Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
The Yarrows wound their way briskly down the stairs and out of the military building.
Erinna’s body shook with effort as she tried to conceal her frustration.
She glanced pointedly at her father, knowing he was aware of her disquiet.
She bit her cheek, swallowing the choice words she had ready for him.
Once their feet hit the ground outside, Erinna turned, ready with a tongue lashing. How could he take the bait?
“Not here,” Kenneth snapped, glancing warily at the guards as they wound their way from the military sector of Crown Quarter. It was the biggest contract of the year, but neither Yarrow felt particularly victorious.
“I’m not the one who lost my cool,” she said from the corners of her mouth.
The meeting was done, but their day was far from over.
The crowd buzzed with activity near the main square at the center of Crown Quarter.
The activity had grown significantly since their arrival.
More vendors had been approved to set up temporary locations around the wide-open space.
“They were looking into us. Hard,” Erinna stated once they were a comfortable distance from anyone in a uniform.
“He was just guessing, Eri. Your maternal grandmother was from the Great North, so naturally, he’d be suspicious,” was Kenneth’s excuse, but doubt decorated every word.
Suspicious now? After decades of working peacefully beneath their radar?
It didn’t make sense, and they both knew it.
Something triggered the interest, and Erinna couldn’t shake the feeling that her father had bitten off more than he bargained for.
“And to ask for another worker? What were you thinking?!” She rubbed at her temples to massage a growing headache.
“We need more hands.” Kenneth’s tone was tense, the words carefully selected so as not to reveal more.
Another gong pierced the air.
If Erinna had the strength of the Mother Goddess, she would punch that blasted bit of bronze to the heavens. Or better yet, the farthest reaches of the nine hells.
“We need to lay low. Now more than ever,” she hissed, expecting more defiance from her father in response. Instead, defeat worked its way into his demeanor, sagging his shoulders and drooping his head.
He let out a worn and weary sigh. Kenneth understood what he’d done. Even if it was just a guess, her father all but answered the question. Erinna had northern blood in her veins, and her mother had strong connections to the mysterious continent.
It wasn’t illegal to be from the Great North, but it was certainly unwelcomed. The northernmost continent was shrouded in both mystery and magic. Protected and sequestered at the top of the Sumora by a veil as mysterious as it was deadly.
The last time Tarth had seen a northern ship was during Iprix’s own youth. After years of lost contact, the rumors stuck and twisted over time. Nothing but monsters resided beyond the Veil.
With a heavy chest, and a bit of remorse for the bite in her tongue, Erinna fished through the bag from Madds; they could both use something to brighten their spirits.
She plucked one of the sweet buns. It was cold, but at least it wasn’t stale.
Anything made by the infamous baker was sure to taste good, regardless.
“Madds wanted you to have this one in particular.” She held the pastry out to her father, hoping some sugar would improve his mood before their next task.
It eased some of the tension in his jaw.
Kenneth gingerly took the confection, ripped it in half, and devoured his half in one bite.
A look flashed across his face, so quickly she barely noticed.
A darkening in his features, a narrowing of his eyes.
Erinna was about to ask, but the shrill timbre of the town crier broke through her thoughts.
In a far corner of the courtyard, the gallows were nearly set for a hanging.
The crier announced the presence of two criminals as they shambled on stage.
The bitter taste of hate formed in the back of Erinna’s throat as soldiers prepared a young woman for the noose.
She looked no older than nineteen. A leather collar hung loose around her neck with a metal tag to denote her crime.
An aberrant and a traitor. Likely one who refused to aid the king.
Beside her was a wretched pirate, the prized accomplishment of the season. Even dressed in rags, Erinna could see the pride in his posture—like he was putting on a show for the jeering onlookers.
He was the scourge of the sea, but Erinna was surprised at how young he was.
She expected an older, grizzled man, but Kane could be no more than thirty years of age.
A scar cut through his right brow. Dark hair fell into his dark eyes, and she could swear his lip quivered like he was biting back a smile.
Doubt clawed its way through her mind, but Erinna shook it away.
The girl did not deserve her fate, but the pirate could rot for all she cared.
