I swallowed the bitter bile creeping up my throat along with every last remnant of my pride, and finally, reluctantly, I nodded.
The first step was to procure supplies. We were in luck on that front. Not only had my father kept unmarked coins in every safe house he set up, Nell had a small fortune stashed away in this flat.
“Where did you get all this cash?” I asked her.
“A girl with a teleport and a questionable moral code can obtain a great many things,” she said before turning back around to rest.
I guess that’s all the answer I’m going to get.
There was no more about the money or about Levelia. Nell had been closemouthed since dropping that particular bomb on us. I wasn’t sure it mattered now when we had so much else to focus on, but she would have to give us answers at some point.
Gunther’s face was the only one not currently on Redshaw’s wanted list, so he left to make arrangements while we all stewed in the apartment. I managed not to murder Jayce only because he went back to lie down. Nell drifted in and out of sleep on the sofa.
She had explained to Locke and me that the healing gel she had would help knit the wound together but did nothing to replenish the blood count. It had saved her life, and apparently Jayce’s as well, but even the miraculous crystal-based substance couldn’t get them back to full health in twenty-four hours.
In Jayce’s case, that wasn’t a bad thing.
I helped myself to the contents of the kitchen while Nell filled Locke and me in on everything that had happened. By the time I finished my second sandwich, I was feeling much less volatile, though no less hostile toward our unlikely ally. I didn’t believe for one second that he felt even the slightest bit grateful toward my brother. I wasn’t even sure Jayce was capable of that emotion. Try though I might, I couldn’t shake the feeling this was going to go badly for us, but I also couldn’t see another option.
“So, if you guys were right here,” I asked Nell in one of her waking moments, “monitoring the situation and looking to get us, why didn’t you just,” I gestured to my wrist and made a vague hand gesture, “pop in to retrieve us?”
“My bracelet shorted out the first time I used it after Gunther’s attempt at wielding it in the Dark Woods.” Her face darkened as she pointed to her empty wrist. “I had to sneak my way out of the Penthouse using only my wits.”
“Addie’s Penthouse? You went there before you came to get us?” I let my annoyance show on my face.
Nell sighed.
“I can’t just teleport in front of a camera, Clark. I was waiting for Gunther to disable them before it became a moot point.”
I hated to admit her explanation made sense.
“What were you even doing there?”
“Retrieving something that means a great deal to Addie.” With that, Nell settled in and returned to her nap. Or pretended to.
I narrowed my eyes at her carefully-even breaths, sure she was only evading my question. She didn’t seem the type to give anything away that she didn’t want to, though, so I knew there was little point in pushing her.
Instead, I brewed a pot of strong coffee and took to pacing the room until Gunther finally returned. His face was pinched with worry.
“I got us rations and clothes. I asked around about boats, and none were available on short notice. I couldn’t get the water barrels without a boat to deliver them to.” Gunther delivered the news calmly, as he did everything, but his lips were pursed. Without a boat, this mission was over before it started.
An image of a well-stocked vessel floated into my mind, and I couldn’t suppress a grin.
“Don’t worry, little brother. I have the perfect boat in mind. And I’m willing to bet it gets restocked every time it pulls into the harbor.”
The Protector
Xavier still thought about his first family, but it was a dull ache now. He spent all of his time training with his brothers or with their father. They weren’t a conventional family, but they were family nonetheless. There were still dark days when Xavier wondered how much trouble his youngest sister’s temper would have gotten her into as a teenager.
Atiena was the feistiest child he’d ever met. He would always tease that she was part animal, just like the wild pakas that prowled outside of the village. She could be sweet and calm if not provoked, but once that happened she could give anyone hell..
That passion also extended to her family. She was quick to defend the ones she loved…
Xav remembered a time when his brother Rakim was very small, only just learning to walk, and one of the older boys tripped him, laughing with his friends as he fell into the mud. He wasn’t hurt, but you couldn’t tell Atiena that. She was less than half the size of the older boys but showed no fear as she flung herself onto their backs and pummeled them, expending all her energy trying to defend little Rakim’s honor.
She was so small but had so much strength and heart. Xavier remembered how he had to pull her off of them, arms still swinging while the older boys ran away. He tried to hide his laughing smile from her so she wouldn’t take out the rest of her anger on him. She would be a fearsome sight when she was older. Xav was proud to be her big brother.
Little Rakim, or Raki as they called him, was always trying to grow up too fast, and he adored Xavier. Raki would be just like his older brother one day, he was sure of it. Any chore Xav had, his brother would try to do, too. Everything Xav said, Raki would say, too.
A smile tugged at Xav’s mouth as he thought of his siblings… he wondered if Raki would have been as tall as him. He wondered if his sister would still be beating up the boys who dared cross her or her family. A tear slipped from Xav’s eye, and he wiped it away as that ache in his chest flared for a moment until the memories faded.
