Chapter 18 When Wind Meets Sea #2
It was Eryx who scoffed this time, but they mercifully remained silent otherwise.
Pip did not. “We heard about the swimming lesson. I’ve never seen the captain give private lessons before–”
“Merrow said the Cradle Isles aren’t far now,” Eryx said conversationally, cutting Pip off. “We should be there tomorrow. Or the day after.”
If it was a distraction tactic, it worked wonderfully. Pip perked up. “What do you think the witch is like? I’ve never seen a witch!” Then, to Riley. “Are you worried?” He glanced at her gloved hands. “Also, can I see?”
Riley stiffened. She wasn’t sure she liked this line of questioning better than the one before.
Eryx shot her a worried glance, and she liked that even less. “Pip, we’re not supposed to–”
“No,” Riley said, setting her spoon down. “It’s fine.”
She tugged off her gloves, rolled up her sleeves, and set her hands on the table in front of the two young pirates. If they were all going to get distracted by making a pit stop at the Cradle Isles, they might as well get to see why.
When Riley had tried to listen around, she had only heard expressions of relief from the other pirates, that they wouldn’t have to go the mad way and try to cross the Graveyard.
Apparently it was full of shipwrecks, and the crew doubted even Calla’s influence over the sea would’ve been able to keep them safe in those waters.
But whenever Sable was brought up, everyone just fell silent.
Riley knew what they were thinking. That she wouldn’t make it, because it had been days and the compass still pointed towards the Graveyard.
Riley tried not to think of that. She tried not to think of the witch either, of the price she might ask in return for her help, if she could help at all.
None of her visions had ever shown her Sable, and she tried really hard not to wonder at what that meant, because it couldn’t be anything good.
Though the visions never showed her Calla, either, so–
Riley startled when Pip took hold of her right hand, the whole one, and turned it palm up. Then he suddenly stilled, frowning. “I’m not gonna catch anything, am I? You’re not contagious?”
If it weren’t for the note of panic in his voice, Riley would’ve let her sourness show on her face. Because she’d thought of it, too. It had stopped her from touching Calla back, like she’d wanted to this morning. “No,” she said. And then she let her lips turn into a half-hearted smirk. “Probably.”
Pip gulped, and he set her hand back on the table again.
“She’s not sick,” Eryx said with enough conviction to make Riley look at them questioningly.
“Do you know anything about these marks? What they might be?” Riley asked, resenting the hope in her own voice.
Eryx frowned. “It wants you to follow,” they said, like it was obvious.
A chill went through her, and Riley retrieved her hands from view, tugged her gloves back on. “Why me?” she asked, with a hint of frustration. “There’s nothing special about me.”
Pip frowned at that. Eryx lifted their shoulders in a helpless gesture.
Before she could ask more questions, Eryx rose to their feet. “See you around, Riley,” they said before they wandered out of the crew’s mess.
Pip remained sitting across from her, which was odd.
His lips twisted in a smirk, and Riley didn’t know what it was about it, but it looked ugly on his face.
She waited for him to say something, but he kept eerily silent.
He simply stared right into her eyes as he picked up the skewer from his plate and bit into his meal with great, exaggerated pleasure.
Riley frowned at him. What was he eating?
Realization crept up on her, crawling up her back, to the roots of her hair. It was a skewered rat. Riley’s hand immediately shot to the bag at her side. Her throat closed up in panic as she patted it only to find it empty.
Pip blinked at her innocently, the rat’s tail hanging from the corner of his mouth as he held the skewered rat towards her. “Sorry,” he said. Then he grinned in pure malice. “Did you want some?”
Riley saw red. She shot to her feet, palm slamming against the table as she leaned over to grab a fistful of Pip’s shirt. “You little shit,” she ground out, and it only made the fucker grin wider, his eyes sparkling with glee.
Then Riley froze. A sharp coldness rested against her throat. A blade–a sword. She followed the arm holding it to meet–Neera’s eyes.
Neera smiled at her, sharper than the blade. “Do tell me you’re not picking on my little brother, or I just might have to throw you overboard.”
Riley blinked. “Your… what?” she asked, her head swimming. Her heart slammed against her ribs as she stared, and stared, and stared.
And then she realized.
This was not real.
But Pip’s shirt was real in her fist. Neera’s blade was real against her throat. She reached her free hand up slowly where the blade rested, dread making her skin crawl. Her fingers only met the skin of her own throat.
“Riley?” Pip squeaked from across her. “I’m sorry, you looked done with your meal and I wanted some. I won’t do it again.” He looked scared. Of her.
Riley let go of his shirt as if burned, flinching away.
“I’m sorry,” she said, suddenly weak in the knees.
She had to grab the back of her chair to stay upright.
“I thought–” She looked to where Neera had been, but she was gone.
A small chitter at her shoulder drew her gaze to beady black eyes.
Patch was staring at her questioningly. Riley drew another step back from Pip.
“I’m sorry, Pip,” she managed, and then she fled, because she couldn’t take the hurt look on his face.
This was getting worse. So much worse. Riley couldn’t be on deck anymore. She couldn’t handle this. She needed to hide in Calla’s quarters until they reached the witch, until she could start trusting her own mind again–
Riley stopped short halfway to the quarterdeck, just now her vision’s meaning catching up to her.
Little brother.
Pip was Neera’s brother. That was why she was following. It had never been about Riley at all. And she wouldn’t stop until she had him, would she? She wouldn’t stop until she got her hands on him and got him as twisted as she was. That was what the vision was telling her.
All thoughts of running fled Riley’s head.
She found Calla, only stopping to gasp in a breath before she spoke. “I know what Neera wants,” she said. And then, hesitating, “Do you trust me?”