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“’Tis a pleasure, miss. Be seeing you around.”
Blood starts to slide down my arms. Bah, now my clothes are stained.
Every once in a while, I’ll start to regain my strength enough to pull the pressure off my wrists for a brief moment. But always I end up back where I am, dangling above a ship full of barbarians. Except for Enwen.
Maybe Kearan, too. He hoists a flask up in the air, a question in the gesture. My returning look must be something like,How exactly would I drink that from up here?
He shrugs and downs the rum himself. I suppose it is the thought that counts.
At one point, I spot Theris through the mass of working pirates. He glances up at me a couple of times. It’s not sympathy or worry on his face, but curiosity. Like all the other pirates, he’s probably wondering what insane thing I’ll do next.
All I can wonder is when the pain will go away.
The truly agonizing thing is that I could free myself. If I didn’t have to hide what I can do, I could get out of this in no time. But I need to stay on this ship longer. I can’t give myself away.
After a while, it becomes hard to think. Hard to see. Hard to swallow. Everything goes hazy. People become blurry shapes. I try to look beyond the ship, straining into the distance. Just as there is a destination far beyond this one, there will be a time far beyond this one when there won’t be any pain, just the memory of it. As I try to hold that in my mind, I think I see a black blur on the horizon. A ship. But once I blink, it’s gone.
It isn’t until it’s time for everyone to retire to their beds that I am finally released.
“Cut the rope,” Draxen commands.
After a day without food or water or solid ground, my whole body is too weak. Even my legs. I cannot catch myself. So I fall onto my back.
“Upon your next mistake, princess, I will have you dangling by your feet. We shall see how long it takes for the blood to make your head explode. Get her out of my sight, Riden.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Try not to have too much fun with her while she’s staying in your room. Can’t have her in a bad condition when we meet the pirate king.”
“She’ll be safe with me.”
“Off with you, then.”
Riden scoops me up in one smooth movement. Somehow he manages not to make anything hurt more than it already does. He’s very gentle with me, holding me close to his chest. I think I’d rather have my head dragged on the ground, but I haven’t the power to move.
He carries me into his room, shuts the door, and lays me on the bed. An instant later the manacles are off, and I gasp at the pain the removal causes.
“Shh,” Riden says soothingly. “I know, Alosa. Just a moment. I’ll put something on that. Stay here for now.”
Where would I go? I can’t move.
He’s drifting around the room, looking for something. “This would be easier if you hadn’t moved and broken everything.”
I open my mouth, but I think something similar to a croak rather than words comes out.
“What was that?” Riden asks.
I cough and try again. “I think I remember kicking something under the bed.”
He sighs before dropping down to his knees.
“Here’s something, I think,” he says.
The bed dips as he sits on it. He puts his hands under my arms and hauls me up.
I hiss through my teeth.
“Sorry. Almost there.”
