Chapter 18
Sky’s Honor landed with a gentle thud on the surface at Trayward, and Wyatt almost wished that Rue had given them leave to disembark and explore. Even without having walked into town, Trayward was without a doubt the most unique place he’d ever been. Though, he wasn’t entirely sure he’d have left the ship straight away, seeing as they’d only just settled hull and he was already sweating through his shirt. It wasn’t just the heat of the surface either — the sun was aggressively at its peak and burning his shoulders.
Carter stepped up to his side and said, “What a strange place, eh?”
“It is,” he answered.
“Who’d have thought that to see the world we needed to follow pirates instead of merchants?”
“I don’t think most pirates are like Carolina Trace,” Wyatt told him.
“I think you’re right about that.” Carter turned around to lean back against the bulwark and sighed, “Omen.” Wyatt also turned around to look at the pirate ship that was settled a few slips down, and Carter asked quietly, “Are you going to meet Rue tonight?”
“I’m going to try,” Wyatt answered. “If they’re here for any length of time, she should meet me at a tavern like she did on Cotisall.”
“Meeting at a tavern, huh?” Carter asked, elbowing him in the ribs.
“You’re implying something,” Wyatt guessed.
Carter grinned at him. “I sure am.”
Wyatt narrowed his eyes, but then his gaze was pulled past Carter to Simon Beecher, who was sitting on the stairs to quarterdeck, watching them. “I wish he wouldn’t do that,” Wyatt murmured, quickly looking away .
Carter peeked and then also averted his gaze. “He’s been watching you?”
“Seems like it,” Wyatt told him. “Every time I spot him, he’s looking at me.”
“Creep,” Carter mumbled. “Do you think he knows? About the rebellion and Remigan? And what we learned?”
“I don’t see how he would,” Wyatt said.
“Unless he has super hearing,” Carter suggested, “and he’s been spying on us.”
“I don’t think magic works like that.”
“Or he’s summoned something to listen in on us,” Carter said, straightening away from the bulwark to search the ground and railing around them.
“I don’t think it works like that either,” Wyatt chuckled. His amusement faded quickly, and he said, “I don’t think he trusts us, though.”
“Well, I don’t trust him either,” Carter began to say as he looked Simon’s direction again, “if his reputation is anyth- Oh, he’s coming over.” Carter shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned back against the bulwark again as Simon reached them. “Afternoon, Sir.”
Simon didn’t say anything to Carter, just gave him a quick sort of smile while his eyes stayed trained on Wyatt. “Why are we at Trayward?”
“I don’t know, Sir,” Wyatt answered. “I haven’t met with my informant yet.”
“I want to meet them.”
Wyatt floundered for several seconds over a response to that before settling on, “I can’t do that, Sir. If I bring anyone else into it, they’ll stop meeting with me.”
Simon hummed and said, “Tell me why he’s decided to betray his captain.”
Wyatt might not have been versed in politics, and he might not have been interested in people who got what they wanted by manipulation, but he’d seen his father do it enough times to recognize that Simon was fishing for information by saying ‘he.’
“They don’t believe that just anyone should Ascend,” he answered.
“And does she know that I’ve joined your crew for that purpose?”
Wyatt kept his eyes trained on the bridge of Simon’s nose as he lied, “No, they don’t.”
“How would they feel about it if they knew? ”
Wyatt hesitated to answer while he thought of what Simon might want to hear. Rue did know, of course, and the only thing that mattered then was keeping Simon from seeing through him. “It doesn’t really matter how they’d feel about it,” he answered, “does it?”
“Right,” Simon said. “I’ll say it again, Admiral, I want to meet your contact.”
“I really can’t do that,” Wyatt told him.
“I wasn’t asking.”
Wyatt glanced at Carter, who bobbed his eyebrows with wide-eyes and pursed lips. But he didn’t care what Simon Beecher thought or said, he had his orders, and he had his conscience, and he wasn’t going to betray Rue by giving Simon anything.
“With all due respect, Sir,” Wyatt finally said. “I take my orders from Commander Parker.”
Simon didn’t respond to that. He just stared with an expression that Wyatt could only describe as blank, but one that gave him chills, nonetheless. After several silent seconds, Simon turned and walked away without saying anything, and once he was out of earshot, Carter snorted.
“Wyatt, you maniac,” he cackled, “that was the bravest thing you’ve ever done.”
“What? Really?” Wyatt asked, as Simon retreated to quarterdeck. “Was he mad?”
“He was furious !” Carter snorted to himself again. “It was like nobody’s ever told him ‘no’ before.”
