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I never expected that from her.
She hasn’t done much that I’ve expected since we fished her out of the sea.
“Good winds.”
I watch Miles walk up, my mood souring. “We’ll make good time to Sarvi despite the delay.” I haven’t seen much of my quartermaster in the time we were trapped in Yaltia’s bay by the storm. He went ashore with a good portion of the crew. No doubt he used that time well to continue to gain favor among them.
The vote is coming. I can sense it the same way Dia can sense weather patterns. I do my best to operate above reproach, but I’m only human, and the code of honor that Ezra instilled in me doesn’t sit well with some people. It will take only one moment, one bad choice, and Miles will have his victory.
The thought should fire me up, but I’m so fucking tired. I want to blame it on being worried about Evelyn sneaking out again, or on the hundred other little details and concerns that go with running a ship and keep me up at night.
I’m starting to wonder if this exhaustion isn’t years in the making. Evelyn’s presence on board didn’t cause it. She only revealed what was already there, simmering below the surface.
Miles stops next to me and turns easily to face the same way. I nod to Sarah and she gives us a little boost with her magic, filling the sails and sending us skimming across the waves away from Yaltia. I tell myself I don’t breathe easier with each league between us, but it’s a lie.
Seconds tick by, and then minutes. This is the longest Miles has spent in my presence in weeks. I glance at him. “You need something?”
He shrugs. “Just making sure the plan for Sarvia hasn’t changed.”
I don’t like the casual way he asks that, as if there are layers beneath the seemingly simple words. Miles speaks plainly most of the time, which makes the times he doesn’t all the trickier. “Why would something change?” I finally ask.
His tail flicks, the smallest movement but telling nonetheless. “The woman is in your head.”
“She’s not in my head.” I speak too quickly, too harshly. He’s not saying anything I haven’t thought myself, but hearing it from Miles sets my teeth on edge.
“Are you sure?” His voice is bland. “Nothing worth reporting has happened since she came aboard?”
Something like guilt blossoms on the back of my tongue. There’s no way he could be talking about the cat-sìth. It wasn’t an official hunt, and the only witness to what happened was Evelyn. She didn’t tell anyone; of that, I’m sure. Miles is trying to trap me into admitting I’ve done something wrong. I make an effort to loosen my grip on the helm. “You obviously have something you’re chewing on. Spit it out.”
“Lucky woke up to find their bunkmate missing. No one saw the witch for several hours that first night on Yaltia … not until Sarah witnessed you coming back aboard with her. If she broke her vow—”
“She didn’t.” I can’t let him pursue that train of thought. I might be willing to give Evelyn the space to come to terms with her new life, but Miles won’t. He’s more than proven that since we pulled her out of the sea. “She wanted to see the island, so I took her on a quick tour.”
“In the middle of the night, while we were trapped by a vicious storm.” His disbelief might as well be a physical thing between us.
If I let him chase down this argument, he’s going to catch me out. There’s no good reason for Evelyn—or me—to have gone ashore when we did. Not unless we were up to no good.
Or she was, and I was hauling her back before anyone could notice she’d slipped out.
Better to change the subject entirely. “While we were in the woods, we happened across a creature I’ve never seen before. It could shift planes. Have you ever heard of a giant cat that can do that?”
Miles flicks out his tongue, tasting the air. As if testing for a lie. “Is it something we need to take care of?”
“No. We handled it.” Let him read what he will from that vague statement. He’ll assume we killed it. We didn’t, but with it being so injured, it’s sure to leave the village behind and move on to easier—less dangerous—prey. It’s not a sure thing, but …
The line of thought makes me uneasy. It feels like mental acrobatics, and that’s not something I usually indulge in.
“But no, to answer your question, I’ve never come across such a beast.” He narrows his beady dark eyes. “Why do you ask?”
Because apparently I’ve heard of this creature. I know its name and far too much information about it. Information I have no right to. Not that I’m going to admit as much to him. He’s already feeling me out for weakness to exploit. There’s no reason to hand him one for free. “If it’s something that’s more common than I realized, it would be useful to train the crew in how to deal with it.”
“No reason for you to worry about it. You won’t be captain for much longer.” He turns and walks away without another word.
I watch him go, dread weighing my shoulders down. If we’ve moved to overt threats, then he thinks he’s all but assured the vote. I’ll have to deal with that soon … but not yet. First, we have people to save.
I turn my attention back to the horizon. I’ll deal with Miles after we handle the sea monster. Even without knowing the full details about what we’re about to hunt, it’s likely to be some kind of serpent. From the most recent report, the teenagers were killed on the beach itself, which means the creature came out of the water, at least partially. That, combined with the fact that it’s attacking in the shallows, removes a number of options.
Sea serpents are common enough in Threshold, but all of our native ones stick to the depths, except during breeding season. Even then, they historically stay clear of the islands with people. The ones who haven’t end up dead. Which created something of a natural evolution, I suppose.
