Shadows in the Trees: Book 1

Chapter 33

The next morning, Princess Lorelai and King Sidka had servants load their rowboat with a small fortune, a pile of jewels, gems, gold coins, and ancient artifacts. The Captain eyed the aging rowboat, which was sitting worryingly low in the water, and cautiously climbed in. The sirens circled below, bumping into the rowboat on occasion with a thunk and a splash. The Captain looked up at the Fae royalty, squinting through the bright sun.

"Remember our deal, Captain," Lorelai said. "Break it, and you will pay with your life." The Captain touched the white shell hanging from her neck and glanced at Sidka. He was staring stoically ahead, avoiding her gaze.

"Aye. Pleasure doing business with you, Your Highness," she said, bowing her head. Whoredog and Jeremiah followed suit.

Lorelai didn't respond. She delicately placed two fingers between her rosy lips and blew, letting out a shrill whistle. The boat lurched forward as the sirens took hold and pulled it away from the rotting dock. The Captain faced forward, resisting the urge to look back. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze.

"Captain," Jeremiah said. She opened her eyes. They were back in the cliffs, hidden from the sun by their shadows. "What do we tell the men?"

"Mm," she said. "I imagine many of them wouldn't be happy to know our newest trading partner are the villains from their bedtime stories."

"I imagine not," Jeremiah said, the knob in his throat bobbing. Whoredog was watching her carefully, his lips drawn into a thin line. "Perhaps these spoils would help them to overlook this?"

The Captain looked at the riches strewn around her. "It's not enough," she said. "And I don't trust Lorelai just yet. They need to be drowning in riches before I tell them; which, hopefully, Lorelai will soon deliver." She fingered one of her braids and watched the water rush past them for a moment. "No; we won't tell them. Not yet."

"You're asking us to lie to them?" Whoredog asked, crossing his arms. Jeremiah glanced at him.

"For now," she said coolly. "Just until they're comfortable, and until I know I can trust, or at least successfully manipulate, Lorelai. Otherwise, this all falls apart," she said, gesturing at the booty. Her crewmen looked at the treasure fearfully. "Agreed?"

"Agreed," they said. She nodded. She leaned back and closed her eyes again, listening intently to the cries and whistles of the water Sylph, trying to make sense of their language.

Soon, her ship was in sight, and she had never seen a sight more comforting. She drank in the dark wood, the dirty, patched sails, and the graceful, slender build of her craft as they sped to its side. She could hear her crew cheering as they neared, eagerly throwing down ties so they could be hauled up.

The rowboat was dragged on board and tipped on its side, spilling the treasure across the deck. The men cheered louder, welcoming back Jeremiah and Whoredog with hugs and thumps on the back. The Captain watched the scene with a smile, perched on her glittering pile of treasure. Barnabas pushed through the crowd to her side.

"Captain! I'm so glad you're alright," he said, breathless. Dark circles stained the skin under his eyes.

"Barnabas," she said warmly, clasping his arm. "We'll debrief later." He nodded, stepping back as she unsheathed her sword and raised it to the sky. The men quieted. "I have returned, loaded with treasure, as promised!" The men whooped. "I will divvy out the shares tonight, and the rest we will take to invest at Trombos Bay." She paused for a moment, relishing their awe. "We're going to be rich, boys."

They cheered, pumping their fists and whooping. She smiled down at them for a moment before whipping her sword down sharply.

"Alright! Fun's over. Load this into the hold. Any pickpockets lose their hands. Set sail for Trombos!" The men scattered and set to their chores, laughing and talking with one another. The Captain went to her cabin, Barnabas following close behind. He shut the door behind them. "I'll need your help with inventory and cataloging. We need to start as soon as the hold is loaded if we want to get the shares out by tonight." She went to her desk, rifling through her books and papers to find the current log. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

Barnabas blinked. "Not . . . not here, no. Your deal was fair, and the men knew that."

"Good," she said, opening the log she was searching for and stirring the ink with her quill.

"Captain," Barnabas said. When he didn't continue, she looked up at him, frowning in irritation.

"Yes?"

"What happened? Where did you go?" he asked. She stilled.

"I don't know that you would believe me if I told you," she said.

"After seeing those things carry you away?" he snorted. "I think I'll believe just about anything."

She sighed. "They took us to an island, hidden by magic. An island inhabited entirely by Fae."

He swallowed. "I . . . that's impossible. What could the Fae want with humans?"

"I'm not sure," she said, frowning. She began to twist one of her braids. "Their city, it was . . . crumbling. They're dying. They need resources from the outside."

"They aren't powerful enough to sustain themselves?" he asked. She shrugged. "I don't like this."

"They have held up their end of the deal so far. This was just a small taste of what they can give, and it's more we'd make in a year. The water Sylph will guide us through the strait." Barnabas still looked vaguely ill, and she went to him and grabbed his bony shoulders. "We proceed carefully, just like with any other deal. The moment we can't trust them, we back out." Barnabas nodded grudgingly. "Good. But Barnabas, we can't tell any of the men who we're dealing with. Not yet. Only you, I, Whoredog, and Jeremiah must know until I know we can trust the Fae, and until the men have enough treasure to soften the blow."

Barnabas's shoulders tensed under her hands, but he nodded. "Aye, Captain."

She smiled. "Very good. Come now, we have gold to count."