Eternal Gambit

by St Clare, Kelly

  Plank beckoned them back the way they’d come, and once far enough away from the main path, he crouched down. Ebba joined him between Caspian and Grubby.

  “All right, lads,” Plank whispered. “Ye know the plan—”

  It was a stupid plan, in her pirate opinion.

  “If we make a ruckus, Cannon’ll know it was us. Even if Jagger gets the parts out one by one, we’ll still draw the wrong kind of attention,” she said.

  “We’re all ears if ye have sumpin’ better to offer, lass,” Stubby said.

  Ebba desperately wanted a better plan. Just the thought of Jagger shuffling his way through a crowd of slumbering tainted pirates was enough to make bile rise through her throat. She’d seen the way Pockmark went berserk when she’d needled him. And the other pirates, Cannon aside, were completely gone to the pillars and lost control much easier.

  She shuddered, imagining the entire Locker chaotic with berserk tainted. “We don’t want Cannon to know it were us that started a ruckus. If he comes out and hears us makin’ a ruckus, if he thinks it just be the tainted fightin’, he may not think anythin’ o’ it, and won’t go searchin’ for Jagger. Or us.”

  Grubby nodded beside her. “I like it.”

  Plank and Caspian shared a look.

  “That be solid pirate logic there,” Stubby said, smiling at her.

  Well, she wasn’t stupid, just a genius who worked within pirate parameters. When given a strong enough incentive.

  “We start a fight with them,” Plank ventured, tapping his mouth.

  Caspian cut in. “We start a fight between them.”

  Ebba grinned and saw the same expression echoed on the faces around her. “It’s a plan.”

  Stubby cocked his head. “I dunno about ye, but I haven’t heard a peep from the d’rection o’ the ship. Where do ye think Jagger is?”

  “He should be on the ship by now,” Caspian said. “How long should we wait?”

  “We don’t want to move too soon. He needs to be below deck before we draw everyone out,” she said quickly.

  “We’ll wait another ten minutes or so.” Plank straightened, rubbing his knees.

  Her other fathers did the same, but Ebba remained crouched by Caspian.

  He nudged her with his stump. “You really love him. I’ve only seen you fret this much when your fathers are in danger.”

  Or when Caspian had been infected by the taint. But perhaps saying such a thing wasn’t wise. Ebba didn’t want to confuse their new territory. And, in some ways, it was different with Jagger. With her fathers, the thought of them dying made her feel like she would cease to be. With Caspian, it would be like losing a limb, one of the greatest friends she’d ever had. Barring an alcoholic wind sprite, the only friend she’d ever had. With Jagger. . . . With Jagger, the thought of never having the opportunity to feel the love she’d witnessed upon touching the amare was the source of her terror. To have that ripped away; that hope, that discovery, and the unknown. That was what caused her anger and terror now.

  The possibility of regret and a life without him. Emptiness.

  “Aye,” she said. “It’s a funny thing. I have all the feelings for him but so few experiences for feelin’ that way just yet. It’s as though I’ve skipped to the end.”

  Caspian swallowed, but nodded. “I can imagine it’s like reading the last chapter of a book.”

  “Can’t say I’ve done that, yet, but I’m guessin’ so.” Ebba smiled at him. He’d changed. Since his shouting fest on the ledge, and since visiting with his father, Caspian was altered. Not that he’d ever been a rollover, but in the last week, he’d seemed . . . more in charge. Almost assertive. She liked the change. Surely this new confidence was a good beginning.

  Caspian searched her face and glanced away.

  Just as she was about to stand, he said softly, “I wouldn’t worry about skipping ahead to the end, Ebba. Once this is all over, you’ll have your entire lives to fill in the gaps. To know that you have found your match is a great gift.”

  A gift.

  A wrinkle appeared between her brows. To this point, she’d thought of touching the amare as more of an accident than a gift. “Aye, I’m s’posin’ so,” she mused, then glanced at Plank. “But knowin’ I only have one perfect match, if Jagger were harmed, I’d just live my life wantin’ to be with him. That doesn’t seem like a gift. It seems cruel.”

