Page 147 of Carousel

“Right,” I say. “Of course. I just couldn’t. Last night.”

He seems to accept that. I stare at our captain’s hunched back. He looks so mild. Just a tall, thin middle-aged man in uniform and a ponytail.

Could he really be capable of fooling everyone on this ship?

“What made you think he was a traitor?”

“My first corrective instruction session,” Drake answers quickly. “I had started to think the conversion was done using blood magic.” He smirks. “And so, to be beaten in a sub-standard way that wouldn’t break any of my bones and hurt me beyond superficial bruising, yes. It did make me think.”

The room – and the stars at our heads – are blurring.

I try to stay steady on my feet. Think this all through.

And it makes sense.

“It couldn’t possibly be blood magic,” I say, confidently. I lean right into his ear. “Meg is immune to it.”

He frowns, his full attention on me. “You are sure.”

“Yes. She told me. And I’ve seen it. When I tried⁠—”

He looks at me patiently.

I forgot he doesn’t know.

“Drake,” I say. “The link between us. I seem to be able to…”

I let the sentence hang.

Because he’s just smiling.

The floor seems to sway under me.

“How did you know?”

“You used it on me, at the Captain’s Dinner, if you remember.” He puffs out air. “It was rather like being stabbed with my own sword.”

I have no breath in my lungs. I’m tight. Solemn.

He really is always one step ahead of me.

I’m glad he’s my ally – my friend.

Because he’d be a frightening opponent.

“What do you think it could be?” I breathe. “Am I stealing from you, somehow?”

“Stealing? No. The opposite. The magic is stronger when we’re near each other.” He glances around, then says, calmly, “I was able to get hold of a radio today after all.”

I’m completely lost.

“How?”

“When the bellringer came, Riss slept in. By a few minutes.”

“Riss slept…” I trail off. Blink. “You made her sleep in?”

The thought makes me uneasy. I don’t like it at all.