My gaze fell to the table. “I didn’t mean that,” I said, the words heavy on my tongue.
Jet had taken a seat at the end of the bench and now stood to pace the room.
I really screwed up now, I said to Tyrak.
I won’t argue that, he responded. And I also think this is about more than Trader Ulstat. I think you’re upset that Paono challenged you after you worked so hard to gain the respect of these people.
Yes! He just completely undermined my authority. It’s hard enough to get them to follow someone who is seventeen…
Here’s the thing, though. Leading people isn’t about controlling them. Sure, the leader makes the final decisions, but only after listening to input.
It’s too late for that. I’ve already lost them.
I’m not so sure, he said, sending encouragement across our link. Anyone can make mistakes, but only the strongest and most confident leaders can admit them.
I sighed, embarrassed to look up. Aside from the lap of wavelets against the hull, the only sounds in the cabin were the heavy tread of Jet’s footfalls.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I let my frustration get the best of me. The last weeks have been difficult, but it’s no excuse. Can we start over? Paono’s information about Ashkalan… it agrees with what Trader Ulstat said, more or less. What should we make of that?”
I held my breath during the pause that followed. When Captain Altak inhaled before speaking, my shoulders sagged with relief.
“Let’s say we consider using Trader Ulstat,” the captain said. “He has the advantage—we can hope anyway—of being able to speak with Mieshk without being killed on sight. Can we use it? And as Lilik was right to question, can we trust him?”
Caffari put her heels up on her table and leaned back. “Let’s assume we can’t. Trader Ulstat never acts out of anything but self-interest. But I think we can work with that. We just have to put him in a situation where helping us is his best choice.”
At once, I saw where she was going with this. “As long as the consequences of betrayal are worse than the consequences of sticking with the plan, he’ll go along with what we say.”
“So we’re agreed? We use him?” Raav asked. When he’d spoken against me, I had moved away without realizing it. Swallowing, I closed the gap.
Jet stopped pacing and stared at me. “If Lilik agrees, I’m for a temporary alliance.”
My heart warmed at his show of loyalty. I could always count on Jet.
I nodded. “But I won’t forget the people he’s harmed. I made a vow to get revenge, and I won’t break that promise. I’ll only delay before keeping it.”
After we’d finished laying our plan for taking Mieshk down, we left Caffari’s cabin and went our separate ways. Captain Altak had offered Paono a permanent cabin aboard Zyri’s Promise, and the two men clambered onto the Vanished ship’s deck.
I watched them go with a twinge of melancholy. During the discussion about strategies for Mieshk, the captain’s eyes hadn’t met mine. I didn’t blame him. I just hoped he’d forgive me for my heartless comment.
With the night air cool against my face, I walked to the front of the ship. As I approached the rail, I heard footsteps behind me. Raav stepped up and laid his hands on the polished wood of the rail.
“Do you think the plan will work?” he asked.
I sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll feel better about it after some rest.”
“Can I walk you to your cabin?” His voice was almost too quiet to hear, but still it held the low tones that had always reminded me of a cello, sonorous and haunting.
The truth was, I needed time alone, but I nodded anyway. “Sure,” I said, my voice less inviting than I’d hoped. Though I’m sure he sensed the distance in my heart, Raav swallowed and laced his fingers through mine as we turned for the ladder.
The door to my cabin had been closed while I was away. I stood in the doorway for a minute to let the dampness air out a bit before shuffling inside. Raav followed, leaving the door ajar behind him—he wouldn’t be staying.
“Are you okay, Lilik?”
I flopped onto the bed, exhaustion pushing me down like a heavy blanket. “I understand why the others argued with me. Is it wrong that I hoped you’d back me up?”
That had come out more harshly than I intended. I was just trying to be honest. But by the look on Raav’s face, I’d messed up yet again.
He narrowed his eyes. “If you wanted someone who would just agree with everything you say, maybe you should have chosen some weak-willed commoner.”
I flinched. “It’s still there, isn’t it? You’re a trader, and I’m a gutterborn. And neither of us will ever forget that.”
