Blood Storm by Steven Harper

Author:Steven Harper
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-10-21T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Danr watched the longboats row swiftly back toward the harbor with Harbormaster Willem sitting stiffly at the head. The sea breeze was stiff and cool out here, and the ship rocked beneath Danr’s knees and feet. The sea itself was gray and topped by small whitecapped waves.

“This makes me sick,” Danr said to Aisa at the rail. “Everywhere we turn, things get worse. Ranadar and Kalessa are still in danger, and now we’re working for that harbor rat.”

“He will end slavery,” Aisa pointed out. “That forgives a great many sins, in my mind.”

Danr grunted. “He’s not doing it because it’s right. He’s doing it so he can become more powerful. Didn’t you hear him? The Obsidia trade in slaves. Wiping away what’s left of the slave trade will hurt them and give him even more power than he already has. And he’ll have total control of the magic. He’s not a good man.”

“Even a bad man can do good things,” Aisa observed philosophically. “And sometimes . . . sometimes we must sacrifice something small to gain something large.”

“Thinking big?” Danr said.

Talfi had gone below to scout out their quarters, and the golem had gone with him. Captain Greenstone was back at the helm several steps away from them on what Danr had learned was called the quarterdeck, and her crew swarmed over the rigging, checking for damage. The captain’s hat shaded her eyes, and a leather thong tied under her chin kept the cool salt breeze from carrying the hat away. Danr, who was constantly snatching at his own hat, would have to ask for one himself.

Harebones hurried up to her. “It don’t look like the Boshites did much to ropes or sails, Captain. We’re hale and hearty and ready.”

“Where are we going, handsome?” Greenstone asked Danr.

“The Iron Sea,” Danr said. “The center, as close as you can figure it. And have your lookouts watch for merfolk.”

“They hide during storm season,” Greenstone said. “They don’t even surface to collect tolls because no one is stupid enough to sail across the Iron Sea in the autumn. If you’re figurin’ on finding merfolk to guide us, we’ll never—”

A great gout of cold water fountained over the gunwale and sprayed Danr in the face. He sputtered and slapped at his eyes. When his vision cleared, he gasped. Sitting on the gunwale was Ynara, her long brown hair in wet tangles across her breasts, and her facial tattoos looking fierce and blue. Aisa gave a low cry.

“Aisa and Danr,” Ynara greeted them. “I apologize for abandoning you, but I needed time to recover and spread the word. Do you still want us to take you to the Key?”

“We do,” said Danr, a little dazed.

“Then follow!”

With that, she leaped back over the side and vanished with a splash.

“Wow,” Greenstone said. “Usually, they want silver. What did you do for her?”

Aisa ran breathlessly to the gunwale and peered over. “I knew she would keep her word. But what did she mean by us?”

In answer, a great gray shape rose from the depths beside the ship.

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