The Age of Resonance by Kathryn Knowles

Author:Kathryn Knowles [Knowles, Kathryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mad Endeavour

Part II

13

Seasick

Diyah groaned and kept her forehead planted firmly against her knees, trying not to be sick. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her legs as the world around her rocked with the movement of the waves. The stench of rotten seaweed and musty cedarwood filled her nostrils, threatening to overpower her.

She supposed there was something ironic about a healer suffering from seasickness with no way to treat it or make it stop.

“We’re nearly there,” said Jémys.

“You keep saying that,” she groaned, tilting her head to look at him. “I’m beginning to think you’ve been lying to make me feel better.”

“What, me?” Jémys pulled a face of mock offence.

Diyah smiled and sat up, resting her head on the back of the cabin wall. Despite their current circumstances, Jémys seemed to have developed a positive attitude that was impossible to resist. Now that they’d left Caerlon City and were on their way to find Catanya, he seemed to have trouble containing his excitement.

“I hope you’re right,” said Diyah in a weak voice. “I will be so grateful to stand on dry land again.”

It had been days since they’d arrived at the port, looking for the smuggler that Ayr had told them about. They’d managed to find his ship quite easily, and, to Diyah’s surprise, Jémys had recognized it almost immediately.

“I’ve seen this ship before,” he whispered to her. Something in his voice told Diyah he had expected this.

“What? Where?”

Diyah hadn’t seen many ships in her life, and never one this close. It loomed over the port with a sort of audacious grandeur, its wood so dark it was nearly black, but with an ominous ruddy tinge. Diyah had to crane her neck to see the top of the hull, not to mention the three enormous masts stretching into the sky.

“Months ago, with Catanya and Drayk near Glorna. They’re marauders—pirates,” he added.

Diyah didn’t like the sound of that. “I thought this smuggler was someone Ayr knew…” But then she remembered what Ayr had said about him transporting prisoners for Caerlon.

“Yes, but his crew doesn’t fly under Ayr’s flag or Cadyan’s. They have no allegiance. They can’t be trusted.”

Diyah bit her lip. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t dream of doing business with people like this. But these were anything but normal circumstances.

“Well… I don’t think we have any other choice,” she muttered, ignoring the fact that every instinct in her body told her to turn around.

“No, I suppose we don’t,” said Jémys. He beckoned for her to follow him as he stepped forward and made his way towards the ship.

They stopped near the edge of the dock and watched the men on deck. They were busy loading crates of cargo and barrels of supplies for the voyage. Now that she was closer, Diyah noticed the figurehead adorning the front of the vessel. It depicted a creature with large fangs and horns on either side of its head. It looked like a cross between an enormous, scaly serpent and a shark, with deep, dark eye holes that seemed to follow her movements.

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