  A ghost of a smile graced his lips. “I’ve thought much on the subject of late. The beauty and savagery of such things lies in their mortality.”

  “Ye’re goin’ to have to pirate that down,” she grunted.

  “If love was safe, whether for a family member, siblings, or a partner, it would not be half so treasured. The uncertainty of love, the risk of allowing ourselves to feel, is what propels our emotion to such beautiful heights; for tomorrow, all might be gone. We must be grateful each day that we can love someone and be loved in return.”

  A lump rose in her throat as she stared at Caspian’s shadowed profile. His high forehead was creased, and the too long russet hair curled around his face. The amber eyes that first gave her pause were distant, the mind of their possessor turned inward.

  Ebba nudged his stump with her shoulder. “That was like a poem. Pretty. And I can see what ye’re sayin’. Except I find it hard to be grateful for the gift when I’m so afraid.” Not just for Jagger, for everyone.

  “I think we get better at not being afraid,” he answered, blinking and turning to look at her once more. “When we’ve known loss, maybe we learn not to be afraid of it. Pain of loss reminds us we loved. And in our case, there is no fear of the unknown. We know that there are birds—the thunderbird’s vessels—and the Locker. We know the souls of our loved ones end up in the sky as birds.” His eyes drifted in the direction of the stream.

  Ebba shook her head. “That makes it worse for me. I’ve a feelin’ everyone I know but ye would end up here. Well, not Stubby and Grubby, mayhaps, now they be free o’ taint. Still, ye never know, the thunderbird may wake up on the wrong side of his nest and decide to send everyone to hell for it.”

  Caspian’s face darkened. “That bothers me a lot. You have to wonder how many of these people actually deserve to be here. What does anyone do to deserve imprisonment in hell? There’s no way to atone. Endless penance is cruel. Why would anyone repent without an end in sight?”

  She’d had similar thoughts herself. But the darkness on Caspian’s face bothered her more. Bookish people thought far too much. She’d seen it with Barrels. They were so good at thinking that they didn’t just think their thoughts; they thought of everyone else’s thoughts too. Too smart for their own good.

  “Ye know what I’m wonderin’?” she said to him.

  “What’s that?”

  “How big the thunderbird’s nest be and if he has to constantly remake the thing after beating his wings to create a gust.”

  Caspian grinned, displaying a flash of white teeth. “Maybe that’s why he sends everyone to the Locker.”

  Ebba grinned with him.

  Plank bent down. “Show a leg. Time to weigh anchor. Gather some small stones. We’re goin’ to spread out and toss a few pebbles at the tainted and see if we can’t start sumpin’.”

  She leaned down, scooping up a few stones. And a couple of larger rocks in case one of the tainted went for her.

  “Ebba and I will head through the boulders on the other side of the path,” Caspian said.

  “Aye, we’ll branch out through this side. Be careful, mind,” Stubby replied, his hands filled with pebbles. “And once the fight starts, meet back up at the cave in case Cannon comes lookin’.”

  They crept back up the cave path toward the main walkway and split up. Crossing into the boulders on the opposite side of the worn route, Ebba slowed to a shuffle, creeping forward foot by foot.

  The tainted could be anywhere around here.

  Caspian gripped her arm and jerked his head to the boulder in front. The arm of a tainted pira
te was visible from where they stood. Ebba’s heart pounded at the sight. She crouched, scanning the area before them. They had to start the fight farther in. They wanted as many tainted involved as possible.

  Tapping her shoulder, Caspian tilted his head to the left, mouthing, I’ll go this way.

  She nodded and remained crouched, squinting into the boulders. There were another couple of tainted two boulders up. She’d head to the right and circle around them.

  On silent feet, Ebba circled to the right, nearly gasping when she caught sight of a pirate’s bare foot. But, she surveyed the area, there were at least six tainted here.

  It would have to do.

  Ebba glanced back to check what cover she’d have. She had to be located between the shipwreck and the stream, though the broken vessel was hidden away in the towering boulders from her view. To her left was the main path to the stream. Then to her back was the stream itself. She had enough exits.

  A yell went up from where her fathers were positioned.

