Wielder's Prize

by Elle Cardy

  “I’m here,” she said at last.

  “How did they not see you?” he asked into the darkness. Exhaustion filled his voice.

  “I don’t know how I wield. It just happens.” She hated that she always felt like she had to apologize to Finn for her lack of control and knowledge.

  “You wielded?”

  Jasmine thought that maybe the captain’s beating had knocked the sense out of Finn’s head. “Thought you said you always knew when someone wielded.”

  “I do.”

  “Would that change if you lost your talisman?”

  “It’s a passive ability. I don’t wield to know. Well, I do, but it’s so minor.”

  Jasmine wished she could see his face. His voice sounded too flat to give anything away. She needed to read his expression. She became aware that she could make out his features in the darkness. A faint light seemed to infuse the room. It didn’t come from any particular source. Finn turned to look directly at her.

  “You’re wielding now,” he said.

  Startled, she stopped and the room plunged into darkness again.

  Finn coughed up a weak chuckle. “How’s your head?”

  She scowled in the dark at him. “It’s fine.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “How’s yours?”

  “It’s like a thousand hangovers rolled into one.”

  Jasmine smiled in the dark but the smile slipped. “How did you convince Matthews about the lantern?” His power to control people scared her. He’d lured her to him once before. She wondered what else he had made her do without her realizing. Maybe it had been his power that had made her steal the ring. She had to be careful. She couldn’t allow herself to trust him.

  “I wielded.”

  “No kidding.” She hadn’t meant to speak with sarcasm but the wielder infuriated her. “How am I supposed to learn if you don’t teach me?”

  “I cannot teach you.”

  The light returned in the room. “The captain can learn. I don’t think you want me to learn.” She studied his face for a reaction that would give away the truth she sought.

  “So, you were there.” His gaze traveled around the room and stopped on her. He studied her as intently as she studied him. No one said anything. Finn frowned and shifted. He forced himself into a seated position. Jasmine could tell it took all his effort. He was shaking by the time he settled with his back against the bulkhead. She stared at him in defiance.

  “How?” he asked.

  “How what?”

  “Doing this,” and he indicated the light in the room, “would have near killed you on the Seahawk.”

  The light dimmed.

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  A pained look came over him. “I do want you to learn. More than you know.”

  “Then teach me.”

  “I’ve told you before. It’s not something that can be taught. The captain is something… rare. In all our history, I know of only two wielders with the ability to learn beyond childhood. Neither of their lives ended well. I can only guide you into the abilities you already own.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Finn sighed. “It’s like having someone remind you of your forgotten dreams. For you, those dreams have remained unremembered for too long. The memory of them can never return.”

  “Then how can I even wield?”

  “Of course you can wield. You were born to it. It’s the memory, coupled with the focusing power of a talisman, which allows you control.”

  “And because I have no memory and no talisman, then I also have no control?” Jasmine frowned at the dim light filling the room. “It doesn’t look like I have no control.”

  Finn looked around also. It was clear the mystery of the light perplexed him. “It’s almost as if…” he murmured then stopped. He gave her a searching look. “Have you found a talisman?”

  Jasmine’s eyes widened. Did he know she had his talisman on her? Did carrying his talisman make any difference to the way she wielded? Could a talisman be shared? She couldn’t ask him these questions. He already thought she had betrayed him by throwing his ring away. She’d only make things worse if he knew she still carried his talisman but refused to give it back to him.

  “Jasmine?” Finn searched the room. “Why are you hiding from me?”

  She swore in frustration. She didn’t know how to reveal herself when she didn’t want to be revealed. Hiding always seemed like the best option. It was certainly the easiest.

  “Why don’t you trust me after all this time?” he asked the air.

  She did show herself then. His gaze found her as she stood. The heat of anger coursed through her. “How can you ask me that after what you did to me?”

  Her anger drained away as quickly as it flared. Fear filled the hollow left behind. She edged her way to the door.

  Confusion shadowed his bloodied features. “What did I do to you?”

  “You sent me to hell.” She was going to run again, but chose to stay. “You sent me to that void, that emptiness. Only it wasn’t empty.”

  Confusion remained in his expression. He was trying to understand. It seemed like he had no idea what she was talking about.

  “When you made Doc drug me on the Seahawk,” she said, “you did something to me. You trapped me inside a…” She had insufficient words. Just thinking of it made her fear well up inside her and threatened to choke her. “There was a beast.”

  “I didn’t know.” His horror seemed genuine at least. He tried to reach for her but she moved out of his range. “You have to believe me. I didn’t know. That was never my intention.”

  Her hand played with the latch on the door. She should leave. The ice that crusted her heart grew a little deeper. She didn’t think there was anyone left on the ship she could trust.

  She laughed then.

  Finn missed the bitterness in it. “What’s so funny?”

  She looked at his swollen face. He had never looked so fragile. She let her hand drop from the latch but she remained standing.

  “Was it worth it in the end?” she asked.

  Finn hesitated for only a second. She hoped it was because of regret or guilt rather than a need to stall so he could think up more lies. “I had to protect you.”

