A Game Of Changing Tides

Chapter Eleven

Adelyn looked over at Gardner, who was eying her as though he had no idea what she was. Adelyn was surprised to see he looked as though he was the same age as Nik, not that she had been thinking much about it before. All she'd cared about was whether or not he'd had a steady enough hand that he wouldn't accidentally cut her open.

Nik started walking, and he dragged Adelyn along with him. She marched backwards, keeping her eyes on Gardner until she was sure they were far enough away that he couldn't attack. When they turned at the nearest corner, Nikolai grabbed hold of her shoulder and lifted her chin with his freehand, his eyes on her neck. She frowned, her own eyes turned up to the smoky sky above them.

"Are you okay?" Nik said, finally letting go of her chin and letting her head back down. Adelyn nodded. "You're sure?"

"Yes," Adelyn said, though she wasn't. Physically, there was nothing wrong with her. The knife had done no more damage than a pin could have. Otherwise, though, Adelyn felt anything but okay. As Nik looked into her eyes, she knew he had to see that. He didn't question her further, though, and she was glad.

Nik didn't let go of her arm the whole way back to the ship. She wondered if it was because he was just as shaken as she was. He'd finally found the key to the thing he'd been searching for for years, and it'd almost slipped through his fingers. Adelyn doubted he was going to let that happen again.

And though the thought made her feel more like an object than a girl, it also made her feel safer.

***

Adelyn dropped the silver coins she hadn't spent into the front of her top, wiggling to make sure it dropped down to her waist. Nikolai had left her on board the ship, and he'd tasked Xavier with watching her until her returned, as though she were a child and not a grown woman. All he'd told her was that he was going to round up the rest of the crew from the town, and they'd be setting sail by dark.

Nikolai had no plans to wait for Gardner, and Adelyn was more than glad.

Less than five feet away, Xavier was sitting up on the railing shaving the bark off a branch with a knife. Adelyn felt nervous just watching him there, with nothing but unforgiving waters tens of feet below him. She couldn't understand how he could sit there while the boat rocked, as though there wasn't the risk of him falling into the ocean and disappearing beneath the surface.

Adelyn could hear the waves below them, and though the sound itself was calming, the feeling it caused was not. Her stomach was caught in a limbo, somewhere between the need to puke the the sensation of sleep. Two days on the ship had been too long for Adelyn, but there was no turning back.

Nina hobbled onto the ship only moments later, jumping from the wooden board that leaned up against the edge of the ship. She ran a hand through her hair, the water and grime on her hands causing strands to stand up straight. Adelyn could see dirt and grease layered in the strands, and though she grimaced, she said nothing. She made a mental note to wash her own hair within the day.

Nina pulled an earing out from her back pocket, dangling it in front of Adelyn between her thumb and pointer finger. Adelyn admired the green diamond, and the intricate black metal-work that held it in place. She hated to admit it, but a part of her wondered exactly how many silver pieces someone could get for that earring.

She figured the number was high. Higher than even an old pocket watch.

"Found it on one of the merchant booths today." Nina said, moving to replace the older grey earring in her left ear with the new one. Adelyn noticed it was the only one of her two ears that had a piercing. "Got a real good deal for it, too."