Chapter Twelve #3
Legs shaking, Aesira pulled herself to her feet. Patch, Birdie, and Bee remained tethered to the ship’s bow. “Commander!” Nora’s voice was faint in the wind but Aesira trudged forward. Gravity worked against her, pushing her back, forcing her legs to work past their limit.
When she reached Stone’s side, she clutched the handle and pressed all of her weight into him, forcing the wheel as far left as it could go.
With the added weight of Aesira’s body, the ship craned a hard left, sending barrels and loose cargo sliding across the deck.
Her eyes shot to the bow, but the cadre stayed low, their tethers keeping them safely in place, Nora included.
“It’s slipping,” Stone ground out. She refocused and wrapped her hands tighter around his on the handle, then pushed again.
The ship turned, battling against a massive dust cloud.
A screeching then snapping sound cut through the air.
Through her dusty goggles, Aesira could see the stern of Vic’s ship.
They were heading back to the Outpost.
They’d done it.
After several more excruciating moments, the ship pushed her way through the storm. Aesira’s gaze searched the ship for damage. Some broken crates, a few loose lines, but overall–they’d made it.
“Thanks for your help, Commander.”
Her focus landed on Stone. Blood stained his nose, his knuckles. Their bodies were still pressed tight, her hands wrapped around his on the wheel. She peeled herself away.
“Just doing my job.” The goggles scraped against her skin as she pulled them off. Sand filled her hair, her cleavage, and she wondered if she’d ever get used to the grainy feeling. She needed to change, immediately.
“Everyone alive?” Stone shouted. The crew untethered themselves and joined them at the wheel.
“That was a stupid move,” Birdie hissed at Aesira. “You should have tethered.”
“She saved our asses.” Stone swapped his goggles for his glasses, polishing them on his undershirt before sliding them on his nose.
“I wouldn’t have been able to work against the wind if she hadn’t been there.
” His finger slid under the strap of her dress, situating it back on top of her shoulder.
“I believe thanks are in order.” She swallowed hard, then turned to the crew.
“Thank you,” Birdie said through gritted teeth.
“It’s nothing,” Aesira said. She didn’t do anything other than her job. She didn’t need thanks for it, she needed a moment alone and a hot bath and the memory of Stone’s kiss erased.
“So, Vic knows we’re going to Ravki?” Patch’s deep voice cut through the silence.
“He doesn’t know it’s Ravki we’re after, only that we’re after something which for him would be enough.” Stone steered the wheel to the right before propping it. “Do a sweep,” he said to Patch. “Make sure everything’s in order.”
“On it, boss,” Patch said before disappearing under the ship.
“Why the hell were you at the Den, anyway?” Birdie peeled off her jacket, emptying sand out of her pockets and goggles.
“We needed to follow through with a lead about the king.” Stone found an empty crate and sat down, pulling his boots off. “King Desmond was here a week ago,” he said. “Which means we’re not far behind. If we sail through the night–”
“And what about Vic?” Bee joined him on the crate. “The storm won’t set him back far. If he thinks we’re after something of value, he’ll be back on us by morning.”
“Aquila can out fly him,” Stone said. He rested his head back and pushed his glasses up. “We have more than enough astra from the queen to sail straight through. We’ve already gained enough of a gap. I'm confident we can lose him.”
“And if we can’t?” Nora asked. “If he follows us? Finds Ravki?"
Stone’s eyes shot open. He looked exhausted. His skin was pale, eyes bloodshot. She imagined she didn’t look much better. “He doesn’t know where Ravki is.”
“Neither do we,” Birdie huffed.
Stone sighed then stood. “Why does everyone have so little faith?” He dug into his jacket and pulled out a scroll.
He pushed them into Birdie’s hands. “One trip to an old friend who confirmed they’re real.
And original. I’d say we’re better equipped than anyone else foolish enough to try and find Ravki. ”
Knots formed in Aesira’s stomach. If the maps were real, why would Desmond leave without them?
Birdie’s brows shot to her hairline. “When did you see the cartographer?”
Stone’s lip quirked up. “You all sleep too much,” he said. “While you need eight hours, I thrive on five.”
Birdie unrolled the map, her eyes darting over the parchment. “Real maps of Ravki,” she said under her breath.
Bee peered over her shoulder. “Holy shit.”
“Holy shit is right.” Stone stood and stretched his arms above his head.
“We have a week’s worth of catching up to do,” he said.
“Once we make it to the base of the Whispering Mountains, we’ll dock Aquila and head out by foot.
It’s too unpredictable for her to fly.” Birdie and Bee nodded, muttering curses of disbelief under their breath.
Aesira couldn’t believe it either and one glance at Nora confirmed she was stunned too. They were certain the maps were a farce and even more certain Desmond had ruined them enough to be worthless.
She was wrong and something about that fact stung more than the granules of sand wedged under her fingernails.
“If we’re lucky, the king is holed up at the small outpost there called Dire. Best case scenario, we find him early and send him home.”
“And what about Vic?” Aesira took Stone’s seat on the crate. “If he manages to follow us and finds Ravki? You said yourself if Ravki is real and still exists, there are things there that could be dangerous. Is he really someone we should allow to get his hands on them?”
Stone chewed his bottom lip. “It’s unlikely he’d catch up.
As long as we fly straight through, we’ll lose him.
” He rolled his shoulders. “We’ll fly in shifts.
Patch will be first. Birdie and Bee, sort it out who’s next.
Nora, you’ll team up with one of them. Aesira, you’ll take the last shift. With me.”
Patch rejoined them on deck, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “We got a problem, boss. The supply cabinet’s been raided. Food’s low.” He winced before letting out a long breath. “They siphoned the astra tanks.”
“How much?” Stone asked, a firm edge lining his voice.
“This is my fault,” Patch said, running a hand across the back of his neck. “I was distracted last night, I should have noticed–”
“How much astra did they take, Patch?”
Patch stole a glance at Nora, then quickly back to Stone. “We’ll be lucky if we make it to Dire at all.”