Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
FINLEY
THE MYSTIC
Finley stormed into her room, so full of shock and rage and ready to collapse into bed, she barely greeted her crew or took in the beauty that was being back in her floating home.
“Zombies!” She exclaimed and flung herself on the bed. Behind her, Ai followed and closed the door with a quiet click. “She has an army of zombies! I did not anticipate that. Did you anticipate it?”
“Yes, I saw too,” Ai said. “But no, I had no idea. Amelia never gave any hint to them.”
Finley yawned and stretched her arms over her head. “And who is that man? I can’t believe he had the nerve to touch me.” She shuddered at the memory.
“That’s Dusan,” Ai answered and sat primly at the vanity. She examined herself in the mirror and grimaced, then dug out the hairbrush in the drawer and worked on extracting the tangles in her hair. “He’s Amelia’s lover. Sort of.”
Finley raised her head off the mattress. “What does that mean?”
“The lines give me mixed signals about them,” Ai explained.
With her magic from Diar, Ai could see lines between people of how they were connected and the types of relationships they had.
It was how Finley was able to have so many conquests.
Ai would show her the people who were open to have a little fun with Finley for a night or two, and Finley would pursue as she desired.
It was helpful for raids and battles too.
“There’s a sexual connection which is obvious.
But there are some other colors and dynamics mixed in there too I haven’t been able to decipher quite yet.
Relationships are more complicated than they first appear you know. ”
Interesting. Finley tucked that information in her brain to ponder and consider for later. She was sure whatever the nature of the relationship between Amelia and Dusan was, would be useful somehow.
“I can tell you all about it later after you’ve gotten some rest,” Ai told her. “Getting The Mystic here must have taken too much energy. You need to be careful.”
Finley kicked off her shoes and forced herself to stand and find her nightclothes.
She’d been in this awful ensemble for too long and was worried she’d never get the stench of that cave filled with zombies (no wonder it smelled so terrible) out of them.
“I’m fine,” she lied. “Nothing a little nap won’t fix. ”
“And when you’re done with your nap, you can tell me all about what’s going on with you and Rafe.”
A brief bolt of energy shot through Finley at Ai’s statement. “What’s going on with me and Rafe? He’s helping us with Amelia and we’re helping him get rid of this connection with Stula so he doesn’t kill Rose. That’s all that’s going on.”
Ai rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, Captain. I’m going to go help the crew and get them situated until you’re ready. Come find me when you wake up.”
Finley shooed her away with her hand and yawned again. “Yes, fine. Go.”
Ai walked over and gave Finley one final hug before going off to do her duties as first mate. “I’m glad you’re all right. I didn’t know what to think when we got separated.”
Finley relaxed into the hug. “Me too. But we’re here now, and we’ll get out of this mess with Amelia.”
“And then we can go home?”
Finley paused. It was a conversation and argument they’d been having for months.
When they’d run away at sixteen years old, neither of them anticipated being gone this long.
Finley loved the freedom of the ocean air and exploring all the world had to offer.
It had appeared as though Ai loved it too, until recently when she’d started requesting they take a break and return to the Davian Islands.
They’d kept touch with their families through letters, Ai more than Finley, but that wasn’t enough for Ai.
She said she missed her family and the stability of home.
Which was easy for Ai. While her parents may not have been pleased their daughter went off for a life of pirating, they were so grateful she was safe and well when she came home she was greeted with open arms. Finley on the other hand was greeted with lectures, eye rolls, and words full of judgment and disdain.
At least when she had a family at home to go to.
She knew it wasn’t fair to Ai to be deprived of her family, and Ai was free to go whenever she wanted.
But they’d never been apart for more than a few days ever since they started this oceanic journey.
The idea of Ai leaving for a few weeks or months or even worse, years or forever, left Finley feeling empty and shaky.
“Let’s get through this and then we’ll talk,” Finley said eventually.
Ai sighed then nodded. “Fine. Get some sleep.”
They broke the hug and Ai went out. Being alone for the first time in days, the exhaustion of everything finally took over. Finley forced herself to change then collapsed onto her bed and let sleep take her.
When her eyes fluttered open once again, Finley breathed a sigh of relief.
It was good to be back on The Mystic and not a prison wagon or underwater cave.
There was the soothing rock, back and forth, of the ship and the lyrical sound of waves outside the cabin window.
Tears threatened to escape her eyes, and she was about to let them.
For the first time in so long she could let her guard down, even for just a moment.
“Praise the deities you’re awake.”
Finley propped herself up on her elbows to look around, and there curled into a chair across the room was Ai.
She wore a fresh set of clothing with a deep pink flowy blouse tucked into a set of brown trousers.
Her brown boots had been discarded on the ground, and her jet-black hair was sleek and combed.
A book was in her hands and she closed it as Finley sat.
She scowled. “You should be out with the crew warding Amelia off of them. If she laid a single finger on you or anyone else?—”
Ai shook her head and walked over to the bed where she perched herself on the edge.
