Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Bowen

AFTER THE DINNER WITH EVELYN, IT’S A RELIEF TO FOCUS on work. No new correspondence has come in via the message system enchanted into my desk, so our plan to take refuge in Yaltia during the storm will work just fine. With that plan solidified, I head out onto the deck.

We’ve only caught the edges of the storm Dia saw, but it’s a nasty one. I take the helm as the crew follows my shouted orders. I don’t love storms for the danger they present, but I can’t deny that there’s a peace in moments like these. I’m here, pitting myself against nature herself. There is no past, no future. There’s only this moment of trying to stay alive.

As always, it’s over far too soon.

Miles appears at my side, his scales glistening in the rain. His tongue flicks out. “The island has been sighted. We’re almost there.”

Sarah is up in the crow’s nest as usual, relaying what she sees to Miles by way of her magic, using the wind to transfer her words as if she were standing right next to him. There was a time when she spoke to me directly, but she’s firmly among Miles’s supporters, and now prefers to relay her directions via the quartermaster. A small rebellion, but a marked trend in how some of the crew treat me.

There’s no time to worry about it now, though.

We easily avoid the rocks surrounding the island, even with the storm driving us at unsafe speeds. The relative shelter of the bay allows us to slow our pace enough to dock safely. I shove my wet hair out of my face and drag in a harsh breath. “We should be good, but check for damages and make sure everything’s lashed down. This one’s going to be a bitch, and I don’t want us to see any damage that might delay us. Let the crew know I expect them to be on their best behavior while in town.”

Miles gives me an unreadable look. “We’re C?n Annwn. We keep them safe. They should be greeting us like gods.”

It’s an old argument. I find that the people who join the C?n Annwn fall into three categories. The first is like Evelyn, who resent their new lot in life and have no desire to learn the history of the C?n Annwn. The second is like Miles, the people who see the status that being part of the C?n Annwn brings and think that respect is owed to them simply for being part of the crew. The third … well, people who shoulder the responsibility and carry out thankless task after thankless task, each more dangerous than the last, all while keeping an eye on the responsibility we’ve inherited? We’re a lot rarer.

“You tell them, Miles. Or I will.” And we both know how that will go. The crew may trust me to keep them alive and to guide them, but they don’t like me. I’m too rigid when it comes to the laws. At least that’s what I’ve been told. Miles has used that to his advantage again and again, but I don’t know how to be any other way. We are not gods to be worshiped. We act in service to the people who live in Threshold and beyond. But that belief isn’t very popular these days among the C?n Annwn, both among my crew and beyond.

His tail twitches restlessly. “I’ll tell them, Captain.”

I watch him walk away. Again, I wonder if today will be the day that he challenges me for the captainship. It’s only a matter of time. Ezra always told me that the best kind of partnership between a captain and a quartermaster is a slightly contentious one. The quartermaster looks after the crew’s interest, while the captain is the one who keeps their eye on the prize and guides both crew and ship. It’s natural that there would be conflict from time to time, but things with Miles are constantly fraught. I’m becoming increasingly certain that if he challenges me for the vote, I’ll lose. And then I don’t know what I’ll do.

I don’t know who I am if I’m not captain of the Crimson Hag.

“So that’s our port.”

I don’t jump out of my skin, but it’s a near thing. I didn’t hear Evelyn approach. Now she’s standing at my side as if she’s been there all along. She’s changed back into the clothes she was wearing when we pulled her out of the sea, but she must’ve done something to magic them, because the rain doesn’t seem to touch the fabric. Or her hair, for that matter.

I step back and look at her properly. There’s a fine bubble around her that the rain slides off. “Neat trick.”

“Work smarter, not harder.” She’s still eyeing the small, sleepy town with far too much interest. She’s going to run. It’s nothing more than I expected, but I can’t help the frustration that blooms in response to the realization.

I don’t have time to be chasing down a wayward witch who breaks vows as easily as she makes them. “Do I have to lock you in my cabin for the duration of our stay here?”

Her brows wing up. “There you go again, flirting with me.”

I hate myself a little bit for blushing in response. Hopefully she can’t see it in the low light and stormy weather. “I’m not flirting with you.” I might have been thinking about kissing her after dinner in my cabin, but I wasn’t flirting.

