Chapter 28 Rose
By the time they reached Wishbone Bay, it was just after dawn. The sun peeked out over the horizon, turning the bay a glistening gold. The sea breeze was biting, but Rose welcomed it. She was exhausted from lack of sleep, and with everything that had happened over the last few days, she felt as if she had been awake for weeks. The cool morning air jolted her back to life, to purpose.
‘We will take my boat, of course,’ said Anika, striding towards the imposing Gevran war ship festooned with blue and silver flags. ‘We Gevrans know the Sunless Sea better than any other.’
‘Wait.’ Celeste pulled her to a stop. ‘We should take my brother’s ship. I’ve never known a more skilful captain.’
Celeste and Anika stared at each other for a long moment. Celeste set her jaw, and Rose knew no matter how fond she was of Anika, she would never allow anyone to say there was a captain better than her brother.
‘Their first lovers’ spat,’ Shen whispered to Rose.
‘Who do you think is going to win?’ said Kai. ‘My money’s on the redhead.’
‘I will decide,’ said Rose, stepping in between them. ‘We will sail on the Siren’s Secret. Marino Pegasi is a fine captain but more importantly, he is a witch. The swifter we sail, the better for all. We will need every gust we can gather.’
A short while later, all five of them clambered on to the Siren’s Secret. There were a handful of shipmates milling about on deck, preparing to sail.
‘It’s not natural to be floating on water like this,’ said Kai, glancing uneasily over the edge. ‘I don’t like it.’
Shen elbowed him in the side. ‘Just wait until we’re out on the open sea, cousin. Then you’ll really hate it.’
Celeste tapped the first mate on the shoulder. ‘Dooley! Where is the captain?’
‘He’s in his quarters, Lady Celeste. Still sleeping, I imagine.’ He chuckled awkwardly. ‘We had a late night, but we’ll soon be heading to the southern continent.’
‘We’ll see about that,’ Celeste muttered under her breath. ‘Thank you, Dooley.’ She looked to the others. ‘This way to the captain’s quarters.’
‘We’ll stay up here,’ said Shen. ‘Introduce ourselves to the crew.’
‘As long as Kai doesn’t start any fights,’ warned Rose.
As she followed Celeste below deck, trailing her hand along the finely wrought balustrade, she smiled. She knew Marino’s ship well, recalling with fondness the day he had first acquired it some years ago, how he had insisted on taking Celeste and Rose on the Siren’s Secret’s maiden voyage. They had only sailed to the edge of the bay and back, but at the time, it had been the furthest Rose had ever been from Anadawn. She had stood at the prow with the wind in her hair and the salt spray from the sea kissing her cheeks, marvelling at how big the world truly was. Thinking how desperately she wished to explore it.
When she returned, Willem Rathborne had flown into a rage, furious that she’d dared set foot on a ship without his permission. She’d been locked in her tower for a week after that, only seeing her loyal maidservant Agnes when she came to bring up Rose’s food. But even that didn’t tarnish the memory of Rose’s first time on a proper ship, feasting her eyes on the wide open sea and seeing within it a world of glittering possibilities.
In the captain’s quarters, Marino Pegasi was fast asleep. Even with his mouth open and snoring raucously, he was handsome as ever.
Anika let out a delighted squeal. ‘Oh! He looks just like you!’
Celeste groaned. ‘That’s what everyone says.’ She thumped her brother on the arm. ‘Wake up, dunderhead!’
Marino muttered something unintelligible and rolled over, burying his face in his pillow.
Celeste thumped him again. ‘I said wake up!’
Marino opened one eye, like a cat, and took in the scene before him. He looked at Anika and then Rose, his smile slow and lazy. ‘Waking up to two beautiful women in my cabin is unexpected but not unwelcome.’ He cleared his throat as he sat up, and Rose saw he was still in his nightshirt. ‘To what do I owe this pleasure?’ He flicked his gaze to his sister. ‘And good morning to you as well, Lessie.’
‘Oh, he’s a charmer!’ purred Anika. ‘I should have known!’
Marino’s brow furrowed. ‘Wait. Aren’t you Gevran?’
‘Which brings us to the matter in hand,’ said Celeste, deftly. ‘We need you to take us to Gevra. Immediately.’
Marino laughed. ‘Lessie, I’m headed to Caro today. I can’t simply take you to Gevra on a whim.’