  “What, in all of Erenna, could be worse than that beast?”

  Finn winced. “They call themselves the Guardians.” It was clear he had no real notion of the beast. No person, no group, no establishment, no government, no kingdom on Erenna could be worse than that beast.

  “Go on.”

  He seemed uncomfortable as if he were reluctant to speak of them. “They are a little known faction made up of wielders. Their objective is to watch over all other wielders. They will hunt down and kill those who become too powerful and… those who remain untrained.”

  “You weren’t lying to Doc then.” For some reason she wanted to believe him. It may have been the earnest look in his eyes, or it may have been her need to trust someone on the Prize. “I thought you were making it up to convince him to drug me. These wielders were looking for me?”

  “I had to bury your power so they wouldn’t find you. I had no idea what I’d done to you.”

  “How could they find me?”

  “They are trained to recognize other wielders.”

  “You have that power.”

  Finn nodded. “They can sense untrained wielder power from leagues away. They caught your scent so they won’t give up until they’ve found you.”

  The thought of being hunted by wielders made her shiver, but she still wasn’t sure she fully believed him. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  Finn bowed his head. He looked spent. “Not many people know of their existence and those who do are sworn to secrecy. As wielders we already have to face enough fear and superstition. If anyone discovered there was an organized group of the most powerful of us out there, we’d fa
ce even greater persecution. By telling you about them, I have breached their greatest rule. By hiding you as I did on the Seahawk, I broke their next greatest rule.”

  “What is the punishment for these betrayals?”

  “Death.”

  She scowled at him. Why would he risk death to help her? He didn’t even know her. He had to be telling her lies. Nothing made sense.

  The ship pitched to the side at an alarming angle. Jasmine lost her footing and crashed against the bulkhead next to Finn. Automatically he reached out for her but she flinched from his touch and shifted away.

  “I’m fine,” she said to keep him at a distance. “It’s just some bad weather.”

  The ship rolled and for a moment she felt her stomach lurch. She had to get out into the fresh air. It was rare she ever got seasick.

  Finn gasped.

  “What is it now?”

  “It’s the captain’s power in the storm. He is truly powerful. I had no hope of defending the Seahawk against the Prize.”

  Jasmine felt the ship push through the high waves as if the swells meant nothing. The unnatural forces in the sea surged and bucked and tamed the Prize as if it were no more than a toy in a bathtub. It was these forces that made her seasick. She knew her ship. She knew the sea. Neither reacted well.

  “Won’t the Guardians be after the captain? You said they hunt those who become too powerful.”

  Finn seemed to remember something. “They know of the captain. They know he is a wielder and they know he is strong. I don’t believe they know he is able to learn.” He gave her a weary smile. “Your captain is a smart man. He has been able to hide his special ability all these years which means he covers his tracks well.”

  There was a look of defeat in Finn Jasmine didn’t understand. Then it dawned on her. “Captain Kahld intends to kill you once he’s done with you.” The thought that the man she’d admired all those years would commit such a cold-blooded act made her feel sick. Without a doubt, he was capable. She reminded herself again of the look in his eyes when he beat Finn. That was not the look of a man who knew mercy.

  Jasmine realized what she had to do. She took Finn’s hands in her own and she looked deep into his gray eyes. His confusion changed to startled shock when he felt something drop into his palm. He knew instantly what it was.

  “You didn’t throw it away then?”

  She shook her head. “I wanted to, but couldn’t.”

  With shaking hands, he put the ring on his finger. He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath of relief as if he’d been waiting for this moment all his life. Strength returned to him in a rush. When he opened his eyes again he looked at her with gratitude.

  “Jasmine, you are a real treasure.”

  Discomfort prickled through her. “I thought you’d hate me for betraying you.”

  “Never.”

  She frowned at him and moved away. The light in the room darkened but didn’t completely go out. She deserved to be hated. She hadn’t earned his gratitude. The ship lurched again in the rough waters as it bucked against the natural and unnatural forces around it. Sea sickness wrapped its arms around her. She had to get fresh air soon.

  “You look hungry,” she said. “I’ll find you food.”

  Finn caught her before she could escape. “I need you to know I would never hurt you. Not intentionally.”

  There was nothing she could say to him. She looked down at his hand holding her arm. The beaten metal ring on his finger glinted in the dim light. The moment the others saw his ring, they would take it from him. She touched the ring and it vanished from his sight.

  He gasped.

  “It’s still there. I’ve just hidden it so they can’t take it from you ever again.” Jasmine turned and left before he could recover.

  Chapter 15

  Jasmine stood at the entrance to the galley and watched her father preparing meals. From the enticing smells that wafted out, he was preparing officer food. He worked with the efficiency he’d tried to teach her for many years. Her heart had never been in it so she had showed little promise. Brusan couldn’t trust her with anything as important as preparing meals for the officers. The most she did was prepare gruel for the crew.

  She wondered what Brusan would do if she revealed herself. Would he turn on her again for stealing Finn’s ring? Would he beat her?

