44. Nora
44
Nora
D inner passed. Nicholas and I remained cloaked, watchful eyes on the interactions around us. Just a band of refugees thriving on their little parcel of land free of persecution for having and practicing magic.
Nicholas explained that Windguard had been cracking down on magic wielders, punishing with imprisonment or death for those caught with the gift. Many fled to Highcrest, which Nicholas freely welcomed. They’d been free of persecution here. At least, until the kidnappings began.
We sat concealed in the darkness of night, us and a small legion of a couple dozen refugees squatting by the river. The current surged with more force than I’d anticipated, but I kept my eyes peeled on the water. If the ship moving through kept its invisibility spell, irregular displacement in the water would be our only tell.
Leaves rustled beside us until Ro emerged, crouching low, bow and quiver prepared at her back. “Anything?” she whispered, though the roaring river fought to drown out conversation.
“No,” I said, the word giving my doubts more life. What if there was no ship? What if something else happened to Melody? What if they didn’t need to transport her because they’d already…
My hands ran nervously along my thighs, back and forth, an attempt to soothe the growing unease. A hand rested on top of mine.
“We’ll stop them,” Nicholas said, leaning closer to me in the dark. Heat from his towering body spread near my shoulder, the temptation to rest against him becoming harder to ignore.
“Hey, have you heard of the prince’s contest for a queen? Kind of pompous, if you ask me,” Ro stated, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from bursting with laughter.
“ Oh, I’m the handsome prince, flock to me, fair maidens, and throw yourselves at my expensively clad feet. ” She deepened her voice in a mocking fashion, and laughter sputtered out of me.
I couldn’t help but glance at Nicholas, and swore that was amusement sparkling in his eyes and not just the moon’s reflection off the water.
“You think he’s handsome?” I prompted Ro.
An elbow poked my side, but the opportunity was too good.
“Sure, if you’re into that perfect Sun God type,” she mused. “I’ve only ever seen him in passing, really. My sister works in the castle, and got me a job as part of the serving staff once. I was only there for about a week, never planned on staying, just needed a few items to barter or sell, courtesy of the unknowing prince.”
“Items such as?” Oh, this was delightful. I liked her.
“Cutlery, mostly. One night, I impressively snuck out a crystal vase. That helped pay for this new bow.” She tapped on the weapon at her back. “Very generous of the prince, don’t you think?” Her sly smile was highlighted by the silver glow pouring over the bank.
“Very generous, indeed.” I glanced at Nicholas, and his eyes fluttered as he shook his head. I could see the smile lines creasing his eyes. While I’d been forced to question everything I thought I knew about the man, I held no doubts he’d care little about some petty theft. He proved me right when he found humor in the situation. The only anger I’d ever seen come from him was when he’d also felt powerless to help.
“I thought so,” she quipped, focusing her attention on the aggravated river. She tensed. “There.” She withdrew an arrow in one swift movement, docking it against her bow, keeping it aimed low as she scaled the bushes along the river, using them as coverage. She moved with a warrior’s stealth.
My heart slammed into my ribs at the sight. Against the torrent, the waves parted, flattened by the invisible vessel sailing upon it. A gust of wind barreled by, and the ship essentially stalled in the water, unable to fight against the manufactured breeze. Ravinder took a perch near a cliff face up the river, using the height to his advantage to guide his channeled wind.
Voices echoed off the invisible ship, confusion about the change in wind patterns. From the darkness of the forest’s edge, a speck of light soared high into the air. The tip of an arrow lit aflame. It hit its mark, and the fire continued burning where it embedded in the ship’s side.
I made to stand, but Chol placed a steady hand on my shoulder. “If it spreads, Ravinder will put it out.”
I knew that, had listened to the plan of attack over dinner. But knowing Melody was aboard a ship that had fire arrows raining from the sky made me want to run to her. The arrow was only meant to serve as a distraction.
A dozen other fire tipped arrows launched into the sky, marking the ship’s size when they hit their target. Shouts rose into the night and the invisibility magic dropped. About two dozen of us rushed from our hidden places along the bank, some carrying small row boats. I jumped into the nearest one, Chol stepping into the rushing water to help another man push us out. They hopped in, soaked up to their waists already. Two people picked up the oars, and I watched as the hungry river attempted to swallow each of their attempts. Yet, we moved toward the ship despite the raging current. My hood ruffled from the breeze, and I realized Ravinder was guiding our vessels. Without it, there’d be no way to manage across the strong current.
One man in our boat tossed a grappling hook that snagged on the ship’s ladder. He yanked, dislodging the ladder from its position so it barreled downward, allowing us access to the bottom rung.
Other rowboats had already beaten us there, our team scaling halfway up another ladder about fifteen feet away. Commotion rang out from the front deck of the ship as our people started disappearing onto the deck, but we couldn’t see what was happening.
“Go, Nora,” Nicholas said from behind me.
One hand and foot at a time, I climbed. Screams carried over the roar of the rapids, and I looked over to the next ladder just in time to see one of our own blasted off. Then their ladder retreated with no one pulling it up.
That’s when I realized we weren’t the only ones using magic in this fight.
