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Killian
Icouldn’t take my eyes off Ainsley as her friend walked away from her. She held something in her hands and trembled slightly as she opened it up.
A letter of some sort.
Jackson approached just as Jo and Rek reached me as well. There was an uncomfortable silence that hung between us.
Jo finally spoke, “Good thing your blast knocked me out momentarily and not for a week. Those fires would have done more damage than your crew would know what to do with.”
Jackson’s shoulders tensed beneath that perfectly clean coat. Who wore overcoats like that in the skies, anyway?
“You could have killed someone with your little vengeance crusade. Next time be more careful. Other airships will not yield to their fire as I did.” I pressed my words further into the already-nervous boy.
Jackson glanced back at Ainsley once before swiveling his gaze in my direction again. “I hardly believe if the roles were reversed, you would tread cautiously if you thought Ains—” He stopped, correcting himself instantly. “If you thought a lady were in danger.”
The boy proceeded onto his ship and a hand thumped against my back. “Oh, Captain. This ought to be quite a treat to observe,” Jo said in a brash tone of voice. “Jackson, you need a hand with the damages?” she questioned without waiting for an answer, hopping onto his ship and heading to an area that was scorched from Ainsley’s magic.
I stared after the additional caster we’d brought on board. “Never mind that the ship that’s carrying you may require mending!” I called after her.
Rek took a step forward as if he’d follow the bloody woman to the other airship. I threw my hand out, slamming it into his chest. “I know you are not leaving this ship to assist them before our own damage has been fully assessed.”
The man had the audacity to lift my hand off his chest as if I were a nobody on the street and gave me a sidelong glance. “Jasper’s taking care of ours. And we have extra men who can assist with this ship. I’d think you’d want them gone as soon as possible, eh?”
I frowned at his comment. “I don’t care what they do.”
Rek snorted, which grated on my already high-strung nerves.
“You’re one to talk,” I growled. “Nearly letting us get blown out of the sky over a woman, who hasn’t given you more than a onceover, passing glare.”
Rek’s face grew several shades darker than I had ever seen before. “I told you there would be trouble with a woman on board. Much less a caster. Now there’s two…they’re bloody well multiplying.” His wild eyes roamed the ship, ensuring he was looking anywhere but at me.
“Well, then, by all means, friend, go tend to the one who's got your knickers in a twist.” Before Rek could slug me, I leapt out of his way and aboard Jackson’s ship. The crew was inexperienced, and Jackson himself was certainly no captain. I clenched and unclenched my fists as I thought of what could have happened had an experienced sky captain caught us off guard.
Ainsley made her way to the ship, speaking with Jackson as she folded up the parchment that he’d given her, placing it in the front pocket of her leather trousers. Damn, that woman wore her ensemble as if she were born to fly.
I was daydreaming, of course, when her frenzied hand motions finally registered. She waved wildly, attempting to get my attention and call me over.
“Killian,” she said, her breath shallow as she excitedly continued wherever it was that she had left off with Jackson before my arrival. “I was getting Jackson up to speed on all of our plans. We’re heading to Varium now so that we can find the next caster—”
My choking hit me by surprise, although likely sounding intentional to the pair standing before me.
Ainsley stared at me as though I had gone mad (which was nothing new), yet she was spewing out details of finding magic casters to a secret book like it was common knowledge.
“Perhaps some things should remain quiet, mi’lady,” I reminded her with an arch of my brow.
Jackson did not take my comment well nor kindly, and his upper lip curled in a snarl. “We have no secrets between us.”
Although I may regret it, a smile tugged at my lips. “Oh, I highly doubt that, young man.”
“Enough,” Ainsley said, flinging her arms between us. “I have known Jackson my entire life. He can and will know everything and be of assistance.”
“If my crew can assist Killian here in any way so that we may be on our way, they’re all yours, Captain.” Jackson bowed in my direction.
“On our way?” Ainsley repeated. “No, Jackson, I’m not going anywhere. I want you to help us here.”
“What?” The boy and I growled at the same time.
“Surely, Jackson and his crew would be better off in Rookhallow defending its people.” I held my hand over my heart, and from the sneer Ainsley’s face registered, I thought it best to back down. Although, she was the one playing this strange little game in front of her friend.
