The wind howled off the ocean, and I pulled my furs more tightly around me, the lute slung across my back shifting as I moved. Cold. Always so damn cold. At least I was dressed for it this time. A mischievous boatswain had laughed and told me it would get a damn sight colder then this as we headed north.
I stood, stomped frozen feet, and delayed boarding as long as I could. We’d be sixteen days aboard ship. There was no particular hurry to ensconce myself in the small stateroom.
I glanced back down the dock, saw the bulky figure approach.
No. Not a bulky figure. A slight figure bulked up by black furs, a woman most probably by the sway of her walk. My face broke into a wide grin as she grew closer, Mireen, a chuma stick twitching in the corner of her mouth, gray smoke twisting away on the wind.
She stood in front of me, waited for me to speak first.
“You’re here to see me off?” I asked.
“Not quite,” she said. “Perhaps I’m just in the mood for a sea voyage.”
“To the coldest, most inhospitable place in the world?”
“Okay, so not a pleasure cruise,” she admitted. “You’re on your way to find her, aren’t you?”
She didn’t need to tell me who she meant. Lill had a head start, but I intended to catch up. I felt suddenly like I had to explain, but if I did, then I’d have to explain to myself too, and I wasn’t ready for that. I simply said, “Yes.”
“I want to find her too.” Mireen said. “I need her.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You need some foe vanquished? With your new powers there’s something you can’t handle?”
“It turns out those powers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be,” Mireen said. “Since the tower roof, I haven’t been able to make them work. Not once.”
“What?”
“I’ve been working with Knarr, but it’s no use,” she said. “I was hoping Lill could help me.”
I shook my head. “Ink magic and shadow magic are different. I’m sure Knarr reminded you about a hundred times in case you’d forgotten.”
“Different yes, but the same in one important way. In both cases, we tap into something, we open a gateway is how Knarr explained it. I’ve tried. I’ve driven myself crazy trying to touch the shadow again. It’s like reaching through a thick hedge, groping blind at something on the other side, my fingertips brushing against something cold that I can’t quite latch onto.”
Lill had often talked about tapping into the spirit. I had my doubts, but maybe she could shed some light on Mireen’s dilemma. Maybe not.
“You have a sister who’s an ink mage,” I said. “And the friend of the family you mentioned. Maurizan is it? They can tell you the same as Lill.”
“True. But they’re off adventuring. If you can tell me which of the four corners of the world they’re keeping themselves, I’d be happy to ask them.” Her face sobered, and she cast her gaze out over the cold sea. “There’s something else. The Shadow Sorceress is still out there. Knarr says the sudden shock of my power frightened her off, but she’s not defeated. And if she finds out I can’t even use these stupid new powers, she won’t stay frightened for long. I’m thinking this is a good time to be far, far away, and the Glacial Wastes qualify as pretty damn far.”
“You can’t hide forever. She’ll be right here waiting, and you’ll have to come back eventually.”
“Sure. But later.”
“One problem,” I told her.
“Just one?”
“I’ve booked the last stateroom on this ship.”
The playfulness returned to her face. “Oh, I know. They told me that at the booking office. They also told me who’d booked it. People tend to give out that sort of information when it’s the duke’s daughter who’s asking.” She slung her pack over her shoulder and headed for the gangplank, glanced back at me, eyes twinkling. “I feel confident I can somehow convince you to share.”
I grinned and followed her up the gangplank. Suddenly, sixteen days at sea seemed hardly long enough at all.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Victor Gischler is a world traveler, chicken wing muncher, and beer swiller. In addition to multiple novels in various genres, he’s also written comic books for Marvel, Dark Horse, Dynamite, and Titan. His work has been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Bram Stoker Awards … and he didn’t win a single damn one of them. You can find him on Twitter @VictorGischler if you’d like to waste a few minutes.
His website: www.VictorGischlerAuthor.com
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