Pirate of the Prophecy by Jack Campbell

Author:Jack Campbell [Campbell, Jack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-625675-02-6
Publisher: Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.
Published: 2020-09-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Selling the cargo they took from captured ships wasn’t simply a matter of pulling into an Imperial port where demand would likely be high. Even out-of-the-way places where inspectors were more easily bribed were too dangerous at the moment for the Sun Queen and the Storm Rider. So the two ships steered north and west until they reached Kelsi’s settlement again, encountering some rough weather the day before reaching the shelter of the harbor.

Meeting a ship on its way out of Kelsi’s, they confirmed that no Imperial warships were visiting. “No Mages to be seen, either!” the captain of the departing ship called across the waters separating the ships. “It’s like they all went somewhere else!”

Somewhere they expected to catch her? Jules wondered. But it was good news as far as Kelsi’s settlement was concerned, allowing her to ride the Sun Queen in instead of risking another isolated stay somewhere away from the port.

They’d barely tied up when Captain Erin came aboard, shaking her head at Mak. “That mast cracked again. I’ve got to get it replaced, Mak.”

“Can they do that here?” Mak asked as Jules listened.

“Not here. They can’t do that kind of work here yet. I’ll have to take my ship east to Marida’s harbor. You can’t follow me there, not with this girl aboard, and the repairs will take a while.” Erin nodded to them both. “We should be fine. There’s enough illicit trade flowing through Marida’s these days that even our haul won’t stand out too much. But if anyone asks about the Sun Queen, and about a certain girl who rides that ship, we’ll say that we’ve no idea where you’ve gone. So don’t tell me where you intend heading next. I’d hate to tell a lie.”

Jules laughed along with Mak.

“Fair winds,” Mak said, extending a hand to Erin. “I hope we can work together again.”

“To be sure,” Erin said. “Take care, Mak.” She looked at Jules. “You, too. I wouldn’t want to trade places with you, but you’re handling it better than I could.”

“I’m just trying to stay alive, free, and feeling like I matter,” Jules said.

Erin smiled at her, the sadness in the smile all too evident. “Good luck, girl. You’ve got some rough waters ahead no matter what happens. A bit of advice from one whose heart has weathered a few storms. Pay no heed to the men who say they love you while they’re trying to get you into bed. That’s true of any woman, but more so of you because of that prophecy. No, wait until you’re having the worst day of your life, when you hate everything and everybody and are biting the heads off anyone who looks sideways at you, and watch for the man who stands beside you anyway. That’s how a man really says I love you and means it, by being there for you when you know you’re not a joy to be around.”

“I’ll take that advice to heart,” Jules said. She watched Erin leave before turning to Mak.

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