Pieces of Jade (Pirates of Orea) (19 page)

I broke off the thread and tied a knot, then poured a last bit of spirits over the wound. Mercifully, the man had lost consciousness. I wrapped him with bandages the best that I could and moved onto the next man.

I lost track of time and the number of men I helped when the doctor’s voice brought me from my haze.

“We need clean water,” the doctor informed me when the buckets began to run low, “and more lavender to stop the bleeding. They’ll be in the galley.”

Fresh blood coated my hands while dried blood caked my sturdy boots. I wiped my hands on a rag and stretched my aching back. I nodded to let the doctor know I had heard him and left the room.

This was it.
The moment for my escape. A pang of guilt pulsed through me at abandoning the wounded, but I knew I had already done all I could for them. I had to act now.

My heavy heart lightened as I thought about the navy. I knew the officers there; they were honorable men and loyal to the crown. I could turn myself in with my task complete, and Pearl would be set free. A large weight lifted from my mind. It was almost over.

I wanted to run straight to the naval ship and throw myself on their mercy but knew I couldn’t leave Dorian behind. I cast one wistful glance toward the other ship before pivoting and forcing myself to the brig. I sighed in relief to see the holding cells unguarded. The man had probably been called to lend a hand during the attack.

Dorian lay on his back staring up at the ceiling. “Who is attacking the ship?”

“The navy.” I grinned up at him as he sat up. “I have the medallion, it’s time to go. Our escape vessel is even here.”

Dorian’s eyes glittered. “Perfect.”

I slid the dagger through the bars to him, feeling a little smug. I expected Dorian to work the lock free, but instead he paused and considered me.

“You’ll most likely be tempted to announce yourself as the Emmía as soon as we get on the naval ship. I
heavily advise against it.”

I opened my mouth to protest but he silenced me by the raise of his hand. “You need to understand, the navy is sailing under their own orders, and those orders are different than the ones given to me. I know it’s tempting to throw yourself into their care, but you can’t do that. You need let me do the talking, or you could end up getting yourself killed and not helping your sister. Remember, they can’t see through your disguise as I can.”

The truth of his words sunk in and I nodded. The navy wouldn’t recognize me, and mistake me for a pirate if I landed on their deck in my disguise. They could very well kill me before I could utter a word.

Dorian marked my look of resignation before angling the point of the dagger into the lock. He wiggled it for a moment until the door popped open. The hinges squeaked, but it was lost in the sounds of the battle.

“Are we going to be able to get off the ship?” I asked as he rose to his feet. “I tried before—”

“Most captains word that spell so that it dissolves during battle. That way the men can board the enemy vessel. There is no better time for us to escape than now.” He stepped out of the cell, taking my hand in his. “Let’s go.”

Dorian led the way, holding the dagger ready to attack and we made our way down the halls. I could hear the fight raging as I stumbled down the darkened corridors. The moonlight glinted onto the floor from the deck above, and I fixed my eyes determinedly on the wooden staircase.

I jumped in surprise when a loud thud resounded from the wall next to me. Something had impacted the other side. Hard. It had come from inside the captain’s room. Through the wall I heard the sounds of clashing swords, metal clanging against metal. From the open door in front of us, a clock rolled into the hallway and it clattered to a stop against the wall. We were still a few feet from the opening, but the voices could be heard plainly.

“Where is it?” a harsh voice demanded.

“I'll die before I tell you,” I heard the captain respond.

“And so you shall,” the voice agreed with pleasure.

The shriek of metal scraping metal traveled to my ears as the men fought. I had no doubt that the captain meant what had he said. He really would die to protect the medallion. Fury unfurled through me at the stupidity of so many wasted lives. Surely no treasure could be worth such loss.

We stopped near the open door, our backs pressed to the wall to remain out of sight. From the captain's chamber I heard the sound of a sword plunging into its human target and my stomach rolled. Had someone done what I had once wished and been unable to do? Had someone stabbed the captain? Was he bleeding at this moment? I expected to feel joy at this thought but instead it made me angry. I felt an overwhelming urge to check on him. I took a step toward the door, and then another, almost like my feet had a will of their own.

“What are you doing?” Dorian hissed, grabbing my arm.

I shook him off and glanced into the room where the captain stood over one fallen opponent, facing another with a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Blood trickled down his left temple and a wound on his arm stained his shirt.

The naval man swiped hard with his sword towards the captain, ducking in turn as the captain returned the move. With each swing of the sword the navy man was backing the captain into a corner. With a look of shock, the captain tripped over the fallen soldier and tumbled to the ground, hitting it with a dull thud. The soldier advanced on the captain with a swagger in his step and pressed his sword against the vulnerable flesh at the captain’s neck.

“We’ve got to move!” Dorian ordered, pressing forward. My brain told me to follow him but my feet remained still and my eyes remained riveted to the captain. Blood gushed from the wound on his arm as he deflected the sword and continued to defend himself. His parries slowed as he struggled to disarm the naval soldier.

A strange sensation bubbled through me as I stared at the sight of the captain so close to death, and as I looked down at my arms I saw they were faintly glowing. In an instant I realized what was happening and my stomach sank in despair.

“No,” I pleaded, but it was useless to protest. Despite how I felt towards the captain, the blood bond was compelling me to protect him.

The glow around me intensified, and I felt as though I was being pulled in half, one part telling me to follow Dorian, the other part commanding me to aid the captain. I struggled against it with all my might, determined to break free and leave the captain to his fate.

I tried to force myself towards the stairs and a small moan escaped my lips as my body refused to obey. The desire to protect the captain was overpowering now. It felt as though a hand was pushing me into the room, and I sobbed as I involuntarily took a step forward.

