Chapter 11 Devora
Devora
The quarterdeck was empty. The only sounds were the sail flapping against the mast above me and waves sloshing at the hull.
Lanterns swayed in the corners, casting a golden glow over the weather-worn wooden planks.
To my far right rested the ship’s wheel, broad and rimmed in iron, with a compass and a spyglass hanging next to it.
The scent of tar and brine hung in the air, thick with salt.
They’d cleared out most of the barrels already. A quick search revealed a couple of broken ones lodged near the stairs leading below deck. They were cracked down the center and turned on their sides, as if something had knocked them over in transit.
I took a step closer and squinted, unsure what I was seeing.
Spilling from the broken barrels were handfuls of…leaves. Or maybe flowers. An herb of some kind.
I knelt next to the barrel and stroked one of the brown stems. Four tiny, sharp green leaves branched from the center. Bringing it closer to my face, I noticed a faint red tint running through the veins, but other than that, it looked like a regular leaf.
That was…anticlimactic.
This couldn’t possibly be what Mysthelm lugged all the way across the sea. Why would Scarven be interested in a bunch of plants?
Without thinking, I grabbed several of them and stuffed them in my pocket. Nox wanted to know what the ship was carrying, and I found it. Whatever it was. Surely Milo and the other Alchemist would be able to figure it out. Not my job.
I hurried back to the gangplank and was about to descend onto solid ground when I spotted shadows walking toward the ship, their voices growing closer with every second.
Adrenaline raced through me as I stooped low to the ground and flattened my back against the inside of the ship, praying they hadn’t seen me. Heavy boots thudded nearby, and a moment later, cloaks brushed against the floor, mere feet from where I hid.
“It’s clear,” the first man said, tapping the hilt of his dagger against a stack of empty crates. “You can tell Rolney it looks like the shipment made it intact this time.”
“Thank the Fates. Last thing we need is another delay,” the second one replied with a grunt. “Rebels slowed us down. Scarven wants this stock at the Hollow within the hour.”
Scarven. So these were his men.
The first let out a low grumble. “Catch any of them?”
“No, they got away. He won’t be happy.”
Muscles I hadn’t realized I’d been clenching slowly relaxed at the news. I wasn’t sure when I started caring about the well-being of Nox, but I was glad they had made it out.
“What Scarven doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Their backs were to me, but I saw the first man kneel to pick up a stray leaf on the ground. “Think he’ll notice if one of these goes missing?” he asked with a chuckle.
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” the second warned. “Stay away from that stuff, Brendyn. Fatesprig’s nothing to scoff at.”
Fatesprig. I looked down at the leaves in my hand.
“True, I saw what it did to that Duma freak,” the first remarked.
My eyebrows shot into my head as I glanced back up. Duma freak? Were they talking about Nox?
Another thought occurred to me that made my stomach sink. If it wasn’t Nox, who could they mean?
“Hey! What are you doing here?” The men whirled around to face me, the one with the knife lurching forward. The blade’s edge gave a menacing flash. Cold scratched along my ribs as my lungs forgot how to breathe for a second.
Fates. Really wished I had my dagger right about now. Or magic. Think fast, Devora.
I reached out and pretended to feel along the floor, then shot up with a handful of leaves in my grip. I extended it to them, quickly sifting through the tidbits of information I’d overheard to see what I could use. “Umm…Rolney sent me. To get the last of the fatesprig.”
The man holding the knife narrowed his eyes. “The boat’s all clear. Why would Rolney send you?”
I shrugged. “There are still a couple of broken barrels over there.” I nodded toward the other end of the quarterdeck. “Said Scarven would be pissed if a single leaf was missing.”
“Go check,” the first one, Brendyn, said to the second, jerking his head to where I pointed. His blade stayed trained on me. “Why don’t I recognize you?”
I licked my lips. “I don’t live here. I’m part of the Mysthelm crew. From the North Territory.”
His eyes dragged along my body, interest sparking as if I were a toy suddenly dangled in front of him. “Mysthelm, you say? Maybe I should’ve stowed away on a ship with you months ago.”
My lips curled up in disgust, but I schooled my features. “Look, my captain told me we’re already late with the delivery, and he doesn’t want to make Scarven mad. But if you’re okay with that, then by all means, waste my time.”
“She’s right, Brendyn,” the second one said as he made his way back. “Two broken barrels full of it.”
Brendyn sighed, giving me one last look. “Fine. Get them out. I’ll tell Rolney it’s clear, then we can get going.”
A weight lifted from my chest, and my shoulders sagged in relief. The two of them walked back down the gangplank and out of sight, the wooden deck creaking beneath their weight.
I slumped against the railing, pinching the stems in my pocket. Fatesprig.
A smile pulled at my lips. Perhaps this would be enough to prove myself after all.