Treacherous Love

by Stacey Trombley

  “There are other places he’ll go looking if we don’t show. We can even send him a message...”

  I tap my hand on my knee. The sooner we’re together, the better, for several reasons. This would keep us apart for who knows how long?

  “Or maybe...” Rosemera starts.

  “Maybe what?”

  “Maybe we split up. If we can find a way to get Whitley to shore, she can travel the rest of the way on foot—it won’t be far from here. We’d reach the rendezvous tomorrow if we keep sailing. Even traveling the last leg on foot, you’d still beat him there.”

  I twist my lips.

  “Then, the rest of us keep sailing farther south, long enough to throw the sirens off course.”

  I nod. “Sounds like a good plan... if I could somehow get to shore without them knowing.”

  “That’s a big if,” Robert says.

  I nod. It is. I could swim easily enough, but they’d feel my magic the moment I hit the water. I could row in, but how easy would it be to notice a longboat from a ship they’re watching closely? Perhaps with a distraction that could work, but it’s still a risk.

  “You said we’re close to port, right?”

  Rosemera nods.

  “We’ll be sure to pass a merchant ship or two, I’m assuming?”

  Her eyebrows rise.

  “Perhaps we do what pirates do best. Pillage.”

  She smirks. “That’s a good thought. But I might have an even better plan.”

  ROSEMERA’S PLAN IS genius. She seized my idea of using piracy to our advantage and took it to another level. We’ll paint ourselves as a target, in order to garner the attention of the authorities.

  My idea brought us one ship. Hers will bring us several. So many that even if the sirens figure out that I boarded one of them, they may not be able to tell which.

  “First, we act as if our supplies are running low. We’ll toss a few empty crates of food into the water to plant the seed. Then, we’ll approach a supply ship with a black flag flying. If that doesn’t get the Navy’s attention, I don’t know what will.”

  She smiles.

  I wonder if she feels weird. She’s spent most of her life avoiding the navy. Now she’s purposefully tempting them.

  I appreciate how much trust in me this this plan requires. This ship is small, our crew smaller. If several navy ships come after us, well, it will take a siren to get us out of trouble.

  Bingo sits there looking at his hands for a long while. I watch as Knick wraps an arm around his shoulder and whispers something into his ear.

  I sit back down beside him too. “Are you scared?” I ask him, realizing that as much as he’s been a form of pirate for a while, he’s still just a child.

  He nods.

  “Do you remember the time we lured the police into the canal?” Knick asks him.

  “You mean when Sarah got in trouble?”

  Knick nods. “It’s just like that. Bring them into our territory and ambush them.”

  “But none of this is really our territory.”

  “But it’s mine,” I say, giving him a small smile. That only feels partially true. I’m not all that comfortable on the seas, but I am a siren. This is my home whether I’m used to it or not.

  His big eyes search mine hopefully.

  “Can I be honest with you?” I ask.

  He nods quickly.

  “I’m a little scared too. But honestly? You’re my best friend right now.”

  His eyebrows shoot up. “Really?” he says in awe.

  I nod. “And I won’t let anything happen to you.” My stomach twists into a knot. It’s not untrue, I just know I only have so much control. If we fail, he’ll fall right alongside all of us.

  Bingo throws his arms around my neck, and I laugh as I return the embrace.

  Bluff

  The night is uncomfortable and long. But I sit in my little dark hole in the constricting skin of a little girl while I wait for a chance to escape without being seen. I’m not actually sure when that will be. Darkness is usually best for escape plans, but it’s also the best for the mob to continue their patrol and easier to notice something out of the ordinary. During the day there will be more people to blend into. And the mob will be forced to be more subtle during their hunt.

  Still, I’d like to get out of here as quickly as possible, if only to ease the ache in my neck. So, I wait for quiet, for stillness to last more than an hour.

  It never does.

  Every half an hour or so, a silhouette passes my alley. A time or two, boots stomp down right in front of me. I stay as still and quiet as I can and fight off sleep.

  Finally, the sun begins to rise, and the noise of everyday life covers the eerie stillness. I wait another hour until the market is in full bustle and horses are riding to and fro before I risk exiting my hiding spot. I can’t shift until I’m out, because the buildings foundations would crush my windpipe in anything larger than the little mouse of a girl I’m wearing. Once out, I’d risk someone seeing me if I change, so I keep her on—for now.

  I move sheepishly, acting the part. Ducking in and out of shadows, head low, toes curled in. Half behind a brick wall, I watch the market. At the far end of the street is a stable. Pigs, goats, donkeys, cows.

  Horses.

  Walking through the streets, hands in their pockets, eyes darting around, are men I’d bet my last coin are part of the mob. Watching for me.

  I doubt I’ll leave this town without being followed. It’s a small place, but travelers come in and out frequently. If I wait a few days, they’ll be hard pressed to figure out who I am. I’d be willing to bet they’ll follow nearly anyone leaving today. And I desperately want to leave today.

  It’s a rash and risky choice. But if I choose a quick horse, perhaps it won’t matter if they know who I am. I just need a head start and a quick steed. I’m also tempted to throw my land travel plans out the window. I’m still so far away I can’t stand it.