Raav rushed to my side. “I’m sorry, Lilik. You didn’t deserve that—I was lashing out. But you do deserve someone who respects you enough to tell you their real feelings. Your hatred for the Ulstats was blinding you, and I don’t regret saying something.”
You should listen, Lilik, Tyrak said.
If I want your advice, I’ll ask for it. But I knew that Tyrak was right.
“It’s just the situation,” I said. “It’s making us fight.”
Scooting over, I patted the bunk. Raav lay beside me and pillowed his head on his hands as he stared at the ceiling. “I know, Lilik. I forgive you. Things have been stressful...”
I rolled onto my side and gave him a mischievous grin. “Any ideas how we might relieve some of that stress?”
Raav smiled back, clasped my shoulder, and pulled me toward him. Our lips met. He tasted of spices and smelled like sun-warmed wood. Tingles spread outward from my belly as his hand ran down my back. For a moment, there was nothing in the world but Raav’s body against mine.
But he froze when his fingers brushed my new scar. With a gentle nudge, he pushed me back. His eyes were still closed.
“I still remember the feeling. I was so desperate to fulfill Avilet’s command. I would have killed you if Mavek hadn’t…” His throat closed down over his words, strangling them, as he sat up. Planting his feet on the floor, he rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his face to his hands.
“Raav,” I said, laying a hand on his back. “It wasn’t your fault. How can I help convince you?”
“You can’t.” His hands muffled his voice.
“I’m alive, Raav. We can go forward from this. Forget that it happened.”
Abruptly, he sprang to his feet. When he turned, his face was a mask of anguish. “Maybe I just need rest. I’ll see you tomorrow, Lilik.”
“Wait, Raav.” I raised a hand to stop him, but he was already gone.
Chapter Fourteen
“IT’S AN INSULT,” Caffari muttered. “No… it’s a defilement.” She stood by a cleat on the deck. A roped was bound to the metal anchor, the other end tied into a harness that held one of her thieves over the edge of the rail. The dangling smuggler held a makeshift paintbrush cut from one of the ship’s brooms. She dipped the brush in a pot of whitewash then added a curve to the insignia of House Ulstat taking shape on the side of Shards of Midnight. At the front of the ship, another smuggler was lowering the dark pennants Caffari favored for her vessel, replacing them with flags fetched from the Ulstat ships.
“No one but Mieshk and her band will see,” I consoled her. “And I’ll help scrub the hull clean after this is over. “
Caffari snorted while she fiddled with one of her throwing knives. “No one will see, yeah. But I’ll always have the memory up here.” She tapped her temple with the point of the knife.
I gave her an amused smile. “Truly, I appreciate your sacrifice.”
Despite everything, I’d slept well. Apparently, my body had realized how desperately I needed rest, even if my mind had been unwilling to settle down. Raav’s turmoil kept returning to my thoughts, but I pushed it away best I could. I had a responsibility to everyone on Ioene, and I couldn’t let my feelings get in the way.
During the night, a small scouting party had been s
ent out in the Midnight’s dinghy. Because we couldn’t thread the shoals near Mieshk’s camp due to the heavy swell hitting the island, any approach by sea would need to hug the coast along the inside of the reefs. Fortunately, the scouts had found a narrow channel that would give the Midnight entrance into this band of protected waters. It would be a risky approach to the encampment, but Caffari felt her crew was up to it. Her smugglers were quite skilled at navigating treacherous waters avoided by law-abiding sailors. As soon as the ship was ready, she and a skeleton crew posing as Ulstat guardsmen would take Trader Ulstat to his daughter.
Meanwhile, around a dozen of us would approach the fortress overland. Paono had said he knew a route between this area and Mieshk’s beach. It was treacherous in places, but for this plan to work, we needed to arrive separately from the ship. Besides, Caffari’s thieves were nimble and accustomed to dangerous approaches. And the fighters joining our party from among Captain Altak’s crew were highly motivated to seek revenge after what had happened during the Nocturnai.
