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We might not survive to reach that island.
I head for the kitchens, seeking out Trianne. She’s got that last water barrel under lock and key in one of the storage rooms. I trust my crew not to steal more than their share when it comes to gold. But water is an entirely different matter. The lack of it messes with a person’s mind.
“How much is left?” I ask her.
She knows immediately what I mean. “If we continue at these portions? Five days.”
Five.
“Start serving the rum with dinner in place of water,” I tell her. Not only will it give us longer on the sea, but it’ll help the crew sleep at night with thirsty bellies.
“That’ll buy us an extra week, maybe. Stars be thanked, Kearan cut himself off. Else we’d be out by now.”
“That’s the truth.”
I clap her on the shoulder before leaving the galley.
“They’re back!”
The shout is quiet from down here, but I know it’s Roslyn. She must mean the ships.
The fleet.
Is he playing with me? I wouldn’t put it past my father to give his men a break long enough for me to feel safe just to speed them up again to throw me off.
Father likes games, and at this point, the only advantage I have over him is being able to restock my abilities without having to incarcerate myself and wait a night.
It’s not enough.
I know this. I know what I need to do next.
My limbs shake just thinking about it, but I force myself to take the necessary steps. I locate Sorinda first and give her orders. Then I go to my rooms to change. Finally, I seek out Riden.
He is chatting with Wallov in the brig when I find him. They are probably too far below to have heard the shout, and when I start to catch the topic of their conversation, I decide not to interrupt right away.
“Caring after a child is hard work,” Wallov says, “especially when they’re too little to walk on their own. But I wouldn’t trade Roslyn for all the gold in the world.”
“Is it ever awkward being a father to a daughter?” Riden asks.
“It hasn’t been yet, but I’m dreading the conversations we’ll have when she gets a bit older.”
“Fear not, Wallov,” I say, alerting the two men to my presence. “There’s a whole crew of women to help with that.”
“Good,” he says, the relief evident in his voice. “I was really hoping for that.”
“Sorry to interrupt,” I say, my voice taking on a more urgent tone, “but I need Riden.”
Riden cocks his head to the side, and I hurry to add more to my statement.
“The fleet is back. It’s time to take the next step.”
The lighthearted expressions on their faces falter. Wallov hurries up top to be near his daughter while she does her job.
“Follow me,” I say to Riden.
When he sees me go for the stairs, he asks, “Above? We won’t be in the brig?”
“Not today.”
