Sea Gypsies: The Draga Isles

Chapter 32: A Talk with the King

Gin and the crew of the Opal had been imprisoned below decks as the ship sailed to Sivona. The captain had cursed at the guards the whole sail, pissed that someone else was at the helm. Gin, too, hated the thought of someone else working the boiler room. But he was too worried about Ria to be furious with the guards who took over their ship. He couldn't even tell how long they'd been down there until docked.

The guards had led them down the ramp and into a patrol wagon as if they were criminals. Well, they were, but they weren't there for reasons of their history. They were there because of Ria, the princess. When they reached the palace, they were escorted into the dungeons, where they were now locked up, waiting for the king to order their sentences.

Gin hated that they were wasting time doing nothing in a dingy dungeon while Ria was out there, scared and maybe hurt. He prayed hard to the sea mother that she wasn't in any physical pain or he would gut Enzo like a fish in the wet market. His mind had been racing since they left Basiago, trying to figure out where Enzo could have taken her. He had some ideas and a few very likely locations--where high rollers go to bid for the most exotic creatures.

Gin stared at the bars in front of him. He could use his concretostringere to make them brittle and punch his way out of there so he could run to rescue Ria. But guards had pointed rifles at them, and every movement made them flinch as if, at any moment, they could just pull the trigger and call it an accident.

Footsteps came from within the dungeon. A door at the end of the hallway opened, and Migal stepped in, followed by a guard.

Gin stepped forward, and the crew behind him stood.

"Stay away from the bars," one of the guards raised his rifle, pointing it at Gin's chest.

Gin stepped back.

"Migal," Captain Zalez said. "What news?"

Migal's face was grim, and Gin could only imagine the worst. "The king received a package this morning."

Gin didn't know why, but he was sure the package had something to do with Ria and could mean nothing good. Everyone in the cell was silent as if they sensed the same thing.

"What's in the package?" Sam dared to ask, straightening his posture as if readying himself for bad news.

Miga's face twisted. "A hand." He spat the words. His fists tightened into balls at his sides.

"No." The word escaped Gin's lips, imagining Ria's hand with a mechanical finger (this detail will be added to earlier chapters in the next revision). "No, no, no." He wanted to cry.

"Oh, sea mother," Juli gasped.

"Are you sure it's hers?" Rodri asked.

"The king confirmed it." Migal looked grave, heavy-hearted.

"And he let you tell us?" Captain Zalez asked.

Migal shook his head. "No. He wants to cut someone else's hand for his sister's."

"Well, that would be Enzo's," Juli offered, gesturing with her mechanical hand. There was rage in her voice as if the haunting of her own past had come to bring her horrors. If anyone knew the pain of losing a hand, it was her.

"But Enzo is not here," Migal implied.

"What are you saying then?" Sam asked, stepping back, clearly not wanting to offer any of his limbs for the king's justice.

"I know where he is," Gin said before the discussion got uglier. "Let me talk to the king." He stepped forward, but a guard behind Migal with a rifle jerked the nuzzle at him, and he backed away from the bars.