“Kane?” I called louder.
Still no response.
I ground my teeth together as I stood and debated what to do. Climb up the tree after him? Sit and wait for him to return? Run around in a panic?
All three were good options.
I looked up at the tree and wondered how he had even climbed it. Even though I watched him, I couldn’t tell what kind of technique he used. I inspected it further and found grooves in the tree large enough to put my fingers in. But my leg muscles were tired from the hike, and felt rubbery. Did I have enough arm strength to pull myself upward?
“Kane?” I tried again, louder. Then I covered my mouth. Was I calling to every predator around and clueing them in on our location? Nothing felt right. Why wasn’t he answering me?
I looked up at the tree, cursing Kane for not answering me. I growled, put my fingers in the first grooves that I saw and wrapped my arm around the tree, feeling for another. Once I found it, I pulled with all my strength. I barely moved upward. Then I tried sticking the toe of my shoe into one of the grooves and was surprised when it held. So, that’s how he had done it. My progress was slow, but I made my way up the trunk, sitting on the first branch that was large enough to hold my weight. He made climbing look so easy, but it was tiring. After catching my breath, I resumed my climb, pausing at each branch to shake my arms out a bit.
I neared the top and saw him standing on a branch, the upper half of his body above the foliage.
“Did you not hear me calling you?” I asked him, standing on a branch on the other side of the tree. I pushed myself up and looked at him, but he was staring out at the sea.
I turned and looked to see what had fascinated him and froze. Two pirate ships sailed in our direction, their black flags flapping in the wind. Even from here I could see that the crew wore little more than rags, and they had swords on their hips.
“Did you find any craters?” I asked softly, wanting to look around and see for myself, but I couldn’t pull my eyes from the pirates. The wind blew, causing the tree to sway. I gripped the trunk harder and closed my eyes.
“Ivy? How the Caracas did you get up here?”
I blinked my eyes open and found him eyeing me with his brow furrowed. The tree had stopped swaying, so I pushed myself off the trunk a bit, so I didn’t look like a complete fool. Adding in all the bravery I could muster, I said, “I climbed, obviously.”
He silently absorbed that a moment, staring at me. Then he turned back to face the sea. “I don’t see any craters on the land around us, or the island I can see from here, but the islands are deceptively large. They look small because of how far away we are.”
“So, we need to head to the islands?” The breeze blew back my hair and a bird cawed overhead. My skin prickled, and I looked up at it. Relief flooded me when I saw how small and faraway the black bird was. At least the predators in the tree were just in my imagination instead of reality.
“It seems we haven’t got a choice but to try the islands.”
“But the pirates are coming the direction we’re supposed to be headed.” My eyes had already trained back that way.
“Yep.”
I sighed and clutched at the tree as a strong breeze made it shift again. “Wonderful.”
“I’ve got a plan,” Kane said coming down to the same branch where I stood. It bent a bit under his weight, scaring me, but he seemed as calm as ever. He stood close to me, with one hand on the trunk of the tree. His eyes seemed brighter and there was a playful gleam to his eyes.
I didn’t like the look he was giving me. “If your plan is sacrificing me, I’ll pass. Judging by their bony appearances, I’d look just as appetizing to them as the wolfcupine.”
He frowned. “Wolfcu… never mind. My plan is to steal one of their boats.”
I stared up at him with wide eyes. His body was close enough to mine that I felt the heat off him. It made me warmer in the cool breeze that continued to blow around us. His scent was musky but not unpleasant. I scoffed at him and turned away. “What? Some plan. How are we supposed to steal one of their boats? There are hundreds of them and only two of us.”
“Pirates covet treasure,” he whispered not far from my ear. “When they see a treasure, they send most of their group after it. I’m going to dangle a treasure in front of them, and then we’re going to get rid of the few pirates left on the ship and steal it.”
“There are two ships.” I frowned, looking back out toward the sea.
“Which makes it that much easier.”