Another complication of the blood bond.
I had known that it would tie me to the crew, but to experience the overwhelming urge to protect the man lying helpless on the floor was something I hadn't expected. My glowing hand grasped the dagger tucked into my belt and I continued to move forward and creep up on the soldier, feeling like a puppet in a twisted play.

The soldier was so focused on the captain he didn't notice my approach. The soldier leaned over the captain and with a one blow knocked away the captain’s sword. The soldier let out a shout of triumph and re-gripped his sword in the unmistakable stance of a man about to deliver death.

My mind fogged and I stumbled forward. As if in a dream, I lunged at the soldier, still unnoticed, and shoved my dagger between his ribs. As soon as the dagger struck its target the glow around me vanished. My mind instantly cleared, allowing me to witness every detail of the cruelty my hand had just inflicted.

The soldier let out a gasp of surprise and looked over his shoulder where a crimson spot was already forming on his jacket. He grunted as he reached around and pulled the weapon free. A fresh pool of blood gushed onto his uniform, mixing with the cobalt threads and staining them purple.

The dagger had punctured his lungs. I could hear him rattling as he struggled futilely to take in air. The soldier turned and faced me, his mouth held in an O of surprise, while his hand grappled behind him, trying to stop the blood gushing down his back. I backed away slowly as a liquid gurgling sound came from his throat.

What have I done?
I asked as I continued to back away, my eyes locked onto his with horror. I knew him. His name was Jeremy Graywater, and he had helped in my secret lessons in defense back at the palace. He had always been kind, respectful and loyal as he taught me, and now I had turned those moves against him and he’d die by my own hand.

The captain leaped to his feet and advanced on Jeremy who spun toward him in a desperate lunge to preserve his fading life. The captain's face was full of concentration as he held up his sword and, with a grunt, lanced Jeremy through the heart.

“NOOOOO,” I screamed. My vision tunneled and my blood ran cold. Visions of August’s death rolled past my eyes, his face replacing Jeremy’s then switching back. I blinked my eyes but the faces refused to fade.

Jeremy hung in the air for a moment before the captain released his sword with a hard pull. Jeremy’s body, unable to support itself, fell lifelessly to the floor.

I turned in disgust. The air was silent for a moment, and then the captain's footsteps echoed as he advanced towards me. From the corner of my eye I saw him lean down and pick up my fallen dagger, which he wiped on his trousers before holding it out with an unsteady hand.

I shook my head as a sob m
ade my chest concave in grief. I covered my mouth with my hand only to find it smelled of blood, and I dry heaved. It didn’t matter that the final blow had come from another, I had as good as killed him myself. The blood on my hand seemed a symbol of an internal stain, one I would never be able to get rid of. It joined the taint of August’s blood. The kingdom would never forgive me. I would never forgive myself.

I was a murderer. This hadn’t been an accident. I’d struck Jeremy intending to kill him. Even if the bond had caused my action, it had been my
hand that did the deed. I had killed
another
innocent man, a friend no less, to save the life of the man whom I hated, the man who had ruined everything for me. I didn’t even have the comfort of knowing I would do it differently if given the chance, because I couldn’t. If placed in the same situation five minutes later I would deliver the same blow. The blood oath was too strong to break with willpower alone. If only its magic could erase the lingering guilt that accompanied it. I rubbed the blood from my hands onto my already bloodied clothes, trying to clean it off but knowing the stain would always be there.

The captain watched silently as I stood there, staring at Jeremy and drawing ragged breaths. With a huff he grabbed my wrist and shoved the dagger forcefully into it.

“What are you doing?” I cried, opening my palm and letting the dagger clatter to the floor.

The captain’s hands were still on my wrist and I noticed a cut gushing blood on the top of his hand. The healer in me, trained to ease suffering, pulled a handkerchief I had embroidered while in
Rizo from my pocket and wrapped the captain’s bloodied hand. The captain bore my ministrations with impatience, and as soon as I finished he shoved past me toward the fray of the battle, stepping over Jeremy’s body.

“Wait!” I cried. “Don’t leave me alone with him.”

The captain appeared startled, and I knew my expression matched his. I had just asked the man I hated not to leave me. Was I really that far gone, or was I simply that shaken? I didn’t want
him,
I just didn’t want to be alone. Not with the body of a man I’d helped kill.

His bloodied hand rested on my shoulder and gave me a gentle squeeze. “My men are still fighting,” he said simply before marching straight out the door.

I couldn’t stay in that room with Jeremy’s sightless, frozen gaze staring at the ceiling. It was no less accusing than August’s had been.

“Wait!” I called again, but he was already gone.

Like a ghost I drifted after the captain, down through the corridor and up the steps that led to the deck. Once there I stopped in my tracks, frozen by the scene of gore spread out in front of me.

There were huge holes in the ship, where the cannonballs had impacted. Men, bloodied and
dying, were lying on the deck, too wounded to crawl below for help. Pained screams and the clang of swords echoed through the air, as flashes of gunfire illuminated the darkness.

I moved quickly towards the bow of the ship where traces of morning could be seen on the horizon. A thick haze clouded my mind, blocking out the horrible things I had seen and done. Trying to rise above the cruelty happening on the ship, or maybe just trying to distance myself from it, my less than agile body scaled the railing at the prow. I teetered back and forth with the roll of the waves, not caring that I was completely exposed.

All this blood, all this death, all this destruction. For a treasure. It had to end. No matter who ended up with the medallion, that blood could never be unspilt, the lives could never be reclaimed. The medallion would never be able to fix this. Somehow, I had to get rid of it. It was a cursed piece of jewelry and it needed to be destroyed. I felt it cradling like a viper in my bosom. If I threw it overboard and buried it in the sea, unreachable forever, the madness would stop.