The Lion of the Sea (The Maiden Ship Book 2)

by Micheline Ryckman

  Idris exploded. “You know nothing about my sister. You’re an idiot! She’s the emperor’s captive; she’s imprisoned in the keep.” He looked back at Sable, the ancient spirit long gone from his pained gaze now. His voice cracked as he continued. “We—we are going to save her, right Sable?”

  Sable didn’t know if she should nod. She didn’t even know what the truth was, so she simply looked back at Jord. The sailor squatted in front of Idris. “This must be very confusing for you, but I’m telling the truth.” He waved a hand toward Dain and Casper. “She lives with us on The Maiden. She’s not a captive; someone lied to you.” Idris looked at Casper and Dain like it was all a bad joke, but they simply nodded in agreement.

  The child’s fuchsia eyes widened. “You mean…”

  Jord’s head bobbed enthusiastically. “Yes. You’re twins, right? You were separated over ten years ago in Eandor Vid, weren’t you?” Idris nodded dumbly. “Leara An told me. She said she tried to find you for years in Ernham, but even after leaving the kingdom, she never stopped looking.”

  Sable’s mind whirred. Ten years? But they would’ve been infants. She looked hard at Idris again, shivering despite Dain’s consistent flow of warm air. If they weren’t children, then what were they? An eerie cry from the cliffs above forced her to shake off the question, her voice sounding bone-tired as she said, “We’ll have more time for all of this later, right now we need to move.”

  27

  They stuck close to the water’s edge as they traveled, slowly making their way south along the rocky shoreline until it became too difficult to see, even by the light of the three half moons. Sable’s empty belly growled as they all collapsed to the ground. The only thing they’d had to fill their hollow insides was the bare bit of rainwater that still dribbled off the cliffs. If it hadn’t been for Dain’s ultimatum to cease all magic several hours back, she would’ve tried to shift some water and rations from The Maiden’s hull, but he was right--they needed to avoid giving away their location now.

  Despite the hunger and the exhaustion, Sable did her best to fill everyone in on what had passed since she’d been abducted. Dain supported her with one arm while she spoke, and every time she struggled to relay the more difficult portions of her tale, he squeezed her into his side. Every touch, every tender bit of affection from him was sweet and painful all at the same time, and it was hard to resist the tears that sprang in response. When she finally reached the part about Elden and the witch coming to their rescue, Dain’s eyes grew wide with wonder. She knew he was contemplating his dreams, because she’d thought about them too as she’d traveled with the huntsman. Perhaps Dain's dreams hadn’t only been leading him to Elden, perhaps they’d eventually been leading him to Sable in the future as well.

  Her lids drooped heavily as she finished. “Right before I shifted the three of you here, I sent Elden to these shores. I wanted to spare him—send him back to Ileana. He deserved at least that after centuries of imprisonment. And I wanted him to warn everyone about the emperor. He mustn’t be far ahead of us. Maybe if we hurry, we’ll catch up and find the hidden cove together.” Her voice trailed off. Idris had passed out on the sand by her feet the minute she’d begun the tale, and now all she wanted to do was curl up beside him. Dain, however, pulled her into the crook of his arm instead. Her cheek rested comfortably against his chest, her ear pressing into his beating heart as his voice rumbled. “We’ll make plans in the morning. Right now, we all need sleep. I’ll take first watch.” He said something else to Casper and Jord, but she couldn’t make it out. Even the chaotic lap of waves faded fast.

  Dain listened to her breath as he stroked her hair. The thick locks reached her shoulders now, chestnut curls that were as tangled and crazy as his own. He swallowed, giving thanks she was alive and they were together again. Then he looked down at the sleeping albino boy by their feet. It was unfortunate that Sable couldn’t shift him. But he’d seen the determination in her eyes—she’d never leave the child behind. They had some kind of connection. Despite Dain’s aversion to Leara An and her newly discovered brother, Sable’s loyal attachment gladdened his heart. It was just one more thing he could add to the long list of things he loved about her. A small ache formed in his gut. The first thing he’d wanted to say to her when he saw her again was how much he loved her, but again he hadn’t done it, he’d only kissed her. He vowed to himself that the minute they had a private moment, he’d tell her straight away.