Ioene was quieter today than she’d been. The lava still surged from her crater, oozing down the mountain’s flanks in the rivers of black crust webbed by glowing cracks, but the ash plume clung near to the volcano’s peak. The smell of cinders was largely absent, replaced by the salty breath of the sea and the perfume of kivi blossoms.
I’d been up before the moon for a quick trip onto the island. The root pulp from the Eikkas tresses I’d harvested was safely stowed in a watertight flask within the rucksack I’d packed shortly after returning. The pack sat against a pile of rigging now, awaiting our departure.
Though I still wore the hardened leather armor over my chest, as well as a pair of bracers to defend my forearms from blows, I’d changed into thin trousers and shoes with soles of supple leather. Daonok had suggested the clothing so that I could move freely on the approach. Better to arrive in one piece than fall off the ledge because I moved awkwardly in the metal-ribbed leggings that provided extra protection from edged weapons. In loose trousers after so long confined to the stiff armor, I felt as if I could turn flips through the air.
Over on Zyri’s Promise, Paono was deep in conversation with Captain Altak. I hadn’t had a chance to speak with either of them after the meeting yesterday. Given everything our friendship had been through, I didn’t think I needed to say anything to Paono. By my guess, though, I still had a ways to go to earn Captain Altak’s forgiveness for my callous remarks. After we dealt with Mieshk, I’d be sure to seek him out.
As I tapped a cupful of water from one of the casks that had been stacked atop a crate for ease of access, the ragged group we’d taken captive emerged from the hold. No longer bound, they appeared to have been treated well. Daonok and another thief climbed the ladder behind them and encouraged the small group over the rail to Zyri’s Promise. No sense bringing them back to Mieshk. Every person aboard the Midnight was someone Mieshk would turn to her side if she got close enough to influence them. We’d decided to send as few sailors as were necessary with Caffari and Trader Ulstat.
After seeing the prisoners across the rail and into the hold of Captain Altak’s ship, Daonok returned and greeted me with a nod.
“Ready? Best if we have a head start.”
I nodded. “Is everyone else?”
“They will be as soon as I crack my knuckles at them,” he said. He hesitated afterward as if he wanted to say something else. Another warning about keeping myself safe, most likely. But after a moment he inhaled and gestured toward the beach. “Have someone ferry you over. We’ll be ready to go in just a few minutes.”
I thought about fetching Raav; he was coming with the overland group. But after last night, I thought he might want privacy. Lifting my rucksack from the deck, I swung it over my shoulder and headed for the dinghy. A pair of smugglers turned the winch to lower the rowboat to the sea. The thief at the oars didn’t seem to want to make conversation as we headed for the beach. Me neither.
I didn’t have long to pace before the rest of the group assembled. Raav greeted me with a quick hug. At least he hadn’t given up on us. We would work this out as soon as we had the luxury of time. As for the others, I counted eleven smugglers and sailors, plus Daonok and Paono.
My best friend stood somewhat apart from the group. Though he answered when people greeted him or asked him simple questions, he seemed so much more distant and distracted than the person I remembered. No doubt his time alone had worked changes on his heart, along with his regret over the dawnweaving. I wondered if having the aurora inside him had changed him, too.
I closed the distance between us and touched his shoulder. “You ready? You seem… lost in thought.” I didn’t want to say distracted because I worried he’d take offense.
He nodded. “I’m just adjusting. I got used to having no one but myself to talk to.”
I searched his eyes. Was that all?
Casting me a halfhearted smile, he nudged my shoulder with his knuckles. “Don’t worry, Lily Pad. I’ll be fine once all of this is over.”
I nodded before turning away. I hoped he was right, but concern for him still ate at me. The events on Ioene had been hard on all of us. And Paono had such a good heart. It made him all the more susceptible to strain.
With a clatter of metal against metal, the thieves shouldered their packs. I whirled, surprised at the noise.
“Don’t worry,” Daonok said with a grin. He nudged a cluster of climbing gear hanging from the outside of one of the packs. Pitons clanged against each other while a hammer for driving them into cracks in the stone knocked against buckles securing the load. “With luck, we won’t need this stuff and we’ll be able to leave it behind long before we reach the fortress. On the other hand, if we do need it, we’ll be quite happy to have brought it along.”
