Cutlass (23 page)

“Go!” he shoved Larkin up the boarding plank as Datherious pulled it away.

Barren braced himself for another fight—a fight he wasn’t sure he could win. His left hand and arm were bloody, and he held up his sword shakily. Four men inched toward him, laughing, and a lust for blood glinted in their eyes.

“You don’t want to fight me,” Barren said.

“You couldn’t fight your brother; you cannot fight the four of us.”

“My brother has my skill—none of you are my equal.”

“We’ll see about that!” One of the men ran forward, but Barren parried, and the man fell into the ocean, a wound through his stomach. The other three attacked at once, thinking they would be stronger in numbers, but Barren guessed their plan. He turned, skewering one man through the stomach; he jerked the blade from him and sliced another man’s neck, finishing with his blade in the last man’s face.

“Retreat,” he said, and the man ran away.

The ship was a little way from the dock, and Barren knew he could make the distance with his injuries, but Natherious tossed a rope in his direction. He grasped it and, holding on tightly, the twins pulled him toward the ship. He landed against the water with a splash, and he could feel the resistance build against his body until he surfaced, scratching the wooden sides of the ship as they pulled him on deck.

Looking back at Conn, a crowd gathered to watch them. William was lost somewhere behind them. They were in trouble now—not only did William know they were all after the bloodstone, it seemed there was now an additional party in search of the gem.

Barren sat on the steps of the ship while Leaf bandaged his fingers and stitched the cut on his arm. Behind them, Conn was fading into the background. Cove paced before them, and Alex was nearby. He kept looking back at Conn, a troubled expression marring his wrinkled brow. Natherious and Datherious stood with their arms crossed, waiting to hear their next move. Larkin had hurried to the hatch once they were all onboard, and had not yet returned.

“Just for once, couldn’t you have considered the importance of this mission over your own wish for revenge?” asked Leaf.

“Part of this was about stopping William,” Barren argued. “And I’m not some lap dog for the king. I’m a pirate. I’m free to do as I please.”

“The fact that you are free to do as you please has nothing to do with what is best for our situation. William knows you’re after the bloodstone now. We will have to move fast.”

“His injuries will delay him,” Barren argued. “And the knowledge of Larkin’s survival may work against him.”

“At this point, Larkin’s survival will only work against her. She saved your life. There’s little explanation on her part for that,” said Cove. “The public will see it as her siding with you.”

“Her father can buy back her reputation, just as he bought William’s position in government,” Barren replied. “I’m not worried about her.”

Leaf’s hand met the back of Barren’s head with a smack. “Ouch! Why’d you do that?” Now Barren had an aching arm, shoulder, and head. He was never going to feel better.

“She sacrificed her reputation to save your life, the least you could do is have some care about her well-being.”

That was the hard part. Larkin was
his
prisoner, the only care he needed to have about her well-being was designated by the guidelines of the code, which only included harm to her physical person.

 “Be a little more compassionate, Barren,” Cove urged. “She’s not as horrible as you make her seem.”

“In case you hadn’t noticed, Larkin Lee can’t stand to see anyone hurt. She didn’t save my life out of loyalty to me.”

“Well, just in case
you
hadn’t noticed, it’s about morality, not loyalty, for Larkin.”

Barren rolled his eyes. “Can we focus on the more pressing issue at hand? If William was not the one who took Devon Kennings from Conn, who did?”

 “Well, either ‘is past is comin’ back ta ‘aunt ‘em,” said Alex. “Or someone else is after tha stone.”

“If Devon wouldn’t give those soldiers information when they came for him, then they probably felt they could torture it out of him,” said Leaf. “That’s what they do in Estrellas.”

“So what do we do now?”

“There’re no others we can turn to for ‘elp now,” said Alex. “The others are dead.”

“We’ll have to go to Estrellas then,” said Barren.

“Estrellas is a dangerous place, Barren,” said Leaf. “You’d do well to stay away from there.”