  Shite. Ebba selected a small pebble and, taking aim, threw it at one of the middle pirates.

  Another yell went up from across the way.

  She selected a larger pebble and tossed it at the same tainted pirate. He didn’t budge.

  Sink her, how deeply did the pillars’ minions sleep?

  There was definitely movement up ahead now. Ebba had no idea where the others were, but if this was to turn into a crazed brawl, she had to play her part. Taking one of the larger stones, around the size of her fist, Ebba cocked her arm back and let the rock fly.

  She winced as the rock crunched against the tainted man’s head.

  Ebba ducked.

  His eyes flew open, and he roared, glancing around and searching the ground. When his back was turned, she let fly with her other smaller stones, pelting at least two of the others. One woke and leaped to her feet. Her eyes landed on the already standing man with the large stone in his hand.

  She held her breath as the tainted woman launched herself at the man with a furious screech. Backing into the shadows, Ebba didn’t stick around to see if the rest would join in. The others were waking; she had to get out of there.

  She spun around a boulder and pressed herself against it, taking a deep breath.

  Ebba raised a foot, ready to sneak back to their cave, but a flash of white caught her eye. Her jaw dropped as Caspian sprinted down the path, just a flash between boulders to her eyes. Why was he running? The tainted would hear him.

  She didn’t have long to wonder.

  Feet stampeded in a growing tumult down the path. Ebba peeked out from the boulder and glanced back to see that the tainted she’d woken had abandoned their fight and were running to the path after Caspian. Pirates hurtling after her friend were the source of the pounding footsteps.

  “Nay,” Ebba whispered, her face falling. There were so many of them.

  Abandoning her boulder, she began running, too, weaving between boulders and jumping over smaller loose stones. She weaved between the boulders parallel to the tainted on the path, legs pumping as fast as was possible without breaking her neck.

  Caspian would be trapped against the boiling stream. He could perhaps make it back to the cave by dodging through the boulders on the opposite side of the path and doubling back. But if he did, he’d lead berserk tainted to their only safe point.

  “Shite, shite, shite,” she panted.

  The boulders tapered in size as the stream loomed ahead, and she scanned the area for Caspian, spotting him running down her way. Why was he running away from the passage platform? He should be running for the entrance!

  Shrieks jerked her back to the present. Risking a glance through the boulders behind her, Ebba jolted. Some of the tainted had changed direction and now pursued her. Their eyes were flooded black. Berserk, they shoved at each other, pausing to fight amongst themselves, but clearly, Caspian and Ebba were the ultimate prizes. She renewed her pace, bursting out through the last of the boulders.

  “Caspian,” she called between puffs.

  He caught sight of her, and his eyes widened as she skidded alongside him.

  “What are you doing here?” he gasped, holding his side.

  The mort pertinent question as they sprinted toward the sheer cliff face of the northern end of the cavern was. . . , “What happens at the dead-end?”

  “I was going to jump the stream down there,” he answered.

  Jump the— “Ye be aware it’s boilin’?”

  “Yes. But narrower down this way. Only six feet instead of eight,” he said.

  Ebba glanced over her shoulder and blanched. “Uh, better pick up the pace.”

  He cast a look at her and then did the same, peering back. She gripped his belt as his feet faltered.

  “Right, so it’s six feet,” she said, eyeing the gap that suddenly looked more like seven feet. While talking to King Montcroix, the space hadn’t seemed all that large. Now. . . .

  “How good are ye at jumpin’?” she asked.

  “You go first,” Caspian ordered. “We don’t want to bump into each other on the way over. The tainted might follow us over. We’ll have to disappear through the crowd of damned once we get across.”

  “Ye’ll be jumpin, though, aye?” she said, eyes narrowing as she hurdled a knee-high rock.

  He nodded.

  The space before them dwindled, and the footsteps behind were far too close to risk a glance back. The pirates’ shrieks and roars echoed through the cavern, and Ebba imagined hot breath on her neck. She imagined what would happen if the tainted got hold of her.

  “Jump as hard as ye can,” Ebba ordered him.

