Chapter 26 Jax
Chapter twenty-six
Jax
Two Weeks Earlier
Iopened my fist, releasing another paper messenger bird into the air. This one fluttered towards Lilimer and her crew of highly trained archers—my favorite attack ship.
One reason I favored her was because some of those archers were mages.
Within minutes, another volley of enchanted fire arrows flew skyward, aiming for the sails of one of the ships that pursued us.
Only one connected. But it was enough.
The sail, then the mizzenmast, went up in flames in little more than the blink of an eye, sped along by the same wind magic that protected the natural fire from extinguishing as the arrows cut across the sea.
As the burning fragments of our enemy’s mast toppled onto the deck, smashing the rail and nearly sending licks of flames towards its fellow ship, Temerity‘s crew filled the salt air with cheers.
Even without Sofie, I still had a few tricks up my sleeve. Sofie, who I had no time to think of now. Sofie, who I’d spent entire nights thinking of when I should’ve been sleeping. Sofie, whose departure along with Oasis and Omar had left me with three days of pounding head pain.
Days had gone by since my last megrim, and still I felt no better.
I shoved that aside for now. Might as well save all my regretful thoughts for tonight.
Why change course after all these weeks?
Tonight, I would think of Sofie, and of how this plum bit of plundering had proven to be the one fight I never should’ve attempted.
But I had some of my best ships at my beck now, and I was in the mood for a little destruction.
It should’ve been an even fight: six ships of theirs versus six ships of ours.
I’d gotten far more for my reckless efforts than I could’ve hoped—and not in a good way.
Even now, the carpenter Mr. Glas was working with my best blacksmith at a frenzied pace aboard Dog, my fastest and lightest ship, to keep her from sinking due to the giant hole in her side.
One that still crackled with the lightning magic of an enemy mage.
I had no true storm wielders in my entire fleet. What I did have was the best small army of wind mages on the open seas.
Another volley of fire arrows flew from Lilimer‘s deck, just as one of our royal enemies lowered her sails. At last, space began to open up between the present six ships of Carabosse and our enemies from Endergeist.
Beside me, Violet whistled rather than celebrated. “Shame to see a fine vessel like that go up in flames. She would’ve made a lovely addition to your fleet.”
“I’m not certain that would be helpful at present,” I grumbled, still reluctant to admit that these ships were not the prize I had initially hoped.
For one thing, they were part of the royal navy of Endergeist—a fact they’d only revealed by hoisting their flags as my ships began to align for the perfect attack.
And I had a sneaking suspicion one of the final pair of ships, lagging behind the rest, might be bearing the fierce little nation’s king.
This was not the kind of trouble I wanted.
I shoved through the door to the captain’s cabin, hurrying back to the ink pot.
The note I wrote was so hasty, I wasn’t certain the recipients would be able to decipher it.
But there was no time to rewrite it. I rocked the ink blotter over the text, slowing only to get the creases just right.
I’d been folding paper messenger birds since I was a boy.
I could’ve folded a half-decent one while deep in my cups.
But at moments like this, I followed my mother’s instructions.
Deep breath. Slow down. Do it right the first time.
I pushed a little magic into the paper, satisfied when the wings snapped to life. Then I scooped the messenger bird into my hands and returned to the deck, releasing it with another push of magic that would guide it in the right direction.
If I was correct, the king’s ships would be crawling with mages who could reply.
My message was simple:
Captain Bluebeard sends his regards. Carabosse will gladly stand down, should the King of Endergeist state suitable intentions.
A reply fluttered back to me within minutes, scrawled onto the back of the same messenger bird.
Endergeist has no quarrel with Captain Bluebeard. HRH Richard Venet returns regards. Grant passage southeast and all is forgotten.
Back to my desk. I wrote smaller in order to use the same bird, and to leave room for a reply.
Kindly advise destination or lose more masts.
I nearly chewed through my lip waiting for the paper messenger’s return. When it arrived, it bore the name of the one place I’d been dreading:
Elchion
I wrote back.
Dewspell? Confirm.
The reply: HRH tires of your games. Stand aside.
That was a yes. And there was only one reason the king of Endergeist would be foolish enough to sail his navy to Dewspell.
That reason was Sofie. And no one would dare to take on Dewspell with direct force. King Venet would only be attempting this if he thought he had a sure-fire claim.
Which, come to think of it, he probably did.
For all Sofie’s talk of being a balancer and preserving magic, I wasn’t certain Dewspell’s deans would see it that way when this angry king came to call.
He was likely bearing an ultimatum: Remove the curse on my infant daughter, or surrender Fairy Godmother Sofie Dar’Vester to Endergeist.
What would they do if King Venet was as smart as he was rumored to be, and he never attacked Dewspell at all?
Six ships was more than enough to form a naval blockade of that harbor.
Dewspell might happily protect Sofie, but if the halt in trade began to impact all of Elchion, its queen might be more than happy to give Sofie up.
For my final message to his vengeful royal highness, I wrote this in reply:
Sofie Dar’Vester is Bluebeard’s wife. Stand down, or sail faster.
I received no return message, nor did I expect one. As the sun dipped below the horizon that night, it became apparent that King Venet wasn’t giving up.
Which meant my crew and I were in another fight for our lives. This time, it wasn’t against a curse and a powerful sorceress we couldn’t reach.
This time, we sailed for Sofie. And no matter what it took, we would get to her first. Even if it meant we’d be trapped in the bay.
I sent one final paper bird that night, toward the beleaguered Dog.
Break off for repairs, then set sail for Aegle. Tell them Endergeist threatens Sofie Dar’Vester at Dewspell Academy, and Bluebeard sails to her aid. After, rally with Carabosse where possible and sail for Dewspell.
I had no time for my regrets that night. Neither I nor my wind mages got any sleep, working in quick-relief shifts to keep our sails full.
Sofie had stolen something from me—two somethings, if I counted my heart. I may have been furious with her, I may have been grieving what might have been, but that didn’t matter. Not at a moment like this.
Sofie was mine. That was what mattered. And because I was hers, nothing would stop me from protecting her now.
No one on this earth was going to lay a finger on my wife ever again.