Suddenly, the Elf looked his age—his eyes seemed heavy as he knitted his brows together, and the corners of his mouth turned downward deeply. Leaf was a much more pleasant person when he wasn’t trying to be serious.

“We’re at a dead end without him,” Barren argued.

 “Devon is a good friend of mine. I won’t let ‘em rot in Estrellas.”

“So you would rather we all died saving him?” asked Leaf, his sea-green eyes narrowed.

“Not everyone must go; I’ll go alone if I must,” Alex maintained, but the look on Leaf’s face suggested he didn’t think the old man would get out alive.

“Then I will go with you,” said Barren.

Leaf punched Barren in his wounded arm, and he yelped in pain. “You are both ignorant! How will you get into Estrellas? It’s guarded by a ten foot wall and the only way in is on a ship.”

“We have one,” said Barren. “And it’s from Arcarum.”

All eyes were on Cove in that moment and the Ambassador looked surprised. “What? I’m not going to be the one to settle this feud.”

“Can you retrieve prisoners from Estrellas as Ambassador?”

“Only if they are from my island, and Devon Kennings is not.”

“But you’ve taken fugitives to Estrellas before?”

“Yes, what is your point?” Cove crossed his arms and stood stiffly.

 “Only that you can get us into Estrellas...as fugitives.”

“That is the most ridiculous idea you’ve ever had.” Leaf stood. “Think about it Barren—you are a pirate, wanted all over the Orient. Wanted, not only because you’re a
murderer
, but also because you kidnapped Larkin. They’ll torture you to death if they catch you. You are walking into a trap!”

“Then I’ll just have to avoid capture.”

“It’s not that simple!” Leaf cried, and motioned as if he wanted to pull all his hair out. “You’ve never been there, you don’t know!”

“Have you?” Barren countered.

Leaf’s gaze was bright with anger. He folded his hands over his chest—he was about to challenge Barren. “As quartermaster, by the code, I have the right to veto any decision you make, Barren Reed. If you decide to go to Estrellas, I will veto.”

“Then I’ll give it to the crew to vote on,” Barren countered. “Need I remind you of your words to me? Consider the importance of this quest. Devon is potentially the only one who can lead us to the bloodstone. If we do not at least attempt to go after him, we leave William an open target.”

Leaf’s face hardened. “Why is it that this quest is only about the bloodstone when it’s convenient for you?”

Barren ignored the Elf and turned to Cove. “Can you get us in?”

“I can,” he said with a nod. “But I can’t promise you’ll be safe when I leave, or that they won’t separate you.”

“All I need is to get inside those walls, what happens after is not important.”

The Ambassador’s brows rose as if he knew differently. “I’m going to encourage you to think about what the Elf has said. You really don’t know what Estrellas is like. It is a very, very terrible place, and with your track record, they would take much pleasure in seeing that you don’t walk out of there alive.”

Larkin’s humorless laugh suddenly sounded, and all heads turned toward her. At some point during their argument, she’d returned to deck. Parts of her hair were wet around her face, and her eyes looked a little red—perhaps she’d been crying.

“Barren thinks he’s invincible, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

Barren met Leaf’s and Cove’s gaze. “I have to do this.”

“Okay then,” said Cove. “I’ll help you…but after I deposit you on the island, I can do no more, so decide who you will take and create your plan.”

Leaf rolled his eyes and he stuck his finger in Barren’s face. “I’ll go. You don’t know your way around. Even then, I may get the opportunity to tell you I told you so.”

“I’m coming,” said Larkin, stepping forward.

“No,” Cove and Leaf said in unison.

“Barren going into Estrellas is one thing, but a girl? And one like you? No, absolutely not,” Cove crossed his arms tightly, as if that finalized everything.

“What do you mean a girl like me?” Larkin demanded angrily. “If anything, it should be you and I who venture into Estrellas. We’re nobility, not fugitives!”

“I can only reclaim prisoners sent from my island,” said Cove. “And I am sure the people of Estrellas, whether they know of your kidnapping or not, would not take kindly to you being on their island.”