“I’m fine. Amelia and Mariah weren’t particularly friendly, but they haven’t done me or anyone else harm.
I think they knew if they did they would have no chance of getting your assistance.
I gave the crew a shortened version on what’s going on but I’m sure they’ll want you to address them and have a million questions.
But our guests are impatiently waiting for you to wake up.
I’ll admit, I’ve been a bit impatient too. It’s been almost half a day.”
Amelia better have been waiting and not causing any trouble on her ship.
They were in her territory now and would wait as long as Finley wanted them to.
Being asleep for almost half a day was concerning though.
As much as Finley wanted to be petty, perhaps taking her time for the sheer enjoyment of making her cousin wait wasn’t the best way to go.
Finley stretched her arms over her head and pushed herself off the bed. “I’ll get out there then. But while I get dressed you need to tell me everything that happened and what you learned while Amelia had you captured.”
Ai seemed to think this was an acceptable agreement and pushed herself farther onto the bed so her back rested against the wall and made herself comfortable. “Well, as you know now, it was a set up. She’s been on the move ever since she’s been blocked from Eral Forest.”
Finley and Ai had already left before all that had happened.
When they’d been kidnapped by the ogres (also from Amelia’s orders) Eral Forest had been sick and drowning in itself.
That was where they’d met Rafe, Rose, and Rose’s companion Cal.
All of them escaped once Rose defeated an ogre in a duel.
But then, Rose’s grandmother, the forest god’s minister, was killed by Rafe.
Finley and Ai had been along for their adventure in the hopes of Rose helping them get to the mountains to retrieve Gallis’ Chalice.
When it didn’t seem as though that plan would work, they’d taken the Shadow Slayers and left.
While they may not have been present in Eral at the time, they’d heard rumors and stories of everything that happened after their departure.
Rose won some magical competition to become the next minister and then saved Eral Forest. Apparently, it was getting sick due to Amelia’s occupation in a swamp nearby and it poisoned the land.
So, Rose along with her sister and their dragon friend, found a way to barricade Eral from Amelia, saving the forest.
“But how? Everyone is on the lookout for her,” Finley asked. “There’s guards and soldiers from nearly every kingdom searching for her.”
Ai gave her a knowing smile. “While you were asleep, I was able to gather more information. Those swamp zombies? They’re ancient sorcerers and sorceresses from a magical swamp that used to be a burial ground for priests & priestesses of Colma.
They’ve been doing her bidding, and they can travel underwater which is why she can get away with so much. ”
Finley pulled on a pair of tight black pants and a billowy white shirt and let Ai’s announcement wash over her in waves.
Maybe it was the exhaustion or being home or being with Ai again, but something bubbled up inside her chest and traveled up her throat and a laugh burst out of her.
She threw her head back and laughter rang through the cabin.
“I don’t see how this is funny. We’re under Amelia’s control and who knows if we’ll find your cure and now we’re partnered with someone who could bring down the entire realm — again.”
Ai stared at Finley as though she were crazy, which, maybe she was.
“An army of swamp zombies,” Finley said once she finally got her wits together.
At first, Finley had been shocked when Amelia revealed the disgusting undead creatures.
Now, she was a little impressed She shook her head.
“Why didn’t I think of that? Do you know how unstoppable our fleets would be if we had an army of swamp zombies?
My cousins might be evil, but they are geniuses. ”
“Some might say it runs in the family.” Ai gave her a pointed look, which Finley replied to with a playful push on her arm.
“I’m not evil, I’m morally gray. There’s a difference.”
“Fine, but I don’t trust Amelia or her mother for a moment. Do you really think the ingredients she’s going to share with you will be accurate?”
Finley tossed her hair off to the side and ran her fingers through its tangles.
She grimaced. A good long bath was what she needed next to get the grime of the prison off.
“I don’t trust her either, but I don’t have any other leads on finding the cure for my curse.
I figured at the very least, I can be here to help you and protect our crew.
Any idea of where Amelia wants to take us? ”
Ai shook her head. “She has this way of making my ears watery whenever she thinks I’m listening in on her conversations. Or, when that doesn’t work, Charis who’s with her has this instrument that puts me to sleep when she plays it.”
Making ears watery? Interesting, and not a terrible idea on how to keep conversations private.
Even more interesting was that Lady Chris, a spoiled noblewoman she and Ai met during their time in the southern kingdom of Oxare when they helped Amelia the first time, was with this party.
Amelia seemed to have more allies than Finley originally thought.
“Well, I suppose we’ll find out soon. I figure the sooner we can get all the clues out of Mariah, the sooner we can ditch them and make our way to the mountains. ”
Ai raised her right hand and gave Finley a stiff salute. “Aye, aye, Captain! Now,” a sly smile spread across her face. “Tell me all about Rafe.”
Finley tossed her hair over her other shoulder. “He is the most frustrating and confusing man I’ve ever met.”