Evelyn shrugs. “I’ll be the first to admit that not every creature in existence is misunderstood. Normally, I would argue for rehabilitation or relocation even with a dangerous being, but the mermaids swarm and they’re insatiable. They’ll just end up in another place, doing the same thing. Eating all the food and killing all the people.”
“There are several kinds of mermaids.” I don’t know why I say it. She’s right. Once the shallow-water hunters show up, the only way to get them out is to kill them. The sole exception I’ve seen in all my years is Atlantis, the port city that sits out of time and space. It’s technically part of Threshold, but a long time ago, they managed to secure a deal that means they govern themselves and the C?n Annwn aren’t welcome on their shores for unsanctioned hunts. I had to visit a year or so ago while tracking down an unsecured portal that was stolen from one of our people.
I’m not sure how they manage to keep the mermaids contained. Even then, they lose a decent number of ships and crews attempting to sail into the bay and make port there. I clear my throat. “The deep-water ones keep to themselves for obvious reasons. There is a swarming season, but no one smart goes near those waters during that time of year. Not even a full crew of C?n Annwn are enough to guarantee survival.”
“So what you’re saying is that you respect the natural rhythm of them and don’t murder them for doing something within their nature.”
I see her point, but I can’t help pushing back. “They kill people.”
“So do the C?n Annwn,” Evelyn says softly.
I open my mouth, but my rebuttal dies before the words can leave my lips. “So do the C?n Annwn,” I repeat slowly.
She goes up on her toes and kisses me. “I know, baby. It’s going to be a long process of unknowing. Go easy on yourself.” She moves away to pull on a long coat and slips her dagger—because it is her dagger now, it’s no longer mine—into the sheath at her waist. That sheath is new, too.
This time, I don’t bother to question where it came from. Evelyn has proven herself to be canny with a mostly excellent sense of timing. If she bargained yet more stolen shit, she did it in a smart way. “Stay close. This is Hedd’s show, so no big moves on our part. It’s my job to ensure no mermaids make it aboard. Try to avoid using fire unless you’re aiming it into the water.”
“Don’t use fire on a ship. Brilliant.” Her reply is snarky, but I now know her well enough to detect the nerves under the words.
I take her shoulders and wait for her to look up at me. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”
Evelyn wets her lips. “I damn well know that in a fight, there are no guarantees, but when you say that so confidently, I believe you.” She shakes her head. “I’ll be a good little sailor and obey orders. I’m not trying to be a hero today.”
“Good.” I lead the way out of the cabin and follow a stream of people up the stairs to the deck. They look haggard, their clothing worn and dirty. It’s nothing more than I’ve noticed before, but it strikes me all over again how much the crew are at the mercy of the captain. It’s impossible to know how many of them happily follow Hedd and how many do it out of a dearth of other choices.
You could take captainship. A few months at most to win them over. They’d have to be fools to prefer Hedd to you.
For a moment, I actually consider it. Nox frustrates me to no end, but they’re irritating—not a bad person. If we worked together, we could get this ship running like the Hag in no time.
And then I’d be right back where I started. Dancing to the tune the Council sets, with no original thoughts of my own. Being … the villain.
My brain tries to shy away from that truth, but it is a truth. I don’t know how I never noticed it before, how it never occurred to me to question it, but now I can’t go back to not knowing.
The weather seems to reflect my dark thoughts. Clouds swirl ominously overhead, blocking out the sun and making it nearly impossible to see the trio of islands that compose Three Sisters. I catch sight of Dia leaning against the mast and make my way over to her, Evelyn right behind me. “What are you doing up here?” She’s not a fighter. She never has been. Usually, when it comes time to do our duty, she ends up belowdecks.
“Don’t have much confidence in this crew.” She pulls out a joint, glares at the sky, and tucks it back into her shirt. “I’d rather not go down with the ship if Hedd fucks this up.”
“If he fucks things up that badly, the only option will be to swim for shore, and that is a death sentence with mermaids in the water.”
“Still better than drowning in my cabin when the pocket realm collapses.” She shrugs and turns a keen eye on Evelyn. “It would be ill-advised for you to pull another stunt like you did aboard the Hag.”
“So I’ve been told.” Evelyn cocks her head to the side. “What’s that sound?”
The whole crew goes silent. Only the creak of the ship and the soft movement of people shifting can be heard … until a faint shriek sounds, so high and wailing that it could almost be the wind itself.
“Incoming,” Dia mutters. “Get over here, girl. Stand next to me.”
Evelyn glances at me and I nod. “I’ll protect you both.” I’m powerful, but even I don’t know if I could fly both of them and myself to the nearest island. Probably, in a worst-case scenario, fueled by panic and fear and adrenaline, but that would mean abandoning the Audacity and its crew.
There’s no law against being voted out of the captaincy. Fleeing a fight? That’s a different animal altogether.
No, the only option is to keep this damned ship afloat, no matter how badly Hedd mangles the fight. I’m not being fair—the bastard has survived this long, and it’s not by avoiding doing his duty—but I don’t care.
As if my thoughts summon the man himself, Hedd appears on deck. He holds a great ax that most people wouldn’t be able to lift off the ground and his shirtless body is painted in gray symbols.
At my back, Evelyn whistles. “A berserker, huh?”
I glance at her. “You have them in your realm?”
“Yes, though they’re rare.” She narrows her eyes. “They also don’t need the symbols in order to shift into their other form.”
“Neither does he. He’s just a dramatic fucker.”
Hedd hefts his ax. “They’re coming! Let’s show these monsters what the C?n Annwn stand for! Death to all!”
A chill shoots up my spine. That’s not what … Fuck, I’m going to keep doing this, aren’t I? It’s like there are ingrained paths in my brain and I can’t quite jump the tracks. Another time, I’d remind myself that it took twenty years to make those paths and they won’t be undone in a matter of days. Right now, I’m not in the mood to be kind to myself.
I reach back and touch Evelyn. “Stay here.”
“You said that already,” she murmurs.
“I did.” I consider my options and decide there’s no reason to pull my sword. Not yet. “And you have a history of ignoring my commands and doing what you want.”
“Well … yes.”