Chapter 22
Callum
“What’s your favorite color?”
Elia and I are at our usual spot at the back of the ship, arms resting on the railing. Since we christened this our spot about a week ago now, we’ve been spending most of our days and nights here, enjoying each other’s company and getting to know each other more.
It’s a cloudless sky today, and the beaming sun is a nice balance to counteract the chill of the wind. Elia has her eyes closed, head tilted back over the railing. She told me she’s trying to gain back what tan she lost.
“Purple,” she replies.
“Like the color of lavender? That shade?”
“Hmm..,” she muses. “Darker than that. More like a deep, rich purple. A color so rare that you don’t see it everywhere, and when you do, you’re taken aback at its beauty.”
“How poetic.”
She elbows me in response. “Oh? And what’s your favorite color, then?”
“Probably brown.”
Her eyes pop open. “No one’s favorite color is brown, Callum.”
I rock back on my heels. “Why not? It’s a great color.”
“It’s the color of dirt, shit, and cockroaches. That’s why.”
“It’s also the color of beautiful hair.” I tuck a flyaway from her braid behind her ear, and Elia rolls her eyes, smiling. “The color of horses and puppies. Books. The color of coffee, which someone here is obsessed with –”
“Okay, fine, I’m sorry, you win,” Elia interrupts laughing. “Brown is a wonderful color.”
I pull her into my arms and kiss the tip of her nose. “Thank you. Apology accepted on behalf of all three of us who love that color.”
“You guys are so adorable it actually makes me sick.”
Ginna greets us and leans against the railing, staring at my outfit apprehensively.
Unlike me, she’s in full gear, sword by her side.
I’ve taken a more casual approach since boarding, with only a small dagger around my waist and a knife in my boot, and I know she thinks it’s not enough.
But I’m trying to show Elia a different side to myself, and shedding my sword and gear has made myself feel lighter, both physically and mentally.
“What’s your favorite color, Gin?” I ask her.
Ginna stares like I’ve grown an extra head. With this question and the lack of uniform, I might as well have. When I don’t retract the question and Elia taps her foot impatiently, she finally mutters, “Red.”
“See, Callum, now that’s an acceptable color choice.”
“I didn’t realize people had such standards.” I return to my position against the railing, mimicking Ginna’s pose. “How’re you holding up?”
She stares straight ahead, watching the bustle of the crew on deck. “I always love the travel part of being a Hunter. It’s one of the perks of the job. It’s the destination that’s not always the fun part.” Ginna side eyes me.
She and I haven’t talked much since we hastily made these arrangements. I know Ginna has her reservations, but I also know that she doesn’t have a better option, either. I brush my hair back in futility from the wind, flustered.
“Elia? Can you give us a second?” Whatever Ginna needs to say I’d rather air it out now. It’s already been almost a month of sailing, and we need to be on the same page when we reach Sevrin.
Elia nods. “Of course. I’ll go see if I can help the quartermaster.” After a quick peck on my lips and a wave to Ginna, she leaves us.
“Go ahead,” I demand to Ginna. “What’s on your mind, Gin?”
“What are you doing?” She asks bluntly.
“What do you mean?”
She gestures wildly in the air. “With everything! Let’s start with what are you wearing? You have no sword, no armor. I’ve never seen you not in uniform on a Hunt, Callum.”
“Do I seem to be in danger?”
“You don’t know these people!” She hisses. “The crew are not your Hunters. Any one of them could have it out for you. Plus we’re literally headed to a pirate island! The waters are going to be crawling with bandits and thieves soon. We could be attacked at any time. You’re letting your guard down.”
I grow frustrated. “Is that such a bad thing, Gin?”
“I know the last couple of years have been hard without Rafe. And I know the King’s putting an exorbitant amount of pressure on you.
But now is not the time to sway from our path.
This might be the breakthrough we’ve all been waiting for.
And you need to pull it together. At least put on your uniform, damnit,” she growls.
“Is that all?”
She glares at me. “I worry about you.”
“I know.” My voice shakes. “And I’m sorry. It’s all been…a lot.”
There’s a long pause before Ginna asks the question I was waiting for. “What are you going to do when you see Rafe again?”
