This time, Ethan obeyed. He cautiously drew near, his eyes darting left and right, hoping to find something he could arm himself with. With each step he took, however, the more and more he realized how bare his cabin had become, and none of his belongings could be seen anywhere.
“Who are you?” he finally asked, easing himself into a chair.
“You know…who…I am.”
“The Duchess?” he asked, feeling like it was a wild stab in the dark.
She nodded.
“You’re…you’re the ship?”
She shook her head.
“Then what, a ghost?”
She shook her head once more.
“Poltergeist?” he tried. When that was met with the same response, he rattled off a list of everything he could think of, not really knowing what the differences were between them all, especially in this world, but thinking he’d feel at least somewhat better if he had something specific to work with. “Apparition? Manifestation? Spirit? Specter? Class Five full-roaming vapor?”
The Duchess tilted her head and let a smile slowly form across her face but said nothing.
“Will you at least tell me what you want?”
The ghost nodded. She set her dagger to the side and used one hand to push a parchment across the table he hadn’t noticed was there before. “I want…you…to sign.”
Ethan took a better look at what she’d sent toward him and quickly realized it was the deed they’d found earlier. Only this time, the letters didn’t appear to have been written in ink, but rather they were made from red-hot coals, still burning with deep yellows and oranges.
He didn’t know what the consequences of such a thing would be, but he had no doubt whatsoever he wanted nothing to do with it. “I’m not signing that.”
“I…disagree,” she hissed.
“You’re going to have to do better than that if you’re going to threaten me,” he said, tapping into a strength he’d forgotten he had. “I’ve tackled baby krakens, ornery ettins, hordes of skeletal minions, as well as the lich who commanded them.”
“I…am not…threatening you,” she said. “But...I think…out of… everyone…you…I…would like…the…most.”
“Out of who? The crew?”
“You…Zoey…Katryna,” she listed slowly, “…and…the pet...”
Ethan wrinkled his brow. “The pet? You mean Maii?”
She nodded. “Yes… I’ve considered…you all…Now…sign…” she added, pointing at the deed.
Ethan glanced at the paper but kept his hands far away, fearing she’d trap him in some sort of Faustian bargain simply for touching it. “No. Find someone else.”
“No,” she replied. “I want…you.”
“Why? What’s so special about me?” he asked.
The Duchess leaned forward and gave a most unexpected reply. “Nothing.”
Ethan straightened and blinked. “Nothing?”
“Nothing,” she repeated.
“Then why do you want me?” he asked, wondering if his INT had dropped back to eight without his knowledge.
“You are…new…and…shapable,” she explained. “Those are qualities…I desire.”
Ethan cocked his head. “Desire for what?”
Her smile grew, and her eyes darkened three shades blacker than the abyss. “Vengeance.”
Ethan’s heart skipped a beat at her answer, and he reflexively pulled away from the table.
“You…will be…compensated…well…” she said, nodding slowly. “And…you will…have…a ship…at…your…command…like…no other.”
“I don’t care,” Ethan said, backing away further and shaking his head. “I just want to win this race and go home. I wouldn’t be good for you, anyway.”
“I’ve not had…a…vampire…before,” she said, tipping her head. “I suspect…you are exactly…what…I need…and want. The solution…to…my eternal…problem.”
Ethan scooted his chair back one last time and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not signing that, so you might as well leave me alone.”
“You are free…to pretend…otherwise,” she said. “But you will…sign…Eventually.”
* * *
“She left after that? Or…?” Zoey asked.
Ethan, who sat slouched in his chair at the table inside his cabin with bloodshot eyes and his arms dangling to his side, rolled his head to his shoulder to look at her. She’d woken up not long ago to find him seated where he was, and since that time, he’d told her everything that had happened with the Duchess. Apparently, she hadn’t been paying attention to the details because he’d already answered that question. As frustrating as that was, at least he wasn’t trapped in whatever nightmare area he’d been in before. Color had returned, and the choking shadows were gone. Best of all, he discovered he could actually leave the cabin if he so chose and go out on deck.
