Journey of Flame

Chapter ten

I nodded, and her smile widened, a spark of joy shining in her eyes. "Then let's go on an adventure, Bedelia."

"Oh, so the little brat gets to go, but I can't?" Before I could so much as blink, Zai had a small dagger in her hand and was whirling to face Faxon, who had apparently finished his conversation and come up to the edge of the crowd behind Zai.

She touched the tip of the knife to his throat, and I'd swear everyone held their breath.

"Don't ever," Zai hissed, "speak ill of her again." Her eyes were glowing again. I could see the blue light on Faxon's genuinely terrified face.

For a long, long moment, no one moved. No one so much as breathed.

"Zai," I finally managed to murmur, reaching out to touch her arm. As much of an asshole as Faxon was, he didn't deserve to die for it.

The glowing in her eyes faded at this, and she slowly lowered the knife.

Faxon took a slow step back, raising his hands in a placating gesture.

Zai only turned away from him, and as she did, I could've sworn Faxon shot me a grateful glance.

I gave him a single nod before following Zai to the ship's right side, where Voss and another man were lowering a large board onto the sand. For us to walk down.

Voss stepped aside once it was down, saying, "Ladies first."

Zai rolled her eyes but started down the ramp, and I made to follow her, but Voss grabbed my arm.

I braced myself for the rage, but as I turned to face him, his eyes were kind. "I apologize for my husband. He... doesn't trust easily, and he also fears for my safety. Even if he knows I can handle myself."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I only nodded.

"I'll talk to him when we return," he said. "And I'll make sure he understands the gravity of what you just did for him."

I shrugged. "What he said wasn't kind, but he didn't deserve to die for it."

He gave a dip of his head, then motioned towards the ramp. "As I said, ladies first."

* * *

Zai had left about half the crew on the ship for fear of the men she'd overheard coming for the treasure that awaited on this island. There were nine of us in this group, me, Zai, Voss, Curtis, Rouge, Grim, Reeve, Bassett, and a man I had only heard referred to as Ghost.

I stayed close to Zai, not knowing any of these men well enough to feel comfortable talking with them.

Voss stayed on Zai's other side, telling her which paths he'd already taken years ago. "I admit, I don't remember every path I took," he was saying, "but I know there's one up ahead on the left side that I searched already. And I went all the way down this path that we're on until it ends at the opposite shore."

"Alright, so we'll make sure to get off of it soon," Zai said.

"Actually, I think we should split up. We'd cover more ground that way."

Zai thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. How many groups?"

"As many as you see fit, Captain."

I watched her do the math. "Alright," she began, "how about you all group up on your own. Bedelia, you're with me."

I gave a nod. I wouldn't have been comfortable in another group anyway.

She linked my arm with hers and continued down the path, and I fought the blush rising to my cheeks.

"You, uh, don't want me with you, Captain?" Voss asked hesitantly.

She paused, and I got the sense that she was remembering the reason we were here, despite what she had said just moments ago. "Oh, uh, no. There's no need," she said, turning back to face him.

"You sure made it sound like one on the ship," he countered.

"I... Well, yes." I don't think I'd ever seen her this flustered. "I do need you here, but not necessarily with me. It doesn't matter which group finds the ruins, just as long as one of us does."

He glanced between the two of us but shrugged and said, "Okay. We'll all meet back here by sunset. Does that sound good?"

"Yes," Zai said with a nod.

And so, Zai and I continued walking, but I couldn't help but wonder what that was all about.

* * *

Gods, what the hell was that, Zai? I couldn't help but ask myself as Bedelia and I trekked down a near-forgotten path. There was only enough room for us to walk single file, so I stayed in front, slashing foliage aside with my cutlass.

Had I genuinely forgotten what we were here for? Yes. I had. Like a stupid fool, I had seen a chance to be alone with Bedelia and had immediately forgotten everything else.

"Uh, Zai, are those plants moving?" Bedelia asked after a good few minutes of silent walking.

"Hm?" I paused and looked back at her to find her pointing. I followed her finger, but the plants she was referring to were still. For a long moment, I waited, but they didn't move. "I don't think so," I said, and continued walking.

"Are you sure?" Bedelia asked.

I shrugged. "No, but moving plants, especially ones so big, probably don't exist. It was probably just the wind or something."

"Okay..." For a long moment, we walked in silence, but then Bedelia said, "Do you think there will be traps in the ruins?"

"It's likely, yes," I answered. "If there are riches hidden within them, I doubt the people who did it wanted to make them easy to find."

She was quiet for a moment, and I thought that was the end of the conversation, but then she said, "Maybe we should have stayed on the ship."

"I am the captain. I will not stay behind while I send my crew out into dangerous territory."

"I know. I just... I don't want to lose you."

I paused at this, turning to face her. "Why?"

"Well, if you... you know." I didn't miss how she avoided saying that word. Died. "I'm afraid without you there, Faxon would either kill me or leave me in some foreign city to fend for myself."

I shook my head, eyes softening. "Faxon wouldn't do that. He may not fully trust you, but he would go through with the deal I made. He would take you to Suria."

She turned her gaze to the dirt. "He suggested you sell me and Snowfall," she murmured.

I blinked. I hadn't remembered having such a conversation. "When did he do this?"

"When you all first found me. You weren't there yet, but he said they should sell us."

"Oh." Slowly, I reach out, taking her hands. "He likely said it to scare you. He knows I would never do that, especially not to a young girl."

"But I get the sense that he would," she breathed, looking up at me to reveal fearful eyes.

"Maybe," I admitted. "Faxon has done some terrible things; I know that much, though I don't know exactly what those things are. But," I added, "I know that he knows how much you mean to me. And he knows that if he ever hurt you after I died, I would make sure the seas were not kind to him. He wouldn't be able to so much as wade through seawater without stepping on a sharp shell or being stung by a jellyfish."

This, at least, made her laugh softly.

I smiled and squeezed her hands. "But I don't plan on dying anytime soon. And it especially won't be on a half-forgotten island at the hands of a few traps."

Bedelia returned my smile.

And then I felt something wrap around my ankle, then my wrist, and pull hard.