  Karna fluttered her eyelashes. “I assure you, that’ll be the least of our problems. Calisto has taken back several renegades. He only has a problem with traitors. I can get him to overlook your frostbitten friend, so long as nothing horrible transpired between them.”

  It wasn’t the answer I wanted.

  Sailing with Calisto was out of the question. It had to be. He was a villain and the worst kind of pirate. Even being in close proximity to him would test my self-control. Calisto deserved to be cut down. Did I have the strength to do it? I didn’t know, and I almost didn’t care.

  “Please,” Karna said as she matched my gaze. “You don’t have to do anything. You don’t even need to speak to the man. I’ll make all the arrangements, and once we disembark, he’ll be on his way, far from us.”

  “Why are you so desperate to help me?” I whispered.

  She narrowed her eyes and dug her fingers into my arm. “I think I’ve made my intentions pretty clear since we attended the Queen’s Gala together. Not only that, but you helped Vethica—a person whom I care for. You’re also Jozé’s son—and I’m fond of him, too. And then there’s Biyu. Do I really need to list all the reasons I’m concerned about you? Why won’t you just let me help?”

  “I…” It took a second to align my thoughts in a way that wouldn’t be offensive. “I never know what you’re really thinking, Karna. It makes it difficult. I have to guess what you genuinely want.”

  To my surprise, she slid her hand up the back of my neck into my hair. Slow, but confident, she stood on her tiptoes and guided my mouth closer to hers. I didn’t stop her when she kissed me, not even when it lasted longer than expected. She smelled and tasted of the ocean, which brought with it a sense of comforting nostalgia.

  Karna lowered herself, breaking off our kiss, and stood firm with her feet flat. “I genuinely want to help you,” she whispered. “If there were any other way, I would take it. But this is it. Please let me make arrangements with the Third Abyss.”

  “Okay,” I muttered.

  I hoped Illia would forgive me.

  And Master Zelfree, for that matter.

  She stepped away and brushed her long, golden hair over her shoulder. “Then you should get ready. We’ll leave as soon as Calisto has gathered his crew.”

  “You’re sure you can get him to agree to everything?”

  Karna smiled, a mix of impish and coy. “Like I said, I know what motivates Calisto. Everything will be handled. I’ll make sure you reach Theasin as fast as possible.” She took off down the corridor, quick in step and filled with energy.

  I wondered if—at any point I had known her—I had interacted with her doppelgänger instead of her. I touched my lips, the taste of sea salt lingering at the edge of my perceptions.

  “I know this bothers you,” Luthair said. “But think of it this way—if Calisto does attempt to harm someone, we will be there to stop him.”

  That thought hadn’t occurred to me, but it was something to keep in mind. If this did go south, perhaps I could turn a bad situation around. Lost in thought, I opened the storeroom door to find a lantern had been lit.

  Adelgis had perched himself on the edge of a wooden crate, and Fain paced the back wall like a caged animal.

  “I think you’re overreacting,” Adelgis said as he crossed his legs.

  Fain sarcastically stroked his chin. “Hmm. Nope. I think this is the appropriate amount of reacting. I might be underreacting, actually.”

  “Karna is sincere in her beliefs. She doesn’t think Calisto will harm us.”

  “You two know already?” I asked.

  Both of them snapped their attention to me, as though they hadn’t realized I had come in. Adelgis relaxed after a deep breath and then offered me a slight smile.

  “I overheard the conversation,” he said. “And relayed it to Fain. The part about Calisto agitated him, but I’m trying to reassure him that everything will be fine.”

  Fain shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. “Nobody here knows Calisto like I do. He’s ruthless—if he changes his mind, we won’t survive.”

  “You can stay here, if you want,” I said. “Either in New Norra or on the Sun Chaser. You don’t have to go with me to the Excavation Site.”

  Those words seemed to irritate Fain more than the plan with Calisto. He met my gaze, a wounded expression across his face. Then he hardened up, his whole body tense. “I’m not abandoning you. I just… want you to be aware.”

  “Trust me—I’m plenty aware.”

  “Then I’ll stick with you,” Fain muttered. “Even if it means returning to the Third Abyss.”

  Adelgis joined in with a single nod. “Fain and I are committed no matter the troubles.”

  “You should stay,” I said. “I’m already plague-ridden, and Fain is immune. You’ll be in danger if you come with us.”

  “I’m always in danger no matter where I go, but you’ll need me to get to my father. My company isn’t up for debate.”

  Their reaffirmation helped to ease some of my anxiety. At least they would be by my side as we traveled through the Lightning Straits—a small piece of the Frith Guild, helping me along. I wanted the others, even Illia, though she would never agree to ride with Calisto.

  What would they say about the Third Abyss? Zaxis would complain from here to the sun and back. Hexa would cause trouble. Atty would have a reasoned response and attitude—mature beyond her years.

  Master Zelfree…

  I still didn’t know what had happened between him and Lynus. I couldn’t imagine his response.

  “We should gather anything we might need,” Adelgis said as he slid off the crate. “It might be a while before we’ll be able to find someone to take us back through the Lightning Straits.”

  34

  Passengers Aboard The Third Abyss

  Gathering my things didn’t take long—I owned little at this point. But everyone on the ship seemed anxious when they heard I was leaving. Every few minutes, I had a new visitor. I didn’t know most of their names, but they spoke as though we were friends.

  “It’s a shame you have to leave,” one woman with a round face said as she handed me a pouch of fresh—and properly salted—jerky. “We’re going to miss you.”

  Miss me?

>   “Uh, thank you,” I said as I took the pouch.

  Once I shut the door, I placed it on the pile of all the other things I had been gifted: a quality canteen, a leather jacket with several pockets, new laces for my boots, and a brass compass. Before I could decide on my next course of action, another knock sounded at the door. I opened it, shocked to see the ship’s surgeon, Tammi, standing in the corridor.

  “Am I interrupting?” she asked, her voice soft.

  I shook my head.

  Tammi half-smiled, which was probably the happiest I had ever seen her. “Oh, good. I wanted to catch you before you left.” She held up a satchel filled with wootz cotton and various other medical supplies. “These are for your trek. Just in case.”

  I took the satchel, almost at a loss for words. “Thank you very much.”

  “Everyone is hoping you’ll be okay.”

  I stared at her, my eyebrows knitted. “Tammi… I don’t understand. I mean, I almost hurt a crewmember when—”

  “You’ll have to forgive everyone,” Tammi said, cutting me off. She broke eye contact, her cheeks flushed. “And please, uh, would you mind turning away? I’m sorry. I get flustered.”

  I did as she asked and glanced at a spot on the bulkhead over her shoulder.

  Tammi smoothed her clothes and muttered, “Thank you. And, um, as I was trying to say… I don’t know if you’re aware, but everyone on this airship has come here from hard times. Thankfully, we have each other. And everyone talks to everyone. So, whenever you’ve done anything—even when you were just training with Fain and Moonbeam—the entire crew eventually heard every detail.”

  “Did you just call Adelgis Moonbeam?” I asked.

  Tammi closed her eyes, her shoulders bunched at the base of her neck. “Everyone thought it was a fitting nickname. He said some odd things to us from time to time.” After a moment of silence, she continued, “What I’m trying to say is—at first everyone thought you were a plague-ridden killer, like those laughing mad beasts. But we realized you were just like us. Someone who came here from hard times.”