seen.”
“Good. Report up top, then.”
“Aye-aye.”
As he disappears above deck, I realize I should have mentioned that he leave
the thieving for when he’s off the ship. Best not forget next time I see him.
I survey the remaining prisoners before speaking up. “The rest of you will remain here until I decide what to do with you. You needn’t fear for your lives
unless you try to escape.” I look at Draxen during the last bit. “Then you have
great need to worry.”
Draxen stands. “What of my brother?”
“My best healer is seeing to his wounds.”
“If anything happens to him, I’ll kill you.”
“Draxen, empty threats are useless. Your brother is in my care, and whatever I decide to do with him will be done. There is nothing you can do to change it.
Understand?”
I may have made it sound a bit worse than it is, but I don’t care. After so much time spent near Draxen, he should be glad I’m letting him keep his life.
I start for the surface, following after the two new members of my crew.
Though the pain of our loss is great, I think Kearan and Enwen will be nice
additions. I have plenty of good fighters on the ship, but skilled thieves and navigators are hard to come by.
I breach the top and am greeted by the bright sun. It is a fine day with few clouds in the sky. The wind blows my hair over my shoulders. It’s perfect for sailing.
I stop short when I find Kearan frozen in place, facing the stern.
“Kearan?” I ask, poking him in the back. He doesn’t move.
I swivel around so I can look at his face. He’s staring at something ahead.
Attempting to follow his gaze, I can only guess he’s looking at the aftercastle.
“Kearan?” I try again.
He opens his mouth, closes it again to swallow, and tries again. “Who is that?”
Oh, he’s looking at a person. I take another look. “Niridia? That’s my first mate at the helm.”
He shakes his head. “Not her. The dark beauty in the shadows.”
I look again. I hadn’t even noticed Sorinda hiding in the shadow cast by the
end sail. “That’s Sorinda.”
He doesn’t look away. As far as I can tell, he hasn’t blinked. “And what is her
job on the ship?”
I smile. “She’s my assassin.”
“I want her to be the one to supervise me.”
“What?”
“You said I was on probation and I would be supervised for a time. I want it
to be her.”
I have never heard Kearan talk so clearly. His words are usually accompanied
by the slur that comes with constant drunkenness.
“Did you hear the part where I said she’s my assassin? Don’t mess with her.
She’ll kill you before you have time to blink.”
“Then it shouldn’t be a problem. She can make sure I don’t step out of line.”
Not twenty minutes ago, I assured Niridia that Kearan was more interested in
his drink than in the girls. It appears I spoke too soon.
But to be honest, I’m dying to see how this turns out.
“Sorinda!” I shout.
She doesn’t move her stance, but I see her eyes shift toward me.
“Come down here.” I wave her over.
Like a cat, she slinks out of the shadows. Rather than taking the
companionway, she leaps over the railing and lands without making a sound.
She is, as Kearan described, a dark beauty. Long black hair. Thin with elegantly pointed features. Though she’s constantly trying to hide, when she comes into the light, there are few who stand out more. Niridia is an obvious beauty with features that almost look painted. Sorinda is like something forged
out of nature. One of the beauties that only comes out at night.
She doesn’t answer once she reaches us. She simply waits for me to speak.
Kearan stares at her openly. Sorinda pretends not to notice.
“This is Kearan. He’s joined our crew. Going to be our new navigator. Right
now he’s on probation. Will you keep an eye on him for me?”
“I always have an eye on everyone.”
I smile. “I know, but this one is officially your responsibility.”
She sizes up Kearan. Her expression never changes much. It’s always
impossible to tell what she’s feeling. But now her lips curve downward slightly.
Kearan may be large and ugly, but there’s no denying he’s good at what he does
—so long as he is properly motivated to do it.