Chapter Twelve
Baelan
Baelan stood on the deck of the ship for what felt like a very long time, staring at the shoreline of Zheka and wondering what the consequences would be for doing something so reckless and dangerous. Aerdan had warned him, of course – did that mean that Aerdan would be of any assistance?
Baelan didn’t care. He was ready to face the punishment from Queen Zornaya all on his own…as long as it meant that Rillie was safe and sound.
Baelan struggled with the ropes and the sail. He dimly remembered Loreth giving him advice on how to scale the mast with the rolled flags tucked under his arm, but it was so unwieldy that in the end, he gave up. Baelan stood at the helm with the ship’s wheel gripped tightly in his hands. Hold on, Rillie, he thought as the ship inched slowly out of the harbor. I’m coming for you.
By the time the sun was rising high in the sky, Baelan had overcome some of his initial anxiety. The sea was smooth and calm and blue beneath the ship, and Baelan had a sense of pride – maybe joining the Zhekan navy hadn’t been a disastrous decision after all. The ship was cutting through the waves, gently rocking up and down in the water like a cork.
“This isn’t so difficult,” Baelan said to himself as he guided the ship away from Zheka and into the vast blue ocean. He grinned as the wind changed and a refreshing salt spray covered his face in mist. Now that Baelan was away from Perth and the other sailors of Zheka, he realized he actually enjoyed being out in the open air, on a boat. It was peaceful and calm – maybe after he found Rillie, the two of them could sail around, visiting wherever they pleased. It had worked for his sister, Selene, and Rillie could always bring in a few coins by singing on the docks.
But after a few hours, Baelan realized he was sweaty and uncomfortable under the hot sun. His muscles were strained from steering the large ship and managing the ropes for the sails all by himself. He kept looking down into the bright blue sea and wishing that he could drop anchor and take a refreshing swim. All of that water was making him thirsty, too. In a moment of panic, Baelan realized he had left the Zhekan harbor without any food, water, or thought for comfort. He warily abandoned the ship’s wheel and went down into the stores to see what was left behind.
The result was dismaying. Baelan didn’t find anything except a few rotten ears of corn and some crumbs. The squeak of mice told him that they’d likely gotten the rest of the food. And there was no fresh water to be found, only empty buckets and flagons. In a moment of desperation, Baelan tied a length of cord to one of the buckets, then lowered it down into the sea and hauled it up. The water was blissfully clear and cool, but when Baelan tried to drink, the salt burned his mouth. He dropped to his knees and vomited all over the deck.
When it was over, Baelan felt even worse than he had before. At least the heat of the sun was slowly fading – the bright yellow orb in the sky had slipped behind a cover of grey clouds and white mist. The mist was chilling but refreshing, and it felt good on Baelan’s ruddy, sunburnt face.
Maybe I acted too quickly, Baelan thought. The mist was getting thicker and thicker and he could barely see as he clutched the wheel of the ship, trying to steer the rudder straight. Although he could no longer see the surface of the ocean, he could tell that the waves had begun to churn and foam – the ship was pitching violently from side to side and Baelan lost his footing on the slippery deck. He hadn’t thought to change into his sailing clothes, and the soles of his shoes weren’t doing a proper job of gripping the floorboards. He skidded helplessly from side to side. A bright yellow bolt of lightning flooded the sky, filling Baelan’s chest with panic.
That was when Baelan heard the clap of thunder overhead. When rain began to fall from the sky, Baelan’s heart sank. He realized he had acted capriciously – if he ran into a storm, there was no way he’d be able to make it out alive. He cursed his earlier optimism and stupidity – if it wasn’t for his impetuous temper, he’d never have gotten himself and Rillie into this mess in the first place.
“Gods, please,” Baelan begged. The ship lurched dangerously low, dipping so close to the sea that Baelan gasped as the waves rose up to meet the mast and dampen the sails. The ropes had come loose and the sails were flapping wildly about, cracking in the wind and rain.