“My father is responsible for part of its creation. Those who run Estrellas would do well to do as I say.”

“It may benefit them in the long run, but those who run Estrellas do not think that way. If they see a chance at revenge, they will take it.”

“What are you talking about? Revenge?”

There was a common belief that Estrellas was just an isolated prison and it seemed Larkin held that belief, too. The governments of Mariana—and pirates—knew differently. Estrellas was a chamber of torture and death.

“Estrellas is a terrifying place, Larkin. Even the idea behind it is morbid. The king, your father, and others rationalized that if they could put like people together—people who were mean and merciless—they would kill each other off. It is a place of torture, and if you survive, you become a member of their community,” said Cove. “And you should never assume that being sent to Estrellas will break prisoners of the hatred they have for those who put them there.”

Larkin shook her head. “But…my father said…” Her voice faltered, and Barren knew she was having a hard time accepting this. He could only image what her father said—that Estrellas was an island dedicated to the imprisonment of particularly vile beings, that they were lucky to be sent to Estrellas because other options were far less pleasant.

“Even if you were in disguise, we could not risk it,” said Cove.

“Besides,” Leaf said. “You are still a prisoner on this ship. If we send you into Estrellas, we will breech the code, and then we’ll have far more than a bunch of fugitives to worry about.”

 “You seem to have had personal experience in Estrellas,” she accused the Elf. “Care to explain?”

Leaf’s features hardened again, and after a long pause, he spoke in a cold, dead voice. “I was a prisoner there once.”

This came as a surprise even to Barren. He had not known Leaf spent time in any jail. For some reason, Leaf always seemed incapable of getting caught, and Barren wasn’t sure if it was because he was the most level-headed of the group, or because he was an Elf.

“There are few crimes that warrant imprisonment on Estrellas,” said Leaf. “One of those is murder. I killed men...several men a long time ago. After, I had no will to live and so I was captured and sentenced to Estrellas. I would have gladly taken the noose over that place.”

“How did you escape?”

The Elf laughed bitterly. Barren didn’t like this Leaf. This was the merciless, emotionless Leaf. The deadly one. He noticed Larkin hugged herself, and her body instinctively bowed away from the Elf.

“It’s not something I remember well. I know I killed a lot of people and once I was over the wall, I swam for days. I made it to Aurum and I was welcome there, so I stayed for a few years…that’s how I am the person I am today.”

“But you are a prince, how did you end up in this life anyway?” Larkin seemed confused.

The Elf shook his head a little, as if he were disappointed in Larkin. “Crowns are not for everyone, my Lady, and they certainly aren’t for me. Besides, when the sea calls you, you have to answer it. It is a force you do not want to come into conflict with.”

***

The rest of the day passed slowly. Nighttime fell: the darkness of the sea reflected the sky, and it seemed that they were in a tunnel of stars. Barren let Sam rest and took the helm for the night. He slipped off his sling so he could steer. Leaf would probably advise against this, but Barren was becoming skilled at ignoring the prince’s displeasure. Besides, he’d need his arm in shape by the time they reached Estrellas.

 Barren was used to having to heal. He had been wounded several times in his life; his body was a map of ugly scars. It was apparent when Leaf had begun healing him—the scars weren’t as bad.

“You should rest your shoulder,” said Larkin.

Barren jumped at the sound of her voice; he had assumed he was alone. He looked at her and smirked. “Well, if you could navigate, perhaps I would.”

She stared at the helm, but didn’t move toward it.

“I was surprised to see you at the helm the night I fell overboard,” said Larkin. “I didn’t think captains did much but bark orders.”

Barren chuckled. “Well, if you asked Leaf he would probably say that’s all I do.”

She smiled, but Barren could see that she was a little detached, as if she were recalling the night she was thrown overboard. It was probably one of the most horrific memories she had. Or maybe she was still a little shocked by her encounter with William. “You seemed very certain of your direction that night in the storm ,” she said at length.