Page 6 of Light Up the Night

“See that you time it right.” His voice stretched military style over the masses, contradicting all the gesturing. “Let’s try not to sink both slave ships. Mind, they can’t empty like a normal vessel. Its passengers are chained and heavily—” He stopped talking and turned toward Chalice with a nod.

“Fire!” she bellowed to the men in front of her.

Cannons timed one after another exploded in relay fashion down the length of our ship.

Nausea raced a deep breath until I was dry heaving and clinging to the rail of the steps. A boom rang out, much quieter than the others. I hit the ground and put both hands over my head just in time to avoid the cannonball that demolished the Captain’s quarters.

The impact of it almost toppled the boat on its side. Water sloshed over the deck, taking two or three crewmen overboard with it when we were fortunate enough to end up righted again.

The war ship, on the other hand, was now standing on its nose.

White flags immediately shimmied toward the lookouts of either slave ship. My heart hammered in my chest, and I struggled for each breath I took while Pariah cheered and danced around the deck.

“I guess we just tripled our navy.” Messiah smiled, clapping me on the back.

Chalice

I’d never been so bold or daring, but I knew when I stood at the head of that navy, it was now or never. We were going to war with that ship. There were no two ways about it. The Soiled Sea didn’t have a naval force; it was ruled by piracy alone. The only choice was to strike or be struck. My heart thundered louder than the cannons, and the rush of it all left me oblivious to the near-death hit we took. All I could see was the victory before me until I noticed Keif squatting near the stairs to nowhere. They were all that remained of the Captain’s quarters.

“Is he quite alright?” a young crewman asked while Keif continued to dry heave.

“His first battle,” Pariah purred condescendingly before sauntering toward Keif. He reached from almost behind him and delicately crowed, “Does His Ladyship need a hand?”

Keif’s elbow flew toward Pariah’s gut so fast he didn’t have a chance to block it. It instantly doubled him to the deck where Keif promptly placed a hand on the back of Pariah’s head and used it to propel himself to his feet.

Messiah coughed awkwardly a few times, but it didn’t hide his laughter or the triumphant smile he turned toward the Sea.

“I want them boats boarded and accounted for. The passengers freed,” he ordered over his shoulder.

Many of the men used their shirts as masks when we drew close to the slave ships. They were unfamiliar with the overwhelming stench of death that permeated the wood and everything around it.

It had been bad enough with the Dark Jewel; now there were two ships. Twice the sickness, twice the filth, and yes, there were even a few carcasses chained in the bottom.

“Only those like Atticus could stomach treating another human being this way,” I spat, walking down the many rows of wasting people. “How many in total?”

I’d lost track once I hit the belly and was smacked with the reality of what Ender and Messiah spared me from when we commandeered the Dark Jewel. It appeared only the sturdier of the men and pregnant women were being fed. The rest were lucky if they could roll on their shelf-like beds. I spent the trip to the Forest Wilds tending bed sores and helping some to work out stiff and locked muscles.

“They’ve lain in those odd angles for so long, their limbs no longer stretch out,” I explained to Keif with a sigh. He was of little help with the wounds, his hands were so large and clumsy, but he followed directions well enough and seemed to be providing some relief with his rubbing and kneading.

“You sure you don’t want to send some of those women down?” I asked when I saw him glance around the room with a bit of uncertainty.

“I can’t stomach the movement right now. Not after that...overboard.” He shook his head and moved his brows a bit. “At least down here I can sit and focus my mind on something besides dying.”

I snorted, and it turned into a tiny fit of laughter.

“What?” he asked, eager to share the joke.

“Nothing. I’m sorry.” The more I tried to dismiss it, the worse my cheeks ached from concealing the smile.

“What, tell me?” he pressed, laying the child’s leg down and taking up the other.

“It’s just… your face,” I recalled, struggling to conceal my humor. Men and their egos—one never knew how it would turn out. He wasn’t a Krypt. Didn’t seem to have a devious bone in his body… but I had learned well that people didn’t always hold the same temperament behind Villa doors.

Much to my surprise, he laughed and sheepishly smiled. “Maybe we could just keep that between ourselves…”

“Right. Us and the seventy crewmen that were fawning over you,” I teased, using my shoulder to brush a few strands of hair off my face.

We began to move down the line, but before I could pass, the child reached out his long skinny arm and grabbed my fingers. His innocent eyes were framed by a face that was haggard and stressed, but the smile he slowly offered was nothing short of gold.

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