Page 6 of Beasts of Briar
Her voice rose three octaves when she said those last words.
I glanced behind me at my seven swans, all of them standing in a row, looking unbothered by Mary’s tirade. It had been a long journey with them. Not easy to travel across the frost court with seven swans, keep them from running off or getting eaten or freezing to death. But we’d made it this far, and we’d get to Sorrengard yet. If Mary didn’t stand in our way.
“Captain.” She lowered her voice, darting glances at me. “We cannot go near the shadow court. That’s certain death.”
Poor Mary. She didn’t understand that she was fighting a losing battle. I’d been in Matthew’s head all night. I’d been in his dreams, weaving stories of a woman who needed a hero.Matthew would be that hero. It was in his mind now. He wouldn’t stray from the path I’d planted there.
“My mind is made up, Mary,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
Mary stomped her foot, her frizzy red hair jolting with the movement. “What is wrong with you?”
He nodded toward me. I lifted the red skirt of my dress and gestured for the swans to follow, then stepped onto the plank that stretched upward toward the main deck. The swans waddled behind me, the crew staring at us with equal mixtures of horror and fascination. My hammering heart slowed as I stepped foot onto the main deck, and the seven swans followed.
Jorah.
Klaus.
Killian.
Ryder.
Phoenix.
Marcello.
Solomon.
Each one now safe with me on the ship. One step closer to getting to Sorrengard and breaking this curse placed over my brothers.
Matthew stood as stoic as ever, his mustache not even twitching a bit atop his lip. It would be a long journey from Fyriad to Sorrengard. Weeks at sea. And I’d have to continue infiltrating his dreams every night, keeping him steadfast in his decision to allow me and my swans on board, to take us to Sorrengard. The crew wouldn’t like it. But maybe if I pulled my weight enough, Matthew wouldn’t have to be the only one to convince them. Maybe they’d learn to respect me enough that they’d stand by his decision. Not mutiny and throw him off the boat. I could infiltrate all their dreams. Though that would take more of my strength, and I needed my strength to survive thisjourney, to keep my swans alive. Just a little longer so that I could fix this horrible, horrible mess.
Mary continued to whisper furiously to Matthew, her frizzy red hair swaying as she threw out her arms in what I hoped would be her final impassioned plea to the captain. I huffed and crossed my arms. This was getting tiresome. I should’ve used my magic to go into her dreams last night, too. Shouldn’t have just focused all my efforts on Matthew, though it was paying off. One of the crew members sidled near, reaching out a finger toward Ryder. He snapped at the crew member, who jumped nearly a foot in the air.
I shot him a sickly sweet smile as the other crew members guffawed behind him.
My swans ruffled their feathers, and I signed,“Where are we to sleep?”
All the crew members shot each other unsure looks, and I pressed my hands together, miming sleep. One of the merchants stepped forward, the same one who had tried to pet Ryder. He only came up to my shoulders, his bald head gleaming, arms covered in tattoos. “You’ll sleep belowdecks with the rest of the crew. I guess your birds can stay down there as well.”
At least that was settled. The crew glared at me with suspicion in their eyes.
“I’m Arno,” the bald man said.
I nodded, not knowing how to tell him my own name.
Matthew strode up the plank and onto the ship, eyes still with that glazed-over look. That was the downside of infiltrating one’s dreams so heavily like I did last night: it tended to give one a drugged effect.
“Cap.” Arno scratched his head. “Is it true we’re going to the shadow court?”
“Yes.” Matthew gave a firm shake of his head. “You don’t like it, you don’t gotta follow.” He gestured to the blustery, frozen expanse around us. “Welcome to get off here.”
Everyone shuddered. No one would want to be stuck in this small Fyriad town on the edge of the continent.
I stepped forward and grabbed a broom. Everyone’s eyes swung to me as I mimed sweeping. Then I walked to a bucket with a rag and got down on my knees to scrub.
“Well, at least she’ll be useful,” someone muttered, and other agreements rang out.
“Well, what are you all waiting for?” Matthew planted his hands on his hips as he looked at his crew. “Hoist the colors. Let’s get the bloody hell out of this frozen wasteland.”
