Chapter 4
Reva
Ineed a distraction and something to do to stop myself from moping about, obsessing over my skin, and to give me a break from the constant fixing and cleaning that’s needed around the house.
So when Finch asks for volunteers for a supply run to the nearest town, I find myself being one of the first volunteers.
We set off from the island at first light when there’s still a thick chill in the air and the tide is out enough for us to make the pass over to the mainland.
The ground of the causeway is mostly sodden sand with some rock that we have to pick our way carefully.
My legs aren’t as strong as they ought to be, considering the muscle there from tramping around for work.
Somehow, some of Noush’s physicality has always transferred into me.
Larger muscles are one aspect, stamina is another.
So, I suppose it tracks that I’ve lost both now.
I’m not the only one struggling, slipping and sinking into the sand, although the others from our small party have the excuse that they’re carrying casks and crates of supplies to trade.
“I don’t like this,” Dagger, one of the crewmen, mutters as he adjusts his hold on the crate he’s hefting on one side, with Bones taking the other. “How do we know the water won’t cut us off before we get to the other side?”
It does look a long way before we reach solid land, especially with our slow pace.
“Because that’s not how the tides work, dummy,” Bones murmurs.
“Of course not, they’re controlled by the stars.”
I trudge on, fighting the burn in my muscles and the ache in my feet.
I’m biting my cheek already, trying to keep to the middle of our small group to avoid drawing attention to myself.
There are two pirates ahead of me and two sauntering along just behind, which leaves myself and one overly observant witch who keeps shooting me concerned looks.
Aster’s not saying a word. But I can just sense his attention, and it’s even more of an effort to ignore him and pretend like my skin doesn’t tingle every time he looks my way.
I’m in a mood, irritated that I can’t even walk a couple of miles anymore without it being an effort. Normally, if I felt like this, I’d sneak off to slip on my skin and go for a swim with Noush. She’d invariably make me feel better and would tell me off for being needlessly grumpy.
I can’t keep moping around on the island or I’ll go crazy.
I want to be useful. And today, that means acting as a glorified babysitter for four pirates who really do seem to need it.
The two at the back keep getting distracted by throwing rocks at each other, while Bones and Dagger keep bickering about anything and everything.
This only gets worse once we dig out the rowing boat that’s hidden on the secluded beach on the other side of the causeway.
Bones grabs one oar while Dagger takes the other, and they take increasingly unsynchronised pulls until we’re in danger of steering right into the cliff we’re supposed to be passing around.
It’ll be a miracle if we all get to the nearest town in one piece.
We’re supposed to be going there to trade off fresh food for whatever’s inside the crates and barrels, while I have a small parcel of my own whose contents are a mystery and which is accompanied by an equally mysterious note.
We’re rowing for a long time before we reach the town’s small wooden dock.
The others are engrossed in complaining about how much their arms ache as they heft up the supplies, rolling the barrels along the dock.
I’m last out of the boat and when Aster holds out his hand to help me out, my entire arm comes alive as our fingers touch, and his eyes lock with mine.
The buzz of feeling still doesn’t fade even as he lets go.
I don’t miss the expression of wonderment on his face as he stares down at his own hand and then darts his attention to my clenching and unclenching fingers.
It seems even though the bond he created between us was fake, not everything died when it faded.
I don’t know quite what to do with that, so I decide to put it to one side for now.
We follow a rocky path leading from the dock and immediately find ourselves in the middle of a busy market.
The town is smaller than I expected, but despite it being on the edge of nowhere, the market square is bustling with people.
We’re surrounded by painted buildings with thatched roofs and patched-up windows.
All the buildings look wind-worn and more than a little shabby, but all over the market, it looks like the stalls are doing a roaring trade.
“We’ll wander around and see what we can trade,” Bones murmurs to me. “Meet you in the pub once we’re done?”
“Don’t try selling your bodies, gents, you’ll only feel bad when there are no takers,” Dagger replies with a smirk.
