Chapter Fifteen
Fifteen
Stone
Stone pulled off his glasses and pressed his fingers into the bridge of his nose. A headache had started earlier that day but now it spread across his face like a boulder plundering down a mountain.
“She still asleep?” Birdie sat in the chair next to him.
He nodded and looked at Aesira, sprawled across his bed, leg wrapped in a fresh bandage. “She’s been mumbling, but none of it makes sense.”
“I’m amazed she remained conscious as long as she did after the beast ripped her thigh open. The talons of a Strix contain enough venom to knock someone out almost instantly. Must have been motivated.” Birdie cut him a glance. “Are you alright?”
“Fine,” he said. “I imagine it’ll be at least a few more hours before she wakes up.” Birdie sighed, a note too long and he already knew what she wanted to say.
“The Strix could have solved our problem.”
There it was. The ugly truth. The bold reminder of who they all were.
Odegas.
Criminals.
“You would have preferred me to leave her paralyzed in Dire?” Stone shook his head. “Deranged, even for you.”
Bird smiled, her sharp eyes narrowing. “I’m just saying, if we wanted to run away with the queen’s loot without harming the Commander ourselves, nature gave us a way.”
“You’re sick.”
She laughed and Stone knew her well enough that she wasn’t serious about leaving Aesira in Dire to fend for herself. “We can continue to look through Dire, but the chances that we find—”
“We can’t turn back now, Bird.” He kept his eyes pinned to Aesira, monitoring the pinch of her brows and twitch of her lips. “Not when we’re so close.”
“Are we close?” She shot him a glare. “You’re not the only one who can read a map, you know.”
He did know that. He knew that if there was anyone to stand over his shoulder, fact checking along the way, it would be her.
“Six days,” Stone said. “It’ll take roughly six days to get to where Ravki is located on the map.
” He turned to face her, keeping Aesira and the door to his room in his line of sight.
Nora had checked on her every few minutes, she was due to be back any moment.
“We can’t turn back when we’re less than a week away. ”
“Bee and I found no survivors.” She cast her narrow eyes down to her feet.
“No evidence of supplies that haven’t spoiled.
The reservoirs were empty. There’s no astra to fuel the ship.
” She shook her head and sighed that long, telling sigh.
“If one Strix could do that much damage, just imagine what might be waiting for us in the Whispering Mountains.” She blew out another long breath and tucked her short, blonde hair behind her ears.
“There’s a little astra left, it would give us a small start for Vargah. ”
Stone chewed his bottom lip, eyes darting between the door and Aesira.
“Not everything lost is meant to be found, Stone.” Birdie stood and took a few steps to the door.
No, he thought. He knew that. But Ravki held so many promises and they were just outside his reach. Everything in his life, it seemed, was always just outside his reach. His eyes flicked back to Aesira. “The Commander won’t turn back easily,” he said. “She’ll insist we persist to find the king.”
Birdie’s laugh cut through the small room like a razor blade, jagged and deadly. “If she wakes and really thinks the king could have survived the Strix on his own, she’s more delusional than you.”
Stone had already thought of this, of course.
It was one thing for the king to survive the storms and make it to the Outpost, it was another to survive a Strix.
They were solitary creatures who hunted only at night, but they made crawlers look like children.
If the king made it as far as Dire, Stone had very little faith that he made it out.
“We’ll need to vote,” Birdie said, pulling him from his thoughts. “Rule number one.” Stone nodded and stood to join her.
A swift knock at the door drew their attention. “Still asleep?” Nora poked her head inside. Dark purple lined around her eyes, her freckled cheeks more sunken than usual.
“Likely will be for a while longer,” Birdie said as Nora settled in beside Aesira. “Looks like you’ve got it from here, we’ll be back.”
The walk from his room where Aesira slept to the crew quarters felt ten miles long. When Birdie opened the door to the mess, Bee and Patch were waiting. Relief unclenched his shoulders as he slid into the booth.
“You okay, boss?” Patch asked, pouring four cups of tea. Stone watched the hot water melt into the loose leaves but bit his tongue from mentioning their lack of rations.
How did everything go to shit so fast? That was life in the Outpost, and he chastised himself for believing things could be better somewhere else.
“Fine,” he said.
Bee slid her hand across the table and Birdie met her halfway, giving it a squeeze. “Been a long time since I’ve been that scared.” Stone could feel the heat of Birdie’s stare burning into his face, so he focused on his tea. If Bee wanted to turn back, Birdie wouldn’t hesitate.
