Chapter Eight
“Are the men ready?” Jamie asked Albie.
The big man nodded, the fingers of one hand stroking his graying beard. “Aye. They’re ready. We’re all bloody ready. The ship is provisioned and we await only the high tide. We can sail within the hour.”
Jamie nodded and squeezed Albie’s shoulder. It was early and the sun had only just risen high enough to cast light over the battlements, but Jamie was already impatient to be going. “Good. Let’s hope the winds favor us.”
Albie suddenly stiffened, looking beyond Jamie’s shoulder. Jamie turned and spotted a figure picking its way gingerly towards him across the courtyard.
Elise.
His stomach fluttered at the sight of her. She lifted her head, saw that he’d spotted her, and waved. He raised his own hand in response.
“I’ll meet ye at the harbor,” he said to Albie and then strode in her direction. Was he imagining it, or was she walking a little gingerly? As he reached her, he saw that her skin was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes.
“Good morning,” he said. “I didnae expect to see ye up and about so early.”
Elise winced and pressed a hand against the side of her head. “Not so loud. I think my skull is going to split.”
Jamie suppressed a grin. Many of the castle staff had been a touch on the delicate side this morning, turning up late for duty shifts and looking as green as Elise did. Jamie hadn’t had the heart to berate them for it though.
“Aye,” he agreed. “Drinking a gallon of whisky will do that to ye.”
“I did not drink that much!” Elise protested weakly. “Did I?”
Jamie spread his hands. “Dinna ask me. Although I noticed a definite dent in our whisky supplies this morning.”
She groaned. “Don’t. It’s not funny.”
“Oh, it is, lass. It most definitely is. Look at it this way: At least none of my people are afraid of ye anymore. It’s difficult to be afraid of someone who stands on a table and juggles whisky bottles isnae it?”
Her eyes widened. “I did not!”
Jamie only laughed. Elise seemed to have this effect on him. No matter what mood he was in, no matter what irritations and problems had marred his day, her presence seemed to make all of it a little lighter.
Yet she seemed troubled—and it was more than the hangover she was clearly feeling. There was a tightness to the way she held herself and she had her arms wrapped around her chest as if cold.
He cocked his head. “What is it, lass? I dinna think ye came all the way out here just to be reminded of yer antics last night.”
“No, I’d rather not be reminded of anything I did last night, thank you very much. When I came downstairs just now a little bird told me—well Andrea actually—that you’ve ordered a load of your warriors to the harbor and that one of your ships is being readied.”
Jamie stiffened. “Aye. That’s right.”
“Why?” Elise asked. “Has something else happened?”
He shook his head. “Nay, but I canna leave the Sea Star to flounder to a watery grave. My men and I will sail out there and try to salvage her. And mayhap we’ll find some clues as to where the pirates have gone.”
“You’re going out there? Into water that you know is being patrolled by pirates?”
“Those waters are my waters and I willnae be intimidated into being trapped on my own damned island. Aye, I’m going. How could I ask my men to take a risk I willnae take myself?”
“But…but it’s too dangerous! You’re the laird! You shouldn’t be putting yourself in danger.”
“Now ye sound like Andrea.”
“Because Andrea has a bloody good point! Has it not occurred to you that this might be a trap? That it might be exactly what those pirates want? That they’re trying to lure you out so that they can capture you or…or….” She swallowed thickly. “Or worse.”
“Of course it’s occurred to me!” he replied.
“But I’m no child who doesnae know his arse from his elbow!
I’ve been sailing these waters since I was a wee lad.
If they’ve laid an ambush, we’ll be ready for them.
It willnae be a vulnerable cargo ship they’ll be facing but a galley full of warriors.
If they are stupid enough to have hung around, we’ll teach them a lesson they willnae soon forget! ”
Elise’s eyes widened as comprehension dawned. “You want the pirates to be there! You’re hoping they’ve hung around because you’re spoiling for a fight!”
“So what if I am?” He felt his hands tightening into fists and his jaw clenching at the sudden fury that blazed through him.
“These bastards think they can plunder and destroy and take whatever they want! They think they can hurt my people with no consequences! Well, no more. I willnae stand by and let them ransack my home with impunity. I’ll teach them to fear these waters if it’s the last thing I do! ”
All the suppressed frustration, anger, and helplessness that he’d kept hidden came rushing to the surface. His fingers twitched, eager to wrap themselves around a pirate’s throat and squeeze.
