Pieces of Jade

by Lani Woodland

  Slicing the blade through the air, I stepped toward Edmond, a feral cry ripping from my throat. He parried, and moved back. I retreated. Edmond went for the easy kill, his long sword aiming directly at my heart. I sidestepped his thrust and jabbed under his arm, slicing his ribs, missing his heart by inches. Edmond’s mouth fell open when he saw the blood soaking through his sleeve. His short sword slashed at my throat and I jumped back as it grazed my neck.

  He lunged high and I ducked low, striking out with my foot to kick him in the knee. He yelped in pain and staggered back a few steps, but he recovered quickly and thrust at me, catching the edge of my left arm. Blood trailed down and I winced at the sharp fire that ripped through my limb. I grabbed my sword with both hands and swung it at him only to be parried aside by his short blade. Thrown off balance, I rolled as I fell and scrambled to a crouch. Spinning about, I raised my weapon above my head just in time to block his blade that bore down on me. I pushed off with my legs and jumped toward him, jamming my shoulder into his gut.

  I caught him off guard with the move and he stumbled back. I pressed my advantage, advancing on him while he was off kilter, swinging my sword toward his heart. He blocked me, as I expected he would, and as he raised his sword I kicked again at his knee. He stumbled and fell, coming down on all fours. I came up behind him and smashed the pommel against the back of his head. He fell to the floor, and I stepped on his sword, pinning it to the ground.

  Edmond released his sword and flipped over, still holding the shorter weapon. Before he could rise I pressed my blade against his throat. Edmond gulped and stared at me with scared eyes.

  There was a collective gasp from the crew and several stared at me with their mouths hanging open. Adrenaline surged through me, and I panted for air. The crew screamed for me to finish him. I pictured the blade slicing into his throat and my heart dropped into my stomach.

  Without moving my eyes I yelled towards the captain. “Do the rules state that I have to kill him?” I waited for his response, but none came. “Captain! Do the rules dictate that I must kill this man?”

  “You're free to spare his sorry life, if that's what you want. He'll be stripped of his rank and remain in your debt.” He paused. “Or, since you were fighting for William, he’ll be in William's debt.” The crew began laughing and Edmond's eyes simmered with hate.

  The captain walked to my side.

  “Will he still cause trouble for William?” I chanced a quick glance in his direction before returning my attention to Edmond.

  “I promise you, he won't,” the captain said.

  “Very well, I spare him.” I stepped back, setting the point of my sword against the deck. Thomas and Lafe surged forward, securing Edmond and dragging him away.

  “It's over then,” Thomas declared. “Sheridan is the victor.” The crew let out a cheer but I couldn't join them. The whole ordeal had seemed so pointless, and I dropped the sword onto the deck with a clang.

  The captain marched up to me and grabbed me, steering me towards the infirmary. “You need to see the doctor.”

  “Why? He only nicked me once.”

  “Uh, Sheridan, he got you more than once. A lot more than once.”

  I looked mutely at my body and saw my arms and legs covered in trails of blood. With the intensity of the fight I hadn't felt the wounds, but seeing them now brought the waves of pain that had been held back.

  “No more argument,” he said, pushing me anxiously towards the doctor’s room.

  “Why are you pushing me?”

  “Because you’re not moving.” The captain actually smiled at me, and for once there was no hatred in his eyes. “I can't believe you did it. It was a stupid, foolish thing to do, of course, but you did it. More than that, it was very well done.”

  “Um . . . thank you,” I said, not sure of how to take a compliment from him.

  “William will have my hide once he finds out I let you fight.”

  “It had to be done,” I said. My tongue felt heavy.

  “It was still stupid.”

  “He’s worth it.”

  The captain gave me a curious glance and then smiled at me again. “Yes. He is worth it.” We stared at each other for a moment. This was probably the only thing he and I would ever agree on. He broke my gaze then and turned the knob. I walked through the door but he stayed in the corridor.

