by Amy Bearce
“You can try. But Sierra, if you fight me, you’ll die, and even now I don’t want that.”
She shook her head and backed away. “I’m going to get her. You stay away from her.”
He narrowed his eyes and stopped touching his lip. “I gave my word. She belongs to Bentwood.”
Sierra understood the situation. She did. He’d kill her before letting Phoebe leave Bentwood. “Well, I gave my word I’d save her.”
Jack sighed, and her brain screamed to run, but she couldn’t move. She was rooted to the ground, aware he was about to throw that knife or stab her, anything to keep her from disrupting his plans. His word had to stand or it wasn’t good for anything.
But before he could send the knife flashing through the air, Nell drew her bow. Jack and Sierra both sucked in identical breaths. Nell’s arrow was nocked, ready and aimed―right at Jack.
His lips twisted as he lowered his weapon and raised his hands slowly beside his head. “I’m surprised she won you over, Nell. I figured you for more loyalty. And our Sierra can be quite irritating.”
Nell’s blue eyes were wide, but otherwise not one inch of fear showed. Sierra was proud, like a mother watching a child taking its first steps.
“You’re not lying, sir,” Nell said, “But I’m sorry. I can’t let you do that.”
“You going to kill me?”
“No, sir. I wouldn’t do that.” But she didn’t lower her bow.
What would Nell do with her little sisters now? Surely any other way of leaving Jack’s business would be preferable to pulling a weapon on him. He might have released her from his crew without a fuss if she had asked just right―but not after this.
So much for their careful plan. They all started backing away from Jack. Sierra’s queen made several piercing high-pitched yelps and then streaked off across the field without an explanation.
“Don’t do something you will all regret,” Jack said, his hands still next to his head, Nell’s bow still drawn.
Her breath was coming fast now, and Sierra wasn’t sure if Nell was about to have another fit or just a nervous breakdown. She had ruined her own future in one short moment. Guilt stabbed Sierra. Jack wouldn’t forgive this. Plus, trying to learn a new skill like healing took time, and now she didn’t have any.
Sure, Sierra had thought working for Jack was a terrible future, but it made sense, once she listened. She understood doing whatever it took to provide for your family. One thing was for sure: Nell’s family couldn’t stay in the village anymore. Sierra looked at Corbin and mentally willed him to understand. Jack would kill Nell’s family or use them as hostages as punishment for her betrayal.
As soon as they were out Jack’s sight, Sierra told Nell, “Go get your family. Bring what they need, and all your coins, too.”
Relief and gratitude rushed over her face. She took off at a run that made Sierra’s fastest speed look impossibly slow.
Corbin’s dark eyes were full of surprise and thankfulness. “You’re willing to take her whole family with us?”
Sierra understood his response. It wasn’t something she would have done before this trip.
“She saved my life, Corbin. My father’s not hurting her sisters or her mother. Ever.” The words came out in a huff. But Jack also had a lot of people working for him, so they needed to get out of here before he could send out word to hurt or assassinate them.
Micah leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Honor. This is what I mean.”
Threatening her own father was pretty much the opposite of honor to her. But when Micah leaned back and met her eyes, their connection bolstered her, made her feel stronger. She had no idea what the wisest course of action would be. But she couldn’t sit around and do nothing. Luckily, her friends seemed to agree.
“Hang on, Phoebe,” Sierra whispered. “I’m coming for you.”
raveling as a group of four had been hard. Traveling with four plus Nell’s mother and three sisters was even harder. Wailing children, scraped knees, hungry people. The commotion wore on Sierra. Were they doing the right thing? The fairies, though, provided constant entertainment for the little girls, who oohed and ahhed over every wing and every twitter.
Thankfully, Port Iona was only two days away, even traveling at the snail’s pace the children needed. They kept off the main roads and watched carefully for any signs of pursuit. When they were about half a day’s journey from Port Ionoa, they found the smallest hostel available in a remote village off the road. Corbin bargained with the innkeeper, using all his charm, and managed to arrange for Nell’s family to stay there in secret for several weeks for a good price, using a false name. Nell hugged her sisters for a long time before she let them go. There was no way they could risk her family by bringing them into Bentwood’s port, as much as she hated leaving them behind.