A loud noise filled the air and Baelan gripped the wheel of the ship. It was a torturous sound, a loud grinding and tearing. The ship skidded to a halt and Baelan screamed when he saw a large pile of grey rocks right next to the ship. Desperately, he tried fumbling with the ship’s wheel but it was no use.
By now, the rain was pelting Baelan’s face like small insects. He could barely keep his eyes open as another huge bolt of lightning struck down – Baelan gasped as he watched the edge of the bolt touch the water. When the thunder sounded, it was monstrously close. Baelan dropped to his knees and crawled along the deck of the ship, trying to make it to the hold. But the ship had begun to sink, and the water was rising towards Baelan at an alarming rate.
I’ve failed you, Rillie, Baelan thought as his heart constricted in his chest. It was painful, like being in the grip of a strong vise. It seemed so much easier to just close his eyes and give up. When the mast of the ship struck Baelan on the back of the head, he barely felt the pain.
--
“Baelan!” Rillie shrieked. “Baelan, what’s happened to you?”
Baelan groaned. He was so relieved to hear Rillie’s voice again – except something was different about her, harsher. Oh, well, he thought to himself as he balled his hands into fists and rubbed at his eyes. I am sure she has been through just as much as I!
“Baelan, open your eyes!”
Baelan frowned. That voice was definitely not Rillie’s – why, it sounded familiar, but in a strange way.
“I’ve failed you,” Baelan mumbled. He collapsed onto the ground and buried his face in his hands, still unwilling to open his eyes and face the woman he loved. “And now we’re dead, and it’s my fault!”
“Baelan, snap out of it!”
Baelan groaned. He sat up and blinked, wincing immediately at the painful bright sunlight that filtered into his eyes. When he realized he was sitting on the sandy shore of Zheka, he blinked and gasped.
“Baelan, in the name of the gods!” Baelan looked up to see his sister, Selene, standing there with her hands on her hips. Her dark blue eyes were narrowed and her face was cross.
“I…”
“And no, you aren’t dead,” Selene said, shaking her head. “But you’re quite sick.” She stepped forward and reached down, grabbing Baelan’s elbow and pulling him to his feet with surprising strength. “And what’s all this about failing?” Selene narrowed her eyes, looking angry. “Baelan, if you want the truth – the only one you’ve failed is yourself!”
Baelan winced. His throat was dry and parched and his mouth felt like the coarse muslin fabric of his shirt. He blinked at his sister.
“You’re not…”
“I’m not who?” Selene frowned. “Baelan, I need you take you to Aine and have her work on healing you! You look terrible!”
“I’m fine,” Baelan grumbled. In truth, he felt far from fine. He knew he was not only responsible for crashing one of Zheka’s largest ships, but he hadn’t even begun to discover Rillie’s whereabouts.
“Mother tells me you met someone,” Selene said. Her frown faded and she stepped closer, putting an arm around Baelan’s waist and supporting her brother. “And let me guess – you were out, looking for her?”
Baelan nodded weakly. “Aye,” he said. “That’s about the balance of it.”
Selene glanced over her shoulder. “It’s just lucky you washed up!” She said, brushing the dried sand from Baelan’s tunic and trousers. “There was such an awful storm last night, you could’ve been washed out to sea!”
“The queen is going to have me killed,” Baelan said. “She…”
“Don’t worry about the queen right now,” Selene said. “Right now, we need to take you inside and get you healed up.” She touched a spot on Baelan’s forehead and he winced as pain seared through his head.
“I’m fine, really,” Baelan tried to insist. But Selene, despite being petite, was still much stronger than he was at the moment.
“Look, a new ship sailed in,” Selene said. She shielded her dark blue eyes with one hand and glanced down at the harbor. “They survived the storm all right. I wonder if they came because they were worried about you. But it’s not a Zhekan ship,” she added, trailing off nervously.
Baelan’s heart leaped and he found renewed strength as he pulled away from Selene and tore away from her help. He broke into a run and ran down the shore until the docks came into focus. There, in the harbor, was an unfamiliar ship, just as Selene had said.