With that said, however, it would’ve still been nice if Zoey had been paying attention.
“No,” he replied with an irritated groan. “That’s what I’ve been telling you. She hasn’t left at all. Ever.”
“Ever?” Zoey echoed. She twisted in her chair and looked around. When she turned back to face him, she didn’t look afraid or startled or anything else he’d have expected. Only concerned.
“She’s right there!” he shouted, throwing both hands toward the far-side corner. “Right there! Standing! Watching! Not saying a damn thing!”
Zoey turned again and looked right at where Ethan pointed. But instead of seeing the Duchess as he did, it was clear Zoey still saw nothing. “Ethan, I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say you believe me,” he said, collapsing forward onto the table. “Why won’t you? Why is it so hard to believe she came to me?”
“Because The Duchess is a ship. Not a ghost, or banshee, or whatever.”
“Well, you’re wrong,” he said. “And if we had some sort of monster manual I could look her up in, you’d see I’m right.”
Zoey gently took his hands in hers and squeezed. “I believe you definitely saw something,” she said. He went to correct her, but she tightened her grip and went on. “But maybe you need to consider the fact that the ship is driving you mad. If that’s the case, it’s not safe for any of us. We should go. Maybe you can renegotiate your contest with Azrael.”
“I’m not doing that,” he said. “And I’m not crazy. The Duchess came to me. She wants me to sign the deed, and she’s apparently not leaving until I do.”
“And you can’t ignore her.”
“Right,” Ethan said. “She’s everywhere. Wherever I turn. Wherever I go. I can’t even close my eyes to get rid of her. She’s right there in my mind’s eye. Standing. Waiting.”
Zoey sighed heavily and looked to Katryna, who stood near the door. “Thoughts?”
“I think he’s telling the truth,” she said. Her face then soured, and when she spoke again, Ethan wished she hadn’t. “That said, he might still go crazy if she keeps hounding him like that. Who knows what will happen at that point?”
Ethan fished in his pocket and pulled out his character sheet. “I’m not crazy, and I can prove it,” he said. He unfolded the paper and dropped his finger to where his traits were listed. “See? Doesn’t say anything about being crazy.”
“No, but it does say something else,” Zoey said, tapping the sheet with her index finger. “Haunted.”
Ethan snorted. “I’ve been trying to tell you that for a while now.”
“Regardless of whatever your sheet says, I think you should let me hold the deed,” Katryna said. When the two of them shot her an inquisitive look, she explained. “Someone has to, other than him, I mean. Might as well be me.”
Ethan’s hand dropped to the hilt of his blade. “Why?”
“Because you’re the one in danger, not us,” Katryna said. “And I’m a stronger fighter than Zoey. I’ll have a better chance at keeping it safe if someone tries to ro
b.”
“You mean, you’ll have a better chance at getting The Duchess,” Ethan said, staring at the woman. He knew on the surface, she was trying to help, but by the same token, he also knew deep down, she was plotting against him—even if she didn’t know it yet. He could see the jealousy in her eyes, hear her covetous nature in her voice.
“Ethan, relax,” Zoey said.
“Relax?” he repeated, voice growing sharp. “How can I relax when I’ve got some ghost girl trying to steal my soul, and she’s trying to steal my ship?”
Zoey exchanged a nervous glance with Katryna, and an unspoken conversation was shared between the two in under a second. The vampire then pulled her hands away, and the anxiousness in her face disappeared as her features sharpened and her eyes grew dark and stern. “Ethan, give me the deed,” she said.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I found it. I mean, it’s my responsibility.”
“I don’t care,” she said. “Give it to me. Now.”
“I told you already. It’s mine,” he snapped.