  “There is something I must do. Excuse me.” He gave me a bow before turning, his eyes full of purpose.

  As Doc began tending my wounds, I heard the captain’s retreating footsteps clump down the hall, and then a short time later, the sound of a man screaming so loudly that my own throat ached in sympathy.

  “What was that?” I asked the doctor.

  He dabbed at my wounds, and shrugged. “That was the last of Edmond's tongue.”

  Chapter 21

  I bit my lip and tucked a piece of my gray hair behind my ear as I walked toward William. He hadn’t spoken to me since yesterday when he had woken up from his drugged sleep and demanded a full account of what had happened.

  I winced at the memory of his face twisted in a rage that gave way to gratitude, followed by hurt before returning back to anger. It had cycled through these various emotions several times before he stormed out of our room. In order to preserve me from the full force of his fury, William had marched into his brother’s quarters and shouted at him instead. I hadn’t been able to make out the words, but the timbre was enough to let me know that William wasn’t happy.

  Later, when he had worn down the worst of his temper, he demanded a joint audience with his brother and me, and confronted me with a series of questions and accusations. Did I think so little of his ability that I felt driven to such extreme measures? What was I thinking? Did I appreciate all that he had done to save my life, or was I intent on getting myself killed one way or another before we reached port?

  He stormed from the room and I exchanged a commiserating glance with the captain before I made my way to my quarters. I had sat up late waiting for William to come back, but he never returned to our room.

  When the first wisps of morning danced through my window, I made my way to the deck to look for him. There he stood, looking out to the horizon. I followed his gaze and was surprised to see the faint blur of land.

  I licked my lips and walked towards him.

  “William?” His spine stiffened but other than that he gave no indication I had spoken. “You've said your piece, now let me say mine.” William grunted but didn't try to stop me, so I pressed on. “I couldn’t let you throw your life away. You were tired and still weak from the poison on the island. And I know that swords aren’t your strong suit, whereas I’m—”

  William held up a hand. “I know why you did it. Your intentions were honorable, but Sherry, I—”

  “Sherry? Where did that come from?”

  He glanced at me. “I can’t very well keep calling you Sheridan, and I can't call you by your real name either. It sort of just came out.”

  “Oh.”

  “Do you mind?”

  I shook my head and despite his icy demeanor he smiled. “As I was saying, your intentions were noble and I’m moved that you would make such a dramatic gesture on my behalf. But you lied to me, you drugged me, and worst of all, you’ve . . . injured my pride.”

  I choked down a laugh. “I did not. Well,” I conceded, “I did lie and drug you, but I did nothing to injure your pride.”

  William shot me a wry look. “Unfortunately that's what the crew is saying. The bottom line is, I let a woman fight in my stead, and now I’m seen as a coward who hid behind his wife’s skirts.”

  I gripped the railing tighter. “I never meant to do that.”

  “I know.” He slid his hand so that it covered mine on the railing and we stood watching the land on the horizon draw closer.

  “So, is there a way you could reclaim your honor, or have I done you in forever?”

  William smirked. “I could smack you around and punish
you publicly.” William broke into a laugh at my horrified expression. “You do beat all, Sherry. I couldn’t so much as pretend to hit you.”

  I winked at him. “Well, if it will help—”

  He cut off the rest of my sentence with a wave of his hand. “Truth be told, I don’t much care what the crew says. Well, all right I do, but it's mostly my vanity that's suffered a blow, and vanity is a weakness. I shall strive courageously to overcome it,” he said, straightening up and puffing out his chest.

  I laughed and nudged my shoulder against his. “So, am I forgiven?”

  William exhaled and dropped back into a normal posture. “There's nothing to forgive.” He leaned close and whispered into my ear, “I very likely would have lost to him.” I started to object but he shook his head. “Edmond and I have sparred together enough for me to know his abilities fairly well. I'm not being modest; I'm being honest. He stood a fair chance of winning. So really, the only thing you need forgiveness for is risking your neck for me.”