  If I can ride to Philadelphia, I could certainly barter or trick my way onto a ship to the Carolinas. I bounce on my toes, trying to think clearly. What’s the best course of action? Patience? Sticking to my plan?

  Am I only this impatient out of desire to see her again? Or because it really is important to meet as quickly as possible?

  It is worth the risk?

  I really can’t tell. I can’t pull apart my desire from logic. Heart from my head.

  All I know is the temptation is too strong. I take a good long look around to make sure no one is watching as I shift. But truth is, so long as I get the horse quickly, it won’t matter if someone does. They’ll know who I am, in a matter of minutes. As I’m bolting into the distance on that pretty black stallion at the end of the road.

  Whitley

  The black flag whips in the wind, proud and bold. It’s a raggedy thing, created from soot and ash over an old cotton cloth, but it achieves its purpose.

  The merchant ship is fleeing. We follow slowly, not intending to catch up. We just want to come close enough to make out intentions clear.

  We are pirates.

  Come for us.

  Part of me expects the Navy ships to come out right away, but nothing moves quickly when on a ship. The merchant ship reaches their small port, still several miles from our rendezvous port, and we turn the ship back towards open water, pretending to give up our chase.

  We reach the open water hours after the beginning of our rather boring “chase” and finally—finally—we spot a Navy flag. Were we true pirates, we’d be long gone. Instead, we stand here tapping our feet waiting for their approach. Two more Navy ships appear in the distance, and my heart begins to pound faster.

  Let’s get this over with.

  Power slithers under my skin, and my stomach twists. I need to keep it under control. Use it. Without letting it control me.

  If I do, no one will be safe. Not even Bingo.

  It feels like forever before the three Navy ships surround us. We pretend to flee,
but slowly enough they catch up.

  Finally, achingly, we turn to face them and their pointed cannons. Shouted threats from the officers come from every side.

  I walk slowly over the ship. Every other crew member is below deck, hiding. Waiting. This part is mine. I feel the siren squirming.

  I long to spill lifeblood. To taste it.

  I close my eyes as the desire fills me.

  I must control it. If I kill them, this will not work.

  Just one, the voice in my heart whispers. You can justify just one death.

  I clench my jaw but don’t respond to the temptation. I let the power fill me. Fuel me.

  The sirens below are silent. They’re watching, I realize. They too think were cornered.

  A grappling hook flies onto our ship, snagging the railing. Another from the ship at the front.

  I wait.

  I want them all hooked. All as close as possible. The sirens can’t know which ship I’ve boarded. Finally, the third hook is on, and I begin my melody.

  My song floats over the surface of the sea, calling to them as much as the sailors aboard the navy ships. I imagine the crew below, holding their ears tightly to avoid being dragged under with them.

  The shouting on the Navy ships stills. Quiets.

  I am in control.

  I could kill them all. Suck their souls from their bodies before they opened their eyes another time. I long to taste their blood. Take their power.

  I tap my fingers on my thigh and turn towards the captain’s quarters where a set of small eyes watches me eagerly. Fingers in his ears, but eyes so big.

  I called him my best friend today. I won’t fail him. Not now.

  With shaking hands, I choose the ship with the least amount of exposed water between us and quickly leap over. I rush down below deck of the Navy ship and find an empty barrel to hide in—without touching a single man.

  Then I wait.

  Shouts echo from our nameless mini pirate ship as they sever the ties of the Navy ships and sail away with as much haste as possible. And I wait, for the sailors above to wake and, eventually, take me to port without ever knowing it.

  Bluff

  The horse’s hooves clomp over the open fields before me with speed even I find surprising. What an incredible creature.

  I was a quarter mile away from town before I saw any evidence of being followed. They were not prepared for a horse chase. Even once they did begin their chase, they did so on carriage horses—larger and slower. A few will certainly be smart enough to steal a stallion like mine, but it won’t come quickly.

  I’m too far ahead. On too fast of an animal and too close to one of the largest cities in this new nation. Philadelphia is even larger than New York. Making my way onto a ship will be easy. Blending in won’t take any effort at all. I’m suddenly very pleased with my new plan.

  The only downside is that they’ll know where I’m headed. They’ll know without a doubt I’m getting on a ship, because why else would I speed off towards a major port city? I must assume the sirens will be on guard for me the whole way through the harbor. That’s assuming the mob is communicating with Stede and the sirens, but I’d rather assume that than the safer option.

  Assume the worst and you’ll always be prepared.

  I’M IN THE CITY LIMITS within a matter of hours. My horse is exhausted but willing to keep moving at a much slower pace. I’ll give him up as soon as I have the opportunity to barter my way onto a carriage.

  I’m far enough ahead of my pursuers I don’t even see them anymore, so once I reach a crowded street, I hop from my horse and walk him to a stall where I ensure he’s watered. Then I find a young boy and hand him the reigns.

  “I bought him fair in Abington but have no more need. I just want to make sure he’s taken care of. Can you do that?” I ask him. He nods quickly. “If men come looking for him, tell them I gave him to you and then headed for the port. I’m bartering my way onto a ship to head south.”