“We’ll come back for them as soon as it’s over,” Sierra promised her as Nell looked over her shoulder one last time before the village disappeared over the rocky hillside.
Nell nodded, saying nothing. Corbin held her hand, and Micah walked silently behind them. They picked up the pace. Sierra’s heart had taken up residence in her throat, and she begrudged every minute they had to stop and rest.
Once they arrived on the outskirts of the port near dusk, finding out Phoebe’s location took no effort at all. No one there knew Nell was foresworn, and she pretended she was checking up on her boss’s daughter, asking some of the runners. But getting to Phoebe would be a different matter. Port Iona was a peninsula that stuck out like a sore thumb into the ocean. Bentwood’s center of operations was on the tip. If Bentwood saw Sierra, it would be the end of any secrecy. The peninsula was full of his people―a fortress.
Sierra stood on a rock, gazing in frustration out at the ocean. The familiar scent of salt and sea reminded her of home. No magic mountains to climb now. They’d kicked around a dozen ideas or more about how to sneak into the city, but all the plans had more holes than a fairy net. Memories swirled in her mind from times she’d spent at various ports, but nothing surfaced to solve their dilemma.
Corbin stepped up beside her and tugged on her braid. “What are you thinking about, little sister?”
“Too bad we can’t swim that far. They’d never expect us to get to Phoebe from any other way than across that narrow road with the iron gate, but if we could swim through the gulf waters, they’d never see us coming. But it’s way too far.”
Corbin nearly slipped off the algae as he spun from the rock and shouted, “Sierra! You’re a genius!”
Before she could ask what he was talking about, Corbin turned to Micah. “Can you talk to any creature made of magic?”
Micah stared at Corbin like he’d spoken gibberish.
Corbin waved his hands, trying to get his point across. “Like with the dragon? Lots of magical creatures have the ability to speak cross-species.”
Micah shrugged. “Before I lost my voice, I could communicate with all the different animals that dwelled in my mountains. Whether or not my ability extends to other creatures, I do not know.”
“Merfolk,” Corbin announced.
They all stared at him, uncomprehending.
He growled in frustration and pointed at the water. “Merfolk!”
Then Sierra understood what his plan had to be, and hope rose like a fountain. “Oh!”
“Exactly,” said Corbin.
Queenie did a backflip, her excitement thrumming through Sierra.
Nell cleared her throat, stating wryly, “Anyone going to explain to the rest of us? It sounds good, but I don’t get it.”
Corbin put an arm around her shoulders as he explained to everyone, “Look, Bentwood uses merfolk to carry their deep sea nets and drag the ocean floor for clams and oysters. The thing is, I’ve heard he keeps some of them pinned up as hostages to keep the other merfolk in line and for, well, entertainment. I wouldn’t put it past him.”
Micah’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Merfolk are a kind and helpful people
. Who would do something like this?”
“Supposedly, their work started off as part of a barter system, so the merfolk could get certain foods, iron tools, and medicines and would pay with service. Something changed over time, though, and Bentwood’s been working the merfolk like slaves since, well… since I can remember.”
Sierra hid a smile as Corbin used what she privately called his “lecture voice.” He loved to share his knowledge, which really did benefit those who paid attention.
He continued, his voice rising with excitement, “But the merfolk could carry us to the other side of the peninsula, right up to the shore of his fortress, without us ever being seen!”
Nell chewed on her lip. “We’d still have to get to Phoebe once we landed, but yeah, it’d be a clever trick, assuming you could convince the merfolk to help us and not drown us.”
“You want me to ask for their help, knowing we cannot do anything to set them free?” Micah looked stricken.
Nell snarled. “Who says we can’t?”