“How?” I blinked and shook my head, returning my gaze to him.
“Wait and see, Ivy. It’s going to be one epic battle,” he said with a wicked grin.
“I thought you hated doing anything that was even a little labor intensive?”
“Normally, but watching them try to capture this treasure is going to be worth it. And, seeing their faces when we’ve sailed away on their ship is going to be even better.”
That did sound like it would be entertaining. “Alright, what am I going to do?”
“First, we need to climb down the tree.” He gestured downward
I looked down and gulped. Climbing up the tree had been one thing but climbing back down it was completely different. “Um,” I said, swallowing again.
“Just keep your eyes on the tree as you climb down,” he said. “I’ll guide you to the branches, so you don’t have to look down.”
I nodded, and we began our descent. Sap had made its way onto my hands from the climb up, and its stickiness on my fingers actually seemed to help with the descent. My muscles didn’t have to work as hard as they did while pulling me up, but my heart still pounded in my chest as I imagined the possibility of slipping and falling. Going from branch to branch with Kane guiding me helped a bunch. I was surprised when we finally reached the ground.
My knees grew weak, and I collapsed to a sitting position. My legs folded underneath me. Kane grabbed his staff, and marched in the direction the pirates were coming from. My eyes grew wide.
“We’re leaving already?”
He stopped and peered back at me. “No time like the present.”
I hauled myself to my feet, trying to catch my breath. The breeze here on the mountaintop was strong, but at least the rocks beneath my feet didn’t sway the way the tree branches did. The wind licked at the sweat on my body, and I shivered. “Okay, but let’s go slow at first.”
He shrugged and started walking again, but I could tell he measured his pace to help me out. At least we were going downhill, so the air grew thicker and easier to breathe and my muscles didn’t complain as much. Still, I leaned against Kane’s back to keep myself grounded, following his steps as precisely as I could along the narrow animal trail. He didn’t seem to mind the added pressure. I could feel each of his muscles move under my fingertips. My face heated as I thought about them. I cleared my throat, needing to take my mind off that. “What’s the plan again?”
“I’m going to show them something they want. They’re going to run after it. We’re going to climb on the ship, toss over the last members, and then sail away.” He slowed again and allowed me to come up next to him where the path widened.
“What is the prize?” I asked, looking up into his eyes.
Kane didn’t answer, but the smirk on his face made me very uncomfortable.
Chapter Five
Kane was right, the pirates were incredibly happy to chase after the prize—me.
“I’m going to kill you for this!” I screamed at Kane as I dodged through the trees, avoiding the grabby hands of the pirates chasing me.
I barely spotted Kane as I peeked back. He ducked under the cover of the trees past the pirates fighting at the entrance of the forest and headed toward the ships. His plan to use the two ships against each other had worked. Half of them were fighting each other over me, while the other half chased me, but even they couldn’t stop bickering while they pursued.
“Come back!” one of the pirates ca
lled. “We won’t hurt you!”
“No, you’ll just eat me!” I screamed at him.
“But we’ll make sure you’re good and dead first!” he called back.
Considerate cannibal pirates. Not comforting at all.
“I’m going to stab him ten times and kick him five times and then punch him in the face as hard as I can,” I growled, planning out my revenge on Kane.
A pirate snagged the back of my shirt, making me squeal. I spun around and sliced his arm with my knife. The blade of my knife cut through his thin skin and then rang against the bone. He cried out in pain but released my shirt. Two others behind him fought with each other, but another had his sights set on me, a gap-toothed, malicious grin spread across his face. I spun around and ran once more.
Too close. That had been way too close.
I ripped past the leaves of branches low enough to reach me. As I pushed them out of my way, I hoped that some would swing back and slam my attackers, potentially slowing them. If I could just gain more distance, maybe I could get a chance to climb a tree? But would that even work? Maybe the pirates could climb, too. It would just make me a sitting duck waiting for one of them to climb up and kill me. No. Bad idea.