“Are you sure? Because threatening to lock me up in your cabin sounds particularly flirty.” She shifts closer until she’s nearly pressed against me. “If you had me in your cabin all to yourself, what would you do with me?”

Everything.

I barely manage to keep the instinctive, unforgivable answer inside. She’s trying to provoke me, to make me uncomfortable enough that I won’t pay attention to what she’s up to. I may be interested in her, but I know better than to let it color my interactions with her. At least I hope I do. I’ve never felt so completely foolish around a potential paramour.

What am I thinking? Potential paramour? This woman is a godsdamned menace. She is fair of face and lush of body, but she’s already proven to be a ball of chaotic energy. Besides, I’m the captain. No matter that I would never abuse my power, there is a power imbalance between me and the rest of my crew. I have to keep my interest locked down.

I belatedly realize that I’m staring at her in awkward silence. Usually I’m not so damn awkward; she seems to bring out this side of me in particular. It’s irritating. “Go back to your cabin, Evelyn. You can go ashore with the rest of them at first light.” It won’t be first light. Everyone will sleep in, courtesy of a long night and the fact that most shops won’t open until well past dawn.

She gives me a long look and smiles sweetly. It’s a liar’s smile. This woman doesn’t like me, and she doesn’t want to be here. It’s mildly insulting that she thinks I would believe her to be docile after only a few hours. “Yes, Captain.” She salutes in a charmingly irreverent way and turns with a click of her heels.

I can’t help watching her big ass in those tight pants as she walks away. I have no doubt that the extra swing in her step is because she knows I’m watching. The little witch. It’s only when she disappears back belowdecks that I think to check whether she lifted something else off me.

Sure enough, I’m missing the ring from my thumb on my right hand. How did she manage that? She never got close enough to touch me properly. It’s wildly unfair that she’s slipping things from my body and I don’t get the benefit of feeling her touch.

I shake my head. Hopefully the storm passes quickly and we’re able to get back on the water soon. Being at port, and so close to the portals each respective island offers, makes my skin itch.

Or maybe it’s the fact that I highly suspect Evelyn will be sneaking away the moment she thinks my back is turned. With all the spells at her disposal, it’s entirely possible that she’d be successful. Unless …

A slow smile, feeling foreign on my lips, settles over me. The little witch has gotten one over on me several times since she came aboard. Perhaps it’s time I turn the tables on her properly. It’s not something I would normally engage in, but there is very little about the situation that’s normal.

She’s going to run, and she thinks I have no idea. If I happen to get ahead of her, to lie in wait … Is she actually breaking her vow and fleeing if she’s running to me?

Something strange and fizzy takes root in my stomach. I’m not sure what to think of the sensation. It almost feels like excitement, but that can’t possibly be it. I catch sight of Dia over by the mast, the bright orange spot near her lips making her easy to pick out. “Dia.”

She doesn’t rush, but then I don’t expect her to. I’m also not a captain who expects people to drop everything and sprint to me the moment I call. My navigator strolls over to me and holds out a joint. “Care to join me?”

“You know I never touch the stuff.”

She shrugs. “You should try it sometime. Might loosen up that sphincter a bit.”

I never know what to say when she makes comments like that. They’re highly inappropriate, but this woman has been on the ship for longer than I’ve been alive. If Ezra was something of a grandfather figure, I suppose that makes Dia a grandmother figure. It doesn’t mean that she gets special treatment, exactly; more that she chooses which orders she feels like obeying, and no one can force her to do otherwise. I’m certainly not going to. “You’ll be up for a bit yet?”

She inhales deeply, and exhales a perfect circle and then another inside it. I’m not sure how she’s managing that in the rain, but Dia is plenty magical at times. “That depends. Why are you asking me to watch over the helm?”

There’s no point in lying. She’ll know if I do, and then she’ll just ignore my request. I blink rainwater from my eyes. “The witch is going to try to escape. I mean to stop her.”

“You could just let her go.” She flicks ash away. “If she’s so determined to meet her bloody fate, you could just allow it. No one escapes the C?n Annwn. You know it, and I know it.”

