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"Yeah, it's true." I forced myself to meet his eye. Any of that kindness I'd seen before had disappeared. "I didn't know he was go
The captain held up one hand, and I shut my mouth. I was shaking from the cold and from fear, wondering what he was going to do to us.
"Blood magic," the captain said, spitting the words out. "Can't believe you'd bring something like that on board. I trusted you, little girl."
I flushed with shame, but I didn't hang my head. Kaol, was I proud of that.
"Believed that whole damn story you told…" The captain shook his head.
"I'm sorry," I said, looking at the captain, looking at Marjani. She frowned, little lines appearing around her eyes.
"Throw 'em overboard," the captain said.
Marjani whipped her head toward him. "Captain, I don't think… In this water, that will kill them."
"Good," he said cheerfully.
I about started to cry. I've cried out of desperation twice in my life and both of those times were nothing compared to the mess I was in right now, about to get cast out in the icy northern sea cause of a blood magic assassin with no ma
Marjani gave me this look of full-up desperation, quick as a flash, and I knew whatever plan she'd made just fell through. I'd never felt so small and vulnerable and doomed.
And then Chari spoke up.
"Sir," he said, stepping forward out of the crowd. "I agree we shouldn't keep this pair of hijacking mutineers on board, but I did see the girl during the, ah, storm and she about near died trying to save this ship."
The captain stared at him. Chari held his gaze. He was the kind of old that commands respect.
"So what do you suggest?" the captain said.
"Give 'em a boat," Chari said. The crew didn't like that, and they all hissed and booed behind him. "Or a piece of plank board, captain. Enough to get 'em to the island."
I wanted to kiss the old son of a bitch, I really did.
"They'll be good as dead there anyway," Chari said. "It's what you'd do if we were down in the south."
Something flickered though my head. Ain't got nothing to lose.
"Confederation rules," I said. "Mutineers are always stranded. Not killed."
Everybody stopped talking and turned to me.
"We ain't part of the Confederation," the captain said.
"I am," I said. I pushed out my chest and took a deep breath. "My full name is Ana
The captain's face got real dark.
"You drew that on," he said. "You're faking me."
"You want to risk it?" I said. I nudged Naji with my foot. "You have any idea what he's capable of this close to death? That's blood magic's nexus, captain, death. This close to the other side, he could send a message to my father so quick you'd be dead in a week."
The crew fell silent, so I figured I must have convinced most of 'em at least half-way. The captain didn't look too doubtful himself, either.
"I don't want no business with the Confederation," he said. "I could kill you right now and not worry about a thing."
And then Naji started chanting.
It gave me pause, ain't go
"You hear that!" I shouted, getting into it. "Speaking straight to my father, he is. You can't kill me now. Neither one of us."
The captain's eyes went wide with fear. Marjani's didn't. She glanced back and forth between me and Naji but didn't say nothing. But the chanting got the crew into a tizzy, and they all backed up against the railing.
"Make him stop," the captain said.
"Can't," I said. "He don't listen to me. If that were the case, we'd still be on our way to Port Idai."
The captain took a few steps back from Naji. "Fine," he said. "You want me to treat you like some Confederation mutineer – Marjani, get them a boat."
"And a pistol," I added. I didn't want to push my luck but those were the Isles of the Sky.
"And a damn pistol." He spat on the deck.
Marjani dipped her head and disappeared over to the starboard side.
Naji stopped chanting and slumped over. The captain took a deep breath and looked relieved.
Then he jerked his head back to the crew and called up a couple of the rougher fellows to drag me and Naji over to the side of the ship, where Marjani was waiting with a rowboat and a pistol and a thinly-hewn rope net that she probably meant to serve as a blanket. The crewmen shoved Naji and me into the boat. One of 'em looked like he wanted to spit on me, but he glanced at Naji and nothing happened.
"Leave," Marjani said to 'em.
They didn't.
"Do what I tell you," she said, pulling out a thin little knife I didn't even realize she carried.
And what do you know, both of the crewmen took off.
She held the knife up to my throat and leaned in close. I could tell she didn't aim to use it, but still. Nobody likes having a knife at their throat.
"Listen," she said, talking real close to my ear, hissing like she was threatening me. "He said something the other day about somebody following him."
"What–"
"He tried to get me to change course. He wouldn't tell me details, but just – be careful." Her face got kind of soft and understanding. "Stay on that island," she said. "And for Aje's sake, stay alive. Keep warm and keep dry. There are ways off every island."
And before I could respond, she turned away from me and cut the ropes holding the rowboat aloft. We crashed down into the black sea. The Ayel's Revenge rose up in front of us like a leviathan, and I had no choice but to grab hold of the oars and row us away.