  “Are they bad men?” he asks me, his eyebrows pulling down.

  “Yes. You should know the risk before you take the horse. They shouldn’t bother you if you give them the information they want, though.”

  He nods. “It’s worth it, sir. Thank you.”

  I give him a smile and walk away, hoping I made his life better, not worse. But there will be no way to ever find out his fate. I pay for a carriage ride to the port, marveling how large this city is—cramped and crowded streets for miles outside of downtown with buildings much larger than the ones I was so impressed by in New York. This is a true city.

  My ride is slow, but I allow the opportunity to catch my breath and prepare for the upcoming scheme.

  I pay my driver with a thanks as we reach the largest port I’ve never seen. Hundreds of ships, the waters so crowded with sails it’s almost hard to make them all out.

  Well, I suppose if I am going to go to a port, I chose the right one. The mob must watch a whole lot of ships in order to find mine.

  I press into the crowd and shift once I’m safely wedged between several bodies. If anyone noticed my change, they’re out of sight in moments. They’ll certainly blink and shake their heads and assume it was only their imagination that a man in his twenties transformed into a boy barely in his teens.

  While I would love to spend hours here, picking the right ship, the right crew, I must move quickly before the mob catches up. I find a crew headed south, to a port I believe is within thirty miles of my destination and leaving within the hour.

  It’s as good as I can possibly hope. So I barter my way aboard, telling them a sob story about a sick mother and that I’m a good sailor.

  “We have a pretty full crew as it is, boy. Don’t need one more mouth to feed or inexperienced hands getting in the way.”

  I present a gold coin, and the captain forgets every doubt. “Welcome aboard, youngster.”

  The coin is in his pocket and I’m on a ship, on my way to Whitley. I couldn’t be more pleased.

  It wasn’t the initial plan, but I couldn’t be more relieved the moment eager winds settle onto the merchant ship’s sails, and we’re on our way.

  Bluff

  After days in someone else’s body, I begin to itch deep beneath my skin. I shift uncomfortably as the sails are lowered, preparing to make port. I could have justified changing back into my own skin before I boarded this ship, but it seemed safer to keep up a disguise in case we were being watched. The mob might not have recognized me, but the sirens would.

  “You alright, lad?”

  “Nervous,” I say without turning around. I’m in some young kid’s skin. Thin, with rough clothes hanging off of me. The captain of this new ship has made it a point to watch out for me. Which is nice, but also annoying. It may have something to do with the gold coins I’ve presented him with several times this trip—the last to ensure he’s willing to take a small detour to get me directly to my rendezvous port. This will save me another day of travel.

  “There’s someone there waiting for me. I hope.” I watch the seaside town growing closer.

  “This someone you care about?”

  I nod, realizing he must have already forgotten about my sick mother sob story I’d told. “But how much they care back... Well, I’m not yet sure of that answer.” I decide to keep it vague in case he recalls.

  He places his hand on my shoulder. “You’ve got a lot of life ahead of you, kid. You’ll find plenty of both heartbreak and love.”

  My heart aches. I’m only a few years older than the boy I’m wearing, so his words should still hold true. I should still have a lot of life left to live. I should have time for heartbreak and new loves. For ups and down.

  But I’m afraid it’s not in the cards for me. If I lose this one, I’ll lose them all. If Whitley isn’t on my side, if we don’t find some miraculous way to defeat my mother and her power-hungry scheme to become Queen of the Sea, then I’ll never have another opportunity at life—let alone love.

  Sh
e’s it. She’s all I have.

  Even if I ignore how big her love feels—how it weighs on every ounce of my soul like I couldn’t breathe another breath without at least the hope of her. It seems pathetic to be so attached to someone this young, but... well, fate is cruel.

  “Thanks,” I whisper to him.

  “I know that doesn’t make it any easier now. Just remember it. Whoever it is— mom, dad, brother, sister, lover... you’ll find more people to care about. You’ll find more that care about you, so long as you’re willing to try. Family isn’t always about blood. It’s who you choose.”

  I nod a t that. If there are any words he could say to me, those resonate the most. I don’t care about blood connecting me to the sirens. I care about the people who are willing to put themselves at risk to help me. They’re rare. But so incredibly important.

  I’ll remember to value them while I still can.

  I bounce on my toes as the ship finally docks. Drifting inch by inch, pulled in achingly slowly. My hands shake as I wait for the all clear, and I fully consider leaping over the railing to the dock as soon as that seems a possibility but know, again, I shouldn’t bring too much attention to myself.

  The sirens may still be watching. Pirates may still be watching.

  They don’t know the rendezvous point, but they do know the general direction we were both heading. There could be spies anywhere. Everywhere.

  I can’t take chances.

  I keep up my anxious, excited behavior, if only because it’s a bit too late to give it up and because it allows me the excuse to break through the opening as soon as the port authority opens it.

  I leap onto the dock and sprint all the way to the end where a small market sits. I look around for anyone I might recognize. Rosemera will have set up signs for me to follow. Might even have some of the crew there waiting for me.

  And failing that, she’ll be in the cheapest, most unsavory tavern in town. Which is where I head first when nothing at the port stands out to me.