Erinna bore little sympathy for a pirate.
She saw the damage they could do from ships that were lucky enough to make it to their shores.
She saw the bodies carted off in stretchers.
She heard the fearful whispers in taverns as sailors cursed Captain Kane Atwater’s very existence.
They were all the same. She winced, shoving back memories of her mother that came unbidden to her mind. Her mother’s ship had been attacked by such brigands. Sent to the bottom of the sea by greedy pirates. Not even a plank of wood had been recovered.
The voice of the crier cut through Erinna’s thoughts once more. His shrill voice announced the time left before the two criminals were to be hanged.
If they were getting ready to execute Kane Atwater, they must have learned the whereabouts of the Minor Apprentice, Erinna surmised. Hopefully, it would ease some of Damien’s stress if they could return the highbrow mage to the normal status quo.
Another gong echoed in the courtyard, the sound rattling her eardrums and leaving a thrumming aftershock in her mind.
Devout followers of the Everdawn dropped to their knees in prayer. The crowd murmured quick blessings, and a few vendors seemed ready to pack up their wares.
On instinct, Erinna used the moment of distraction to look for any chance to help the young aberrant.
Four academy mages stood between the crowd and the captives.
Wards of abjurations glinted faintly in the sun’s yellow-orange rays.
Even if she could get through their spells, half a dozen naval soldiers stood at the ready.
All for Kane. The young woman barely had the strength to hold herself up.
Kenneth took a step closer to the platform. Erinna reached an arm out to stop him before he tried something foolish. Before he did something he couldn’t take back.
“We promised Broman payment today,” she reminded him, swallowing the guilt that churned her stomach. “You know what happens when we’re late.”
She tugged him away, forcing her own legs to retreat from the gallows.
If there had been any opening, Erinna would have taken it.
But there was no way to approach unseen.
It would be best to continue their errands and ensure they were able to continue to provide aberrants a route of safety.
A path that didn’t end in servitude or at the noose.
Broman’s stall was extravagant to say the least. Three large tables were arranged beneath a large fabric tent, boasting a mix of false and real uncut witchstone. Hired guards stood with swords at their hips. Two displayed magic permission passes around their neck. It was entirely unnecessary.
For a man who got half his fortune on the black market, Erinna thought that subtlety would be the way of survival.
But Broman was a witchstone trader. He owned some of the largest veins in the kingdom and nearly supplied the entire Academy with the arcanum boosting material. The man was nearly untouchable. Nearly.
Fortunately for the Yarrows, he was more interested in how much undocumented or counterfeit stone he could ship out on their escape vessels than prying. His secrecy and ability to access those mines came with a price. An expensive one.
Felar Broman himself sat in front with his wife and daughter beside him.
Erinna liked his daughter, Nyla. She was eighteen and had just gotten into the Academy.
The budding summoner was the apple of her father’s eye, but Nyla didn’t know of his underhanded dealings.
As far as she knew, Kenneth and Erinna were just pleasant business partners who took some of that money in exchange for carting his illicit substances off the island.
The guards tensed as they approached.
Broman waved his hand with a flourish. “Easy, Station One. These are friends of ours.”
“He has a name, you know.” Erinna crossed her arms and leaned against a sturdy post. The shadow from the purple fabric covering his stall offered a small reprieve from the sun.
Broman ignored Erinna to the best of his ability. It was never pretty when the two of them were left alone to bicker and squabble.
Another gong sounded, and a few mages scurried to the ground for quick reverence.
The many visitors were good for business of late, but once Iprix made his way to the Realm Beyond, there would be a high cost to pay. Anyone with wits understood that. Even with two apprentices, there would be a power disruption to contend with.
Some feared it would embolden the kingdoms from the Great West, entice them to break the tenuous treaty and claim the island kingdom for themselves.
Erinna doubted it. Even without the mighty Chancellor, Tarth still had the academy. A few well-trained mages could wipe out a battalion, handily.
“My favorite shipwright!” Broman exclaimed, clasping Kenneth’s forearm in greeting.