I’d been wondering that myself. I spent years imagining the day I would see Rafe again. I had hundreds of different visions of what I would say and do. But I tell Ginna the honest answer.
“I don’t know.”
“Me neither.”
The emotion in Ginna’s voice strikes a chord deep within me. It’s as if she slapped me in the face, a sudden clarity dawning on me. I’ve been acting as if I was the only one who lost Rafe, but he was also Ginna’s best friend, and he abandoned her, too.
“Ginna,” I falter. “I’m sorry. For my carelessness now, but also for not being there for you and Hanson like I should have. I never even asked you how you handled Rafe leaving.”
She clasps me on the shoulder in a tender, familiar way.
“I know he meant something different to you, but I loved him too, Cal. So did Hanson. We all suffered when he left, but it was as if you closed your doors from that point on, trying to bear it all yourself, when we were right there, willing to walk alongside you. You were never alone in your grief.”
Her words hit me like a sack of bricks. I know I wasn’t the best person to be around during that time, but I didn’t realize just how bad of a friend I had been. I’m terrible at allowing others to help me, never wanting them to get a glimpse behind my facade to see how damaged I actually am.
“I’m sorry. I should have handled it better. I promise to be a better friend, if you’ll let me.”
“And you’ll wear your uniform?”
I lift my pinkie finger in the air towards her. “Promise.”
She rolls her eyes, but I can see the emotion behind them. See that this conversation was long overdue. “Come here.”
Ginna pulls me into a hug, and I realize again how terrible of a friend I was when I can’t remember the last time this happened.
“And look.” She releases me from the embrace, one hand still on my shoulder, and stares toward the path Elia took. “I am happy for you and Elia. Honestly. I’m glad you’ve moved on from Rafe, and I like her a lot.”
“I’m waiting for the ‘but’,” I state pointedly.
Ginna glares at me. “But, I want to make sure you’re being honest with her.”
“I am honest with her.” Her expression says otherwise. “Honestly!” The back of my neck is warm, and I try to hide my fidgeting hands behind my back.
“Omitting information is the same as lying, Cal. I get the sense that she doesn’t really know you, or what you do, or did.”
“I’m a Hunter.” I hurriedly rush to finish. “And that’s the truth.”
Ginna makes an exasperated sound. “It’s a truth. But –”
A loud thud cuts Ginna off, and the planks under our feet vibrate, jostling us.
“What was that?” I ask at the exact same time I hear someone in the crew yell.
“PIRATES! WE’RE BEING ATTACKED!”
And all hell breaks loose.
Ginna immediately draws her sword, racing to the opposite side where the noise came from. I don’t have time to return to my room for my own sword, and I swear under my breath. Ginna was right – I should have been in uniform.
I doubt she’ll ever let me live this down now.
I remove my dagger from its holster and dig my small knife out from the inside of my boot. They’re both small, but better than nothing.
Another explosion rocks the boat, and I scan the deck, searching for the dark brown hair and a flash of rainbow eyes.
“ELIA!” I shout through the rising smoke, weaving my way through the chaos on deck.
I find the first mate and grab him by the shoulders roughly. “What’s happening?”
There’s blood on the side of his head from a nasty blow. “Pirates are boarding from the bow, sir. They’ve thrown two explosives so far.”
I scan the seas to find their home base, but the fog is thick, and I can’t see more than twenty feet. They’ve chosen the perfect time to attack.
“Where are they coming from?”
“Captain said starboard side, sir.”
“Okay, keep the ship headed in the opposite direction. We don’t want to be in range for cannons.”
He nods. “And the ones in the small boat boarding?” A yell comes from the direction Ginna had headed, and I assume they’ve breached our deck already.
“I’ll take care of them.”
I sprint to catch up with Ginna, trying to catch a glimpse of Elia on the way. Panic creeps into me, but I will myself to remain steady. Elia said she was going to help the quartermaster, which is floors below. I have to assume she’s safe. My first job is to clear the ship of these damned pirates.
The sound of steel clashing and the smell of copper greets me as I reach the front of the ship.
Ginna is fighting with a burly man, at least a foot taller than her in height and width.
I take a quick survey. There’s three bloodied bodies lying motionless on deck, and five pirates approaching.
Six in total counting the one Ginna’s currently attacking.