My breath came out in quick pants, and my lungs burned. But I could hear the sounds of the pirates behind me grumbling and breathing heavily down my neck. My hair stood on end as I thought I could nearly feel their breath warming my back. I could hear nothing else except the constant ringing in my ears from the blood pressure rising in my head.
A howl from my left filled the air, making me hesitate and hold my breath. A wolfcupine? The pirates behind me stopped as well. The animals in the woods had been quiet through our chase, but I thought it was all the noise we were making. I glanced back and saw the pirates gesturing me toward them. As if they were going to protect me. I scoffed and then turned to my left.
Was it wrong that I would rather face ten wolfcupines than fifty pirates?
A second howl answered the first, this time to my right. My heart skipped a beat. I swallowed down the fear rising up in my throat. They were cornering us.
I changed my mind and took off in the same direction I’d already been running. The stitch in my side didn’t matter anymore nor the burning in my legs. I found my speed increasing and pumped with every ounce of strength I had. Snarls ripped through the air, followed closely by men screaming.
“No, no, no,” I chanted, turning to the right in an attempt to loop around back to the beach.
“Our boat!” one of the pirates yelled.
I looked at the beach, and my heart plummeted. Kane was sailing one of the pirate ships away, the boat already far from land.
He was leaving me.
Had this all been a ploy? It had to have been. He was leaving me to die with the pirates.
No way. I ran harder, at least now it was downhill, so my legs pumped as though I was barely touching the ground. I would not let him leave me behind.
I turned around another tree, coming face to face with a wolfcupine that was at least twice as large as the one I had fought. My stomach froze as I skidded to a stop.
He snarled at me, showing me his huge canines.
“Nice wolfcupine,” I said in a singsong voice, taking a step back.
“There she is!” a pirate yelled, rushing out into the open, only to slide to a stop next to me when he saw the wolfcupine.
The wolfcupine spun to face the pirate, and the stupid pirate attempted to run away. The animal’s chase instinct engaged, it let out a huge bark, and then took off after the pirate.
The path before me now clear, I took the opportunity to bolt for the beach.
Huge explosions sounded in the ocean, followed by more pirates screaming. My step faltered, and my eyes grew wider at the fireball that went up into the air. The second pirate ship, the one Kane hadn’t stolen, exploded. The pirates aboard it were scattered among the waves, their screams coming from what seemed like every direction. I had to dodge two pirates as I ran out onto the beach, but once on the sand, they both spotted and began to fight with each other.
I dove into the ocean, and the cold water as it enveloped me like a hug. I sucked in a breath of sea water and my lungs finally felt normal again as the side stitch subsided. Kicking my feet, I found the current and used it to propel me. Overhead, flares lit the sky. Chances were, the pirates on land were calling for help. Would someone answer the call? Did they have a third ship? I shook my head under the waves. Once I came close to the hull of the ship, I kicked as fast as I could to leap out of the water, launching past the surface and sailing through the air until my feet slapped the board on the deck of the ship.
Kane stood at the wheel of the ship. I marched forward, letting the water spill from my mouth and lungs, and sucking in a breath of air. I let it out as slowly as I could to avoid the coughing, but my head spun, and adrenaline still coursed through my veins. He barely turned my direction when I jumped forward and held my knife to Kane’s throat. “You were trying to ditch me.”
He looked down at me calmly while he stood at the helm with one hand still on the wheel. “You’re here, aren’t you?”
“No thanks to you!” I screamed and gripped my knife harder, nicking the skin on his throat as he swallowed, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
“Ivy, I didn’t leave you.’ Red beaded from the one-inch line on his throat.
“Kane, you’re on a ship far out in the ocean, while I was on land fighting with pirates who wanted to eat me. And wolfcupines. You could have used your magic to help me.”
“Were you in serious danger?” He glared at me, his brown eyes holding no mirth.
