Page 16 of Trapped By Claws
He hissed, pushing her away.
The ship tilted as he did, the books and papers sliding against the ledges of the table. Mama lurched back. Corvin held his ground, glaring at her. She collapsed on the other side of the room as the scrolls rolled out and the books slid away. A pained cry escaped her lips. Had he shoved her?
I sprang forward, slamming the door open. "Don't touch my mother!" My fists clenched.
Reaching the table, I seized the silver precision pencil compass and lifted it like a dagger.
He spun to face me. No alarm rose in his eyes. No concern either. Only delight. The hint of a smile flashed before vanishing into the carved marble of his features.
"Ahh, the stew cook. Come to threaten me with a spoon again, clever girl? Or…a compass, I suppose," he sneered. Yet as he spoke, there was more a note of play than there had been before.
I kept my grip on the pencil compass tight, the silver point glinting in the low lamplight.
"Don't touch him, Philomena," Captain Hosvir called out, his voice rough and low. He knelt beside Mama, his arms around her and holding her close as if she were a wounded bird. "He is one of the enforcers of the King of the North Sea. He cannot be touched unless he initiates it or harms someone here."
"And I have harmed no one here." Corvin spread his arms in a mocking bow, his attention focused wholly on me. "I can see now why you were so anxious to get back to this ship. Obviously you share your mother's focus and her determination to save heronedaughter."
"Do you know this man?" Mama looked at me with wide, weepy eyes. She tried to stand.
Captain Hosvir's thick grey eyebrows lifted as well, but he returned his attention to Mama, helping her to her feet and checking her for injuries.
I lifted my chin, the compass still gripped in my hand. "Enforcer or not, hurt anyone in my family, and I will hurt you back."
Corvin tilted his head, his gaze narrowing. "You say that as if you've put your words to the test. Intriguing. Maybe you have your own teeth and claws, darling." He smirked as he glanced from me back to Mama. "You must take after your father."
"Why are you here?" I demanded.
"To deliver a message. Which I have done. You have all been warned. Beware of the boundary line and abide by our laws." He tipped his head and strode away. His cloak swirled out behind him with a dramatic snap.
I set the pencil compass down on the table next to the little book Mama had been working on. My fingers ached from gripping it so tight. "How can a boundary line shift?"
Mama burst into sobs, her whole body shaking. "The island may be our only hope for finding Erryn in time. We have to do something! We have to. I know my translations are correct. If we can access the island and reach the staircase there, I can test it. We might not even have to continue sailing. We can look through all of the staircases and see if there are any signs. It could fix everything!"
Captain Hosvir kept his arm around her. He gave her shoulder a gentle pat. "It'll be all right. We'll find another way, dove. There's never only one way to do anything, hmm?"
Mama shook her head, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she couldn't even stand up straight. "We can't afford any delays! It's been too long already. Every second counts!"
My mouth pinched. As angry as I got with Mama, I hated seeing her cry. She couldn't be reasoned with when she was like this. "We'll figure something out." I spun on my heel and chased after Corvin.
Corvin's footsteps rang in my mind. They were heavy and strong, half the pace of the beat of my heart.
I turned the corner and spotted him striding away.
"You're just going to leave?" I spat the words out like rotted food. "You threaten us, almost hit my mother, and then decide to leave?"
Corvin turned to face me, eyes blazing and hungry once more as his gaze ran over me. The smirk had turned cruel. "I did notstrike your mother. She tried to grab me. I pushed her off. The ship took care of the rest. But that's not why you came chasing after me, is it?" His eyes hooded. "There's something you want from me."
My breath caught in my throat. Thank the Creator for those infernal stripes and vibrant colors or else I'd have been completely lost in his presence. I lifted my chin. "Listen, I don't know much about what lies in these waters. But, besides the oracle, apparently there's an island my mother wants to visit. She says it will help us find my sister. Maybe we'll find some sort of closure. I'm not asking it as a favor. We'd be more than willing to pay. Just name the price."
"There is no price," he responded.
"Fine." I swallowed hard. My voice trembled. "Then I'm asking a favor. Of you. Please."
His eyebrow arched. "Well…now, that is tempting." He turned to face me fully and stepped toward me.
Heart racing, I backed up. "So can you do it?" My breaths quickened. "Can you get us permission to be on the island without risk?"
"That's not a favor within my power to grant. The king has never granted anyone such a favor since he was imprisoned in the North Sea. It's a matter of principle. Or spite."
