AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Killian
Rek eyed me curiously and looked to our new shipmate. “Need a hand?” He inclined his head in her direction.
“I’m able to mend myself,” Jo said before wobbling forward. Rek caught her and she peered up at my first mate. “Perhaps a steady hand may be of use.”
He huffed, but I noticed a faint tint to his cheeks as he carried Jo to the side of the deck. Ainsley stayed with them, and Jasper arrived hurriedly with the best version of healing gear we had.
“A few wraps of fabric will do,” Jo said. “Clean shot straight through, I reckon.”
“Lucky,” Rek muttered as he ripped a cloth and soaked it in his own rum. “It’ll sting.”
I backed away, and Ainsley’s attention finally left Jo and returned to me. I leaned against the side of the ship, looking at the faint remnants of Highvein as we escaped to the safety of the skies.
“Will they follow?” she questioned.
I shrugged, uncertain how badly the Royal Navy wanted Jo. “Where to next, mi’lady?”
Her face fell and I touched her hand. “I don’t know,” she admitted.
“I may have a beat on water,” Jo called from the deck.
I whirled in her direction, surprised by the input. “You said no one knew where the others were hidden.” Damn it all, I hated when a story didn’t add up. As much as I found myself liking Jo, my walls rose slightly at her sudden spark of knowledge.
“A beat, Captain, not a solid answer. She was enemy number one in my mind, and if you think I’d have no idea about an enemy like that, you’re a poor judge of character,” she chided.
“An enemy?” Ainsley questioned.
“Vivian was killed by Bash when she stopped being useful to him. I mentioned her to you in the house. She had a daughter. Evelyn.”
Ainsley paced in front of Jo a few times. “Is she good? Or like her mother?”
Jo shrugged as Rek tightened one last knot. “Umph.” She inclined her head to him as he backed off, clearing away her bloodied shirt sleeve he’d torn at some point.
“Who knew I had such a fantastic nurse aboard our ship,” I muttered as he strolled by.
Rek glowered at me, lip curling. “You’re on my shit list, Killian. I’d let me stew a bit longer.” With that, my first mate disappeared below deck into my office, and I let him go.
“Jo?” Ainsley said, and I wondered at the response myself. Were we heading into someplace worse than Highvein, going after someone who betrayed the casters, or the daughter of the betrayer?
“Who is really all good?” Jo retorted before directing her attention back to me. “Varium is where you’ll be heading, Captain.”
My shoulders slumped in defeat. “Varium? Dammit, woman. Did all of you purposefully choose the worst places on our continent to escape to?”
“What’s wrong with Varium?” Ainsley inquired.
“Nothing, as long as we’re not blasted out of the sky before we can dock. Varium doesn’t like visitors. Ever.”
Jo grinned at my response. “We’ve outrun death once today. Let’s see how we fare, making a second go at it, eh, Flynn?”
I was not amused. “I’d much rather not have to outrun death at all, but it seems water is the key, so to speak.” I placed my hands on my hips and hung my head for a moment. “Let’s sleep on it and set sail at daybreak.”
“But Killian—” Ainsley began, and I held up a hand.
“Love, Jo has been injured, not to mention the two of you need your rest. I could do with a bit myself. It can wait until dawn.”
Jo snorted. “You think a little ole gunshot’s going to stop me?”
Women were frustrating to say the least. “No. I can’t say that it will. However, my crew has been running for days upon days with very little sleep. We should all take a breather. We’ve no idea what awaits us in that godforsaken place.” I shuddered at the thought.
