He stared at her in wonder. “I had no idea Witches could do that.”
“You’d be surprised what I can do.” But then she winced as she remembered the pain and shook her head. “Creating an Ioa potion takes years of painstaking perfection. It’s extremely rare. Luckily, Pogg had a good idea of where to look. The transformation itself is …” She shivered. “I would’ve never tried if Pogg hadn’t told me of the sea creatures’ hatred of Espen. I figured becoming a seal might prove useful.”
Joshen shook his head. “It’s a good thing Espen never thought to ask the animals. They might have accidentally led her to Haven. You’d be one of her prisoners by now.”
Senna blinked rapidly. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Joshen grunted. “So, could you change yourself into a whale and pull the ship through all this?”
Senna managed a laugh. “No, I can only change into something roughly the same size and weight as me. It has to be a mammal—fish are just too different. And it never lasts very long.”
“No birds, then?”
Senna carefully gathered the blanket over her shoulders to spare him having to see her skin and sat up slowly. “No. I’m afraid not.”
“So, what’d the sea creatures say, Senna?”
She walked to the large window that looked over the water. “Southeast, for now. Let her blind us in her fog. I’ll sing us a wind and let the fish be our eyes.”
16. TASTE OF BLOOD
The turtle kept its word. Sea creatures flocked to Senna. She hovered in the water, listening to their tales. Dolphins, seals, porpoises, whales. Mammals seemed to have an affinity for her … more tolerance, or perhaps they were more intelligent than fish.
She’d heard nothing of land or other ships for days, so she was surprised when they mentioned another ship coming behind the Sea Witch. She hadn’t been in the water long, so she decided to work her way in that direction. She moved at top speed, breaking the surface of the water as she plunged forward.
Joshen called after her, asking where she was going. But it wasn’t like she could answer him anyway. She caught sight of the ship turning to follow her a moment before the fog swallowed it.
She hurried, not wanting to turn back to a human in the frigid waters. When she surfaced for breath, the fog was so thick she wanted to reach out and pull the film from the air. The sound of crashing waves startled her. She turned. A great hulking shape loomed out of the fog. It was coming straight at her.
Her heart pumping, she dove. The bow barely missed her. With groans and creaks, the ship passed overhead. She surfaced at the ship’s side.
“Cap’n! Look, a seal!”
An unfamiliar man peered down at her. “Are we close to land?”
“No, sir. None we know of.”
The ship was big, though not as large as Parknel’s—but that only meant it moved faster. In gold, the words Gallant Green stood out against black and green paint. The cannon ports caught her eye, as did the heavy sails. It must have tacked onto the wind Senna had sung into existence.
The Captain pressed his lips together. “Hmm. Well, one doesn’t usually see them this far out, but it isn’t unheard of. Still, double the watch. I’d hate to smash against an uncharted island.” Senna took a deep breath and allowed her nose flaps to close, convinced there was nothing more for her to learn.
But then a familiar voice growled, “I hate seals.”
She jerked back just in time to see Wardof level a musket. She dove, her tail pumping madly. Searing pain ripped through her flipper. Less than a heartbeat later, she heard the gun’s rapport. It was all she could do to keep her nose flaps closed as her whole body convulsed. With a whimper, she studied her injury. Dark blood gushed from the wound. She could taste it in the water.
Her seal senses screamed danger, overriding her ability to suppress them. Senna swam fast for the safety of her ship. But the harder she pushed herself, the more blood she lost. She grew weaker and worse, the water started to feel cold. She broke the surface and took deep, gulping breaths. Some instinct warned she needed to dive deep. But did she have time before she changed back into a human?
The instinct grew stronger, demanding she dive. Frantically, she searched for the ship, but it was nowhere in sight. She finally gave in, wasting precious moments as she worked her way deeper and deeper. It was so dark she had to rely on her keen sense of smell as she skimmed the bottom of the ocean. Then she saw why her instinct had commanded her to dive. A shark. Weaving back and forth above her as it searched for the source of the blood. Her blood. Lipless, its teeth—made for gripping and tearing—were constantly bared. Her natural enemy.