“That man scares me,” he admitted. “I need you to make sure he doesn’t follow me when I go to meet Rue tonight.”
“How do you want me to do that?” Carter asked.
“I don’t know…” Wyatt considered it. “Give him a taste of his own medicine. Watch his every move.”
“Being passive aggressive to the most dangerous man in the empire,” Carter said with a grin, “I like it.”
“Just try not to piss him off too much,” he warned. “You’re my best mate, I’d hate for him to kill you.”
“Oh?” Carter said. “I thought Peter was your best mate.”
Wyatt laughed at that, but he didn’t get to think of a teasing comeback before they were visited again, this time by Gerald and Abner’s son, who walked up to them at the bulwark and said, “Hi, fellas.”
Carter gave him a lazy salute and asked, “Piers, right?”
“That’s right,” Piers said, holding out his hand .
Carter took it and said, “Carter,” and then gestured at Wyatt, “Wyatt.”
“Pleasure,” Piers said, and Wyatt nodded his agreement. “You two ever been here?”
They both shook their heads, and Carter asked, “You?” Wyatt was glad Carter was around to handle the small talk. Of course, it was only natural that Piers wanted to converse with them — he was their age — but Wyatt always had a hard time keeping conversation going with new people.
“Once,” Piers answered. “My fathers were chasing a bounty.” He glanced upward and added, “That sun is blistering, isn’t it?”
“I’m baking,” Carter agreed with a laugh. “Hey, what’s it like being a bounty hunter?”
“It’s alright,” Piers said. “Though, I’m technically not licensed.”
“You’re not Sovereign?” Carter asked.
“Not officially,” Piers answered. “My dads didn’t want me to, said it wasn’t necessary. I think they’re hoping I’ll find other work once they retire.”
“Why’s that?” Carter asked.
Piers shrugged. “Dad was born into a military family, and Abner didn’t get much of a choice, seeing as he’s a Summoner. I think they just wanted me to have options if I wanted them.”
“I get that,” Carter said.
“Were you born into a military family?” Piers asked.
“He was,” Carter answered, gesturing at Wyatt. “I joined when I turned sixteen instead of taking an indentured contract. Sovereign pays enough for me to send money back home.”
“What about the witch you’re hunting now?” Wyatt asked.
Piers’ brow furrowed. “What about her?”
“Does she deserve it?” he asked.
Carter cleared his throat, and said, “What he means is, how do you know which bounties are particularly dangerous?”
“Depends on what they’re wanted for, I guess,” Piers answered. “This one’s different than ones we’ve had in the past.”
“How so?” Wyatt asked.
“Well, the prize is a fortune,” he said. “Which makes sense, because she’s a Caster, but…”
He paused so long that Carter asked, “But what? ”
“I don’t know,” Piers said, “she seems different than other witch bounties we’ve had.”
“In what way?” Wyatt asked.
“She ran longer than most instead of fighting,” he answered. “She even saved my father’s life after our fight with Omen.”
“Why,” Carter began to ask, but hesitated for a moment as he glanced over at Wyatt, and then he finished, “Why keep tracking her?”
“Father’s getting older,” Piers said with a shrug, “Abner’s not much younger. They could retire nicely with this prize. And I guess it’s not really up to us to decide who’s dangerous or not, you know? Sovereign must be after her for a reason, right?”
“I suppose so,” Carter said.
“What’s it like being a chaperone crew?” Piers asked.
“Boring until it isn’t,” Carter told him.
“Had you ever encountered Omen before?” Piers asked, and Carter shook his head. “Makes sense, Carolina Trace has a reputation for picking her fights carefully.”
That perked Wyatt’s ears a little bit, and he asked, “You know a lot about pirates?”
“Only by proxy,” Piers answered. “I like ships. Well, I like their hearts, the chemistry interests me, and Omen is the only ship whose heart is unknown to me.”
“I like weapons,” Wyatt told him.
“Well, a ship is a weapon, isn’t it?” Piers said with a smile.
“I never thought of it like that,” Wyatt admitted.
“The make of a ship’s heart can determine an entire battle,” Piers told him. “Dronium, for instance, can rise or descend quickly, outmatching a ship with, say, renix, which only reacts to more extreme temperatures.”
“Much like the variations in sword hilts,” Wyatt pointed out.
“Exactly!” Piers grinned. “Like the entire core of a hilt being flonium versus a sword like yours, with small amounts of tutrium.” Carter interrupted Wyatt’s next comment with exaggerated snoring sounds, and Piers laughed, “Do you think we’re boring him?”
“I think he’s napping so he can stay awake for night watch,” Wyatt teased.