  The cool, briny air whistled around them, carrying Jord’s snore high on the wind. The man sounded like a bear—not that Dain had ever heard a bear snore, but he was pretty sure this was close. At first he thought the noise would help to keep him awake, but with Sable’s warm form snuggled against his chest, it was getting hard to stay alert. His eyes drooped in heavy waves, and no manner of head-shaking seemed to ward off the grogginess. Dain gently laid Sable in the sands and stood to wake Casper. “I can't stay awake; you’ll need to take the next watch.” Casper gave him a groggy nod and Dain returned to Sable. It was seconds before he was asleep.

  Thump.

  Thump.

  Thump.

  Sable’s lids fluttered, the pink light of dawn forcing her to wince as she woke.

  Thump.

  Thump.

  Thump.

  It wasn’t far from her head, the boot tip, rising and falling in rhythmic impatience on a rock. Sable craned her stiff neck, trying and failing to push her aching body up and out of Dain’s embrace. The man above her was silhouetted against the rising sun, and when he spoke, she didn’t recognize the voice. “They’re finally awake, lads.”

  Sable heard a loud rustle of chains, the sound catapulting Dain to his feet and accidentally pitching her to the sand. Casper and Jord were on their toes seconds later, the former ready with both swords in hand as he said, “Blast, I fell back asleep.”

  Idris still lay sleeping.

  Sable felt Dain grab her hand, yanking both her and then the boy to their feet as he shoved them behind his back. She helped Idris groggily find his footing before pushing herself out from behind Dain to get a look at the men who’d woken them.

  She’d never seen one in real life, but Sable was more than certain that the gang circling them with rattling chains were pirates. These dozen or so smelly, poorly dressed brigands were menacingly large, and the only one who wasn’t gigantic was the more presentable pirate who’d been tapping his boot by her head. Her gaze didn’t linger on him long, though, because right behind, gagged and shackled in irons, stood Elden Grayspire. Sable vaulted toward her friend, but Dain managed to catch her arm, pulling her gently back to his side. At first she was angry at being restrained, but after Dain’s swift nod toward Elden led her eye back, she realized that one of the pirates held a dagger firmly poised to the huntsman’s neck. Sable drew in a sharp breath, but before she could speak, the better-dressed pirate—which wasn’t saying much—spoke again, and this time he directed his words at Dain. “Smart move, lad. Ye don’t want yer friend meeting a messy end.”

  Casper growled.

  The pirate swiveled toward the handsome sailor, all the while flipping a large golden coin through the air. He smiled, then said, “Clasp the snarly one in irons.”

  Casper was overwhelmed in moments. Sable felt helpless as she watched her friend subdued by a half-dozen hulking pirates. She knew Dain felt the same, because his hand grew ever tighter over her own. They didn’t dare make a move. Not only were they out-numbered physically, but Elden was in far too much danger. Sable knew her magic could easily subdue them all with the flick of a finger, but in the end, it would only draw greater problems to the shore. To his credit, Casper did manage to inflict a few nicks and bruises before his swords were confiscated and the irons were shackled tightly to his wrists and ankles. He even kept smiling when they forced him to his knees in front of their leader. Ever the charmer.

  The pirate-in-charge removed his large, violet-plumed hat. His hair was long and nearly as black as his eyes
, and if Sable didn’t hate him so much right now, she might have called him handsome. He flipped the gold coin again, then kicked Casper hard in the stomach.

  Jord squeaked, Sable cried out, and Dain dropped her hand to launch himself forward, catching Casper in his arms before he doubled over, face first, in the sand. As Dain embraced his gasping friend, he looked up, brows drawn, at the offending pirate. “Who are you, and what do you want from us?”