  I reached up and caressed his cheek with my hand. “You’re worth it, William.”

  He pressed my hand more firmly against his face. “It doesn't change the fact that my life isn’t nearly as important as yours.”

  “It is to me.”

  William frowned at me. “Your life will help thousands of others to survive.”

  “Yes, the kingdom’s precious commodity.”

  “Not just the kingdom. There are people struggling outside in the Wastelands who desperately need your help.”

  “But they hate Orea and all they stand for. I’m sure they hate me even more than the king does.”

  “What they hate is the oppression the Manacle brings, not the Emmía herself. Never you. In fact they believe you’re a victim of the tyranny as much as they are. Actually,” he said, pausing to gauge my reaction, “there’s talk of a resistance against the kingdom.”

  I snorted. “There’s always been talk of a resistance. People have even tried before, but it never works. The kingdom is indestructible.”

  “With the way the cards are stacked now, yes, they are. But,” he said, flicking a splinter off the wooden railing, “if we were to change the order and number of those cards . . .”

  I stared at him, trying to take his meaning. “What’s going on, William?”

  He cleared his throat and gestured toward the horizon. “As you can see we’re near the shore, so it’s time to plan the rescue of your sister.” He paused and eyed me warily. “I know you're not going to like this, Sherry, but we have to let Clay into our plans.”

  My fingers reached out and grabbed William’s arm as he turned. “No. I’ve already tried to ask him about it and he didn’t want to help.”

  William covered my fingers with his own. “Clayton will help us, if you can give him something that he needs.”

  I shuddered. “Things didn’t work out well the last time he needed something from me.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m here now and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “So what exactly does he need from me?”

  “I’ll tell you. In time. There are still truths you need to learn before you’re ready. The final truths that pushed me to turn from the kingdom.”

  “What truths?”

  “Do you trust me?” he asked, lightly squeezing my hand.

  “I think so, but . . .”

  “Do you?”

  I swallowed and nodded.

  “Then trust me when I say that bringing Clay in is the right thing for us. Let me do the talking. He’ll know when you’re lying.”

  “And he won’t know when you are?”

  “I’m a Hound,” he said simply. “And I’m not blood bound to him like you are.”

  I closed my eyes. “I think this is a mistake.”

  William sighed as he put his arm around me and led me to the captain's cabin. “It will be all right. You’ll see.”

  The captain welcomed us into his room and seated himself behind his desk. “So, does this mean we’re speaking again, William?”

  “Yes. I need a favor from you.”

  I stifled down a laugh. Only brothers could be so blunt.

  “I should have known. What do you want?”

  “I need the medallion.”

  The captain sat upright in his chair. “For what purpose?”

  “Sheridan used to be a nursemaid for Pearl, the Emmía’s sister. Her life is being held hostage until Sheridan and Dorian return with the medallion. She is under a blood oath and will die if we don’t allow her to do this.”

  “She already told me that. I’ve considered the matter and it’s too great of a risk. Maybe I’ll reconsider if she explains why they entrusted her with the responsibility in the first place.”

  “She was caught trying to smuggle Pearl out after the Emmía’s arrest,” William lied before I could say anything. “They know how much she loves Pearl and they know she’ll do whatever it takes to save her.”

  “I still think the risk is too great.”

  I couldn’t stand still any longer. With a grunt I heaved myself across the desk and grabbed the captain by his shirt, ignoring William's protests from behind me.

  “You—who attacked the prince’s ship—think this is too risky?”

  “I’ve learned from that,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Have you no heart?” I growled, shaking him. “You are the reason Pearl and the Emmía are in danger. The least you could do is save her sister, especially since your task is finished. What good will it do to keep the medallion for yourself?”

  The captain's face was calm despite my firm grip on his shirt. “If I keep it, they won’t be able to bind the magic of the next Emmía.”