Zoey shot out of her chair and slammed both her hands on the table. “Do not mistake my patience for weakness,” she yelled. Though the fierceness in her eyes continued to burn brightly, when she went on, she softened the tone in her voice. “Let me help you, Ethan, so neither of us has to hurt you.”
With his senses returned, Ethan nodded weakly, and before he could think himself out of the decision, he took the deed out of his pocket and slid it across the table toward her.
“Careful with that,” Katryna said, tipping her head at the deed.
“Way ahead of you,” Zoey replied. Using a black cloth that she pulled from her pocket, Zoey took the deed and stuffed it in a leather pouch, all the while taking extra care not to directly touch the parchment. “There,” she said, exhaling sharply and passing the bag to Katryna. “That’s that.”
Only, that wasn’t that. The Duchess still remained in the corner, and Ethan felt as exhausted as ever. “What now?”
“Now, try and get some rest,” Katryna said. “We’ve still got an hour till sunrise.”
Katryna excused herself and left right after. Once she was gone, Zoey led him back to bed and tried to help him relax by stroking the top of his head.
“Better?” she asked after a few minutes.
Ethan nodded. “A little. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “Is she still there?”
Ethan didn’t even have to glance to know the answer to that. “Yeah. She’s sitting in my chair now.”
“Watching us?”
“Yeah.”
Zoey kissed him lightly on the forehead. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I won’t let her get you.”
Ethan smiled and sank into her embrace. The impossible happened a moment later. He fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty
The Race
With a half hour till noon and the start of the race, Ethan stood near the bowsprit of the Victory, watching some dolphins play in the distance as a bright-yellow sun warmed his skin. He’d managed to sleep for nearly five hours, which was hardly enough to leave him refreshed, but it was enough to make him functional.
Joining him there was the Duchess, who floated quietly nearby, still invisible to all but him, while the Victory lay at anchor in the bay, rocking gently with the water in her position at the starting line, as her colors—a simple gold cross on a white field—flew proudly in the wind. A dozen and a half other ships floated off to either side, some hundred or so yards apart. Most were brigs or sloops of similar size to Ethan’s ship, though he did notice a couple of cutters at the far ends. The captains of those small vessels had clearly opted for an as-light-and-fast-as-possible approach, as each one had less crew than Ethan had fingers, and not a one carried a single cannon of any kind.
That, of course, contrasted sharply against Azrael’s Griffin, which was the reigning champion and had the honor of being a full three hundred yards ahead of all the others at the start. The frigate dwarfed every other ship in the race, and it bristled with nearly thirty cannons on each side. And though Ethan had assumed and even commented that such a ship had to be bogged down by its own weight and therefore incapable of racing, Zoey had assured him, repeatedly, it was not.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Ethan turned to see Katryna a few feet away, leaning against the foremast, one foot kicked up and pressed against it. She held a dark bottle in one hand, and a long, thin lit cigar dangled out of her mouth.
“The Griffin?” he asked, once he realized he ought to reply.
Katryna laughed and shook her head. “No, I meant the ocean,” she said before sighing longingly. “I love looking across it, its horizons promising endless adventure, and the sunrises here are gorgeous. Ones back home have nothing on the ones here. I don’t care what the brochures say for the Bahamas or Fiji.”
“Never really noticed, to be honest,” Ethan admitted.
“You should. It’s a great way to start an adventure. Trust me on that,” she said, tipping her bottle toward him. She then took a swig and whistled. “Whew. That’s good stuff. Like Papa used to make. Want some?”
Ethan eyed the bottle. “Better not,” he said reluctantly. “The race is about to start and all.”
“I’m not saying get drunk as a skunk, but it might help take the edge off,” she said, offering it again. “Especially given your…royalty problem, which I’m assuming you still have.”
Ethan sighed heavily, and when he glanced at the Duchess, she flashed him a smile. “I do,” he answered. “Why? Dare I hope you’ve found a solution?”