I didn’t stop to consider the risks. The man ahead of me thumped onto the deck of the ship and leaned over the ledge, extending his hand. We locked hands, and he hauled me over the railing. The ship creaked and groaned, but was vacant here at the back end. We were hidden by the square walls of the cabin situated in the center, two alleys on either side that wrapped to the front. Palming my dagger, I turned back to see Nicholas being drawn up over the edge.
He silently commanded with hand movements that he and I would go left and the other man would go right. He unsheathed his sword and nodded. For some reason, I’d needed to see that confirmation, that we were ready to do this. Together.
Dagger in hand, we worked our way across the length of the ship, steps quieted against the wooden boards. The shouting grew louder as we neared the front.
“Two ships docked on the port side! Someone take them down!” a man commanded.
“On it!” Steps rumbled toward us. The second he came into view, I swiped low, slicing his leg. He cursed and tumbled, and Nicholas pinned him in place.
“Where are the captured?” he demanded, an unforgiving tone of authority that I hadn’t heard him use before. He left his back exposed, so I remained crouched and guarded for anyone else that might venture down this way. We were obscured by shadows, lucky not to draw attention from his comrades on board.
The man cried out, but Nicholas muffled his screams, his gloved hand covering his mouth. The prince leaned forward, speaking hushed words to the man that I couldn’t hear over the activity ahead.
He removed his hand, and the man stammered, “D-down in the belly.”
“Most grateful,” Nicholas crooned with a lack of warmth. Then he hauled up the man who could barely stand on his injured leg. My cut probably severed something required to hold himself upright.
Nicholas swiftly brought him to the edge of the ship, tipping the man back until his feet faced the sky and shoved, sending him barreling to the water below. The man’s screams quickly faded into nothing. “We’ll have to get below deck,” Nicholas said, coming up to flank my left side.
A burst of orange light flared around us, and we turned to see a man wielding fire. He stood against one of our own, another wind wielder struggling to keep the surrounding flames at bay. With an arm extended, flames still blasting forward, the man raised his other arm. Our man went flying, as if picked up by a strong wind. He flew over the edge of the ship, plummeting into the raging river below.
“What the—” Nick said.
The man with fire caught sight of us, and the moment he extended his hand outright, Nicholas stepped in front of me.
“No!” I shouted, throwing myself against his back, arms wrapping around his waist. I felt nothing in that moment besides an overwhelming emptiness at the thought of losing him.
I expected my next breath to feel like I was inhaling dragon fire, but no heat came.
Nick touched my hands firmly set against his stomach. “Let’s go.” He didn’t release my hand as he pulled me forward. The fire wielder lay on the ground, an arrow embedded in his skull, his eyes unseeing toward the night sky.
We raced along a wall until Nicholas opened a door and entered, sword first. I followed him down the stairs, ignoring the altercations we left behind on the main deck. Our boots boomed against each step on the way down, emerging into a room filled with support beams and hanging lanterns. Crates of food lined the bordering walls, and a small cache of weapons spilled from a container similar to the one Nicholas and I confiscated. And in the back…
“Melody!” I sprinted across the room, approaching the small cell surrounded by bars.
“Nora?!” she called, disbelieving. She huddled in a corner, but she stood on uneven footing, meeting me at the bars. “How did, how are you—”
“We’re getting you out of here.” I scanned the room for any sign of keys.
“Here,” Nicholas called over the faint sound of jingling metal.
He jogged over, key ring in hand. I snatched it, my hands nearly shaking. The lock clinked, and the door screeched open. She bore a look of astonished relief. I dropped the keys, throwing my arms around my sister, squeezing her as if I couldn’t believe I held her in my grasp.
“I’m sorry.” My tears couldn’t be contained as they fell.
“I’m sorry too, but I think you more than made up for it.” Her hand stroked the back of my head, holding me close.
“Come on, we’re getting you out of here,” Nicholas said.
Melody nodded, but her eyes drifted to the side. “Look out!”
A man emerged from a stairwell leading to a lower level. Nicholas stepped forward immediately, but the man threw out a hand, sending Nicholas flying across the room until his back crashed into the wall.
“Chol!” I cried.
With my sister’s hand in mine, her standing behind me, I glanced at the clear path to the upper deck. That man wouldn’t let us get that far. He extended his hand toward me, and I could do nothing but brace for the impact and hope my sister survived the hit.
Except when I froze, she moved, stepping beside me.
A burst of white light flooded the room, and a wave of blunt power sent the man flying back down the stairs, tumbling and cursing as he did. Wide-eyed, I glanced side-long at my sister, and she to me. Then I raced for Nicholas, still trying to gather himself after the brutal blow. I kneeled beside him, helping him get up on his feet.
“Go,” he hissed.
“You’re coming,” I said without room for further discussion. He hooked an arm around my neck and staggered a few feet.
“I’ll clear the way,” Melody said, marching toward the stairs while holding up her skirts.
“Don’t, it’s dangerous!” I called out.
“Haven’t we already been through this?” She gave me a one-sided smirk.
“Yeah, and look how well that turned out.” I gestured to the human smuggling ship we currently stood on.