Sierra expected Corbin to be uncomfortable with the idea of fighting, but he held his little herb knife, his face deadly serious. As always, he could read her mind.
“Bentwood’s got Phoebe. He’s got merfolk kept hostage. He’s a dark alchemist who abuses his people. Yes, Sierra, I can fight.”
A swell of love sprang up in Sierra for her friends who would do what was right no matter what. But fighting their way into the city would be suicide with just the four of them. She couldn’t let them throw their lives away. There had to be a better way.
Suddenly, her little fantasy about Jack and a fairy swarm was more than an idle, impossible daydream. It was something that could save them all. But no one would like it. To put it mildly.
Nell’s source told them Phoebe was down in the cellar of the main operations building. They called it the new trainee center. It was a place where they broke people and ensured they would never dare to refuse an order. That was where Phoebe was. She’d been there for two days. Sierra didn’t have time to mess around.
“Here’s another idea,” Sierra offered, trying to sound casual. “Once we get on the peninsula, if Queen can draw the other fairies here, what if they swarm the operations building? Bentwood’s people would be too busy rolling around on the ground to stop us while we run in and grab Phoebe.”
Now everyone really did look horrified. It was one thing to think about fighting Bentwood, but asking innocent fairies to possibly attack a bunch of his people seemed too unclean for anyone else to consider.
As expected, Corbin, with his unbreakable moral code, objected. “How can you even think of doing that? If they were given a choice, I bet most of the people there would choose to help us, but they can’t. They don’t all deserve to die, which is what would happen, you know. Even fairy keepers can die from a sting. I’ve never heard of a non-fairy-keeper surviving a sting, until Nell.”
Sierra agreed but didn’t have the luxury of caring. Micah was the only one who didn’t look shocked. His face was completely neutral. She didn’t know what that meant, but she was thankful someone wasn’t looking at her like she was a dark alchemist. She could all but hear sand hissing through an hourglass, though, and her heart raced. They needed to get there. Immediately.
Sierra turned to Queen. “Is that something you can do? Can you rally the other queens to swarm?”
Queen flashed in the air, agitated. Don’t want to… the words were sharp in Sierra’s mind. Queenie squealed a little in distress. I knew you’d live. They probably won’t.
“I know, but that’s the point, Queenie. We may have to hurt a lot of people to get Phoebe out safe, and it’s not our fault they’ve chosen to work for that man.”
They are with the bad man? Man who kills merfolk and takes our nectar?
Sierra stared intently into Queen’s brilliant golden eyes, so large for her tiny face. Sierra felt she could lean forward and fall right into them. “Yes, that’s what I mean.”
Heat laced through her from Queen’s rage, an anger that set the little fairy’s wings vibrating. The strength of the feeling tinged Sierra’s vision with red, forcing her to breathe deeply to keep from staggering. This sharing-emotions business required a lot of getting used to.
We will do what we must.
It wasn’t so much a thought as a feeling. As it turned out, it was a feeling Sierra could get completely behind. She smiled at Queenie, aware it was a cold smile, but it wasn’t directed at her fairy. Sierra was imagining hordes of screaming Port Iona men running for their lives, sparing her friends, while she got her sister. Queenie, sharing those images, sent a feeling of fierce satisfaction, proving they were entirely united in their burning desire for justice.
“Uh―what’s going on?” Nell broke into their conversation.
Only then did Sierra realize she had fallen on her knees, Queenie still standing on her palms. Queenie was glowing brighter than she had since the worker fairies died, but she wasn’t golden. She shined with a sullen red hue she’d never shown before, and Sierra’s neck simmered with heat.
Corbin choked out, “Your mark―it’s glowing.”
She couldn’t see it, but she sensed it.
Nell planted herself right in front of Sierra. “Care to share? You’ve been holding back, Fairy… Keeper.”
Sierra blinked and Queenie disengaged, flittering off into the fading blue sky. Sierra gazed after her queen until she disappeared in the distance.
xplanations didn’t come easy for Sierra. By the time she stammered her way through the confusing story of how things had changed with Queenie, she wished she had Jack’s ability to twist words to her own benefit. Obviously, that trait skipped her.