“I think so, but let me ask you something first,” she said, kicking herself off the mast and making a slow approach. “What are your plans after the race, assuming you win? Are you leaving this little world of ours for good? Or are you going to come back and play for more souls?”
“I still have to save Zoey and her kids in ICU,” Ethan said. “Which means I’ll be here for a little bit longer at the very least.”
Katryna nodded and tipped her bottle toward him again. “Exactly, and Azrael will undoubtedly fight ten times harder than he’s going to now if he knows you can beat him. Which means you’re going to need all the help you can get when that happens.”
“I don’t doubt that one bit,” he said.
“Good, because here’s my solution,” she said. “After we win the race, you make me like you and sign the deed. Everybody’s happy.”
Ethan laughed and backed away. “Yeah, no. That’s not happening.”
Katryna’s face hardened. “Why?”
“You know why,” Ethan replied. “We can’t just bring people into the club whenever we like. There are consequences, consequences I’d like to avoid, and I’m sure you would too.”
Katryna’s eyes darted to each side as she checked to see who was close enough to be within earshot. The nearest group were several skeletons standing idly about ten feet away, and the closest living crewman was twice that. More than enough to continue on with the conversation, but she still dropped her voice and kept things quiet as she went on. “I know the risks,” she said. “Trust me, Zoey has made them quite clear. But I’m thinking once the race is over, instead of waiting around for vampire lords to hunt us down, we go after them with The Duchess. Any experience, skills, and loot we pick up on the way can only help with your next challenge with Azrael.”
“Whoa, let’s back up a few steps,” Ethan said, raising his hands. “I might be tired, and I might be haunted, but I’m not stupid. There’s no way the three of us are tackling vampire lords. If they’re even a tenth as strong as Zoey has alluded to, there’s no possible way this will succeed, and there’s no way Zoey is going to agree to any of this.”
“We can convince her,” she said. “I’m certain. You two are a pair of shoes. She listens.”
“She’s already dead set on not making more of us,” he replied. Th
en a new thought dawned on him. “Why do you want this so badly, anyway?”
“I want to live, Ethan. Here and forever,” she said. “Being eternally young will help make that a reality.”
“I’ve got a feeling there are lots of people who want to be turned who are seeking eternal youth,” Ethan said. “So, I don’t see how that’s going to convince her, and it’s certainly not going to convince her when you throw eternal servitude into the mix.”
“That, my dear Ethan,” Katryna said, pointing a figure at him as her eyes lit up, “is where you’re wrong—where we’re all wrong.”
Ethan cocked his head. “How’s that? The deed was clear.”
“It is,” she admitted. “But it says, and I quote, ‘That undersigned have settled all debts, fees, and obligations, and shall forthwith have and hold the title of Captain of The Duchess for the entirety of service to her.’ And that implies that the service will eventually come to an end.”
Ethan turned her point over and over in his head. It was an interesting angle he hadn’t thought of before, but it seemed too hopeful, too naïve, to be true. “Let’s pretend that you’re right on that, that I won’t be a slave to her for the rest of time,” he said. “There’s nothing in that contract that says I won’t lose my mind, or not be compelled to commit acts of atrocity, or even be able to protect the three of us from—let alone hunt down—the vampire lords.”
“I know,” Katryna admitted, much to his surprise. “But I think we can strike a bargain with her.”
“I seriously doubt that,” Ethan tutted.
“You’ve never seen me deal. I can be quite persuasive,” Katryna said.
“Trust me on this. She wasn’t in the bargaining mood,” Ethan said. “There were exactly zero negotiations involved. It was just ‘sign,’ ‘sign,’ and ‘sign’ some more.”
Katryna took a swig from her bottle and kept her upbeat attitude on the subject. “I know, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t work something out. Besides, I don’t think she’s as evil as we’ve assumed.”
Ethan snorted. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one she’s driving mad.”
The Crew (Captains & Cannons Book 2) Page 19