Most of the time, though, he was happy. Father was a patient teacher, if a bit stern, respected across the Empire. Clark was brash and obnoxious, but loyal and fierce when it came to his family. And Gunther was the most brilliant person he’d ever met, yet also the kindest soul he knew.
The soldiers were an extension of that family, training them in turns and teaching them things Father probably wouldn’t have approved of. And though Xav could never replace the first family he had, being a big brother again gave him a sense of completion. For a few years on the naval ship, life was pretty close to perfect.
Chapter Four
ADELAIDE
Only a week ago, the idea of any Ceithren being seasick would have struck me as ridiculous. As the days stretched on, though, the waves became increasingly tumultuous, pitching the ship violently in every direction. It was painfully apparent that my experience with sailing had been restricted to the calmer waters between Central Island and the Cardinal Islands. Past the Outer Islands was a whole new world.
I heaved into my chamber pot, not that there was anything left to come up. In the weeks following Amelie’s death, I would often forget to eat for days at a time. It had been Locke who noticed my clothes hanging on the sharp angles of my body. He had commissioned small, easily-digested meals from the cook until I could tolerate proper food again.
Since then, it had been an ongoing battle not to return to my food aversion. Stress, anxiety, grief, and even anger churned my stomach intensely. The past week had brought each of those emotions in droves. Topped off with the turbulent journey, I hadn’t kept a morsel down in days. But here, there were no specially created meals, only the sailor’s salty rations that would have been difficult to stomach in the best circumstances.
I tried to force them down, to maintain my strength, but each attempt ended the same way: me retching into a foul-smelling bucket. Finished for the moment, I wiped my mouth on the rag I had been given to clean myself and laid my head against the damp floor. If anyone else had been wearing Xavier’s expression, I might have called it remorse or even concern. I glared at him. He had no right to either of those feelings now.
He passed a skein of fresh water through the bars, and I took it without thankin
g him. I was parched, but I rejected the urge to gulp it down. Tiny sips of the lukewarm liquid gave me the best chance at retaining some desperately-needed hydration. I concentrated on keeping each increment down and letting my stomach settle before I indulged in more.
Xavier watched me with dark, inscrutable eyes.
“Enjoying the show?” I rasped.
“No, I’m really not.” The giant man turned around, and we passed the rest of his shift in silence. I no longer had the energy to constantly needle at him.
And I needed to save what little I did have for my night shift guard.
As though my thoughts had summoned him, the brute’s footsteps sounded on the brig stairs. I donned some semblance of my heiress face, though I was sure loathing still shone from my eyes. I had hoped one small perk of my sallow skin and frequent unladylike vomiting might be the loss of Jethro’s attentions. Instead, the man seemed to be aroused by any sign of weakness.
I tried to sleep during Xavier’s shifts, since the sunlight didn’t come down here anyway, but I also didn’t want Xavier to know how deeply Jethro’s taunts were affecting me. Pride may have seemed moot at this point, but it was all I had left to hold on to.
If Xavier noted the scorn in my eyes when Jethro neared my cell, I hoped he believed it was only the same disdain with which I would treat anyone on this godforsaken ship. He left, and I prepared to spend the evening as I had the previous seven.
I placed my legs firmly together, straight out in front of me. I leaned my back against the furthest wall in what I hoped appeared to be a casual manner. The reality was that I was exhausted. I couldn’t hold my head up for long periods of time, but I shuddered to think of Jethro’s reaction should he realize that. He was enticed enough when I did nothing to provoke him.
“I’ve been planning our time together, you know. It won’t be long now.” His eyes raked over me, and I struggled to keep the revulsion off my face.
He’s lying. If he could get into my cell, he would have by now.
“Idle threats do not become you, Jethro.” I mustered up the strength to put steel in my voice. “We both know your master never lets you off your leash.” Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut, but I would not let him think he had me cowed.
Jethro snarled. “We’ll see about that, baby.”
My heartbeat sped up, and I couldn’t stop a shudder. He smiled and began to move his hand downward, keeping his gaze fixed on the small amount of leg I had no fabric to cover.
I looked away in disgust. I focused on the clockwork heart locket that contained my sister’s ashes. I ran my fingers over the gears and pretended the rhythmic clicking was the only sound I could hear, tried to pretend I was anywhere but here. I pictured my plushy bed at home, my fat cat Shensi curled up on the pillow. I thought about how Clark had been right when he accused me of not appreciating the things I had left. And now, I was here.
Tears stung at my eyes, and it was everything I could do not to resume my fruitless heaving.
Not for the first time, it crossed my mind to tell someone. I hadn’t seen the general since his only visit down to the brig, and the only other person here was Xavier. Whatever emotion I occasionally saw brewing behind his eyes, I couldn’t let myself forget he was the one who put me in this situation. Neither my life nor my wellbeing was of any concern to him. As long as I stayed intact enough to use the necklace, there was no one on this ship to care how damaged the goods became in the meantime.
I had no doubt that if Jethro got a hold of me, he would leave me alive, so I could continue to be his plaything. When I had awoken on this ship, I had feared for my life. There were worse things than death, though.