‘I told you we should take my boat,’ said Anika, smugly. ‘Nobody on my boat says no to me.’
‘Marino, you’re taking us to Gevra,’ said Celeste, scowling at her brother. ‘I’m afraid it’s non-negotiable.’
‘I have spices to sell, Lessie. Cloth to trade.’ Marino threw off the covers and got out of bed, searching for his boots. ‘Eanan goods have become so popular in Caro that I’m finding myself in great demand. Apparently, they think our very fabric is infused with magic!’ He barked a laugh. ‘Business has been booming ever since Rose and Wren came into power.’
‘Well, you know what won’t help business?’ said Celeste, snatching up his boot before he could shrug it on. She waved it in his face. ‘When all of Eana is ravaged by a power-hungry undead witch!’
Marino frowned. ‘Wait. What?’ He looked to Rose, his brows furrowing at the grim look on her face.
Rose sighed. ‘Marino, I’m sorry to do this, but as queen of Eana, I order you to take us to the isle of Carrig at once. I’m afraid it is a matter of life and death.’
Marino scrubbed a hand across his jaw. ‘Well, when you put it like that, how could I resist?’ He forced a chuckle, striving to lighten the mood. ‘At this rate, I’m practically already running a ferry service from here to Gevra. I should really start charging.’
‘You will be well compensated,’ said Rose.
His face brightened. ‘I like the sound of that.’
Celeste snorted. ‘Here’s something you should know about my brother, Anika. His two favourite things are money and mermaids.’
‘And great feats of bravery.’ Marino snatched his boot from his sister and pulled it on. ‘I love nothing more than the chance to be a hero. Just as long as I don’t have to get off my boat. Now,’ he said, looking up from his laces. ‘Tell me about this undead witch.’
Within the hour, they were sailing.
Marino, dressed in his full captain regalia, with his plum frockcoat billowing behind him in the wind and his tricorn hat set on his head at a jaunty angle, stood at the helm, guiding the ship. Rose and the others gathered nearby, holding on to the railings as they looked to the horizon.
‘Next stop – Carrig!’ cried Marino, raising his hands and calling down a whip of wind that sent Rose’s hair skyward. Celeste and Rose followed his lead, summoning their own strands of wind. They combined in a mighty roar, punching the sails taut. The ship lurched, skipping like a stone across the water.
‘Easy there!’ yelled Kai, bending to vomit over the side of the ship. ‘Some of us are still waiting to get our sea legs!’
Shen nudged Rose. ‘Isn’t Marino the man you once called the most handsome in all of Eana?’
Marino beamed over his shoulder. ‘Did you really say that?’
Rose’s cheeks flamed. ‘I said that I had seen a lot of women mooning over you.’
Kai looked up mid-vomit to assess Marino. ‘Surely I’m more handsome,’ he slurred. ‘He’s just fancy. Put me in a ruffled shirt and I’ll look just as good, if not better.’
‘It takes years of practice to become this dashing,’ said Marino, tipping his tricorn. ‘Now then, let me focus on getting us to Gevra as quickly as possible. It sounds as if it’s rather urgent.’ He cast another gust and the ship quickened again.
Kai swayed on his feet, his face taking on a greenish hue. ‘Please stop,’ he moaned, before rushing for the railings.
‘Here,’ said Rose, stepping away from Shen and reaching for Kai’s hand. ‘Let me help settle your stomach.’
Kai couldn’t lift his head but managed to speak. ‘Aw, Queenie. I didn’t know you cared.’
‘Don’t be so flattered,’ said Rose, releasing a pulse of healing magic. ‘If you’re going to help us kill Oonagh, I need you at your best.’
Once they were out on the open sea and had enjoyed a simple breakfast of griddle cakes with jam, Rose found she could barely keep her eyes open. Marino dutifully offered up his own quarters to her, and Celeste quickly decided she and Anika would share the other private cabin on board, which belonged to the first mate.
‘What about us?’ said Kai, gesturing between himself and Shen. ‘Are we supposed to sleep in that tiny crow’s nest?’ He flexed, unnecessarily. ‘Look at me. I’m far too large.’
‘You two are more than welcome to avail of the bunk beds below deck,’ said Marino, good-naturedly. ‘I apologize in advance for the smell.’
Shen walked Rose to the captain’s cabin then paused at the door. ‘You know, we aren’t in Eana any more …’
‘And?’ said Rose, goading him.