  The pirate flipped the coin again, and Sable wished she could shift it right out of his greasy grasp. When he caught it, he pinched it between his fingers, and held it close to Dain’s nose. “I was offered this in exchange for safe passage, but these kind of coins only come my way when something of real value needs transport. So, I’m guessing yer all worth a lot more than this coin.”

  Sable’s gaze flew to Elden. The blade edge was still digging into the skin of his throat, he couldn’t move or speak, but he blinked in confirmation to the question in her eyes. The coin had been from the witch, and the woman had sent them straight into this pirate’s grasp.

  He flipped the gold again and Sable ground her teeth, looking away as he continued his speech. “I’m an opportunist, ye see—the name’s Captain Trent Laughlin, or ye may have heard of me as Captain Foxwing.”

  Jord drew air through his teeth beside her, and Sable wasn’t surprised by the response—everyone knew that name. Foxwing was the most notorious pirate on the high seas. Every kingdom, even the southernmost, had tales to tell. And if the stories were true and this pirate lived up to his namesake, then he was trouble indeed. Foxwings were an Iandiorian legend; best described as half-fox, half-eagle, though they were nearly the size of a lion. The creatures were known for their cunning wiles, sharp eye-sight, and ruthless hunting skills. And that witch had been willing to give them into the hands of someone named after this animal—if Sable ever saw her again, she’d shift the woman into the deepest, darkest hole in the sea.

  It was the sudden silence that snapped Sable’s attention back to the pirate. She’d tuned out his long bragging monologue, but he’d fallen silent when Idris reached his side. No one had paid the boy any mind, including the pirates, and now he stood unimpeded by Foxwing’s side. His white head tilted innocently, fuchsia eyes trained on the pirate’s flipping coin as he said, “You’re famous. If you don’t need that anymore, can I have it as a souvenir?”

  Either the pirate had a soft spot for kids, or his ego was bigger than his brain because he actually smiled at the boy, and dug a small copper from the coin pouch at his belt. “I’ll not be giving away gold, lad, but ye can have this as a souvenir.”

  The minute the pirate’s hand touched Idris’s palm, the boy’s fingers clamped down.

  Sable almost sighed in relief as Foxwing’s eyes went blank. After a moment, he said, “Ye know, lads, I’ve done some thinking, and I’m convinced these folks ain’t worth a copper.” He flipped the gold coin again in his free hand, his other fingers now unbreakably clasped over Idris’s small hand. “Shackles off, then. Let’s get everyone back to the ship and out to sea. We’ve islands to pillage, ships to burn, and wenches to meet us in Vid.”

  Every jaw went slack.

  One of the pirates nearest Foxwing and Idris plucked up the courage to question him. “Perhaps we ought—”

  The captain rounded on him, not saying a word, simply staring the man down.

  Sable almost giggled out loud, her chest practically bursting with pride for how well Idris was playing this.

  The giant pirate backed away with a shrug. “Right, shackles off then.”

  The confused gang quickly released the still-heaving Casper and the very relieved Elden. In fact, Elden looked like he might even run to embrace Idris the minute his hands were free, but Sable waved him back. Their little savior needed to concentrate on the task at hand, which was getting all of them out to sea before the stalkers returned.

  The cliffs edging the shoreline seemed to grow higher still as they made their way south. Dain hadn't understood everything that had just passed, but after the albino boy touched the pirate, he instantly knew Idris had the same power as his sister. The small boy continued to walk confidently, hand-in-hand with the notorious captain only several paces ahead. Dain could just imagine what was roaring around inside Foxwing’s head right now. He only hoped Idris’s grip on the man didn’t loosen.

  Casper had recovered enough to move, though he still grimaced on and off, holding his ribs tightly as they walked. Hopefully nothing was broken. Jord, on the other hand, almost looked worse off than Casper. The conjurationist seemed shaken to the core after the events of the past day and a half. He’d been lagging far behind, wringing his cap more vigorously than ever. Sable had taken pity on the man, falling back to walk beside him, trying to distract him with conversation.