Technically, no. But I narrowed my eyes at him and refused to answer. I was not going to let go of this feeling of betrayal because of I kept myself out of serious danger. Nor would I let down my guard around him.
“Are you injured?” he asked.
“No.” My resolve was weakening, and I pulled the knife a hair away from his throat.
“Are you on the ship with me?”
“Obviously.” I pulled my knife away. Though the anger coursing through me had not yet subsided, I didn’t want to kill him.
“Then, what’s the problem?” He smirked.
I punched him in the stomach as hard as I could and spun on my heel. “Stupid, arrogant, jerk!”
“You’re just mad I used you as bait.” He coughed.
I spun to face him, hands on my hips. “Of course, I am. You used me like a piece of meat.”
His hands were wrapped around his waist where I’d hit him, but the smirk remained on his lips. “I’d apologize, but the plan worked perfectly.”
“The biggest wolfcupine ever was right in my face.” I glared at him, fisting my knife again and gesturing toward my face. “I could have died.”
“I saw.” He straightened, and his eyes grew serious. “If the wolfcupine leapt at you, I would have toasted him with a fireball.”
Did he really see? Was he just saying this to pacify me? I refused to be placated so easily. “Would you have? Or would you have been too busy escaping?”
He tied the ship’s wheel and then walked to me. His eyes softened as he held out his hands toward me. “I’m sorry I used you as bait.”
“You should be.” I shoved my knife back into my holster and crossed my arms over my chest.
He pulled me into a hug and patted my head. “You’re safe, and we’re still together. Mission accomplished. Well done, Ivy.”
My stupid brain took his compliment, and my heart fluttered at his words. I had done well. I’d escaped all those filthy pirates, and I’d escaped a wolfcupine. But I had to do it all by myself. I opened my arms and pushed him off me, punched him in the stomach again, and kicked him in the shin as hard as I could. He dropped to one knee, but instead of cringing, he was laughing.
“Idiot,” I growled, and stalked off to lean against one of the rails.
He returned to sailing, a smile on his face, as he stee
red our stolen ship.
At least one of us had had fun.
I slumped against the rails, watching the ship slice through the water. I was so tired, my muscles became completely flaccid. I slid down to a sitting position, but that wasn't enough. Eventually I lay on my back against the rough-hewn deck and closed my eyes. The sun overhead was already drying my clothes and hair, and my breath was finally settling. Then a shadow blocked the sun from my face.
I cracked open a lid and peered up at Kane’s worried face standing above me. “Ivy?”
I waved a hand at him and then lowered it again, closing my eyes once more. “I’m fine, just need to rest. I did a lot of running.”
“You’re sure you are uninjured?” His voice sounded worried. Was he faking it? My heart still ached from the feeling of betrayal both from his stupid plan to use me as bait and the fact he’d started leaving me behind. Sure, he knew I could swim better than those stupid pirates, but did it really matter. He should have waited for me.
“Positive. I’m fine.” I sighed in exasperation.
The pirates were so focused on capturing me and fighting over me, that none of them had hurt me. I was incredibly grateful for that. But, again, I was proving to be very delicious looking. Ugh.
“Why does everything want to eat me?” I asked softly and threw my arms over my eyes.
Kane chuckled, but I ignored him. Eventually I heard his feet pad away on the wooden boards as he returned in the direction of the helm. My breathing settled and the aches and pains in my muscles subsided as the tension released and I could finally relax. I slipped into a short but restful sleep.
When I woke, I peered over toward Kane who still stood at the helm, steering the ship. The sun had gotten much lower on the horizon, but still a few hours until sunset. The light had softened as it hid behind a few clouds there. A breeze blew steadily, and the comforting scent of the sea filled my lungs. My muscles rested and some time to distance me from my betrayal made me feel better. But my stomach growled. I hadn’t eaten in hours and I exerted myself too hard. I stood and headed towards the stairs. “I’m going to check below deck.”
Stone Heart (The Cursed Seas Collection) Page 6