The man was short, even shorter than Erinna, who was by no means blessed in height, but his presence was large and loud.
Red cheeks and nose betrayed his midday activities, and Erinna swore she could smell brandy on his breath.
He had likely stopped by Laerte’s Keep, but Broman’s gambling habits were none of their concern.
Erinna pulled out another payment pouch and tossed it on the desk.
“That is only a quarter of what you owe.” His smile was still bright despite the dripping threat from his tone. The guards moved almost imperceptibly, but from the corner of her eye, Erinna could see their hands hovering just above their blades.
She plastered her own smile and patted the bulging sack beneath her coat. “How about you hand us some items to buy so it doesn’t seem so obvious that we are paying you off.”
He huffed and rolled his eyes. Pristine witchstone soaked the light into its indigo blue surface.
A few small pendants hung on ornate iron holders.
Half of them were fake obsidian rock but marked at double their value.
Broman pushed the counterfeit rocks towards them.
Erinna rolled her eyes and dumped the rest of the payment on the counter.
Greedy, thick fingers brushed the coins into a brightly decorated box.
“Do you have anything else?” Kenneth clenched his fists at his side, almost white-knuckled. Broman raised an eyebrow, but the druid was in no mood to play games.
The merchant begrudgingly placed a letter in front of him. Erinna tried to grab it, but her father was faster. He feverishly ripped open the blank wax seal. “Dad, what in all the hells is going on?” Erinna felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise.
He gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Nothing to worry about, just a quick errand for me to take care of.” He shoved the letter into his pocket and turned to leave into the throng of people.
“Dad!” Erinna grabbed his sleeve before he could get any farther.
“Erinna, please. I can’t get you involved.
” He used her hold to pull her close, planting a quick kiss to the top of her head, mumbling something under his breath.
Erinna tightened her hold on his sleeve, hoping to keep him there for as long as possible.
But her father still managed to pull free. To slip between her fingers.
With a quick wave of his hand, the ground shifted in response to his Talent, momentarily seizing Erinna’s feet in a thick, muddy trap as Kenneth disappeared into the growing crowd.
He would pay for this, she seethed. A guaranteed argument that would last through the night. Erinna took a step in the direction her father went before—
“We’re not done yet, Miss Yarrow,” Broman sing-songed and pulled out a few more contracts to negotiate.
She cursed and clenched her hands into fists as she returned to the merchant.
One deal down, a few more to go in preparation for winter operations.
Even if her bones screamed to follow her father, she knew the shipyard couldn’t afford to ignore their contemptuous business bedfellow.
If Kenneth wasn’t free to negotiate, it would be Erinna. As it always was.
By the time she was finished dealing with the unpleasantness of Felar Broman, the sun was only a few hours above the horizon, and Kenneth would be far from Erinna’s tracking capabilities. Foiled once again by her father and her own sense of responsibility.
The crowd had grown steadily around the stage. Erinna’s nose wrinkled in disgust, and her hands clenched into fists. Execution was no form of entertainment, no matter how much a person supposedly deserved it.
Another gong echoed across the square.
Conversation dulled to hushed murmurs while a few mages and acolytes dropped to their knees in prayer. From the corner of her eyes, flashes of blue and black caught Erinna’s attention as academy mages approached the raised platform.
It was time for condemnation.
The bell tolled once more from the Chancellor’s tower.
The two prisoners shambled to the rope, and the crowd jeered as an officer read their crimes. Inez, child of the Unseen Gods, aberrant, diviner, traitor of the Crown. Kane Atwater, pirate, plunderer, killer, and foe.
Slurs and insults crescendoed from the crowd, stifled by another gong from the Chancellor’s tower.
There had only been a few minutes between the two bells. Panic chewed through Erinna’s veins. The guards exchanged worried glances and hurried their preparation, knotted the ropes, and started their approach to the shackled prisoners.
Another toll of the bell. Silence settled across the nation.
The pirate’s gaze scanned the crowd and locked steadily with hers. Erinna’s heart hammered into her throat, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose beneath his stare. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smirk.
The gong rang again, only this time it didn’t stop.