Carter’s eyes shot open. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Wyatt and Piers both laughed at that, and Piers asked, “Would you two fancy a dice game? ”
“Sure,” Carter agreed.
Wyatt checked his pocket watch and nodded. “I have some time.”
The three of them wandered below deck for some shade, and Wyatt played with them for a couple hours while they talked, chiming in every so often when he had something to add. Piers was easygoing and lively, something Carter seemed to enjoy and something Wyatt was hopeful of. Very few of his crew were the same age as Carter and him, and those that were weren’t the kind of people he wanted to make close friends with. But he was willing to feel out a friendship with Piers, especially if it meant another ally when everything that was happening around them came to a head.
Once it was closer to sunset, he grew too impatient with waiting on the ship, and figured it would take him some time to find the largest tavern in town anyway. He said farewell to Carter and Piers, waited for Carter to get eyes on Simon, and then snuck off of Sky’s Honor. He asked the port master where the tavern was and was pointed toward the center of town, and though it didn’t strike him as an unusually far walk, it was hot , even with all the shade that the uniquely structured buildings offered. By the time he got to the center of town and navigated the streets to find the tavern, his shirt was nearly soaked.
It was a great relief to step through the tavern doors and find out how much cooler the inside of the building was, and his shirt was so wet that the chill of the air sent an almost pleasant shiver down his spine. He stood inside the doors for a few moments to let his eyes adjust to the dim interior, and then scanned the room for Rue while he wandered toward the stairs. She wasn’t in the tavern, and so he took the stairs to the second floor where there was a single hallway with doors on only one side. He walked the length of the hall while searching for the brim of her hat under the doors, but he had no luck. So, with more time to kill, he trudged back downstairs and sat himself around the side of the bar, where he could see everyone who came and went.
“Evening,” the barkeep greeted. “Want something?”
“To drink,” Wyatt confirmed. “Something cold, please, if you’ve got it.”
The man nodded, turned around to a large container to pour some of whatever liquid was in it into a pint, and then turned around again to set it in front of him. “Pokeweed milk.”
Wyatt wanted to ask what he meant by ‘milk,’ but the man walked down to a different patron before he could. He glanced down into the pint, swirling the mug to get a better look at what was inside. The liquid was a cloudy pale pink almost as inviting as its subtle flowery smell, so he gave it a try, lifting the mug to his lips to take a tiny sip. He wasn’t expecting the instant bite of alcohol, but as his tongue adjusted to it, the sweet and floral undertones quickly grew on him, and he took a larger gulp. Yes, he liked pokeweed milk. It was strong though, so he resolved himself to taking smaller drinks as he sat there waiting for Rue.
He managed to make the drink last, and was only halfway through it after forty-five minutes of waiting. But his boredom was increasing, and so he pulled out his sketchbook and charcoal pencil to draw. He’d started working on a sketch of Omen, with its distinguished flatter hull and darker-colored wood, but there were details he couldn’t remember, and so he stowed the book after only a short period.
Still no Rue. It was possible that she couldn’t leave the ship, or that Omen wasn’t staying long enough for her to, and while he’d been hoping to see her, he remembered what she’d said about leaving information with the port master. With that in mind, he only waited another hour, and then gestured to the barkeep that he was done.
“Three dominions,” the barkeep told him. He pulled three copper coins from his pocket and gave them to the man, who asked, “Are you staying close by?”
“My ship is settled at the docks,” Wyatt told him.
“Mind your walk back,” the man said, “there’s been a nightwing about.”
“Thank you,” he said, and headed for the door.
Maybe that was why Rue hadn’t come to meet him. If there was a nightwing stalking the town, it wouldn’t have been safe for her to sneak away on her own. It wasn’t safe for him to be on his own in the dark either, and so he stuck close to the walls on his trek back to the docks, keeping his eyes and ears sharp for any signs of life from the sky.
He managed to make it safely back, where he asked the port master if anything had been left for him. If he was being honest, it worried him that there wasn’t, but when he reached the top of the ramp, Carter was there waiting for him with a rolled letter in his hands and Simon standing nearby.
“From my contact?” Wyatt asked, snatching the letter.
Carter hummed. “We spotted a flag waving from one of Omen’s gunports an hour ago. Simon sent a bird to fetch it. ”
Wyatt unrolled the letter and read silently to himself, ‘We’re heading into dragon territory. DO NOT FOLLOW. Not sure where we’re going next. Carolina and Ophelia may have found another way to break the curse. If it doesn’t work, I’ll write to you with where to catch up, make sure you check the post at Trayward. If it does work, we won’t have to worry about Ascension anymore. In that case, it was nice to meet you, Wyatt. Maybe we’ll cross paths again someday.’