The only good sign is that I don’t see Elia amongst the battle.
I take half a second for myself to close my eyes and breathe. I tug on the other side of myself, the one I try to bury deep. When I open them, all my ruthless training is at the foreground of my mind and body. My vision is red.
Hurt.
Destroy.
Kill.
The noise of the battle fades away and my sight is focused solely on the assailants in front of me.
The first pirate raises his sword, but I already clocked his first movement. I easily duck his heavy swing and slide the dagger across his scrawny thigh, severing his femoral artery. A splash of his blood hits my face and it’s as refreshing as dipping into a cool lake on a hot summer day.
The second one takes the opportunity to attack from behind, trying to catch me off guard.
As if that could happen.
Instead, I sweep one of my legs out hard, catching him behind his knees. Almost in the same place the King had swung his sword at me all those years ago.
His leg crumples, losing balance for only seconds.
It only takes me seconds, though, to use my small knife and cut the back of his sword hand, causing him to startle and drop his weapon.
Defenseless, and at my mercy, a voice in my head whispers that I could knock him out cold.
The louder voice in my head screams that I’m weak, and it’s that voice that drives my body to slice his jugular.
I’m rewarded with another warm, wet spray of crimson.
A third pirate screams, charging at me from the side. His hands are covered in soot, and I wonder if he’s responsible for the small explosions to Midas. I have a particular fondness for this ship, and he’ll pay for the damage he caused.
This man appears more competent in his sword fighting. He parries and defends my attacks more skillfully than his brethren. I’m only toying with him, though. I move side to side, backward and forward – a trick I learned when I was nine to wear your opponent out.
I hear a body thud to the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, Ginna pulls her sword from the burly pirate’s chest, hurrying as the fourth man brandishes his weapon at her.
The man I’m fighting is panting now, sweat glistening on his wide forehead. It’s time to end this.
I feign movement to the right, and as he goes to follow my lead, I use my dagger to hold his sword at bay and send a kick right into the man’s stomach.
He doubles over, breathless from both the earlier movement and now the kick.
I use that opportunity to slide my dagger into his side, watching him slowly drop to his knees before collapsing forward, sword clattering to the ground.
Deciding it was a good chance to upgrade my weapon, I steal his sword and drive it through his back for good measure, before pulling it back out to face my last offender.
The last pirate is hesitating, sword trembling slightly.
I throw him a cruel sneer and raise an eyebrow, daring him to attack.
He takes the bait, of course, and comes barreling toward me, sword out long.
I chuckle at the simplicity of his attack as I sidestep him, leaving my foot six inches above the ground to trip him right as he reaches the spot I was just in.
The pirate goes sprawling on the deck, sword scattering, and scrambles back on his hands, eyes wide with fear.
I slowly trail after him, sword at my side. His back hits the side of the mast, nowhere left to move.
“W-Who are you?” The pirate cowers.
I raise my sword to the sky, blade hovering over the man’s heart. “I’m a Hunter…and you are my prey.”
And I drive the blade through the man’s chest, piercing his heart.
I find Ginna, alone, her last opponent defeated, blood and ash covering her face.
“Bet you wish you had your armor, huh?” She smirks.
I wave my hand dismissively. “Nothing I couldn’t handle without it.” My pulse is still racing, adrenaline pumping. My hands are twitching incessantly around the pommel of my sword, desperate for another fight.
“You good?” Ginna asks, and I realize I’m bouncing on the balls of my feet.
I stop abruptly. “Yes.” I cough. “Sorry - it’s the adrenaline. You know how it is.”
“Right.” She pauses. “Well, I’ll alert the crew. Make sure they can’t spot any more pirates on their way and have them deal with this.” She gestures at the bloodied deck, holes blown in the planks, and the bodies scattered about.
“Have you seen Elia?” When Ginna shakes her head I continue. “I need to go check if she's okay. She must still be in the galley with the quartermaster.”
I turn to leave and that’s when I see Elia standing by the railing. She looks like the siren she is, emerging from the fading smoke of the explosion, dress and hair whipping in the wind. But it’s the horrified shock on her face that stills me completely. As if she’s seen a ghost.
Or, I guess in this case, seen what a Hunter looks like when he’s caught his prey.