Senna put on a burst of speed she didn’t know she had left. Somehow, she was safe below the shark. But she couldn’t stay here much longer. And even as a seal, she couldn’t hold her breath forever. Already, she could feel her skin tingling. She’d begin changing in moments.
If she stayed any longer, she’d die. Surging forward, she pushed for every ounce of speed she had. Her skin shivered. From the corner of her eye, she saw the shark dart at her. Her flippers turned into hands. She prayed to the Creators her tail would stay a few moments more.
Her fur shrank and her tail split into legs. Her speed floundered before she burst above the water. “Shark!” she screamed as she swam for the rungs on the ship. Chaos erupted above her, in the midst of which she heard Bruke barking wildly. A figure landed with a splash beside her. Joshen’s head bobbed up. He lunged for her. Wrapping her in his arms, he squeezed so hard she couldn’t breathe. “Pull!” he shouted
Senna felt her body jerk. She looked down. Water droplets fell on the shark’s dorsal fin. They stopped moving for a moment. The shark twisted sideways. Inside its black eyes, its pupil shrank to nothing as it focused on her. She nearly screamed. With a jolt, the rope heaved again.
She found herself sprawled across the deck, Joshen covering her body with his own. “Give me the blanket!” She hadn’t realized, hadn’t cared, that she was naked until that moment. “Turn around!” He hadn’t really even needed to say it. The men had already turned their backs.
Keeping his eyes locked on hers, Joshen lifted himself up and covered her with the blanket. “You alright?” Senna wasn’t strong enough to answer. He scooped her into his arms and dashed for the Captain’s cabin. He laid her on the bed and began rubbing her hands between his. “You’re freezing.”
She was cold. So cold. And too tired to respond. But when he tried to tuck the blanket around her, pain shot from her arm. A yelp escaped her lips. “Senna?” He pulled his hand away. It was stained crimson. Carefully, he peeled back the blood-soaked blanket. “Senna! What happened?”
Only then did she remember why she had gone back in the first place. “Wardof. Behind us.” It was all she could say before she passed into oblivion.
Pain kept pulling Senna away from unconsciousness. Like when Joshen poured a strong-smelling liquid over her wound and scrubbed it. The moment he stopped, she passed out. And then she started as a needle pierced her sore skin. She tried to squirm away, but strong arms held her down. She recognized Parknel’s solid voice, “Steady, girl. Steady.”
She felt the thread inside her, tugging. The thought popped into her head that she knew what it felt like to be a quilt. “Just a few more Senna and he’ll be done,” Joshen’s voice came from somewhere above.
Resigned that no one and nothing would help her, she gritted her teeth and endured it. When they were finally done, she felt as though her arm had been pounded flat by a mallet. She wanted to sleep, but it simply hurt too much. With a moan, she tossed, sending sharp stings and a deep ache radiating outward. Teeth gritted, her eyes fluttered open.
Joshen looked down at her. Someone was moving behind him. Probably Parknel. Joshen grasped her hand. “How bad?”
Tears spilled from her eyes, pooling in her ears. “Pretty bad.”
Joshen smoothed back her hair. “Here, drink this.”
She smelled it as it touched h
er lips and tried to pull away. She’d seen alcohol turn men into monsters.
“Come on, it’ll help.”
She didn’t have much of a choice as the liquid burned her throat. A heartbeat later, it warmed her belly. She coughed and lay back. Bitterness flooded her mouth. They’d laced it with something stronger than alcohol. He coaxed a few more swallows into her. She lay with her jaw clenched. After an immeasurable length of time, the pain eased. Her body relaxed.
“Better?” he asked. She nodded. “Tell me what you saw.”
Senna couldn’t clear the horrible taste from her mouth. “Could I have some water?” she croaked.
Joshen poured her a glass and propped her up as she sipped. She lay back against the bed. “Wardof has another ship and he’s not far behind. He shot me.”
“That dung-licker!” He punched the mattress.
“He knew who you were?” Parknel asked incredulously.
