Page 116 of A Flash of Golden Fire

“Well, we might all very well die today, Rooster. And it might not make an ounce of difference if this wound isn’t fatal, because sinking to the bottom surely will be.”

“Mother Mary and Jesus!” Domingo whispered. “Not drowning. I’m too pretty to drown.”

As if on cue, Esmaralda said, “You are a cunt!”

I waved my hand at Domingo and his annoying bird.

“Shush.” I glared at the captain. “What do you mean ‘why don’t I try to call one of mine’?”

“Rooster, the past two times we’ve been in a life or death situation, you’ve called on your powers, and we’ve gotten out of a very sticky spot.”

“But I don’t—” I said. “It’s not—”

“Well, that’s a fucking shame because we could really use that magic right now.”

“For fuck’s sake, Dinesh, I’ve been tryingnotto call a storm! There alreadyisa storm! You want to suffer under the weight of two storms?”

“We neversufferunder yours. Whatever powers you call upon, when you do summon them, we are never harmed. And I’m not sure we’re going to survive this. Whatever magic you possess, what arises isnota natural phenomenon. Andthisnatural phenomenon is trying its bloody best to kill us.”

We stared at each other. I didn’t want to admit that he was right, but he was. There was still one problem.

“I don’t know how, Dinesh,” I said, holding onto the bedpost as he did the same. Even though he lay in the bed, the ship was pitching and rocking so much he could easily roll off. I held my free arm out, palm up. “I can’t justcall uponmy powers as I like.”

“How do you know?” he asked, his eyes entreating me. “Have you tried?”

“Well, no, but…” I covered one ear and bent the other to my shoulder to shut out the shouting from above. Another flash lit the room. The gas lamp swung on its hook and gave the cabin an eerie feel in the darkness as shadows shifted and moved.

The captain lifted his free hand and reached for me, then flinched in pain.

“Please try. I think it’s the only way to survive this.”

Domingo wailed and clutched the bedpost like a lover.

“No, no, no, no, no. I’m notgoing down to the depths of the ocean. I’mnotgoing to die like this!”

“Take it from behind!” Esmaralda ordered, then clucked and chirped, the flutter of her wings against the wood cage a frantic accompaniment.

Fear swirled in my belly as an ember of heat warmed deep inside me. A sensation that had become familiar, but didn’t help me to summon my powers with intention.

“I don’t know how!”

“Think about me dying in some horrible way,” Captain Martin suggested. “And Domingo too.”

“Noooo!” Domingo cried. “I’m too young to die! Don’t let me die!”

Dinesh’s words did what they needed to, as harsh as they had been. The glow of heat and the sharp knife of fear grew and grew.

“And Lahiri and Squid. Hillier and Guthrie. All of us plunging to our deaths.”

The fear and the heat increased, a storm inside of me. I turned my free hand palm up. There was a faint blue glow there, under the skin. I looked at my hand on the bedpost. Blue light shone against the wood.

Dinesh continued, his tone eager. “Thegoats, Simon. Thechickens! All sunk to the bottom of the sea. Elizabeth and Henrietta!”

I stared, horrified, at Dinesh. Then I planted my feet apart for purchase and brought my free hand to the bedpost to grip the polished wood, wrapping both together in seeming prayer as the words of the ancient spell came to my lips:

“Bring me the fire and the flame,

O’er the ocean, in my name.

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