  She picked up the pace, and when in front of Caspian, she angled inward to the very end of the purple, boiling stream, lining up with the narrowest part of the water. Arms pumping, feet digging in and pushing off the fiery stone as fast as she’d ever run, Ebba brought both feet together and shoved down, flying through the thick air.

  The ground disappeared from under her. For a moment, steam curled about her, obscuring her vision. And then the steam was gone.

  Over the water, Ebba landed. Bending her knees, she rolled once and sprang to her feet, searching for Caspian. She saw the moment he jumped as she just had, sailing through the air. His gold circlet flew high, disappearing from sight. But Caspian was twisting in the air, eyes rounding in panic.

  He wasn’t going to make it!

  Mouth dry, she surged forward, screaming as he landed right on the water’s edge. He windmilled his arm, and Ebba lunged for his belt, planting her feet and throwing herself backward.

  Caspian landed on top of her.

  Except Ebba wasn’t looking at him. She peered over his shoulder at the berserk, black-eyed tainted jumping across the stream after them.

  Twenty-Three

  “Get off, get off, get off!” Ebba yelled at Caspian, shoving at him though she knew it was too late. The tainted were nearly on them, eyes flooded black, teeth yellowed, and clothes frayed and slick with grime.

  There was a roar from behind. And then Ebba was staring at the underside of someone’s boots as they leaped overhead. Other damned followed the first, thundering past where she and Caspian lay.

  What was happening?

  “That was all of them,” Caspian said, head raised, looking behind her.

  He rolled off, and Ebba knelt, eyes wide as she looked to the stream. The damned were helping them, standing in a line and shoving the tainted back into the water. And at their center was King Montcroix.

  She glanced down the length of the stream and saw the tainted were trying to leap the boiling water south of their spot too. Some managed to cling to the damned, pulling them into the scalding water with them.

  “Son,” Montcroix shouted. “Get back. Climb the cliffs to the passage. Get to the entrance.”

  They couldn’t leave her crew.

  “Get help. Come back!” Montcroix yelled. “Fight another day.”

  The tainted were rele
ntless, but they—and the damned—could still feel pain. Their screams and shrieks filled the air. Though their brethren melted before their very eyes, the pirates didn’t stop attempting to reach the other side.

  “What have we done?” Caspian said in horror.

  The wrong thing. But there wasn’t any point lingering on that now. “Come on, matey. To the cliffs, like yer father said.”

  “But my father?” Caspian said, aghast.

  “Yer father already be dead. Don’t be a fool. He’ll come back; you won’t.” Ebba grabbed his arm. “I will drag ye to the cliffs if ye make me.”

  Caspian looked at his father and then her. The desperation faded from his eyes, and he nodded curtly, lips pressed together. “Let’s go.”

  Ebba turned, still holding the prince’s arm, and wrenched to a halt.

  Damned, too many to count, stared at them. And she stared back. By the looks, they’d been drawn to the fighting.

  “What do we do?” she hissed from the corner of her mouth.

  Caspian stood beside her. “I guess we just walk through. They aren’t attacking. Just standing there.”

  Mutinous Cannon’s words from what must be nearly two weeks ago replayed in her mind. Namely the part about the damned tearing people apart. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she started forward. When she reached the line of damned, they stood aside to let her pass. Ebba ignored a few leering looks, squeezing between males, females, and children from all walks of life.

  “Ahoy,” she greeted them quietly.

  She squeezed Caspian’s arm, and he shifted so that they held hands.

  Sucking in, Ebba stepped over a slumbering damned. A hand snaked out, gripping her upper arm.

  “Tell me, wench,” an orange-bearded man snarled in her face. “Is the entrance open yet?”

  Ebba jerked free. “Who’re ye callin’ wench, ye fire-jawed bastard?” She wasn’t telling him anything. Or anyone here. She had no wish to die as they stampeded out.

  Caspian slid between them. “What she means to say is yes.”

  She inhaled sharply. “Nay, I didn’t.”

  “Outside the entrance, the path to safety only appears once a day. There is only just enough time to cross to the next island,” Caspian blurted to the stranger. “The entrance will only let out so many. Cannon plans to leave the damned here and free the pirates.”