“Well, this time I’m armed.” Twirling her fingers in front of her, a stream of light wrapped around them like a ribbon. “It wouldn’t work behind those bars, but it’s working now.”
I ground my teeth, Chol’s weight starting to tire me. “Fine. There’s a boat near the back. Get to it.”
She nodded, her golden hair almost completely fallen from the beautiful style she’d had pinned back. A reminder of the struggle she’d endured. She led the way up the stairs.
“Coast is clear, I think,” she said.
We stepped onto the open deck. Half a dozen men lay on the ground, unmoving. Others stood around, casually perusing the elements of the ship. Smoke billowed into the sky, a sign that the fire arrows had been put out and we weren’t in danger of standing on kindling. Nicholas stood beside me, assessing as I was.
One of the camp members approached. “Is there anyone else on board?” he questioned, looking at the three of us.
“At least one below, knocked out. Second level down, there may be others,” Nicholas reported.
“Abilities? Weapons?”
“Wind,” Nicholas said.
The man whistled, summoning the rest of his crew to converge with him, heading to the deck below.
“This way.” I took Melody’s hand and led us to the back of the ship, where one of the camp members waited in the rowboat below, holding onto the ladder.
We left the camp members to deal with the ship and returned to land. After making our way back to the tents, I finally stopped, looking Melody over to make sure she was okay. I swiped her blonde locks out of her face, scanning for bruises or wounds.
“Nora, how on Myelle did you find me? And what is this getup you’re wearing?” She tugged on my hood.
I pulled it down, along with my mask. “It’s kind of a long story. Are you hungry? When was the last time you ate? Slept?”
She shook her head, her brow creasing. “I slept a bit in that cell. They tossed me a few scraps, but I’m strangely exhausted.”
“Did you overhear anything? Anything about their plans or destination?”
“No, all they spoke of was duties around the ship.”
I insisted she sit on my bed. “Can I get you anything?”
“Who are these people? How do you know them?” She rubbed at her throat. I collected a cup of water from the tent’s supply. She took it and guzzled the entire thing.
I answered during my refill, “This is a camp of refugees from Windguard. We’re at the northernmost border of Highcrest. We came here on horseback as soon as I found out you were missing.”
“Horseback? How was that?” she asked, probably recalling the one time we’d all taken a lesson after our parents wed.
“As painful as the last time.” I smirked, handing her the cup again.
She released a breathy laugh through her nose while taking another sip. When she swallowed, she asked, “We? The man in the matching outfit?”
I nodded, wanting to give her a little time to unwind from the ordeal before informing her that I’d been unknowingly running around the streets at night with the prince. “It was his horses that got us here. Speaking of which, that’s how I’ll take us back. Once the sun comes up, we’ll head home. It’s really rather a nice journey, maybe I’ll have time to enjoy it without worrying that you’re dead somewhere.”
We both snickered. “It’ll be nice to not worry about dying.”
“Nora.” Nicholas called through the other side of the tent.
“I’ll be right back.” I turned to Melody with a smile and placed a kiss on the top of her head, brushing my hand over her hair.
With my hood and mask securely back in place, I stepped outside.
“How is she?” he asked.
“She’s surprisingly…good.” I peered at the tent, as if I could see through to where my strong sister sat. “She needs a place to sleep tonight.” I knew he’d yield his cot, because that’s the type of person he was. A tinge of guilt nipped at me for it, though.
“Of course. I’ll find somewhere else to stay. Are you alright?” His voice was nearly a purr, and it made it hard to keep my distance.
“I’m not the one who got slammed against a wall by a magic attack.” I crossed my arms, cocking my hip to the side in question.
He chuckled, the sound soft and warm. “I’ve had worse,” he paused for a moment before continuing, “maybe.”
“You should go see a healer, if they have one.” I didn’t want to reveal how badly I cared that he was alright. After seeing him take that hit on the ship…
“I’ll be fine.” He blew it off, casually glancing into the distance.
“Hey, what did you whisper to that guy before you tossed him over the edge? I didn’t expect him to give up information that readily.”
He firmed up his stance on his feet. “I might have promised him something I didn’t plan on delivering.”
“Which was?”
“I think we all knew he’d never walk on that foot again after you sliced the tendon at his heel. I promised I’d heal him if he told me where to find your sister.”
I released a single, breathy laugh. “I’m not sure even your castle healers could have done that. His fault for believing you.”
He hummed in agreement. A moment passed. “I’m glad we got her back. I wouldn’t have left until we did. I would have camped by that river for a week.”
I swallowed the emotions building in my throat. He would, everything in me knew he meant it. Part of me still held that trust we’d developed over these few weeks, which made this situation all the more painful.
“I need to speak to Ro, to help get Melody settled,” I lied.
“I’ll go find her and send her back to your tent. You stay here with her.”
I nodded, dropping my gaze to my feet, kicking at the grass silvered by starlight.
He hesitated, but said, “Goodnight, Nora.”
I couldn’t look back up at him. He’d see my emotions betraying me at the sound of my name on his lips. Instead, I whispered, “Goodnight, Nick.” and returned to the tent.