Chapter 20
Riella’s heart rate quickened.
She looked around for danger, but saw none. The ocean stretched uninterrupted on all sides, except for the atoll. Jarin put his hands around his mouth to project his voice as he shouted to her. But the wind must’ve snatched his words away, because she heard nothing except the lapping of the water and the screech of a seagull overhead.
Perhaps he’d seen a shark fin. Humans were extraordinarily and rather needlessly afraid of sharks. They wouldn’t bite a human unless the human acted like prey.
Jarin was a pirate, though. He’d know a siren had no cause to fear a shark—sirens played with sharks the way humans played with dogs. There must’ve been some other danger.
With a deep breath, she dove underwater and swam for shore.
Jarin met her in the breaking waves when she emerged. The first thing she noticed was the rowboat missing. Had it washed out to sea? Were they stranded?
“What is it?” she asked while catching her breath.
“Hurry,” he said, grabbing her hand and guiding her out of the water. He passed her dress to her and led her up the beach.
The alabaster sand was blinding after being in the cool haze of the blue water.
Jarin only spoke again when they reached the dark shade of the tree line. “Get dressed.”
His eyes were not on her, but scanning the horizon to the east. All she could see was the green and white islet extending into the distance.
“I was exploring on the other side of the atoll,” he said. “I saw Artus’s schooner at sea. They’re at cruising speed and closer to shore than they ought to be. That means they’re searching. And they are surely searching for us. Specifically, the map.”
The siren hissed in dismay, tugging her dress over her head. “Already? I thought we’d have longer before he came looking.”
“He must’ve doubled right back to Klatos when he realized he didn’t have the map on him. The royal patrol was looking for the Pandora, not him. He would’ve been free to dock.”
“Won’t he look for us at Hieros Isle?”
“He won’t expect I’ve gone somewhere so exposed, and he hates the place because he considers Ferrante bad luck. Nothing is stronger than a sailor’s superstitions. But sooner or later, yeah, he’ll check Hieros Isle. He’ll have to. We need to get the Pandora seaworthy, and leave.”
Jarin had dragged the rowboat up the beach and concealed it in the trees, covering the vessel with palm fronds and snaking green vines. It would be enough to remain undetected, but only if Artus and his crew decided not to come ashore. If they did, Riella and Jarin would have few places to hide on the tiny islet.
“There!” said Jarin, pointing.
Sure enough, a schooner glided around the edge of the atoll, a dark blight on the pristine horizon. Together, she and Jarin retreated farther into the shadows, hidden by trees.
“He’ll have a spyglass,” explained Jarin, drawing her even lower to the ground. “He’ll be able to see the shore in a fair amount of detail. Let’s pray he doesn’t notice the track from the rowboat running up the beach.”
The schooner moved with painstaking slowness across the ocean. Was it slowing down, or was that just Riella’s anxiety?
“What do we do if they come ashore?” asked Riella. “There are dozens of them.”
“We have two choices. We can set off in the rowboat, hoping we make it beyond their reach before they can pursue us. Or, we stay and fight.”
Riella knew the choice was only the illusion of one. Even with her and Jarin’s combined strength, a rowboat would never outpace a schooner.
“We’ll fight,” she said decisively. “I won’t paddle away in fear, only to be captured again when they give chase. I never want to be captured again in my life.”
Jarin had his cutlass, and she could wield one or both oars. They would be at a hefty disadvantage, but that had never stopped a siren before.
But, in the end, a fight wasn’t necessary, because the vessel continued without turning toward them. Eventually, it sailed from view altogether.
“Let’s wait before leaving,” said Jarin. “To make sure he’s not coming back.”
The pair tramped through the jungle to the other side, to ensure Artus had indeed passed by. When the horizon remained clear, Riella and Jarin pushed the rowboat to the water and began their long return journey.
“We got lucky,” said Jarin as he heaved the oars. “But it’s only a matter of time before he finds us.”