  “You said you loved the Emmía. And you said you wanted me as part of your crew. If you don’t do this, the Emmía’s sister and I will both die.”

  My fingers moved from his shirt and tightened around his throat. William easily pulled me off of his brother.

  “Sherry, I’ll handle this.” He glared at the captain and shook his head. “I thought more of you, Clay.”

  “I knew asking for his help was a mistake.” I shook my head in disgust. “He chose to live his life outside the morality of the kingdom and led the Emmía to her death. How can you expect anything honorable of him?”

  The captain smoothed down the front of his shirt. “You see me as a scoundrel and a thief. What you don’t realize is I gave the Emmía her only chance to be rescued.”

  “Rescued? Your actions sentenced her to her death!”

  The captain started from his chair. “I provided her with the opportunity to stay aboard the ship with me. She chose not to accept my offer and she went back with that sniveling prince.”

  I was shaking with rage now. “How dare you act like you had no responsibility in this.”

  “Sherry,” William muttered, putting his hand on my arm to restrain me.

  “You enjoyed hurting her and everyone she cared about! Who are you to take it upon yourself to destroy a nation that has been in place for over a thousand years!”

  “That nation is nothing but a group of cowards who lie and manipulate to protect their own selfish desires!” His voice rose in volume until it was a roar.

  “Without them and their sacrifices, every form of life would have been wiped away by the cursed soil,” I shouted back. “It’s the kingdom’s sacrifice and dedication to preserving the Emmías bloodlines that allows you to have food on your table.”

  The captain's face was frozen in shock, and it was a moment before he could speak. “You really believe that? Even after what you saw on the island?” His eyebrows pulled together. “Quit kidding yourself, Sheridan. Princess Dawn was kidnapped by the Manacle. Do you hear me? Kidnapped, and her people were murdered. You were on that island; you know this!”

  “That was centuries ago.”

  The captain studied me for a moment, then spoke again in a nonchalant tone. “Did you know that the Mylean princess was
married before she wed the Orean prince?”

  “No she wasn’t.”

  “She was. The Oreans killed her husband before proposing their deal, so she’d be single.”

  I stumbled back a few steps at this accusation.

  William’s eyes grew wide. “Clayton, you’re going too far.”

  “It's the truth,” the captain said, not looking sorry at all. “Stop protecting her, William. She needs to know. My stomach can’t handle any more of her protestations of the Manacle’s virtue.”

  “Yes, but there’s a time and a place—”

  “Dawn was eventually married to the Orean prince,” the captain cut in, “and after she produced a female heir she was locked away from the public. Years after her reported death, her husband murdered her. Every Emmía since has suffered the same fate.”

  My legs wobbled. “That isn’t true.”

  William met my gaze, his eyes sad. “It’s true, Sherry. I’m sorry. We have proof.”

  I turned my head and buried it into William’s chest. “No . . . James loved . . .” I couldn’t finish the sentence. “He would never allow August to . . .”

  “Aye, I do believe he did love her,” the captain said. “He tried to run off with her, and when that didn’t work, he ordered a quick execution. But he still wasn't man enough to save her entirely. He wasn’t strong enough. He would have caved to his father’s demands. If I hadn’t intervened, his brother August would have done the same as all of the kings before him and killed her himself. And the death the Manacle had planned for her would have been slow and torturous and would have lasted until she died at an old age. The last Emmía lived to a hundred, her last eighty-three years in a cell.”

  I shook my head, still feeling weak. “No. They die young because childbirth is so hard for them. They are treasured and protected. There's a month-long mourning period each time an Emmía dies.”

  “Yes, but no one ever sees her body, do they?” the captain asked.

  I frowned and bit my lip. “They keep her covered, so she's remembered in death as she looked in life,” I recited. I had heard the saying repeatedly in my youth. “It would make no sense to kill the Emmía. They need her blood for the ground blessing. The land would die without it.”