Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Eyal and Poet stand at the helm, expressions serious. I walk over to stand next to them, doing my best to ignore the self-conscious need to shuffle my feet as if I’ve done something wrong.
“No sign of them,” Eyal murmurs. “It won’t last.”
“It won’t,” I confirm. “If Morrigan has reported to the Council, then every crimson sail is more of a threat than normal. If they’re smart, they’ll start a coordinated sweep of this area.”
“A tall order.” Eyal stares at the horizon as if there are answers there. “Even with Morrigan as the leader, there are plenty of captains who aren’t interested in playing nice with a group. There are so many old grudges that they’d need a strategist just to coordinate a plan that doesn’t devolve into infighting.”
“Hope springs eternal.”
“None of that will matter if we flounder.” Poet sighs. “Everyone is exhausted. We have perhaps another day or two of operating at full capacity before we need to allow the air-users to rest.”
Because magical burnout is a real threat, especially when we’ve been running so hard with no rest. Or not nearly enough rest. Guilt wraps its claws around my throat. I should have already been taking steps to ensure my crew were protected. “No one has gone down yet.”
Despite it being a statement, Poet nods. “Right. Not yet.”
Eyal shifts. “If we sail fully east to Drash and then cut south from there, we can hop islands—”
“No.” I shake my head. “We can’t afford to waste the weeks that route would cost us. Our best chance to be successful means reaching Lyari before Morrigan. If we’re favoring stealth at the cost of speed, eventually she’ll stop mindlessly pursuing and start wondering where we’re headed. If she gets there first, we’re all but doomed to fail.” Siobhan said something about the ability to make a request when a person summons the Cŵn Annwn. I don’t know if it’s true, but if it is, the last thing we need is Morrigan being the one to get to the horn.
“Nox.” Eyal looks away. “Poet and I have been talking. We don’t see a route through this where we don’t end up dead.”
I honestly don’t, either, but I’m the captain, and the captain isn’t allowed to doubt where others can see. The vote last night meant everything to me, but Eyal has a point now and Poet did then, too. “The Audacity isn’t going to Lyari.” I make the decision as I speak the words. “Get us to Yoth and then take the crew through the portal there. You all should be safe enough until this is over.”
Yoth is an island about two days’ normal sail from Lyari. It’s hot and humid most days, with many rivers despite its small size and a thick jungle that stretches right up to its shores. Over the generations, Lyari has tried to conquer the foliage to create a destination for the rich and bored to vacation at, but developers have been driven back each time. Not violently, but by strange coincidences that lead most people to believe the island is either cursed or blessed, depending on what your goals are.
“Yoth.” Poet narrows her eyes. “It’s not a bad idea.”
“We voted to support you and you’re sending us away.”
“I’m doing my best to make sure you all live.” Yoth is a good choice. Most of the crew has spent time there over the years. Hedd had a thing with a local for a few years, which brought us south again and again. It gave the crew plenty of time to get familiar with the area. “Or, if you don’t take the portal, then spend a couple weeks in the village there. They’ll be happy to have our people, and it’s as protected as anywhere in Threshold.”
Eyal’s shoulders drop. “You know I want to support you in this.”
“We both do.” Poet finally looks at me. “The current system of power doesn’t work.”
“It’s never worked.” I clasp her on the shoulder, masking my unhappiness with a bright grin. “But I think a couple weeks on Yoth is more than enough reward for everyone’s hard work.”
“Easier said than done. We still have to sail there.” Poet sighs again. “You’re asking for a week more than most of our people have.”
A normal ship takes nearly three weeks to reach Lyari from Three Sisters. The Audacity isn’t a normal ship, and that’s never been truer than since I took over and we lost the worthless assholes Hedd kept around. “That’s the only option that I can see where we don’t all die.”
“Let me talk to Orchid and see what we can come up with,” Poet says. “If we slow our speed a little, we can offer our air-users more time to recover in between shifts.”
I don’t want to agree. Obviously more recovery is better, but if we are caught by the Bone Heart, it’s very likely that the entire crew will be cut down. Making that call is one of the shitty parts of leadership. I’m good at what I do, but I’m just as tired as everyone else. I don’t have the answers. “Do it.”