Page 8 of A Curse of Salt

‘I leave at first light,’ Father said.

I nodded, stepping back and wiping my cheeks. ‘Then you should rest,’ I told him, retreating slowly. ‘I’ll be here when you wake.’

The lie sat heavy in my throat as I left the room and descended the stairs, knowing what I had to do.

I’d find out exactly what these monsters wanted with my sister. Her blood was my blood, too. How would they know the difference?

Rain lashed against the cottage windows, muffling the sound of my footsteps as I entered the dark kitchen. I grabbed a knitted shawl from the hook on the wall, draping it around my shoulders, and slipped an apple into my dress pocket. I’d find everything else I needed on the ship.

‘What are you doing?’

Aberdeen stood silhouetted in the doorway, moonlight glancing off her sea-glass eyes.

My stomach sank. ‘I thought you were asleep.’

She rounded the counter slowly, eyeing my laced-up boots, the bulge in my pocket. My heart fluttered, seeing the same question that was buzzing through my mind reflected in her gaze.

What was I doing?

‘Will you tell me the truth?’ I ventured, knowing there was no use lying. She’d see through me, like always.

Aberdeen’s thick brows inched upwards. ‘About what?’

I suppressed a growl of irritation. ‘You know what.’

‘There’s nothing to tell,’ she said shortly.

‘So you’d just let him leave?’ I spluttered. ‘We can’t hide from the winter, Aberdeen. How do you expect us to survive?’

‘What else can we do?’

My gaze darted to the window. A few hours yet until first light. Enough time for me to –

‘No.’

I glanced back at my sister. Her hair danced like ink, eyes shining in the silver-blue light. I’d never seen her look so ethereal, so vivid.

‘This isn’t some story from your books, Aurelia. This is our lives you’re playing with.’

‘I’m not playing,’ I snapped. ‘I’m trying to protect us.’

‘Those pirates will kill you,’ Aberdeen said. ‘If the monsters of the deep don’t get to you first. What makes you think you’ll get anywhere alone?’

Monsters or not, I’d rather face death on the water than let it stalk my family here. ‘I have to try.’

Aberdeen reached out, hesitating for a moment before she laid a hand on my arm. I stared down at her slender brown fingers, firm on my sleeve.

‘You’re just a girl. I know you think you can save us, but you’ll never survive the beasts beyond the bay, human or otherwise. And what then – what if you’re dead and the pirates come looking?’

I glanced away, my eyes burning. How many different ways could she call me weak?

‘Stay,’ my sister said, almost pleading. Almost. ‘Wait until tomorrow. We can work this out, find a way to save them both.’ Aberdeen held my gaze, blue eyes piercing, seeing into me like glass.

‘Just tell me why,’ I countered, wishing I could see into her, for once. See something. ‘Tell me what they want with Felicie. Or why you’re keeping it from me, at least.’

It was futile, I knew; we were as stubborn as each other. Our stand-offs could last hours, even days. But we didn’t have the luxury of time any more.

Aberdeen knew as well as I did that we’d get nowhere like this. She shook her head, jaw set as she retreated for the door.

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