He lowered the letter and looked at Carter as questions flooded his mind.
“Write back,” Simon demanded, and Wyatt couldn’t say he was surprised that Simon had already read the note. “Tell them this isn’t over. I want to know what they know.”
“I can ask,” Wyatt answered, “but that doesn’t guarantee an answer.”
“Get it done, Kim,” Simon huffed, and then stalked away below deck.
“Go get Abner,” Wyatt told Carter, “ask him if he can summon a creature small enough to go undetected and deliver a letter to someone specific.”
“Wyatt,” Carter said, “if you do that, you may need to tell him about Rue.”
“I’ll only tell him what I must,” he said, and leaned in to whisper, “and better him than Simon.”
Carter nodded and left his side, and he rushed to his cabin. He hurried to his desk and lit a candle, pulling out a piece of parchment and tearing a small scrap from it. In the smallest writing he could, he scrawled, ‘Wait!’ and then hesitated. At the forefront of his mind was that he wasn’t ready to say goodbye, but that wasn’t his priority, nor should it be.
‘What is the other way to break the curse?’ he continued quickly. ‘Can we apply it to the emperor? Maybe it could save Glasoro and all the other islands being harvested. Please don’t cut off contact yet. I’ll wait at Trayward until I hear from you again.’
He’d just finished his hastily written note when Carter knocked on his door. “Come in,” he called as he rolled the note into a tiny scroll, and Carter came in with Abner. “Can you do it?” he asked.
Abner nodded side to side. “I can try. At the very least, I’ll need a description.”
Carter had closed the door behind them, and he and Abner came forward until they were standing across the desk from Wyatt. “I need you to swear secrecy,” Wyatt said. “My contact needs anonymity, so what I tell you does not leave this room.”
Abner put his hand to his chest and said, “I swear.”
Wyatt held out the rolled note to him. “Female, early twenties. Five foot five, with reddish brown hair and brown eyes. Last I saw her, she was wearing a faded red shirt and black trousers. Is that enough?”
“It should be,” Abner said, and then he breathed into his hands and gave life to the small shadow of a rat with a tiny glowing heart. He lowered the rolled note to the floor and put it into the rat’s mouth, and then the rat scurried across the room and under the door.
“How does that work?” Carter asked. “Can you see what it sees?”
“No,” Abner said with a small chuckle. “I’ve imparted the task, and it’ll do its best to carry it out.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“Usually, no,” Abner answered. “But given that it’s Carolina Trace we’re dealing with…”
“Thank you for taking the risk,” Wyatt told him.
“If it helps us finish this bounty,” Abner said.
“So you can retire?” Carter asked, and then explained, “We spent time with Piers earlier today.”
“I see,” Abner said. He seemed to think about Carter’s question for a few moments before answering, “Something like that.”
Carter’s head cocked, and he asked, “Or is that just the reason you told Piers?”
Abner gave him a small smile, studied him for another handful of moments, and then finally sighed. “I’m one year away from Sovereign allowing me to retire. But bounty hunting is… it’s callous, merciless work. When we first started, we were young. We felt like we were helping to make the world a safer place.”
“And now?” Wyatt asked.
“Now it’s hard not to feel like an executioner’s axe,” Abner answered, “whose only purpose is to be sharp and swift.” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “We don’t want that for Piers. We don’t want him to spend his life as hardened as we’ve had to be.”
“Why choose it in the first place?” Carter asked.
“ For Piers, if you could believe it,” Abner said. “I’m bound to Sovereign as a Summoner, and Gerald only ever knew a military life. It was the only path in which Piers could stay with us, rather than being put in some boarding school while we both got shipped out. ”
“So, this is your last bounty, then,” Carter said. “You picked one hell of a warrant.”
Abner laughed, nodding. “You seem like good lads. I’m glad Piers found someone his age to spend time with.”
Carter and Wyatt both nodded at that, and then there was a soft pitter patter as the rat came trotting under the door again. It had a note in its mouth, and scampered up to deliver it to Abner. Abner took it, dispelled the rat, and handed the note to Wyatt. Wyatt unrolled it hastily, his face falling when he recognized it as his own letter. But it had been altered… or, cut. Two angled lines of different lengths had been sliced into the center of the note, connecting in the middle, and Wyatt held the note toward the candlelight to look through it.
“It’s a check mark,” Carter observed.
Wyatt nodded as he held back a smile. Rue had gotten his note, and she wasn’t done with him yet.