Page 45 of The Sky Pirate's Stowaway
Should I go back? Or should I explore more?
Or… Or should I take this opportunity and make a run for it?
What did I have onThe Black Wraiththat I couldn’t have somewhere else? Maybe I could join a different crew and not have to worry about the captain getting pissed at me one day and chucking me overboard.
Reaper’s face flashed across my mind’s eye, and I winced as I headed for the ship. I… didn’t want to leave him here. But I also didn’t like Viper. In fact, I was convinced that the captain wasgoing to wake up one day in a bad mood and decide to make me monster bait just for the hell of it.
And I wasn’t sure Reaper would or could save me if that happened.
“Holy monster balls,” I muttered as I stepped over something steaming in the cool night air, something that looked like goo, something I didn’t want to know anything about because it smelled rancid.
Phoenix tails, this place is gross.
Before I could do anything, I really needed to release some of my pent-up energy. There were way too many people around to chance it here, so I headed deeper into the city where there were less people out and about. It took me at least an hour to find an empty alley that felt safe.
Er, well, safeenough, anyway.
With one more glance around, I listened for any sign of company, but I didn’t hear anything.
So I knelt down and placed my palms on the stone ground, then I closed my eyes and let my magic run down my arms and out my fingertips. The power that lived inside of me left in an exhale of breath, quickly filling the ground beneath my knees with energy. I pushed and pushed and pushed, and still, more magic discharged from my hands, the ground below me glowing a soft blue and warming to the touch.
I lost track of time as I let my power unleash for the first time since before I ever set foot on a pirate ship, and it felt good. It was freeing and wonderful and made a big grin spread across my face.
I pushed until I had nothing left, and then I fell back onto my rump, breathing heavily as I wiped sweat from my brow, staring at the softly glowing rock below me. The rocks here were large enough that it would dissipate soon, and even if it didn’t, I wasn’t planning on sticking around.
I’d never needed to release my magic that way before—I’d always used it every day to charge fluxstones for my family and neighbors so it’d never built up like that—but I had to admit it felt… liberating.
Too bad I couldn’t do that on the regular without being found out.
That thought wiped the smile right off my face, and I glanced around, searching for witnesses. I needed to get out of here before someone noticed the energy in the ground and went searching for a fluxweaver.
Shaking my body out, I got to my feet, pulled a couple of loose rocks off the ground, and pocketed them—I always liked to have rocks on hand, just in case I needed to weaponize them the way I had with the king’s guard. Then I oriented myself and turned in the direction of the ship.
My magic had that one glorious moment of freedom, and maybe the rest of me could have something like that too. Maybe I didn’t need to be bossed around and thrown grunt work left and right. Maybe I could find something better, something safer.
Again, Reaper’s face flashed in my mind’s eye, and I cringed. I really didn’t want to leave him. I wanted to keep getting to know the man, but I also wanted to feel safe, and with Viper in charge, that would be impossible.
After witnessing the whipping Willy received, I was even more wary of the pirate captain. That had been one of the most awful things I’d ever seen in my entire life, and I was praying I didn’t have to witness a repeat. Or hellfire, have that done to me.
I shuddered at the memory, then shuddered again when I thought about it happening to me.
Quickly, I made my way through the streets and up the tall steps to the ship, ignoring every single person I came across whether they were yelling at me, trying to get into my pants, ortrying to pickpocket me. I didn’t stop for any of them because I didn’t want to get into a fight.
I’d drawn enough blood since joining the pirates. I didn’t want to hurt anyone else, even if they were trying to steal from me—not that I even had anything on my person to begin with aside from my weapons. Maybe if I found another ship, I could barter a deal so I wouldn’t have to fight.
When I reachedThe Black Wraith, I sighed in relief.
No one else was here from the sounds of it, so I boarded and headed for the lower deck where I slept. I had a blanket and a few other small things I wanted to take with me.
Reaper’s face flashed in my mind’s eye, and I grimaced again. I… really didn’t want to leave him. I really, really didn’t.
But shouldn’t I try harder to get to the Asteris Kingdom and set up Kayla and Cody in the capital? Shouldn’t getting there faster and much safer—anywhere was safer if it was away from Viper—be my priority?
The soft expression Reaper had given me just last night when I was talking about my sister and nephew flashed in my mind again, and I paused. Should I go? Would boarding another ship be worth leaving Reaper?
And not just him, but the others I’d befriended on the ship too?
Was this a huge mistake?
