Chapter Seven
Emmaline stood on the ship’s deck, hugging herself around the middle.
The wind whipped her hair and skirts about her.
Water surrounded her on all sides, as far as the eye could see.
Her father’s promise to keep her safe didn’t reassure her.
Would she still trust him if they were on land?
If anyone else could help her? Unease mixed with her resolve, fouling the joy she should have felt at finally finding an ally to save her mother.
“Seasick?”
Her lips pursed as she glanced at Rafe from the corner of her eye. He crossed his arms on the rail, gaze locked on the horizon.
She didn’t want to talk to him. Even if he was only following her father’s orders, he still drugged her, kidnapped her, and hauled her onto this ship against her will. That wasn’t the type of man she wanted to associate with.
A few minutes passed in silence. Then he stuck one hand in his pocket and pulled out a small twist of paper. “Here, this helped me during my first sea voyage. I still need them sometimes.” He held it out to her, waiting for her to take it.
Ingrained manners had Emmaline reaching for the gift, an unconscious ‘thank you’ halfway to her lips before she caught herself. She jerked away and clasped both hands behind her back, glaring at him. “I’m not taking anything from you.”
“Suit yourself,” he said, no trace of disappointment or alarm in his expression.
He untwisted the paper and popped a small amber candy into his mouth.
The sweet scent of ginger filled the air as he rolled the candy with his tongue.
“I’ll leave you to your nausea and musings, princess.
” He sauntered away before she could protest the title.
Staring out at the water wasn’t helping at all.
It only made the distance between her and her mother seem insurmountable.
Emmaline decided to go below deck to check in with her father.
As she walked, an odd weight pressed against her leg.
The purse she carried with her was much heavier than it should be.
Confused, she opened it to look inside and found several paper twists, completely obscuring everything else.
She poured them into her hand, startled when dozens fell into her palm, overflowing onto the deck.
How did he manage that? One or two pieces she could understand—he could have simply slipped them into the opening—but here had to be at least fifty candies in her purse.
When they’d met, Rafe claimed to be a wandering mage. Was that more than a simple lie to lower my guard?
Despite her anger at the man who’d gifted her the candy—if meddling with her purse could be called a gift—Emmaline couldn’t bring herself to throw them all into the sea.
Ginger didn’t grow very well in Arnsveld’s mountain climate.
Her mother rarely used it in potions or spells because of the high importing fees.
Not to mention the amount of sugar in the candies, another precious ingredient.
I’ll put them to better use than he did, Emmaline decided, slipping all of them back into her purse. How many are you supposed to eat to suppress seasickness? How long does he think I’ll be on this ship?
She closed her purse, double tying the string, and hurried to her father’s cabin, hoping to hear some news on her mother. She knocked on the door, shifting from foot to foot as she waited for him to answer.
“Come in.”
“Have you heard anything from your contacts yet?” she demanded before she even had the door fully open.
Everett set a quill down and stood to greet her. “Emmaline, how are you settling in?”
I don’t want to ‘settle in’, I want to find my mother! She swallowed the rude words and replied, “Fine, thank you.”
“Is your cabin all right?”
The cabin he’d offered her was small and bare, but it was clean and had a cot instead of a hammock. It wasn’t anything like her comfortable room in either of her mother’s homes, but it was better than sleeping in a tent. “It’s lovely, thank you.”
“And how are you adjusting to the sea? Any seasickness?”
“I’m fine, thank you—”
“If you do experience any, I have some chamomile tea here that might help.”
The offer surprised her. If anything, she expected more ginger candies. Chamomile was a more practical—and cheaper—remedy. “Really, I’m all right. Have you heard anything about my mother?”
Everett sighed and gestured for her to sit across from him. “It’s only been a day, my dear. I’ve sent some messenger birds out, but it takes time for them to come and go.”
“Messenger birds?” Emmaline’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why wouldn’t you use magic? Do you not have the supplies for the spell?”
He arched a brow. “I already explained I’m not a mage. Birds are the fastest way to communicate at sea without magic.”
