Page 79 of Ship of Shadows
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Fucking fuck fuck,” Driscoll said, kicking the mast. “Ow!” He hopped on one leg. “Damnit!”
“How’s it going, Driscoll?” I said from where I sat on the small boat Liliath had loaned us for our journey.
Leoni smirked.
“How’s it going, Driscoll?” he mimicked as he yanked at the rope that ran up the length of the mast and connected to the sails. “Not well. You know, you two could offer to help.”
“We did,” I pointed out.
“Several times,” Leoni said. “And you told us that you could handle it.”
Driscoll grumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “pain in my ass.”
The boat was much, much smaller than Bastian’s ship, but with only three of us, it was all we could handle. We’d been on the boat for three days now and were close to Porth, where we hoped to dock and get information about the Lost Boys. I had no idea where they’d gone, and it was almost impossible to track them. So we’d had to rely on good old-fashioned maps. Driscoll finally managed to get the sails fully open, and now theybillowed in the wind while Leoni managed the tiller, steering us as I searched the map.
Driscoll dropped down and opened one of the books we’d brought with us about the shadow court.
“We should be close to Porth.” My finger traced along our route on the map. “We’ll keep our ears open for any recent pirate sightings, and we’ll discreetly ask those who come in contact with the most people.” I ticked off my fingers. “Barmaids, innkeepers, dock workers. Someone will have had to heard of something.”
“I hope so,” Leoni said, looking down at the battered boat, wood splintering and peeling. “Because this little vessel is only going to take us so far, and we’ve been extremely lucky with mild weather. If a storm hits, we’re done for.”
“Shh.” Driscoll looked up from his book. “Are you trying to tempt the spirits?”
“I’m being practical,” Leoni said and pinned her gaze on me. “And once we do find Bastian, if you can’t get him to open up and finally tell you the truth, then we’re done with him for good.”
My gaze strayed out to the calm sea, nothing but sapphire blue surrounding us. She was right, even if it was hard to hear. I couldn’t keep chasing after Bastian, trying to force him to open up. I was coming into this armed with new information, but if he still wouldn’t let me in, then that would be my answer that I needed to let him go. For good. I hoped I could get through to him now that I strongly suspected he and his crew didn’t have their shadows, were bound to the shadow court in some way that I didn’t understand.
“You know,” Driscoll said, book open in his lap, “this isn’t actually so bad. The open sea, the feel of the wind in my hair, the adventure of it all. I think I’m starting to like this.”
“Really?” I asked. “Because just moments ago, you were cursing loud enough for all of Arathia to hear.”
“I’m not letting you dampen my mood.” Driscoll’s gaze dropped to the book. “I am powerful. I am adventurous. Hear me roar?—”
Leoni splashed him with water.
Driscoll stuck out his tongue at her and continued reading his book. “Hey, check this out. Did you know that a person is bound wherever their shadow gets taken from?”
I straightened. I hadn’t known that. I’d thought everyone was stuck in the shadow court if their shadows got taken. This made even more sense, though. Bastian and his crew clearly weren’t stuck in the shadow court.
Driscoll frowned. “And did you two know the pixies were created by the Seven Spirits to be their servants?” He kept reading. “The spirits used them for errands, to carry out punishments, to hand out gifts, to summon the people of the Old World to them. They even gave the pixies their dust so they could use magic if needed.” He kept reading. “The pixies can use their dust for anything they wish.” He glanced up at us. “Can you imagine? Just being able to do anything with your magic, not being limited to our elements?” He glanced back down, frowning. “But every time they use their dust, it takes years off their life. That was the price the spirits put on their magic. Wow. Mind. Blown.”
Leoni wrinkled her nose. “I definitely knew all of that. Did you not pay any attention in your schooling?”
Driscoll snapped the book shut. “No. Who pays attention in school?”
Leoni nearly fainted at that.
Booms filled the air in the distance, sounds of yelling and clanging ringing out.
I frowned. “What is that?” I studied the map in my lap. “Are we closer to Porth than I realized?”
“If we are, something is going down, and I’m not sure I want to be part of it.” Leoni arched her neck, and a gust of wind blew some of her gold-red hair from her bun.
“I vote we turn around,” Driscoll said.
“What happened to ‘hear me roar’?” Leoni asked.