‘I don’t think the same rules of propriety apply,’ he went on. ‘Surely ships have their own set of rules.’
‘I believe you’re right,’ she said, pulling him inside and locking the door.
And then it was only the two of them.
‘Well,’ Shen said, glancing around the small but finely outfitted cabin. ‘This is far nicer than the crew’s bunks.’
‘So, you were only trying to talk your way into a more comfortable bed?’ Rose teased.
‘I wouldn’t dare assume I’d be sharing your bed,’ he said.
‘Well, then I insist,’ said Rose, blushing at her own boldness as she pulled him close, then closer still, until they fell on to the bed together.
Shen brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, gazing down at her as if she was the loveliest creature he’d ever seen. Rose arced up beneath him, wrapping her arms around his neck, before she pressed her lips to his.
Shen kissed her back, hungrily, and she lost herself in him.
Far too soon he pulled away, leaving her lips swollen from his kisses.
‘Rose, I don’t believe I’m saying this, but we should rest. We’ll be at Carrig before we know it. And who knows what we’ll find there.’
Rose sighed. Thoughts of Oonagh shattered the moment. But still. She was with Shen. And that was what mattered now. She curled into him, bringing his hand around her waist and holding it close to her heart.
Shen nuzzled into her, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. The noise from above soon faded until all she could hear was the sound of her breath, mingling with his.
When Rose awoke, she was cold and alone. Shen was gone, most likely keeping a watchful eye on Kai. Shivering, she wrapped herself in her borrowed Gevran furs and went to the porthole. The window was covered in frost, the crystals forming intricate shapes on the glass.
She peered out, hoping for a glimpse of Carrig, but all she saw was the eerily still waters of the Sunless Sea, glistening under the evening sky. Rose ventured above deck, where Marino was standing with both hands on the wheel, a look of intense concentration on his face.
‘Is everything all right?’ Rose asked.
‘I’ve never sailed in this part of the Sunless Sea,’ he said, without tearing his gaze from the water. ‘I usually make port on the mainland but this island you’re after is so remote it’s caught in its own current. It’s best to be on guard.’
‘Very sensible,’ said Rose, approvingly. ‘Rare for you.’
Marino chuckled. ‘I am always sensible when it comes to my ship. You know that, Rosie.’
‘Goodness! Nobody has called me Rosie in years.’
He flashed a grin. ‘You might be Queen Rose now, but you and Celeste will always be Rosie and Lessie to me.’
‘I suppose I’ll allow it,’ she said, returning his smile.
‘I like your Sunkissed king,’ Marino went on. ‘I saw him and his cousin playing cards below deck with my crew, and he fit right in. A good catch indeed.’
Rose let out a burst of laughter. ‘Catch? He’s not a fish!’
Marino gave her a sly look. ‘He might not be a fish but he is certainly caught. Snared. Whatever you want to call it. Plain as day to anyone who sees the two of you together.’
Rose flushed. ‘He is … quite nice,’ she admitted.
‘I’m happy for you,’ said Marino.
‘And what about you? Still looking for that mermaid you saw, once upon a time?’ Rose said, grinning.
‘I’m far too busy for love,’ said Marino, good-naturedly. ‘The sea is all I need. But I know love when I see it, and you, Rose, have found the real thing.’
They sailed on, the sea growing more tempestuous with every passing hour. Rose couldn’t shake the feeling that the sea was warning them away. It was as if every wave were pushing them back, trying to send them home to Anadawn. To safety.
Rose clutched Daybreak, holding it close for courage. She would not miss this chance to find Oonagh. To stop her before she came to Eana.
The grey evening quickly turned into a dark night, and then a misty morning. Rose wondered if they would ever find Carrig or if they would float forever in the creeping fog, searching for the remote Gevran island.
Finally, Marino called out that he had spotted land. Anika clambered halfway up the rigging and said it was indeed Carrig, that she’d recognize the craggy rock face anywhere.
Rose ran to the prow, eager for her first sighting of the island. The others followed.
She half expected to see Oonagh standing on the shore, waiting for them. But even from a distance, she could tell that the strand was deserted.
At the sight of the snowy island, Kai made a disdainful grunt, shivering as he pulled his cloak tightly around his shoulders. ‘I think you brought me here as part of my punishment,’ he said. ‘Nobody should ever be this cold.’
Rose was about to retort that he was lucky to be there at all, when the ship jolted. There was a deep rattling thud as it struck something with so much force, she nearly toppled overboard. Kai yanked her back. ‘Careful, Queenie.’
