“Sir, I....” Again those words stuck somewhere in my throat. I bit my tongue to ignite them, and everything spilled out. “Someone’s broken into the ‘Combs, and we think the intruder released a prisoner—I’m not sure who. But they used a spell to distract everyone while the breakout happened. Father said using the Blood of the Sun is the only way to find those responsible, and if we don’t find them soon, the people might find out, and it could cost our family everything.”
I’ve never scared easily, but something about the circumstances that had set everything in motion encouraged me to continue. “I was supposed to train as a page under one of Lord Veren’s sons in Lendre, but this seemed much more important.”
When I paused to catch my breath, Uncle Melroc lifted his hand to cut me off. “This is serious, Frendyl. Did your father say whether he has everything under control?”
I shook my head, my face cold and clammy. “No, sir.”
“And I’m going to assume he doesn’t know you came to me instead of leaving for Lendre.”
I gave a single nervous nod.
My uncle leaned back in his chair and held his hand over his face, as though thinking. Each second of silence only made the pounding of my Center louder—WHUMP, WHUMP, WHUMP—and gave me more time to fidget and wonder what would to happen to me. Nothing could be done to Mizen, since he was predestined to be the high lord of Drüssyevoi, but I could be disowned, sent off to another city—or worse, sent to court in the capital. There, if I were convicted, I’d never see my family again.
Sure, my family had its faults, but I still loved them. I was willing to give up my page training to help Father out. Couldn’t my uncle understand that?
“I suppose I don’t have much of a choice,” said Melroc finally, and he leaned forward, though he shook his head slowly. “You need to understand the gravity of what you’ve done, though.”
Now that sent a chill between my wings. I clamped my jaw closed as hard as I could, resolute in my decision not to ask what he thought Father would do to me.
“Come, sit. We should talk.”
I sank into another of the cloud-made chairs, this one across the huge table from him.
“So, you know my crew and I are seeking....” Melroc nodded, staring right at me to let me know that the name wasn’t something we could discuss aloud. “And it sounds to me as if we must be quick about its return. Tell me, did you or Mizendrel say anything to anyone else?”
I took in a deep breath, my uncle’s lavender-and-plum blood-scent helping me relax now that he was closer. A least he hadn’t sent me away in shame—yet. “We... tried to keep quiet about it. Why?”
“The... thing we’re trying to find has garnered a lot of attention, and not all of it from upstanding individuals.”
I frowned. “If it’s so important to get it back so fast, why can’t we use mirrors?” Amüli used enchanted mirrors to get from one place to another, including Earth. The crossover was almost instantaneous, so it made more sense to use those than a ship of clouds, which would take days or weeks to travel from one place to another.
“Imagine we reached Erytel or another city, only to discover there is no mirror where we are headed. How would we get there? With a crew of casters hired in that city?”
I nodded. “Sure. Why not?”
He scowled. “I only trust those on this vessel. It also saves me time with customs.”
That made sense. Travel through mirrors was strictly regulated; a great deal of paperwork was required to leave one city and go to another, and if Melroc needed a large crew—especially for protection or to reach a destination where mirrors might not exist—the delay could be longer than the few days it took to traverse the Madirakovi Strait.
“Now, I can’t have you waltzing around as if you’re a cabin boy of sorts.”
“Why not?” I blurted. “I’m fine with working from the bottom up.”
He shook his head. “That’s not how this works. Your blood reeks of someone from a powerful House. Anyone with half a wit aboard this vessel would know you’re related to me, and there’s no point in trying to hide it. Instead I think you’ll work for me.”
My lips curled into a grin.
“Don’t be too excited, lad. You’ll still have to work, and hard. I can’t favor you in any way other than taking you on as a....”
“A what?”
He scratched his beard. “‘Cabin boy’ ain’t right. ‘Apprentice,’ let’s say, at least until I come up with something more apt. You’ll take minutes at my meetings, strip my bed and make it again, clean my clothes, empty my chamber pot, scrub my quarters, and share the same chores as the other crew your age.”
My expression must have given away my surprise at the mention of others my age on board, because he said, “Aye, one of your second cousins is here, and a few other runts whose fathers wanted them to learn something of the world. You’ll be expected to do as they do, understand?”
“Absolutely,” I said.
“Report to me this evening. My quarters are through that door.” He motioned to his left. “I need new linen tonight, and the chamber pot needs to be scrubbed before sunset. Go and join the crew, now. Ask Lord Loudrum to give you something to do while I think.”
I rose, warmth spreading through my chest and into my face and heavy limbs. Even though the meeting offered a glimpse at how much my uncle disapproved of my choices, I seemed to have won some respect from him.
Melroc stopped me as I turned to leave. “Once we’re well enough at sea, I’m going to contact your father and explain where you are. You can tell him why when we return.” He waved an enormous hand at the door. “Oh, and Frendyl? You’re to call me ‘Captain’ or ‘Captain Melroc’ in front of the others. Understood?”
“Yes, sir... er, Captain.”
He nodded and opened the book he had been reading, signaling that our meeting was over.
I stepped outside of the room and breathed in the brine-laden air with relish. Though the cloudy walls let fresh air inside, I felt as if I’d just emerged from the ‘Combs. The sun had risen above the water, casting a strange blue-green glow over the sky-ship.
A number of amüli nearby shouted to one another, and I heard one cry, “Cast off!”
I grinned and raced toward the edge of the deck, leaning out and catching the casters work in unison to raise the ship by pinwheeling their arms, a low, rumbling chant coming from their direction. Blue magic seeped from the deck beneath them, and when I looked up, I caught sight of another team doing the same thing.
Swirling blue energy gathered beneath the lowest decks and forced the sky-ship into the air with a great heave. I stumbled as the ship rocked, and the final jerk almost knocked me from my feet as the ship rose. The lead casters—masters of individual groups—roared orders before continuing the chant. Their heavy voices boomed above all others and added a deep bass to the tone of the ritual.
Humans might use sails and oars to power their sea vessels, but magic just seemed so much more effective, and the ship finally arched toward the heavens. A rolling storm beneath the lowest deck of the ship boosted the vessel higher, and only when peering closer did I realize the storm was actually comprised of magic that had gone misty.
Once the sky-ship had leveled out, I squatted, opened my wings, and pushed off into the air. Now I just had to find this Lord Loudrum.