I grimaced at the thought. The future looming before me now might make me wish they had taken my head to begin with.
The days stretched on. The threats and predatory behavior continued, but Jethro hadn’t managed to find a way into my cell. I hardly had the energy to be grateful for that, as my seasickness had not abated. If anything, the worsening storms outside had only increased my nausea. The sour taste of bile in my throat became my constant companion, and I worried the raspy sound to my voice would be permanent.
I was lying on the floor of my cell, trying to force myself to sleep on Xavier’s watch, when General Noble made his second appearance.
“We dock shortly. Secure the girl,” he told his son. He did a double take when he glanced my way, apparently not having been apprised of my condition, but he didn’t comment on it.
I wasn’t sure how I could get any more secure, malnourished and behind bars.
My eyes widened when the general passed Xavier a weighty-looking iron key before striding back toward the deck stairs. I sat up precariously.
“We need to go up on deck. Don’t try to fight me. I don’t want to have to handcuff you,” Xavier said before opening my cell door.
I nearly laughed at the idea. I couldn’t fight the man at my best. As it was, I was wondering how I would even manage two flights of the steep stairs that led to the upper decks.
The ship we were on was the largest I had ever set foot on. It was three levels. The main level had the deck and the galley. The level below that was where the crew slept, and the smaller, bottom level was for storage and, of course, the brig. I had only seen the other levels once, on my way down here. There were also a few cabins on an upper level, I assumed for the captain and perhaps the general. I hadn’t quite gotten a sense of the power structure here yet.
Xavier waited at the door for me to join him. I slowly got to my feet, using the wall to support myself. There was a jolt when the ship docked, and I pitched to the side. Xavier caught me. As soon as I righted myself, I shook him off and headed for the deck stairs.
One foot in front of the other. I can do this.
My bare feet shuffled along the rough planks of the floor, splinters piercing the skin every few steps. I refused to show my discomfort outwardly. Though I knew my freedom was a farce, it felt good to be out of my cell. The idea of the sun on my face after over two weeks of dismal lamplight was lending me the strength to stay upright. Maybe at Gyomatsu with solid land beneath my feet, I could manage to keep something down.
There was no railing at the stairs, but I was determined to push through my weakness and make it to the top unassisted. This may not have been how I wanted to get here, but I was at the Ever Falls. My sister’s ashes were still wrapped around my wrist. I didn’t know what they had planned for me, but perhaps when they were finished with whatever it was, they would leave me here. I could spread her ashes, then make my way back home.
Or start over somewhere new, somewhere no one has ever heard the name Kensington.
The thought propelled me up the stairs without collapsing. Xavier stayed close at my back. Whether that was to catch me or ensure I didn’t flee, I wasn’t sure. We passed a few crew members on the second deck down. I ignored their brazen stares. No doubt, I was a wreck, but each of them was complicit in me getting to this sorry state.
At long last, we reached the upper deck. A hot wind whipped my hair around my face and the blinding rays of the sun had me stumbling back, colliding with Xavier’s solid form. My arm came up on instinct to protect my eyes, which were watering profusely.
Seabirds screeched overhead, the sound overly loud after weeks of muffled noises in my cell. Gradually, I lowered my arm, letting small amounts of sunlight touch my closed eyelids. After a moment, I managed to open them slowly.
The tiniest fraction of a smile graced my face. Gyomatsu Island had towering stone walls with a gargantuan iron gate in the center, so I couldn’t see the Ever Falls, but they were so close.
I made it.
The Protector
All the boys were trained in the basics of first aid and field medicine, but Xavier’s fascination went deeper than that. He wanted to heal people, heal them the way he couldn’t heal his family… heal them the way he couldn’t completely heal that part of himself that died with his first family.
&nb
sp; The general noticed Xav’s interest in medicine early on, but he had wanted his eldest son to get a basic education first. Finally, he had relented. After Xavier turned thirteen, he devoted every minute of his non-physical training to studying the arts of medicine. When they made port, he would immediately wander off to find the local doctors or medicine women and learn anything he could from them in that short time.
His favorite teacher was a woman on Fenari Island. The first day he had come into her pristine building, she had shooed him away. He was preparing to argue or beg her when a bleeding man was brought in by his two friends.
“Hold him down,” the doctor instructed.
One of the men promptly passed out, and the other looked frantic. Xavier strode calmly over and placed his hands on the bleeding man’s shoulders, putting enough pressure there to keep him still.
Xav met the eyes of the doctor.
“What else do you need?” he asked her evenly.
The corners of her lips tilted up.
“All right, Boy. You may stay.”
He returned to her every time they made port, staying until his father came to drag him back onto the ship. He missed the time with his brothers on these stops, but it was worth it to soak up her wealth of knowledge.
He was determined that, should one of his brothers be in danger, he would be able to protect them. Losing one family had been enough. He wouldn’t lose this new family, too. He would do everything in his power to keep them safe.
The Tempest Sea Page 3