Senna shook her head. “No. He said he hated seals and fired.”
Parknel cleared his throat. “He hates anything that gets the best of him. A seal took a bite out of him once.”
The two men exchanged glances, but she hurt too much to care how or what Parknel knew about Wardof.
Joshen pressed his lips into a tight line. “He must have a pretty fast ship to catch up with us.”
Parknel nodded. “The question is, when will he catch us?”
Senna gestured weakly to her bags. “Bring them to me.”
Joshen did. Using her good arm, she went through the contents, pulling out seeds and a small, lidded pot. She opened the lid to reveal rich, brown Earth from Haven. She dragged her finger along the surface. She sprinkled the seeds and covered them. “Give them a little water.” Joshen poured some water into the pot. She cleared her throat and sang in a shaky, weak voice.
Take in light, take in air,
Spread thy roots, thy leaves grow fair.
Shoots appeared. Within moments, full-grown herbs spread their leaves. “Take all the leaves, leave the flowers,” she said.
When Joshen had finished, Senna sang again and the plants aged. “Catch the seeds.”
Joshen held out his hand as dried out seeds dropped onto his palm. He looked at her in wonder.
“Told you there were lots of things I could do,” she managed. “Please, replace the seeds in my belt. Use the tabber for a tea. The itnot leaves are meant to drape whole over my wound, under the bandage.”
Joshen did as he was told. Not long after Senna had drunk the tea, she felt the pain ebb further.
Joshen brushed the hair away from her face. “Rest now. I’ll figure out what to do about Wardof.”
17. SERVANTS OF THE DARK WITCH
Two days passed before Joshen would allow Senna to leave her cabin. Her injured arm strapped to her side, Senna leaned over the ship’s weathered side and strained to see through the vapor. She couldn’t make out Wardof’s ship, but she knew it was there. And coming closer. Parknel leaned in next to her and the two listened for the sounds of waves breaking against the other vessel’s hull. But she heard nothing.
“Cannons are loaded.”
Senna looked at him askance before turning back to her vigil. “I’m sorry for the danger I’ve placed you in.”
“Bah.” Parknel spit tobacco juice in the water. “Sea’s been listin’ for years ’cause a Espen’s interference. ’Bout time she got her comeuppance. I’m just glad to help deliver it.” He placed a reassuring hand on her good arm and moved on.
She shook her head, amazed the Captain thought of her in any way equal to Espen’s comeuppance. “Captain,” she called. He turned. “All the same, thank you.” He couldn’t understand how much his acceptance meant to her.
He nodded again and trotted down the stairs to the main deck. Senna turned back to her vigil, not daring to move as the minutes coalesced into hours. She thought she heard something beyond the sounds of their own ship. Singing soft and low, she teased the wind into thinning the fog. Her blood turned cold in her veins. The faint outline of a ship. Even as her voice cut off, the fog swallowed it. She turned and ran, remembering Wardof’s handsome, hate-filled eyes. He was perfectly capable of killing her.
Her arm throbbing in time to her heartbeat, she gripped Joshen’s arm, but her mouth couldn’t form the words.
He took one look at her face and then peered into the fog behind them. “Are they coming?”
She managed an emphatic nod.
His eyes darkened dangerously. “We almost made it.”
In a fierce whisper, Parknel ordered the men to their battle stations.
Joshen hefted his weapon and looked down at her. “Get below decks.”
“Joshen, I won’t hide while you fight.”
He gently grasped her shoulder. “Unless you can sing kelp to sink their ship, your songs aren’t going to help us much. We need you to grow your plants for the wounded.”
“Wounded …” Senna’s face paled. Heavy tears started to roll down her face. “They can’t do this! Not for me!”
Joshen cast a look around before pushing her into the cabin. He slammed the door behind him before rounding on her. “This is about more than just you, Senna! This is about the right to protect their way of life. You happen to be the answer these men have been waiting for and I’ll not have you shouting how unworthy you are!”
Bruke jumped easily onto the bed, obviously convinced Joshen wasn’t a threat.
