Wielder's Curse by Elle Cardy

Author:Elle Cardy [Cardy, Elle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: adventure fantasy, epic adventure, pirate fantasy, YA Fantasy
Published: 2020-01-25T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

The night was black nothingness broken only by the distant spots of lights from the pursuing ships. The cloud cover was thick and low, and the wind blew from the southeast. The conditions couldn’t have been better for their needs.

Jasmine, Arassi, and Kask extinguished the last of the lanterns on deck while Willem, Hensley, and Stenson extinguished the lights below. The crew was under strict instructions to stay quiet and stay dark.

Once Cagg gave the ready signal, Durne turned the wheel. The ship creaked and swayed, cutting the waves as it headed east. Away from their scheduled destination. Away from well-traveled waters. Away from the safety of the known. Only mad men sailed under-supplied to a dangerously distant shore.

This had to work.

The two pursuing ships had been relentless, pushing their crew day and night to keep up with the Prize. Jasmine suspected they’d follow them to their watery grave. She could still feel their burning hatred across the waters. On top of the gold the Guardians were paying them, her very Kahld-like trick had ensured their desire to catch their prey. Revenge was a strong motivator. There would be no escape unless her captain did something radical. Something perilous.

From the crow’s nest, Jasmine chewed on her bottom lip as she studied the black sky. The moon wouldn’t rise for another two hours. They’d been waiting for a night like this one. The clouds needed to stay thick.

With a wink, a single star poked through before the clouds swallowed it. She muttered a curse under her breath. Another gap like that had the potential to give away their cover.

At least Durne’s able control kept the Prize sailing at a good speed. There was no need to add wind to the sails. Marcelo had called her a beacon with her magic enough times to ensure she’d started to listen. No sense giving the pursuing wielders a trail to follow.

When her watch ended, Kask took her place in the crow’s nest. There was nothing more to do but wait and hope. She had no desire to go below. The open air where she could smell the sea was where she felt most comfortable, so she remained on deck. Durne’s dark form stood at the helm. She imagined him glaring out to sea, his jaw set.

A shadow shifted near the bow of the ship. It wasn’t the right shape to be one of the crew. Jasmine padded up the ladder to the forecastle. The figure was short.

“Gley?” Jasmine whispered.

The shadow moved. “Just needing fresh air,” the girl murmured.

“Shouldn’t you be watching Finn in case Philips sleepwalks again?” While the sailor wasn’t over his malady, he had slept soundly that day and had started to show improvement. He’d even gone to the mess hall for his supper. But this didn’t mean Finn was safe. The Beast had caught a whiff of its prey and wasn’t about to give up.

“I can watch Finn from here, as can you.”

She was right. Jasmine could. And the magic she needed for this was so minimal, it was undetectable.

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