‘Marino!’ cried Celeste, holding tightly to the railings. ‘Have we run aground?’
‘No!’ Marino shouted, his face straining as he wrestled with the wheel. Shen rushed to help him. ‘We’re nowhere near the reef!’
‘Something’s wrong,’ yelled Anika. ‘The sea is churning! Turn back!’
‘We’re nearly there!’ said Marino, regaining control of the ship.
But then it jolted again. The deck rattled, and this time, Rose felt it in her teeth. ‘Marino!’
‘HOLD FAST!’ he shouted, as the water thrashed and churned around them. Out of the depths of the sea shot a huge black tentacle. It lashed through the air before landing on the deck with so much force the entire ship shook.
Rose screamed as she scrambled backwards.
Kai leaped in front of her, uncoiling his whip. ‘Looks as if we’ve got a live one!’
Another tentacle latched on to the ship, this one even larger than the first. Celeste rolled out of the way before it flattened her, while Anika was thrown from the rigging, the mainsail barely cushioning her fall.
The Siren’s Secret began to list in the water.
‘GET THAT THING OFF MY SHIP!’ roared Marino. All around him, the crew sprung into action, grabbing every net and rope and cutlass they could find.
As the first tentacle inched towards Rose, Kai struck quick as an adder, his whip slicing clean through it. Thick black blood oozed out.
Anika scrabbled through Rose’s feet, narrowly avoiding a third tentacle as it came spearing out of the sea. ‘It’s a kraken!’ she screeched. ‘Cut off its tentacles!’
‘I’m trying!’ said Kai, whipping at the next one. Shen pounced, striking it with his dagger. The blade sank to the hilt, and he yanked it through, severing the tentacle in half.
From beneath the sea, there came a great watery bellow. The ship creaked as it tilted, and from below deck, a frightened shout went up. ‘Captain! We’ve sprung a leak!’
‘Where’s my axe?’ yelled Anika.
Celeste spun around to help her search for it just as another tentacle jutted up from the sea.
‘Watch out!’ Rose leaped, pushing her friend out of the way, just as it came crashing down. They rolled on to their backs, barely catching their breaths before the rest of the terrible kraken emerged, its gargantuan head breaching the surface like an ancient whale.
As the kraken rose from the sea, Rose took one look at its glowing red eyes and knew it was going to sink the ship.
‘That’s no ordinary kraken!’ yelled Anika.
Shen snapped his head up from another severed tentacle, his horrified gaze finding Rose’s across the ship. She knew they were thinking the same thing – that this kraken was different, because it was undead. And that meant it had come with a purpose.
There was a rush of warm, fetid wind as the kraken opened its humungous mouth, showing its endless rows of needle-sharp teeth. Then, to Rose’s horror, the creature began to laugh.
It was the laugh of Oonagh Starcrest. The same one that had haunted Rose’s dreams.
The kraken’s red eyes bored into hers, as it cast out another tentacle. Thanks to the combined prowess of Shen and Kai, this tentacle was the last of them. But it was desperate, grasping. Still trembling, Rose unsheathed Daybreak and brandished it at the kraken. She didn’t know how Oonagh had managed to enslave this creature, but she could tell by the dark magic throbbing between them that it was linked to her ancestor. That it would keep coming for them if they didn’t kill it.
Just as Rose made to strike at the final tentacle, a rising wave crashed into the ship, and she was thrown backwards. The kraken lurched, grabbing her by the waist and hoisting her into the air.
‘Rose!’ Shen’s cry rang out, but he was far below her now.
Rose was yanked through the air like a puppet, but her arms were still free, and somehow, she had managed to keep hold of the dagger. The kraken’s red eyes flashed as it pulled her towards its gaping maw, its interest in the ship now lost. Rose looked directly into its glowing red eyes as she was dragged close, and closer still, and just as its rotting breath careened over her, she raised her arm and struck, burying the dagger in the fleshy space between its eyes, as deep as it would go. The hilt thrummed as the blade sank true.
The kraken jerked, sliding backwards in the water.
Rose slipped from its grip and hit the water just as the thunder of cannon fire filled the air.
‘HOLD FIRE!’ shouted Shen, but it was already too late. The kraken thrashed weakly as it was pummelled, the glow in its eyes finally fading as it sank lifelessly into the sea.