“I thought Rafe was a mage. Can’t he send the messages for you?”
“Ah, I see.” Humor and displeasure mixed in Everett’s expression as his lips quirked and his eyebrows bunched together.
“Rafe knows a few parlor tricks he uses to flirt with girls during shore leave. It’s mostly sleight of hand and trinkets he wastes his wages on.
Only the gods know how much he’s spent on ‘Lady’ Carmine, his favorite mistress.
Braz has often caught him practicing when he should be working. ”
“But when we met, he sent a magical message to demonstrate his skills.” She tried to remember the interaction.
He’d written a note, and it had appeared in the other man’s hand.
Except … there wasn’t the usual chime or pop that accompanied her mother’s messages.
And Emmaline never saw the note itself to confirm it was the original.
“I’m sure if you ask, he’d be delighted to show off. It has its uses, but it’s not real magic. If he showed any aptitude for it, I would have promoted him a long time ago.”
Everything about Rafe had been a trick from the beginning.
Maybe the ginger candies weren’t even real, just another illusion.
Emmaline wanted to be angry, mostly she was disappointed.
She’d hoped having a mage on the ship would hasten her mother’s rescue.
“How long will it take to hear back from your contacts?”
“A few days, at least,” Everett explained.
“Is there anything else we can do in the meantime?”
He spread his hands out in a gesture of helplessness. “What else would you have me do? I can’t act without information.”
It was a fair argument, but Emmaline couldn’t completely suppress the tears dampening her eyes. She blinked them away and took a deep breath. “I appreciate your help.” As she stood, she asked, “Are we still headed toward Litus?”
“Did you have a new destination in mind?”
She shook her head. “I have friends there I need to see. They should know what’s happened to Mama, Penn, and Valerian. And they need to know Alistair remains a threat.” If she couldn’t send them a magical message, she would have to deliver the news herself.
“Don’t worry, Em,” Everett said as he escorted her to the door. “I’ll keep you safe. In the meantime, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find a place for you here. Something to occupy your time. Waiting feels longer when all you’re doing is staring at the sea.”
“I’m a medic,” she offered. A slight blush tinged her cheeks as she corrected, “Well, in training.”
He gazed down at her for a moment, the corners of his eyes crinkling softly. “Just like your mother.” Clearing his throat, he added, “A useful skill, but I’m happy to say not one we need right now. One I hope not to need while you’re here.”
At least he isn’t planning to engage in piracy while I’m on the ship.
Emmaline had no real idea what piracy entailed, but from his odd gait, she suspected he had a prosthetic leg.
Although she loved healing people, she didn’t chase after injuries.
No matter how much she wanted to help, she always preferred no one getting hurt at all.
“I’ll have someone show you the ship, explain how everything works, and maybe we can find a job for you.” Once on the deck again, Everett looked around and called out, “Rafe! Come here.”
Emmaline pursed her lips, suppressing a scowl as Rafe handed off his task to another sailor and jogged over.
“Since you two are familiar with each other, you can show her the ropes.” An order hid in her father’s genial tone, Emmaline just wasn’t sure the command was as simple as it seemed.
Did he choose Rafe because I spoke about him? Perhaps she should have been clearer about her dislike, even if it would be rude.
Rafe grinned. “Yes, sir. Come on, princess, I’ll take you on a tour.”
Not wanting to make a scene in front of her father, she followed him.
“Oh, and Raphael?”
Rafe paused and looked over his shoulder, still wearing that careless grin. “Yes, Captain?”
“You’re allowed to show off your magic tricks but remember one thing—she’s my daughter, not one of your conquests.”
Rafe’s smile froze and his body stiffened. After a moment, he said, “You wound me. You know my heart belongs only to Lady Carmine. For now, at least.” The last was said with an uneasy chuckle, as if he wasn’t sure how well his captain would accept the joke.
Everett watched him for a moment before smiling at Emmaline, “I’ll let you know as soon as I hear news.”
“Thank you,” she said, then added a hesitant, “Father.”
Maybe soon, she could call him that with more confidence.