Riella nodded. “Let’s go straight to the ship and help with the repairs. The sooner we can leave, the better.”
Upon their return, they steered the rowboat to the Pandora, climbing the ropes to board the great vessel. Ulyss and Berolt and the crew were hard at work repairing the hull, sweaty and red-faced in the afternoon sun. Anchored just offshore, the Pandora swayed gently with the nudge of the tide.
“He’s on our tail,” said Jarin to Berolt with a grimace. “Artus. He’s scanning the seas for us.”
Berolt put his hands on his hips, puffing. “Well, we’ll be on our way soon. The hull is patched, we just need to reinforce it.”
Itching to help, Riella carried planks of wood and tools down to the bilge. Seeing Artus’s ship had reminded her that Polinth wasn’t necessarily her most immediate threat.
On her way back upstairs, she ran into Drue.
The boy moved stiffly, but his face had more color than the last time she’d seen him.
“How are you doing?” she asked.
Drue shrugged. “Heaps better. I’m not good for hard labor, but I can prepare the rigging.”
He patted the coil of rope he was carrying.
Riella brightened. “Can you show me?” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “I’d never say this to any other pirate, in case it made them feel good, but the way they climb the rigging is quite impressive. They remind me of land-crabs on webs. Now that I have legs, I want to learn how.”
The cabin boy nodded along, frowning slightly. “Right. Webs. Do you mean spiders?”
“Yes! Land-crabs.”
Drue chuckled. “Alright, sure. I can show you.”
She took the rope and followed his instructions, which he issued with complete patience, even when she dropped the main sail from a great height and he had to dive out of the way, lest he was killed.
“Sorry!” she called down, gripping the main mast, which creaked in the salty breeze.
“It’s alright.”
He continued his instructions, except from several paces back.
The other pirates scowled at her as she worked, but Riella ignored them. She spent hours on the rigging, until she felt confident with the basic methods of sailing.
“How long have you been with the Dark Tide?” asked Riella when she was back on deck, helping Drue roll up a sail.
“Less than a year,” he replied.
“Ah. So, after the war ended. That explains why you aren’t wary of me, like the others.”
“I’m not afraid of you, but I know well enough to be wary around other sirens. I may not have fought in the war, but I’ve heard stories aplenty from the crew.”
He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small white ball.
“Candle wax,” he said, squishing it slightly with his fingers. “We plug our ears with it when we suspect sirens are nearby.”
Riella raised her brows, bemused the pirates had found a way around Sirensong. “Does it work?”
He shrugged. “I’ve never had cause to test it. Hopefully never will. Berolt reckons it stops the worst of the Song, but not all of it.”
A pirate hauled a toolbox past at that moment, glowering at Riella. He paused to mutter something into Drue’s ear before stomping down the stairs.
Drue returned the wax to his pocket, his face flushing. “He’s angry I was telling you our secrets,” he explained. “He thinks it’s traitorous. The crew have been grumbling about you ever since we arrived on the isle.”
Riella looked around uneasily. “But they will obey Jarin’s orders, won’t they? He’s the captain now.”
What if they refused to sail for the Black Cliffs to rescue Seraphine? The crew loathed having Riella on board, let alone sailing the Pandora at her behest. Jarin and Drue liking her obviously meant very little to the rest of them.
Sirens and pirates were still enemies, and they seemed committed to treating her like one. Jarin couldn’t afford dissent in the ranks so soon after becoming captain. And without the Pandora, Riella had nothing. She’d be stuck.
And really, why should the pirates put their lives on the line for her? Naturally, they had no desire or cause to sail around finding magical amulets and rescuing elves. They wanted to plunder and loot and drink mead at port cities.
Riella was dragged from her thoughts by a pirate’s panicked shouts. He stood at the bow, spyglass in hand, looking to sea. He hollered a warning over his shoulder, causing the ship to come alive with activity at once.
“Enemy! Enemy incoming!”