“What do you mean, she talks to you?” Corbin yelped.
Sierra hung her head and gritted her teeth. They didn’t have time for this. She didn’t need the guilt. And for all the money in the world, she wouldn’t want to hurt Corbin this way.
“It’s not exactly like words, though sometimes I hear words, yeah, okay? Happy? I’m sharing my brain with a tiny magical creature who has always acted like she wished I were dead. Micah says you might develop this same thing, so don’t judge.”
Sierra glared at Corbin, heat suffusing her cheeks from shame and embarrassment. She should have told him before now. She could have been more gentle in private. They always shared everything. She wasn’t sure if she was sorry he didn’t have this connection with his fairy, or jealous. But it was a handy ability to have right now. The fairies could be a weapon and would even the odds of saving Phoebe, even if no one else wanted to use them that way. Sierra didn’t want to either, not unless she had to, no. But if it came down to a choice of who lived, she would choose Phoebe every time.
Sierra glanced at Micah, who said nothing as he stood quietly to the side. She couldn’t hold his gaze. Even knowing he might hate her if she asked the queens to swarm, she’d do it to save her sister. What other choice was there?
Corbin pushed past his shock to plead for more time. “Look, give me one day―one day―to go before the elders at the port and explain our situation. They don’t all work for Bentwood. You sneak in with the merfolk for Phoebe. Meanwhile, we’ll provide a distraction and hopefully get to save the fairies. Then we can try to help the merfolk later.”
Nell’s snort was audible in the fading darkness, but he continued as if he didn’t hear.
Sierra asked Nell, “Is he insane?”
She replied, “I’d rather not answer that.”
Corbin huffed and strengthened his voice a little. “I’m just saying, maybe we can still work this out peacefully.”
His palms were spread wide, asking Sierra to reconsider. His fairy was back with them, joining them after wandering through the woods. She seemed to have the same connection with him she always had. It was clear that she loved him from the way she cuddled against him, but his mark hadn’t changed, and he surely hadn’t seen any bizarre glowing colors lately. Lucky him.
“Fin
e. You and Nell go in together, through the main road,” Sierra decided. “And you can try to get the elders to hear you. Micah and I will see if we can get these merfolk to sneak us in to get Phoebe. We’ll meet you in the port’s main square after the hearing. Send your fairy to find us if we’re not there. But if they refuse you or don’t believe you, which I don’t see why they would, then I’m going to do whatever it takes.”
Corbin’s face lit up. He stopped listening as soon as she said he could try his plan to protect the fairies and the world. Nell frowned as she looked off into the dark waters of the ocean. She didn’t want to split up, but Sierra honestly didn’t see how else Corbin would waltz in there and make himself understood. She couldn’t risk getting taken by Bentwood herself; Phoebe would never be rescued. But even though Sierra wouldn’t be able to help Corbin with his chosen mission, no one would stop Nell. She could be enough to get Corbin his audience with the elders.
By the time their discussion ended, dusk had slipped into night. Last evening together before the big day tomorrow. They didn’t dare light a campfire. Nell sharpened all her knives and gave Sierra and Micah two of her biggest. Nell’s family was safe at the inn, but Sierra was sure Nell worried about them. Sierra tried not to think about Phoebe tonight, what might be happening to her, so close and so far all at the same time.
Soon, Sierra heard Corbin snoring. Ah, the sleep of the innocent. Nell tossed and turned for a while, but soon her steady breathing filled the air. Micah, though, never made a sound. The stars above were brilliant, and the temperature dropped quickly after the sun had set. Sleep hid just out of her grasp for a long while, but it eventually took Sierra from her worries.
In the morning, she awoke before the sun completely rose above the sea. It didn’t take them long to get ready, but before they went their separate ways, Sierra had to speak to Corbin.
“Are we… okay?” she asked as they hugged goodbye, standing a little way off from Nell and Micah.