Baelan gasped when he saw it was the same black ship that had attacked Zheka at sea.
“Rillie,” Baelan said in a hoarse voice. “She has to be with them!”
“Baelan, wait!” Selene yelped. “Where are you going?”
“I have to find her!” Baelan shouted over his shoulder. He stumbled and almost fell, but kept running until the docks were in clear view. There was a large group of men standing around – they looked ragged and threadbare – as well as a tall female captain wearing a large hat and shiny black leather boots.
And there, standing in the middle of them all and wearing the gaudiest gown Baelan had ever seen, was Rillie. Her face was pale and there was an alarming bruise over one eye that traveled up to her forehead and trailed down her face, kissing her jawline with a faint blue tinge.
“Rillie!” Baelan yelled. “Rillie!”
Rillie looked up in surprise – she had been in the middle of a song – and her singing halted. Her face turned even paler and for a moment, Baelan was afraid she would swoon. When she didn’t run to him after a moment, Baelan was filled with confusion.
“Baelan,” Selene hissed in his ear. “Tread carefully, look! It’s the queen!” Selene pointed down to the docks. Sure enough, Queen Zornaya was standing there in golden robes and a light summer cloak of silk and cashmere.
“What is she doing here,” Baelan wondered aloud. “Selene, come.” He turned to his sister. “Look, that woman – the one in the bright dress – she is the one I have been searching for. I can’t let her leave again!”
“Well, she doesn’t seem to be too fond of you,” Selene grumbled. “Why hasn’t she come to meet us?”
Baelan’s stomach contracted and a sharp pain struck his belly. “Because something is wrong,” he said in a hushed voice. “She can’t leave them. I need to speak with the queen – I need to free her!”
“Baelan!” Selene growled. “You are speaking madness!” She reached to grab Baelan’s sleeve once again but he yanked free of her grip and began running down the hill, closer to the docks.
Up close, Rillie looked terrible. There were dark circles under her grey eyes and her pale blonde hair was hanging in scraggly locks around her shoulders. Despite the bright, ostentatious silk dress, she looked as if she had neither bathed nor had a proper meal in ages. But there was more than that. There was a look in her eyes, a dullness, that Baelan couldn’t recall seeing. Where was the spirited girl who had laughed and sang and danced?
Baelan’s chest was heaving as he approached the docks. Everyone fell silent at his arrival – even the queen turned to see him, making a face of surprise.
“Why, Baelan,” Queen Zornaya said. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” She cleared her throat and Baelan dropped into a low bow.
“Aye, your majesty,” Baelan said in a quiet voice. “I have come to fetch Rillie.”
The queen’s jaw twitched and she narrowed her eyes. “If you mean this woman whom I forbade from singing, I am afraid you are too late,” she said. “She already belongs to someone – and I am seeing that they leave immediately. Her voice is a danger to our safety, Baelan.”
Baelan blinked. “What?”
The queen turned back to the female sea captain and shook her head. “You may leave,” Queen Zornaya said. “And if you are gone by nightfall, I shall assure your safety – I can promise this: my navy will never attack you again, as long as you keep that creature away from Zhekan shores.”
At her words, Rillie seemed to tremble and shake.
Baelan swallowed nervously. This was it – the moment he’d been waiting for. He could betray his country, his queen, all for the sake of Rillie.
It wasn’t a hard decision at all.
Baelan pushed through the crowd and put his arm around Rillie, pulling her close. To his relief, she didn’t pull away – she snuggled into his arm and closed her eyes.
“Please,” Rillie whispered. “Baelan, you can’t do this for me.”
Baelan turned to Rillie and put his hands on her shoulders, staring deeply into her pale eyes.
“Rillie, Baelan said urgently. “You have to fight. You can’t go with them, you have to stay!”
“What is the meaning of this!” Queen Zornaya said harshly. “This woman – this creature – belongs to Captain Maeraria!”
“She’s not a creature, and she doesn’t belong to anyone!” Baelan said angrily. “And she doesn’t deserve to be shipped off, just because you feel threatened!”