  The distinct smells of roasted meat and coffee reached her at the doorway. She frowned at his work. This was not his usual meals. The captain preferred tea over coffee. Brusan looked like he was preparing a feast, yet he’d prepared only three plates. Three mugs of steaming hot coffee sat on a tray.

  “Who are you cooking for?” she asked without thinking.

  Brusan looked up, startled. “Where have you been?” When it was clear she wasn’t going to answer him, he added, “Mind your own business, Midge.” He wiped his hands down his greasy apron and kept working. He served three generous portions of roasted carrots, potatoes, and onions. When he opened the iron stove door, a savory aroma of roasted pheasant filled her senses. Brusan closed the door again and scowled at Jasmine.

  “Get out of here, boy. I’m too busy to deal with you right now.”

  “I thought you were never too busy to beat me.” She had no idea why she continued to goad her father. It was as if she wanted him to beat her.

  Brusan’s expression darkened. He advanced on her with his fist raised. She bolted.

  She didn’t run far. Instead, she hid herself and waited for her father to finish working. She decided to follow him to see where he took the tray of expensive delectables. The smarter option would have been to stick to her original plan and steal food to take back to Finn, but she hadn’t made a smart decision since returning to the Prize. Why start now?

  Brusan took the loaded tray, not to any officer’s quarters, but to a storage room below decks. He pushed on the latch with his elbow and kicked open the door. It was a large room that once held boxes of goods, spare ropes, extra canvas, and chests of pegs, candle wax, and oil. Only a few chests remained and they had been pushed to the back. Three hammocks were strung up between the bulkheads and swung with the movement of the ship. Jasmine couldn’t see much more so she followed Brusan into the room.

  An oil lamp burned in the middle of a low table. Jasmine paled. Sitting in three comfortable chairs around the table were Roberts, Lars, and Peters. The stench of tobacco filled the room. Peters had his feet up on the table and he smoked a pipe. Jasmine suppressed a cough. This was not right. They were prisoners, not guests.

  “There you are, my good man.” Roberts greeted Brusan as if they were old friends. “What have you brought us today?”

  Brusan put the tray on the table and made a point of serving each man his mug of coffee and his plate of roasted food.

  “’Tis the captain’s favorite,” her father said. “Roast pheasant on a bed of caramelized vegetables.”

  Lars roared with laughter, making his scar pucker his face. “You take your food too seriously, my friend.”

  Brusan growled at him. “Tell me that after you’ve tried it.” He tossed them their cutlery — silver forks and knives. The rest of the crew were only given a wooden spoon since that was all a man needed when he ate gruel.

  Roberts pulled out his curved dagger and stabbed the pheasant breast. He lifted it off the plate and ripped a ragged bite out of it. He chewed noisily and the juices ran down his bearded chin. He smiled. “You’ve excelled yourself, Cook.”

  “Aye, I’d agree with that,” Lars said after cutting a delicate slice with his knife and fork as if he were a civilized man.

  Peters continued to smoke his pipe and made no move to eat.

  “How much longer we gotta stay here in this hole?” Roberts asked with his mouth full.

  “If all goes well we’ll arrive in Tathra in a month,” Brusan said.

  “Cursed place,” Peters mumbled. “Nothing there but snow and ice.”

  Ro
berts rubbed his fingers and thumb together, “And gold.”

  “Aye, don’t forget the gold,” Lars snickered.

  “I don’t know if I can stand to be holed up in here another month with you two,” Peters said.

  Brusan kicked the man’s feet off the table. “Stop complaining.”

  Peters’ blond hair flashed in the lamp light as he pounced at Brusan’s large form. Brusan was ready for him and caught his fist before it landed.

  “Cool off, Peters,” Brusan said in a low voice of warning. “Take a seat and enjoy your meal.”

  Peters snarled at him but obeyed. He sat. With a challenge in his lopsided smile, he put his feet back onto the table and took another pull on his pipe. A puff of acrid smoke rose in a slow dance toward the overhead compartment.

  “Don’t mind him,” Lars said. “He don’t like closed in spaces.”

  “You need to all watch yourselves,” Brusan warned in a way that made Jasmine think he had been repeating himself to no avail. “It’s only another month. The captain’s paid you more than handsomely for yer trouble. Just remember, if you’re caught it will all be for naught.”

  Jasmine gasped. She didn’t mean to. It just came out. All four men turned to the corner where she crouched. And all four men saw her.

  Brusan looked down on her, his small eyes wide. He seemed frozen like a statue, not comprehending what he saw. Peters opened his mouth and wisps of smoke drifted out of it. Lars scowled at her, his scar stretched tight across his cheek.

  Roberts’ expression was the first to change from shock to accusing. She could read his thoughts through the change of expressions that played across his face. First there was shock that someone had managed to sneak into the room without anyone noticing. Next came alarm because this cabin boy knew their secret. Then realization hit. She could wield. And then the final expression registered — they had to swiftly deal with this spy before anyone else discovered their secret.

  Jasmine turned to flee. Roberts was faster. She’d half opened the door before he slammed it shut with a forceful kick. The handle flew out of her hands and she cried out in surprise.