That’s the problem. I can’t stand the thought of Evelyn’s green eyes going faded and blank in death. I’ve seen enough life snuffed out from this world. I’m sure if I explained as much, Miles would say that I’m soft and unforgivable and further erode the crew’s faith in me. I’m not the kind of stern shit a captain of the C?n Annwn should be made of. Maybe it’s even true. There are more than a few captains, like Hedd of the Audacity, who have no problem hanging crew members who question too many orders.

But if Evelyn flees and a hunt is called, it won’t matter that I’m not a captain like that. I won’t have a choice about joining in.

“I would rather catch her now, while there’s a chance to save her, than catch her with a blade in my hand.”

Dia considers that. I can’t read the thoughts on her wrinkled face. I don’t bother to try. She’s never had a problem telling me exactly what she thinks, and I highly doubt this will be the exception to the rule. “Go on, then. If you leave now, you can get ahead of her.” She takes another drag. “She’ll know better than to try to seek shelter in the village, so she’ll head into the trees around the perimeter. If I were a betting woman, I would say she’d head east. It’s easier going that way, and it will take her farther from the sea.”

Farther from me.

“Thanks.” I move back so she can take my spot. “The crew knows the protocol. I’ll be back to relieve you as soon as I’ve dealt with the situation.”

She cackles. “Take your time, Captain. These old bones were made for the sea. I have no interest in land.” A sly light comes into her dark eyes. “Maybe give that girl a good ride. That might be enough to convince her to stay.”

My face flames, and there’s no way she doesn’t see it. “That’s not why I’m doing this.”

“I know.” She grins. “But no reason you can’t have a little fun along with doing your duty.”

She’s still cackling behind me as I flip up my cloak hood and move to the railing. A deep breath and I wrap my power around myself and lift off the deck. I cross the water in seconds and descend to lightly land at the outskirts of the village. It’s still early enough that dawn is barely a hint in the sky on the horizon. No one will be out and about for a while yet.

I consider the various routes through and out of town before deciding that I agree with Dia; the witch will go east. Now it’s only a matter of finding a good spot to wait until she makes her attempt.

Each of the islands have evolved to match the portals they contain. This one is no different. The trees are monstrous, thick and curling things that are blue and green and purple. I hate being on this island, to the point where I avoid it whenever I can. I’ve never quite been able to put my finger on why, though. There are other islands that are even more unsettling. Islands where trees grow upside down. Islands where there’s no organic life to be seen, just rocks and dirt and death. Even islands where gravity seems to shift based on the time of day.

None of them make me feel like this one does.

The small hairs at the back of my neck stand on end as I turn in a slow circle, squinting against the rain falling in sheets around me despite the interwoven branches overhead. I’m close enough to the village to see the ladders and the lift that lead up to the walkways strung between trees. Even on a clear day, the buildings themselves are almost indistinguishable from the trees they’re built into and around. Today, with the rain obscuring my vision, they might as well not exist at all.

I’m surprised the residents left the ladders down, but I don’t know why. There are predators in these woods, but they don’t venture close to the village. They certainly don’t have hands to climb ladders.

No, the sensation bothering me isn’t one of being hunted. I’m all too familiar with that. Instead, this almost feels like … memory.

I shake my head and do my best to ignore the feeling. I’ll deal with the witch and then make my way back to the ship. We’re well stocked, so there’s no need to go up into the village to negotiate or trade. My crew knows the rules, and they know the consequences of disobeying them. All in all, it should be an uneventful stop.

If not for the witch.

I turn and head east, deeper into the trees. The sensation plaguing me only gets stronger with each step I take. I’ve never been out this way before, but judging by the well-trodden path I follow, others have. I continue down it, grateful for the rain making it hard to see.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me. This place isn’t familiar. I’ve been to the village before, but I’ve never walked this path, never spent time in these woods. There’s no reason for me to be feeling like I could name every one of the array of blue flowers climbing a nearby tree trunk. They’re pretty. That’s all I need to know.

That’s all I do know.

“This is far enough.” I use my magic to rise to land on a well-hidden branch. It’s easily thicker around than I am, and it’s one of the smaller branches. I don’t even need to use my powers to balance as I crouch and survey the path below. Yes, this is a good spot. Now all that’s left to do is wait.