The Pirate's Wish

“I mixed up some salts,” she said. “Lay them under his nose twice a day. Maybe it’ll work.”

Not maybe! I wanted to scream.

Behind me, Jeric yi Niru cleared his throat.

“I don’t want to hear your opinion on the subject,” I shouted. “Grab the damn stones and take them to the rowboat.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything.” He paused. “And I’m afraid I can’t just grab the damn stones.”

“Find a way.”

He sighed. Then he looked at Mama. “What’s the thickest fabric you have on board? A carpet would be best.”

She gave him a dark look.

“I’m not taking the carpet with me. We just need a way to set them back in their box.”

“Of course,” Mama said stiffly. Then: “Anything you see in the holding bay, that’s the best we got.” She pointed off to the corner. “Got some Empire rugs there, that thick enough?”

“Ah,” Jeric said, winking, “a pirate with taste.”

“Shut up, Jeric.” I threaded through the treasure and peeled one of the rugs away from the stack – a small one, the sort they lay in front of shop entryways. Jeric took it from me and slid it under the first starstone like he was scooping up a spider. When he lifted the carpet off the ground, he sucked in his breath and clenched his teeth, and his eyes widened with strain. The starstones pulsed, twinkling like stars.

When he was done he slammed the lid down over them, blinking out their light. Then he collapsed against the wall, breathing heavy.

“Don’t ask me to do that again,” he said.

Mama got one of the big Tanarau fellows to carry Naji to the rowboat. I followed behind with the box of starstones. It was lighter than even an empty box of that sort should be, as though it held negative space. Naji was limp as a rag doll in the crewman’s arms, his head lolling back. Papa’s crewman took Naji over in a Tanarau rowboat and I stayed close by in my own, not letting Naji out of my sight.

Jeric yi Niru didn’t say a word as we crossed back over to the Nadir.

Naji slept for seven days.

He didn’t move, didn’t roll over, didn’t moan like he was having nightmares. He just lay there, tattoos glowing. Queen Saida put him up in one of the garden houses, which she said were always used for convalescence – I let her cause she called off her fleet when we headed back to Arkuz, and Papa and Mama and the Tanarau went free. And when I insisted, she brought in one of her palace wizards to hang the garden house with protection spells, just in case the magic cloaking Naji from the Mists weakened while he was sleeping.

The garden house was one big empty room full of sunlight and the scents from the garden. Sheer curtains hung over the windows to keep the bugs out and at night I could hear noises from the jungle, the rackety screeching of animals, and noises from the palace, too, music and laughter, women’s voices trailing out into the night.

I did what Mama said, and put the salts under Naji’s nose. Still he slept on. Queen Saida sent in a physician and then a wizard. The physician showed me how to drip water into his mouth so he wouldn’t die of thirst, and the wizard told me it wasn’t necessary.

“The magic’s keeping him alive now,” he said.

“That don’t make sense.”

“Of course not,” he said. “It’s magic.” He sighed and pressed his hand against the scar on Naji’s chest, the scar that covered his heart.

I stared at him, my face blank, still not understanding.

“Magic is tied to the human body. Some people have a little, some people have a lot.”

“Some people have none at all,” I said.

The wizard smiled. “Fewer than you would expect.” He sighed. “The stones make the magic inside us swell up, multiply. It chokes out everything else, all the light of life.” He paused. “Your friend is quite strong. Most blood-magicians are. But even so, his survival is… unusual.”

“Will he ever get better?” My voice quivered like I was about to start crying but I told myself: no, no you will not cry in front of strangers. In front of anyone.

“I don’t know, sweetness.” The wizard leaned forward and looked at me real close. He was old and wrinkled, but his eyes were bright and kind. “I’ll read through my books, and see if I can find anything, alright?”

I nodded, even though I knew he wouldn’t find anything.

After a while I took to laying my hand on Naji’s heart the way the magician did, so I could feel it beating faint and far away. I sang old Confederation songs to the beat of his heart. The song for lost love. The song for strength and for health. The song to stave off death.

For seven days, I didn’t leave the garden house. Marjani brought me food and sat by my side, unspeaking. Queen Saida paid her visits and offered condolences. The magician returned with books and scrolls, none of them with any information to help.

Jeric yi Niru came on the fourth day, stepping into the garden house without knocking. I mistook him for Marjani at first, confused by worry and sleeplessness and the fuzzy sunlight pouring in through the curtains.

“The hell do you want?” I said when I realized my mistake.

“To come see,” Jeric said. “I spoke with the palace magician. In all my studies, I never heard–”

“Get out!” I hurled a leftover breakfast plate at him. My aim was off. It banged against the wall and clattered to the floor. “He ain’t some experiment for you to poke and prod.”

Jeric yi Niru lifted his hands in the air. “I never thought a pirate would let her emotions get in the way–”

I sent a coffee cup flying through the air. This one shattered across the floor into pieces.

“Get out,” I shouted.

“Don’t you understand?” Jeric asked. “The starstones were my treasure. I studied them for years at the courts, long before you were even born. The magic in them – the power – if the assassin was able to survive their touch, I may be able to–”

I was on my feet, my knife in my hand, my hand at his throat. Jeric yi Niru stopped talking, just stared down at me.

“You want to stop this line of thinking,” I said.

Jeric yi Niru didn’t say anything even though I could tell from the expression on his face that he wanted to.

“I ain’t interested in helping develop Empire weapons, which I’m assuming is what you’re after–”

Jeric sneered. “I don’t care about the Empire. Why is that so hard for you to understand? The Empire banished me to service on the sea. I don’t want to help them. I only wish to examine Naji to help myself.”

I glowered at him and dug my knife a little deeper into the skin of his neck. Three drops of blood appeared, and Naji’s magic suddenly flooded through me. I hadn’t felt any co

I dropped the knife and stumbled backward across the room. Jeric laughed at me, but when I fixed my glare on him his laugh dried up like saltwater in the sun.

“I’m not letting you touch him,” I said, shaky.

“I can see that.” Jeric lifted his hands like he was surrendering. “I only thought I’d ask.”

“The answer is no. Now get out.”

He didn’t. He just watched me from across the room. I forced my concentration on Jeric, trying to ignore the terrifying, icy rush of Naji’s thoughts.

“When you’re older,” he said, slowly and carefully, “you’ll understand what it is to have a life’s devotion.”

I stared at him, taking deep breaths.

“You were right, by the way.” He gave a short nod. “I was sent to sea because of the stones. There’s a Qilari merchant who made his home in Lisirra. He owned a pair. I befriended him just so I could study those starstones. But studying wasn’t enough. I wanted to own them.”

“They really were your treasure,” I snapped. “Thief.”

“You have no room to talk, Ana