The Devil's Tide

by Tomerlin, Matt

  She folded her arms and fortified her tone. "It's the best outcome for everyone. We split the money and Kate goes home safe."

  The scars on his face contracted as he wrestled with his thoughts. "She will hate you for it. She will see it as a betrayal, and she will spend the rest of her life cursing the name Jacqueline Calloway. Are you prepared for that?"

  She blinked, doubt swelling in her chest. She swallowed it before it could reveal itself. "Yes."

  He nodded. "Very well. When we arrive at Nassau, we will turn Kate over to the governor, and pray he doesn't string her up for treason."

  "He won't hang a woman," Calloway scoffed. "Such a thing would cause uproar, and besides she's worth too much. Her husband belonged to a powerful family."

  "We must do it quickly," he said, "before she has a chance to disappear with another pirate. There will be no dallying in port, is that understood?"

  "It is."

  "And you must not alert her to your intent. You must act normal. She is a shrewd woman, and I needn't remind you that she is dangerous when cornered. Yes, her actions saved us all, but in doing so she saved her own life. Do not forget that."

  Calloway considered arguing that point. Kate had recklessly leapt onto Queen Anne's Revenge and rescued her without any regard for herself. She would have died, if not for Bastion's magic kiss.

  Instead of arguing, Calloway sighed and said, "I know."

  "Then it's settled," he concluded. "We need discuss it no further."

  She forced a smile, even though she wasn't feeling very happy. She needed a diversion, so she started to grind her hips against his. He failed to rise beneath her. Finally, he grabbed her arms and gently nudged her off. "Not tonight," he said wearily. "This day has twisted my stomach in knots. I am spent. Maybe tomorrow." He turned over and went to sleep. It was hours before Calloway was able to join him.

  Dillahunt hardly spoke to her over the next few days. She knew something was troubling him, and it wasn't just the decision to turn Kate in. His eyes rarely met hers. She assumed he would return to normal after they made it to Nassau and procured the reward. That would set everything right. She reminded herself that Dillahunt had been through a lot in the past weeks. He just needs time.

  Six days after the battle with Queen Anne's Revenge, on a vibrant midafternoon, the island of New Providence appeared on the horizon. Calloway found Kate on the forecastle deck, eyes closed with her face angled at the sun. Kate had been resting during most of the journey back, recovering her strength. Her forehead was bandaged. She had dark circles under her eyes and a big ugly bruise on her chin. Four thin pink lines ran down her neck. For all that, she was as striking as ever. She was wearing a loose white shirt and tight black breeches. Her wild red tangles flowed behind her.

  As Calloway approached, she glanced over the port bow. They were already nearing the long harbor. She glimpsed the familiar structures of Nassau in the distance, surrounded by greenery. Any other time, it would have been a beautiful sight, but it was the last thing she wanted to see right now.

  She placed her hands on the rail beside Kate. She was acutely aware that this was the last time they would speak as friends, while Kate was blissfully ignorant as to what was about to transpire.

  Calloway tried to think of something to say.

  Fortunately, Kate spoke up first. "Can't seem to escape this place," she said, nodding at Nassau. Her broken voice was even raspier than usual.

  Calloway forced a smile. She caught herself doing that a lot, lately. "I don't want to go back."

  Kate returned the smile. Her chapped lips were etched with red fissures. "I do miss Sassy Sally's turtle soup."

  "Mmm, yes," Calloway agreed. "We should go there first thing." She blurted the words without thinking. Guilt instantly pinched her brow.

  "Everything alright?" Kate asked without looking at her.

  Calloway couldn't bring herself to lie. No, everything is not alright. "Why did you save me?" she asked suddenly. "You had no reason to board that ship. Why did you come for me?"

  "I don't know," Kate admitted. "I didn't really pause to consider it. If I had, I might not have done it."

  "I don't think I could have done the same," Calloway replied shamefully.

  Kate smiled at her, and for a moment Calloway was reminded of her mother's sweet face, doting on her. "Until such a moment comes," Kate said, "no one can say for a certainty what they would do."

  Calloway could tell Kate was still in a great deal of pain, even though she was deft at masking it. She was slightly hunched and breathing shallowly, as though her lungs still tortured her. Her eyes were tight around the edges, and her jaw too firmly set. "Are you alright?" Calloway asked, touching her shoulder.

  "I will be," Kate assured her.

  Calloway looked to Nassau, even closer now. This ship moves so quickly when you don't want it to. Beyond the ships in the harbor, she saw the skinny figures of several boys darting along the white sands of the beach, oblivious to the dangers that awaited them. As she watched them, she said, "Don't you ever worry about what's coming next?"

  "I used to," Kate replied. She looked up to the sky, and despite the anguish in her eyes, there was a subtle curve to her lips. "The truth is it doesn't really matter. This is the only thing that matters, right here and right now. The sun on your cheeks, the smell of salt on your skin, and the wind sweeping through your hair."

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Infinite gratitude to my editors, Claire Edwards, Mark Baumgartner, and Jon Padgett for not being afraid to tell me where I screwed up, and ultimately making this a better novel for the readers.

  Thanks to all the fans who contacted me via email with kind words for the first book, and their interest in seeing Katherine Lindsay's adventures continue. I wasn't sure whether or not to write a sequel, but you all convinced me.

  And a big thank you to Randall Chan, who was the first person to read a jumbled first draft of the first book so many years ago, and gave me some wonderful advice that he probably doesn't even remember (I did).

  "Like" the Devil's Fire series at facebook.com/thedevilsfire

  Visit Matt Tomerlin's Blog: mtomerlin.com