Elise’s eyes were locked on his as though she knew what he was thinking. “Then I’m coming too.”
“Ye are not!”
“Oh? And how are you going to stop me? You are not my chieftain, Jamie. You can’t tell me what to do.”
“Can I not? Last time I looked I was still laird of this isle and while ye are my guest, yer safety if my responsibility.”
“And the last time I looked I was a MacFinnan spellweaver who’s been brought here specifically to help you beat these pirates. How can I do that if I don’t face them?” Her eyes flashed dangerously, daring him to challenge her.
They glared at each other. Then Elise’s expression softened.
“Look,” she said. “I get it. I would want revenge in your position. But this is more than that. It’s an opportunity to gather information, and knowledge is power, remember?
” She reached out and laid a hand on his arm.
The touch sent a tingle dancing across his skin.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m a spellweaver. I can take care of myself.”
Jamie scowled at her. “I could have ye locked in yer room.”
She shrugged. “You could try. But I don’t think you’d like the outcome.”
All the fight went out of him and his shoulders sagged. He let out a long breath and then scrubbed at his face with the heels of his hands. “Ah, hell. Ye aren’t going to take no for an answer are ye?”
Elise grinned. “Ah, now you’re getting it. When do we leave?”
Jamie sighed. “Right about now actually.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
*
“We’ll keep to the coast for three leagues until we reach Ender’s Point,” said the man with the French accent who’d been introduced to Elise as the ship’s captain. “Then swing east. That way, we’ll be afforded some cover on our approach.”
Elise did her best to look attentive as Jamie and the captain discussed their route, but in truth, she barely heard a word. All her attention was focused on not throwing up.
They claimed it was a calm day and there was barely a swell out on the water.
Utter rubbish. To Elise, it felt as though the deck was heaving and bucking beneath her feet and her stomach was responding in kind.
It was all she could do to keep down her breakfast. Great.
Sea sickness and a hangover. Just what she needed.
How much had she drunk last night anyway?
She couldn’t remember much about the evening, just a lot of singing, a lot of laughing, and Andrea finally helping her up to bed sometime in the small hours.
It had been fun and she’d found herself enjoying herself far more than she would have expected, being so far from home and everything she knew.
There had only been one thing missing.
Her eyes strayed to Jamie. The sea wind was plucking at his clothes and hair, sending his pale-blond hair whipping around his head and putting a glint into his eyes.
He was the thing that had been missing. To her disappointment, he’d not joined them and had missed the evening meal entirely—something that was unusual according to Andrea.
Had he been avoiding her? What other reason could there be for changing his usual habits?
A sudden surge of nausea swept through her and she ran to the railing and emptied her guts over the side of the ship. Why had she insisted on coming on this trip again?
“Are ye all right, lass?”
She glanced over her shoulder to see Jamie standing behind her. “Fine,” she said quickly, waving away his concern. “Just getting my sea legs.” He looked about to say more so she waved him off. “You go back to your conference. I’ll just stay here and…er…look at the view.”
She sucked in a breath of the salt-laden air and slid down the railing to sit with her back against the ship’s side, pulled her knees up to her chest, and hugged them.
Around her, the ship hummed with activity.
The crew bustled about doing sailory things and a group of warriors were being put through drills by Albie.
Three more times she had to spring to her feet and throw up over the side.
So much for the vaunted spellweaver come to save everyone.
She doubted she was inspiring much confidence right now.
What would Rose and Jenna think if they could see her?
Rose would shake her head and admonish her about her responsibilities while Jenna would wear an amused smile before handing her some pills and a glass of water.
Well, neither of them were here, so it was up to her to hold up the reputation of the spellweavers. So far, she wasn’t doing a brilliant job of it. Not for the first time she wondered if Lir had chosen the right spellweaver.
There was, of course, one way to cure her sea sickness and her hangover.
Her magic. Yet she was loath to use it. It was unpredictable and unruly at the best times and now, in her weakened state, who was to say how it might react?
Knowing her luck, she would end up setting fire to the sail or something.