He and Bones break into another wrestling match while I wander off in the opposite direction, making quick work of looping through the town with Aster at my side.
At the very far end, attached to the road heading out, is a small building with a very large wagon waiting outside and two stomping, harrumphing horses looking like they’re desperate to get moving.
I dart inside and find that the place is empty other than a young woman behind the wooden counter. I’m sweating as I approach, my underarms slick with sweat.
Slipping the parcel from my pocket, I slide it over the counter along with a couple of coins for her to provide her stamp of approval. She eyes the parcel and opens her mouth to ask something, and I scramble to think of some words if she questions why I might be sending a parcel to the king.
Kit would know exactly what to say. He’s so talented at putting people instantly at ease.
I just know she’s going to ask me. Why didn’t I spend the trip here thinking of exactly what I’d say when I got here?
I was too busy feeling miserable and concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other to come up with anything. Something I’m now regretting.
Finch told me that Kit cursed the outer layer of the parcel to encourage it along its way, but he also said he wasn’t sure it would work.
The woman eyes the parcel and then her gaze flicks to something over my shoulder. Her eyes widen and she picks up the stamp, quickly jabbing it onto my parcel and shoving it at me.
“There.”
A body sidles up beside me, resting their arms on the counter, and my skin tingles with recognition. Ah, so that’s why she was so distracted. She has Aster looking at her with that guileless expression on his face.
Can’t say I can blame her there. He’s incredibly distracting, even when he’s simply existing.
I glance at him and find he’s subtly gesturing with his fingers. Right. I need to move. Grabbing the parcel, I shove it into my pocket while she’s still distracted and head out toward the post wagon. There, I slip the package onto the wagon with all the others, sending it on its way.
My feet are aching and there’s a steady thud in my left temple. Leaning against the wall of the post building, my brain is buzzing while I wait for Aster to extract himself.
He steps out, looking slightly shell-shocked.
“Everything all right?” I ask.
“She kept trying to touch my hand and saying something about helping me with my package,” he says with a visible shudder.
“You did a good job distracting her,” I tell him, reaching out to squeeze his arm. “Thank you.”
“I’m pretty sure she was flirting with you.”
Aster shakes his head. “I didn’t like it.”
He slumps against the wall, looking so damn traumatised, I can’t stop myself linking my fingers with his. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I need a drink. Shall we try to find the others in the pub?”
Aster nods, and for some reason, I don’t let go of his hand as we head through the streets in search of the pub closest to the dock.
Pubs are always the best place to find the big talkers.
And that’s another part of today’s mission.
It’s partly a fix for any restless legs, partly a supply run, but more than anything, it’s a way of checking in with the outside world.
We’ve travelled here today and will go further in the opposite direction in a few day’s time.
All of us are watchful, waiting for more names to be added to the arrest list.
We’re all aware that our little sanctuary on the island can’t last forever.
THE INSIDE OF THE PUB is surprisingly full, considering it’s the middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday. A few of the punters look like they’ve been here for hours already, propping their heads up on their hands as though it’ll stop the world from spinning out of control.
It won’t work, I want to tell them. Trust me on that one.
I order a water and a glass of something stronger, sliding into a seat opposite the rest of the crew.
This is the kind of environment I’m used to.
Exactly where I thrive, listening to titbits of information and ingratiating myself in conversation.
Aster sits down beside me with Dagger on his other side.
Dagger’s in the middle of a card game where he seems to be making up the rules as he goes and Aster watches along with a bemused expression.
As though he can sense my eyes on him, he glances up with a shy smile, and my chest constricts.
By this point, all of my anger toward him has drained away.
Like my feelings have caught up with the things I already knew.
How Aster’s not a bad person, he was in survival mode and then he didn’t mean to hurt anyone.
He was as much a victim of his overeager magic as the rest of us.
Although I’d doubt he’d want me to say that.
Not when he spent so much time being a victim of Araminta Stone.
Without my anger, I don’t have a tether to hold onto, and I’m out here feeling lost and tumbling into the ocean without knowing which way is up.