At last, his ship broke through the fog and his mind began to slowly clear. In the distance, he could see the green cliffs of the coastline. He was nearly there and he had no idea what to do. Or if Elea was even in trouble. Or if she wanted his help.
Were his visions real?
Or were they simply dreams and he gave them meaning because he was desperate to be special? To be more than an unwanted son and a betrayed brother.
Directly ahead of him, he saw a one-man fishing boat pulling in a massive catch far from the shore.
Except it wasn’t fish. It was two women. One with violet hair—Elea—the other with snowy white. His heart stopped and his stomach sank. This sailor meant them harm. He knew it.
He turned the rudder, changing his course so that he was headed for the ship. He heard Elea’s shout of pain and saw the man lift a knife. He was still ten yards away. Without thinking, Gerard pulled the pistol from the back of his pants and aimed it at the man. The ship bobbed up and down and if he missed, Elea would be dead.
The knife was arching down.
He’d waited too long.
Gerard squeezed the trigger. The gun kicked back and he fell on his backside. Scrambling to his feet, he could no longer see the man standing on the deck of his ship. His heart beat in his throat as his boat finally pulled alongside the other fishing boat. The man’s body was on top of a net that was wiggling with two people underneath it.
Holding a rope, he jumped onto the other deck and tied the two boats together. Gerard pulled the man off the women. He was still alive but bleeding profusely. Gerard had no pity to spare for him. He hauled the man to the side of the boat and dropped him over. He had meant to kill two defenseless women and no doubt claim the bounties on their heads.
Picking up the man’s knife, he cut the fishing net, freeing Elea and the older woman. They were both soaking wet, smelled of sewer, and were covered in the man’s blood. One side of Elea’s face was swollen and discolored, as if she’d been beaten. He could see bald spots in her dark violet hair. Chunks were missing from her scalp. Her eyes watched him as if she didn’t believe he was real.
The older woman sat up and spoke first. “I knew you would come. I thought perhaps a bit sooner. But thank you all the same.”
She had Elea’s green eyes. The same shape. The exact shade. And they were watching him shrewdly.
“Are you the Seer Queen?”
The woman held out her wet and wrinkled hand to him. “Call me Aris.”
He shook her clammy hand before helping her to her feet. His eyes darted down to Elea, who had sat up but was shivering uncontrollably. She still hadn’t spoken and she wasn’t looking at him. He was a fool to think she might have cared for him at all.
“I have blankets on my boat.”
“Then let us move to it immediately,” Aris said.
To his surprise, she swung one leg over the side of the deck and eased herself over onto his sloop.
Gerard offered his hands to Elea. “Come, you’re cold.”
Her teeth chattered. “Why-why did you come back?”
“I’m a fool.”
“No. I’m the fool.” She placed only one hand into his.
He thought that she didn’t want to touch him with both of her royal hands, but then he noticed that her other arm hung limply. Placing his other hand underneath her armpit, he hoisted her up and then swung her over the side and onto his ship. Aris held her granddaughter up. Even Elea’s knees were shaking.
Gerard untied the rope and jumped back to his own sloop. The abandoned boat would eventually find its way to the shore from the tides of the Dark Channel.
Elea was already sitting, a blanket around her shoulders, her back resting against the side of the ship. With her swollen black eye and deathly pale skin, she looked half dead. He saw the Seer Queen kneel beside her and lift the limp arm. She twisted it and he heard a pop. Elea whimpered, but he could see that her arm was now working. Then Aris wrapped a blanket around herself and sat down by her granddaughter. She patted Elea’s knee comfortingly.
“I see that you have some food,” Aris said, her gaze on him.
Gerard remembered Maman Petit’s basket. Crossing the boat, he picked it up and handed it to the Seer Queen. She was the sort of person who he would not refuse anything. She selected the jug first, uncorked it, and took a drink. She then held it to Elea’s blue lips. Then she tore at the bread, offering a chunk to Elea first. He watched her take several bites before she spoke to him.
“We need to get as far away from here as possible. Please sail east. We need to reach Donnelly Castle by dark if we can.”
Biting his lower lip, Gerard shook his head. “We can’t. We’d be sailing directly into the Kaulish armada. They’re between us and Donnelly.”