Senna wasn’t so sure. “Joshen, they could be hurt. You could be hurt.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “In all the world, you’re the only friend I have.” She lifted her face to his. “I can’t lose you.”
Careful of her arm, he wrapped her in a warm embrace, the first one she’d had since her mother left. She cried harder, wetting his shoulder with her tears. Joshen didn’t move. Didn’t ask her not to. “I won’t promise you I won’t be hurt—that’s a promise no one can keep. But I can promise I’ll be careful.”
Senna wiped her cheeks with her hand. “Promise?”
“Promise,” he replied. A stealthy grin spread across his face. “Besides, there’s always Parknel and Bruke.”
Senna laughed despite herself. “And Pogg!”
“In a pinch, you could probably count on Lery.”
Senna swiped the last of the tears from her cheeks.
The lines around Joshen’s eyes softened. “See, you’re not as alone as you thought you were.” He brushed the crook of his finger gently across her cheek before pressing his lips to her forehead. Senna’s chest ached. “Go take care of your plants.” He took a step back and then was gone.
Senna grabbed her seed belt and some soil and disappeared below decks. Finding a fairly empty corner, she laid out her pots and spread numerous seeds across the top. She sang them into full maturity and then her work was done. In all that time, it had been deathly silent. She couldn’t stand it. “Come on, Bruke. Let’s go see what’s going on.”
Easing back above decks, Senna made her way to Joshen’s side. He shot her a disapproving look, but made no move to force her down. Yet.
Parknel stared at the other ship’s outline. “Wardof is sure to recognize me and Joshen.” He turned to Lery. “You just got promoted.”
Joshen leaned into Senna and spoke low, “We’re going to try talking this through. Make sure they aren’t merchants proving passage instead of paid mercenaries before we blow them to bits. One word from me and you disappear below decks. Agreed?”
Desperate hope clawing at her insides, Senna nodded.
He shot a commanding look at Bruke. “You stay with her.” As if he understood what Joshen had asked, Bruke scooted closer to Senna’s side.
Parknel addressed his men, “We’re not going to outrun them. Much closer and they could rake our stern. If we bring her around broadsides, we could rake her astern before she hits us. But before we do, let’s determine their purpose. Cannons loaded and touch sticks at the ready. Turn her 90 degrees starboard.”
Lery flip
ped the wheel. Sailors disappeared below decks to man the cannons while others scurried up the masts. Much faster than any of them expected, the other ship took shape.
Joshen listened to the hull groaning in protest as their ship turned starboard into the wind. She’d stand listless, but they would have full advantage of their broadside cannons. Parknel nodded to one of his men and they pulled out a series of flags used for communication. A blue cross with a white background was run up the pole, followed by a blue flag with a white cross. They meant, “Stop what you are doing and watch for my signal,” and “We are dead in the water,” respectively.
The other ship must have seen them through the fog, for she pulled down her sails and turned. She paused in the water, nothing more than a dark shadow. The wind tugged her closer and he saw them raise a flag with a yellow bar followed by a blue one.
“They want to talk,” Parknel said.
Joshen squinted into the fog and saw them readying a boat to lower into the water.
“Raise the affirmative flag,” Parknel ordered.
As a sailor hauled it up, Joshen hefted a thick coat over his shoulders and pulled a cap down low.
Doing the same, Parknel gave the sailors a knowing look. “Lower a boat. Let’s see what they want.”
Nodding a curt goodbye to Senna, Joshen took his position at the back of the boat, Parknel at his side. Lery, dressed as a captain, sat at the front. As he rowed, Joshen studied the other ship. While it was true the Sea Witch had the advantage of size, the Gallant Green could claim the prize of speed and maneuverability. If there was a fight, a win could easily go either way.
Joshen kept his head tucked into his jacket as the sailors in the two boats appraised each other. Wardof sat behind and to the right of the Captain, who rose to his feet. “My name is Captain Arneth. I’ve a passenger here, a Mister Wardof. He’s looking for a runaway girl by the name of Brusenna. We request permission to board your vessel and search for her.”