“We need to vote,” Birdie said. “We knew it was a risk coming here, but with the lack of supplies and the Strix, we have to be practical about moving forward.”
“You’re suggesting we turn back?” Patch reclined in his chair, scrubbing a hand down his stubbled jaw. “What do you say, boss?”
Stone’s glasses fogged over from the heat of the tea. He wondered how long he could say nothing until Birdie punched his leg. A minute, he guessed. “I won’t ask you to continue if you’re not comfortable,” he said. “The Strix poses a real threat as well as Vic.”
Heat scorched Stone’s cheeks. It shouldn’t bother him so much that Vic found a way to sabotage his plans, but the fact was, it did bother him. Even years away from the Outpost couldn’t change the fact that he was always on the losing end when it came to Vic.
“We don’t have enough astra to make it to Vargah.” Birdie filled the silence for him. “But we can at least use what we have to head that way and hope we pass a cargo ship or a hauler.”
There was very little Stone hated more than failing.
Which was why being a smuggler appealed to him so much.
It was something he knew he’d succeed at.
Something that challenged him and pushed him and gave him a false sense of pride.
Like he actually accomplished something with his life. Until, of course, he was caught.
Birdie leaned forward, her elbows braced on the table. “If there are no supplies left in Dire, the sensible thing to do is turn around. The queen will understand, Stone.”
“And abandon our mission? Our king?” Nora’s voice came from the doorway.
Shit.
"So much for rule number three," Birdie mumbled. Stone shut his eyes. He was tired. His bones ached and worry for Aesira chewed away at his middle.
But Ravki was days away. Days. If they could only push a little farther.
“We’re going back?” Her voice came from behind him.
Stone’s eyes shot open and when he turned, Aesira was in the doorway next to Nora.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her skin pallid, but she was awake.
Breathing. Standing. His eyes trailed to her leg where the bandage was still wrapped tight, a hint of pink scattered across the white cloth.
“Is that what you’ve all decided?” she asked. “We’re turning around?”
Stone clamped his mouth shut and to his surprise, so did Birdie.
“We’re not sure,” Bee said.
“Sit, Commander.” Nora squeezed her arm. “I’ll get you something to eat.” The rest of them shuffled in their seats. Birdie switched sides, leaving a space for Aesira to sit next to Stone.
“I’m surprised you’re up,” Bee said. “Strix venom is potent.”
Birdie shot Stone a look from across the table but he focused on his tea again. Strix venom is potent, he thought to himself, if left unattended. The small satchel of tea from Soo sat in his pocket like a secret.
“I’m still a bit lightheaded,” Aesira said, “but it’s lifting.” She bit into a dry biscuit. “Back to the issue at hand. Are we leaving?”
Five sets of eyes landed on Stone and he knew his stalling had run out.
“It’s sensible to turn back while we can,” he said, locking eyes with Birdie.
"We need water. Astra. The food we have left will cut it close." Birdie shook her head but he could tell from her eyes, she knew he wasn’t going to budge. Because while Stone knew her better than himself, Birdie knew him just as well. “But I believe there’s still value in finding Ravki.”
“Finding Desmond, you mean.” Nora cocked her head to the side. “We’re here to find the king, not just some ancient city.”
“Of course.” Stone’s skin itched. He wasn’t lying, not exactly.
He had every intention of bringing the king back to Vargah should he find him, at least now he did, he just also happened to have other interests in pursuing Ravki.
Other interests that sat like a nagging fly in the back of his mind.
Buzz, buzz, buzzing until it was all he could think about.
“I won’t ask any of you to continue.” He reached for Bee’s hand. “You and Bird can head back. The Outpost isn't far. Aquila will get you as far as she can. You’ll be safer.”
“Right,” Birdie interjected, “and if we run into Vic along the way? We need to avoid the Outpost altogether. Our best bet is heading straight for Vargah and the only chance at survival is sticking together.”
“It’s too far, Bird.” Stone rubbed his temples. “There isn’t enough astra to make it even a quarter of the way.”
Nora cleared her throat. “Celestria is always listening. Maybe if we pray, we’ll be blessed?”
Patch clucked his tongue and shook his head, a lock of dark hair falling across his forehead. “If you think prayer will help, you haven’t been paying attention,” he said. “There are no gods out here. Only monsters and men.” A flush of red swept over the knight's cheeks.
“Is that right?” Nora leaned forward. “And which one are you?”