  Elden matched Dain stride for stride. They’d spoken little since setting out, mostly because pirate ears were listening, but also because Dain felt awkward—he’d experienced a full spectrum of emotion in his dreams; Elden’s thoughts, imprisonment, love, and pain had all been laid bare for Dain to see. It was strange to have that kind of insight into anyone’s heart, but he supposed it wasn’t much different from what he’d experienced with Hannon under the sea. And despite everything, the huntsman seemed to be holding together well. Perhaps being freed from the curse and knowing Ileana was still alive helped to buoy him? Dain stole a quick glance at the man beside him. He was taller than Dain, broader across the shoulders, and far thicker through the chest. The bow and arrows, returned by Foxwing—or Idris through the pirate—were now fastened again to his back, and both these, along with the weapons on his hip, looked like they’d been born there. The man walked with a sort of immeasurable confidence, and yet he still seemed approachable. Dain licked his lips, slowing his steps as he lowered his voice. “Sable said a witch freed you?”

  Elden nodded thoughtfully. “I’m not sure that’s the right word for her—I owe her my life. All three of us do.”

  Dain glanced over his shoulder to see that Sable had managed to get Jord talking. His cap, though, had seen better days.“I don’t think Sable sees it that way.”

  Elden nodded again. “Probably not, but I spent months with the woman who saved us. She was never once cruel or unkind. I only saw a woman risking herself daily, tirelessly working to free me.”

  “I know…” The words were out before Dain realized it.

  Elden’s brows rose. “You know?”

  “Yes—well, I dreamed about you.” This was what Dain had hoped to avoid.

  The huntsman said no more, only patiently waited for Dain to continue.

  “One of my talents is prophetic dreams. It’s not perfected by any means, and I still don’t really know how it works, but I dreamt about you and the witch for months. It was one of the reasons I had planned to sail north; I felt like the dreams were leading me here.” Dain instinctively reached for the Dernamn still fastened around his neck.

  Elden’s eyes followed his fingers. “You believe your dreams were leading you here, and now you’re trying to sail away?”

  “Well, I—”

  “I’ve yet to learn the full nature of your quest or all these gifts, Dain Alloway, but it seems you’re right where you wanted to be.”

  Dain almost smacked his palm to his forehead. His brain was either going soft, or he’d gotten far too used to running for the safety of the sea. Elden was right.

  He stopped walking.

  The huntsman followed suit, and Sable and Jord quickly caught up.

  “Need a rest?” Sable asked as she slipped her fingers through Dain’s.

  He squeezed back. “No, just thinking we’ll need a meeting soon.” Then he ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair. “But, let’s get to that cove first.”

  28

  Sable figured it couldn’t be that hard to find the hidden cove. Elden had found it, after all, but now as the shoreline came to an abrupt halt, the only thing she could see was more towering c
liffs. Obviously hidden was the operative word.

  The pirates leading them headed straight for the water, determinedly wading around the base of the cliffs. Sable’s empty stomach growled as she watched them go, her limbs shaking a little from the lack of food. She couldn’t wait for Idris to make “Captain Foxwing” feed them. She glanced at the pirate sideways, wondering if he really was who he said he was. Dain seemed to note her discomfort; he’d yet to let go of her hand, and now gave it a gentle squeeze as he led her toward the waves.

  Elden, of course, waded into the water without so much as a wince, lending an elbow to the still-suffering Casper as he went. Idris had Foxwing lift him up and carry him above the waves, and Jord looked a tad bitter at the child’s good fortune. Sable didn’t blame him; the water was freezing, and she sucked in some fast breaths when it hit her midriff. It was one thing to jump into a swell of ocean when you were being chased by demons, and a whole other to willingly take a dip in the northern sea during early spring.

  After wading around the third of the largest juts in the rocky cliff base, the pirates disappeared inside the wall. It wasn’t until Sable and Dain were on top of the entrance that she noticed an opening, only barely visible by a crack above the sea.