“But one that makes sense,” Joelle said. “He has been chasing us since Big Bone Deep, and we have been escaping him since Big Bone Deep. Perhaps he has realized it’s time to try another tactic.”
“You mean trade,” Elbertina said.
Joelle shrugged. “Perhaps,” she said. “Or perhaps his true intent was something else entirely. With a Prince of Shade, it’s never safe to assume.”
“Which is why we can’t take a chance on Kleef fooling them,” Carlton said. He turned from Joelle to Elbertina. “We need to go after the Wave Wyvern now, while we still have her in sight.”
Carlton didn’t add “my lady” to the end of his sentence, but he might as well have. Clearly, the sergeant was deferring to her judgment-and Kleef could think of only one reason he would do that in a matter concerning the health of Grand Duchess Elira Seasilver.
Kleef turned to the woman he had been addressing as Elbertina. “Arietta?” he asked. “I mean, Lady Arietta?”
The woman nodded. “As a matter of fact, yes. Arietta Elbertina Ifig Seasilver.” She did not appear the least bit embarrassed at having been caught in the lie. “Elbertina is my stage name. I tried to explain that on Deepwater Bridge, but there wasn’t time.”
“So you just kept lying to me?” Kleef was hurt and not quite certain why-and it didn’t matter. Now that he knew her true identity, his duty was clear. “But that changes nothing, of course. I am entirely at your command, my lady.”
Something soft and regretful appeared in Arietta’s eyes, but when she spoke, there was only birthright in her voice. “Thank you, Kleef. I’m certain we’ll get along even better than before.”
“Until we all drown,” Malik replied.
Arietta turned to the little man, her voice harsh. “Truly, Malik? Do you think so little of me?”
Malik looked confused. “Then you are not going to order us to a watery end?”
Arietta glanced back toward the western horizon, where the distant silhouette of the Wave Wyvern continued to float in front of the silver moon. She said nothing for a long time, and her expression grew both sad and determined.
Finally, she looked back to Malik. “Of course not,” she said. “This is Captain Greatorm’s ship, and we should follow his plan.”
CHAPTER 7
Sails furled and bow driving, the Wave Wyvern was coming hard, a head-sized wedge that just five minutes earlier had been a mere speck on the horizon. Already, Arietta could see the spray of the sea dividing before the prow and the curtains of water dropping from the oars, and it would not be long before she could make out the scaly face of the ship’s hissing-wyvern figurehead.
“They’re coming too fast.” Arietta spoke just loud enough to make herself heard above the waves rippling around the hull of the Lonely Roamer’s little skiff. “Falrinn won’t have time to reach the reef.”
“Captain Greatorm is a better judge of vessel speeds than we are,” said Jang. The Shou was seated on the rowing thwart, behind Arietta. “Let us be patient.”
“Patience has never been a particular virtue of mine,” Arietta admitted. She twisted around to look past Jang toward Kleef, who sat in the stern with his sword resting across his knees. “Kleef?”
“Patience is good,” Kleef said. Like Jang and Arietta herself, he had forsaken his helmet and armor for a tunic and trousers. “We can’t signal anyone anyway-not unless we want to reveal ourselves.”
They were floating behind a rocky little islet no more than fifty paces across, watching their pursuers through the columns of a tilted, half-submerged temple. According to Greatorm, the temple sat atop an earthmote that had plunged into the Sea of Fallen Stars a few months earlier, creating a submerged reef.
The Lonely Roamer had spent the last two tendays trying to reach the site at the right time. It had been a tricky operation, since the ketch needed to arrive far enough ahead of her pursuers to circle around the reef and slip through a hidden passage into a pocket of deep water. At the same time, Greatorm had wanted to be sure the Wave Wyvern caught up at around mid-tide, when the reef would still be submerged-but not so deeply that the galleass could cross it without running aground.
According to Greatorm’s plan, the Lonely Roamer would sit in the pocket of deep water and serve as bait, and the Wyvern would run aground going after her. Then, when the Shadovar attempted to free the galleass-or left in longboats to continue the chase-Arietta and her two companions would sneak aboard to rescue Duchess Elira and any other captives.
The scheme had as many moving parts as the Lonely Roamer herself, and for that reason alone, it made Arietta nervous. From what she had seen so far, the Shadovar were far from predictable, and not even Joelle knew the full capabilities of their shadow magic. But no one had offered any better ideas, and Greatorm had promised that his gnomish fog-whatever that was-would stop the Shadovar from using their shadowalking abilities. In the end, Arietta had reluctantly agreed that they had no alternative except to try the gnome’s plan.
The Wave Wyvern was close enough that she could see the figurehead’s hammered-silver scales sparkling in the midday sun. But the Shadovar were nowhere to be found. Given their aversion to bright light, Arietta suspected they were hiding below decks, reserving their strength for the battle. Still, their absence and the calm sea gave the galleass the appearance of a ghost ship, and she could not help fearing that she and her companions were the ones being tricked.
“Something feels wrong.” Arietta glanced back again. “Kleef, when was the last time Yder came to you?”
“Last night.” Kleef’s tone was clipped. “If I had seen him since then, I would have said so.”
“Of course,” Arietta said, trying not to take offense. “Thank you.”
Yder had committed no more murders aboard the Roamer, probably because Kleef had tripled the watch and Greatorm was taking pains to keep the Shadovar from locating them after dark. But the prince had been entering Kleef’s dreams nightly, pressuring him to betray Malik and Joelle, and the visits were clearly taking a toll. Kleef’s eyes were sunken, his cheeks hollow, and he was often sullen and irritable.
Except when he was with Joelle, of course. The good lady was spending most of her time with the topsword, taking meals in his company, standing watch at his side, even sitting next to him as he slept. Arietta should probably have been glad to see her taking such care of him, since Yder never seemed to trouble Kleef’s dreams when Joelle was near.
Instead, Arietta found herself a bit jealous. After risking her life to fight at Kleef’s side on the Deepwater Bridge, she had felt a certain rapport between them-a warmth and respect that she had expected to grow into an enduring friendship. Sadly, all that had vanished the instant Kleef learned of her noble blood.
At first, Arietta had attributed the change of heart to the typical commoner’s spite for the flawed aristocracy of Marsember. But when she attempted to rekindle their friendship, it had grown clear that Kleef’s animosity ran deeper. Perhaps he was frustrated that their friendship could never blossom into romance. Arietta had encountered such resentments before, and she knew how quickly a man’s affection could turn to hostility when he discovered that his heart’s desire was blocked by his station in life.
Arietta turned back toward the Wave Wyvern. The galleass had drawn so near that she filled most of the view between the columns of the half-submerged temple. A dusky shape with tiny bright eyes stood behind the figurehead, his gaze fixed on the pocket of deeper water where the Lonely Roamer lay at anchor.