I shot a glance to Paono. He shrugged. “I mentioned the path was a little difficult.”
“This way,” Paono said as he squeezed into a tight chimney of stone. The narrow cleft tunneled back into the mountainside for about twenty paces before pinching off, an apparent dead end. Turning sideways, Paono pressed his back against one wall and his feet against the other as he prepared to shimmy upward.
“Wait,” Daonok called from near the entrance to the wide crack. We’d set a marching order early on. Paono, then me, then Raav with the assorted crew and thieves intermixed behind. Pulling a length of silken rope from his backpack, Daonok passed it up. “Tie your packs on. I can’t count the number of times I’ve punctured a waterskin or crushed a sweet roll by chimney climbing while wearing a backpack. Two or three rucksacks at a time. We’ll haul them up from the ledge above. There is a ledge, right?”
Paono swallowed. “Well, sort of.”
“Wasn’t there a ship going to the same place we’re bound?” one of Captain Altak’s crew grumbled.
The nearest thief wiggled his way forward and helped Paono with the knots before gesturing for my pack. While I waited for the load to be secured, I rested my hands against the stone. Ioene sent icy tingles up my arms. I closed my eyes, hoping to feel something more from the mountain. On my first trip here, I’d learned to sense the spirits of the Vanished while in contact with Ioene’s stone—the local magics of the fire and the aurora somehow strengthened a soul priestess’s power. Yet the fires deep in Ioene’s belly had also caused the cataclysm. Or rather, a coven of compellers had caused it by forcing too many strands to give their energy to the fire. At least, that’s what I’d been told. But after what I’d learned about the Hunger, I wondered whether the truth was more complicated.
Paono began to climb, grunting quietly each time he pressed his palms against the rock to scoot his back up the rough stone wall. Once he was high enough, I took a deep breath and wedged myself beneath him, moving one foot at a time then mashing my palms beside my butt and inching higher. The muscles in the backs of my legs and arms began to cramp after just a few repetitions.
All this time sitting around on boats has made me weak, I said
to Tyrak.
I think the problem is more with your friend Paono’s choice of route… I lived on Ioene a long time. I’d say it’s the mark of a civilized people to favor roads over the roosts of bats.
I smiled. If nothing else, I’m sure this is the most direct path. Paono may want simple things from life, but I’ve never known him to pass up a chance to make his task harder.
Hmm. You told me once that you and Paono were more different than you’d once imagined. But I see a lot of similarities. Though he teased, Tyrak extended beyond the bounds of the dagger and added his strength to mine. The going got easier, and my arms shook less when I braced them against the wall. After a few minutes of climbing, I arrived breathless on Paono’s so-called ledge. Around two paces wide and sloped alarmingly toward the sheer drop at its edge, the perch would have room for just five or six people. Some of us would need to continue on to give space for the others to climb up.
Straining to pick out details in the faint light from the heavens, I examined the rock face ahead. Where the ledge ended, a series of hand and toe holds shot across the cliff, ascending diagonally for a distance of about fifty paces to an actual flat spot atop a pedestal. During our childhood, I’d been a better climber than Paono. He’d come this way before, so I had no doubt I’d make it across. But glancing at the drop to the boulder-strewn slope below, I shuddered. The scars on my palms had been caused when a foothold had broken as I’d climbed a ridge in an attempt to escape Mieshk’s hunters.
“Hey Daonok, I’m ready to see how those pitons work,” I called.
No sooner had I spoken than a thief poked his head out of the chimney. “I’ve been hoping we’d have the excuse.”
He’d made the ascent one-handed, carrying his pack in the other. From one side of the pack, he unbuckled a length of thin cord that had been threaded through holes in the ends of the iron spikes. On the other side, a cluster of oval rings with hinged gates was fixed to another strap.
Darkborn (Shattering of the Nocturnai Book 4) Page 11