The queen went white on the lips like she had just been slapped across the face. The crowd fell silent. For a long moment, all Baelan could hear was his blood rushing his ears and the frantic beating of his heart.
Captain Maeraria stepped forward, laughing coldly. “Child, come,” she said, reaching for Rillie’s wrist and grabbing at her. She tugged at Rillie but Baelan held on tighter.
“You’re not taking her away!” Baelan yelled. “I’m not going to let you do it!” He gazed into Rillie’s eyes. “You have to help me,” he whispered. “I can take her down – but you have to sing!”
Rillie looked fearful for a moment, then her expression hardened. She opened her mouth and began to sing. Baelan felt the strong temptation to stand and close his eyes and sway to the music, but he pushed past it. The other men in the crowd were obviously enchanted, and Baelan began pushing his way through the crowd until he reached the captain.
“You can’t take her away from me,” the captain said indignantly. “She is my source of wealth!”
“You won’t exploit her any longer!”
Baelan blinked as an unfamiliar man rushed to his side. The man was on the thin side, with a hallowed face and gingery whiskers. He shot a brief grin at Baelan before grabbing the sea captain and tackling her to the ground. He took a dagger from his waist and tossed it to Baelan. Baelan grabbed the dagger from the air and jumped on top of the captain, pressing the blade to her throat.
It was a surreal scene. Rillie sang on, surrounded by dazed men, as Baelan and Flint attacked Captain Maeraria. Baelan pressed the blade against her throat until a red drop of blood appeared.
“Let her go,” Baelan growled. “And leave her here, or I’ll make sure you’ll never walk on the deck of your ship again.” He passed the dagger to Flint, then grabbed Rillie’s hand and began running toward the shore.
“Baelan,” Rillie gasped breathlessly. “What are you doing? What did you make me do?”
“You escaped!” Baelan said. “And now, you don’t have to worry about that, that witch! She won’t hurt you any longer.” Baelan pulled Rillie into a tight hug. He was shocked to feel that her body was stiff and rigid against his.
“Baelan, she forbade me—“
“Nonsense,” Baelan said. He pulled away and brushed Rillie’s hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. “Rillie, I’ve wanted nothing more than to find you, ever since you disappeared from my ship. I thought you were dead,” he added tenderly.
“The Queen…” Rillie trailed off, glancing fearfully behind her.
Baelan whirled around. Queen Zornaya was stalking over the shoreline. Her eyes were narrow and angry and her mouth was set in a thin line. There were two lines of guards behind her, marching and carrying long spears.
“Baelan Covendane!” The queen said loudly. “Just what have you done!”
“Rillie, stand behind me,” Baelan hissed. But Rillie didn’t move. She began to quiver and shake.
“Queen Zornaya,” Baelan said, pushing Rillie to the side and stepping forward in a defiant pose. “I have done exactly as I should have done. That woman – that captain – was abusing Rillie, and I have freed her.”
The queen’s eyes flashed with hot anger. “You are lucky I feel generous,” she said. “For I could have you thrown in the dungeons for the rest of your life!”
“Why?” Baelan narrowed his eyes. “I’ve done nothing wrong!”
“You have unleashed this creature upon us!” The queen said strongly. Baelan thought he had never seen her look so angry. “And now we are all in peril! Have you not seen her powers? She is capable of putting our whole country at risk!”
Baelan didn’t reply.
“Baelan, she forbade me from singing,” Rillie said quietly. To Baelan’s horror, she stepped up and curtsied to the queen. “Queen Zornaya,” Rillie said. “I am sorry. Please – please forgive me.”
The queen’s eyes flashed once more. She raised her arm and the guards rushed forward. Before Baelan could move, two guards grabbed Rillie by each of her arms and began hauling her away.
“Rillie!” Baelan yelled. “What are you doing?” He demanded at the queen, glaring hotly. “Why are you taking her away?!”
“I am taking her to the dungeons,” the queen said tartly. “Where she belongs.”