Waterborne (Wanderlust 3)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Soren waited until he couldn't hear people on the Wanderlust anymore. Once he was sure Toliver wasn't going to come back and check, he slid off the bed and knelt beside it, so that his bound and cuffed wrists could reach his neck.

He hooked the cord with one finger and tugged it out from under his tunic. Even though he had known it was there, seeing the key tumble into his hand shot relief through him. Soren unlocked the cuff then sprung to his feet and darted across the captain's quarters to Tanden's desk.

There was a knife in the top drawer. Soren held it awkwardly in his right hand and sawed at the ropes around his wrists. There was a new noise outside, one he couldn't quite place, but he focused on the task at hand. As soon as the ropes fell loose, he grabbed his cutlass from the top of the desk and rushed to the door.

He opened it.

And immediately slammed it closed.

Fire had spread across most of the deck. The wooden door wasn't much of a barricade, but it was something. Soren backed away from it, mind racing.

It was too much fire to put out. The Wanderlust was going to go down.

Soren's gaze darted around the room, at all of their memories and treasures. At everything that was going to be lost. Then his eyes caught on the Crelan sea chest, from the Ziannan wreck. It was watertight. Maybe it was a slim hope, a stupid waste of time, but Soren slid the cutlass through his belt and ran to the chest. Opening it up, he paused for a heartbeat to consider the contents already tucked away inside. All the letters deserved to be saved, but the ship records would have to go. He tossed them aside, then got to work ripping down the maps and drawings that decorated the wall.

Soren shoved them into the chest, wasting no time with neatness. He eyed their other treasures—Morcean masks, the Tallenese painting, a jar of coins, the box that held Tanden's letters to his family.

Soren pulled the box open so quickly its clasp broke. He grabbed a handful of the letters, unsure of which ones he was taking, and pushed them into the sea chest. Some of those letters were from Tandar, and even if they weren't exciting letters themselves, Tanden would cherish his brother's handwriting. With that the chest was full, and Soren latched it closed.

Smoke was pouring in under the door. He started to cross the room again when there was a creaking groan above him, and suddenly he was thrown to the floor as the Wanderlust's mizzenmast smashed through the ceiling. He scrambled to his feet, away from the flames, hugging the sea chest.

Another crash tipped the Wanderlust. The mainmast, probably. Soren slammed into the desk, which was bolted to the floor and couldn't move. As he tried to push himself up, a small wooden object thumped against his foot. A little wooden bear.

Soren tucked it into his pocket. A little boy in Tallen Tiya had once said the bear would protect him, and he certainly needed protection.

Water was starting to lap at the huge hole in the wall. The bed was on fire. Soren saw movement in a pile of clothing. He blinked at it, puzzled for a moment despite everything going on around him. Then he saw ears.

"Journey!" Soren tucked the chest under his arm and went to scoop up the cat. She protested furiously, but Soren squeezed her tightly, ignoring the claws digging into his arm.

The ship tipped again. Soren managed to keep his balance, braced on the desk. Smoke caught in his throat and he coughed.

The door to the captain's quarters broke open and water rushed in.

"Please, Roe," Soren muttered, starting to climb towards the back of the room, now the highest point. Journey screamed as only a cat could, but Soren kept his hold on both her and the sea chest. He climbed ahead of the water, and when he reached the opening smashed by the mizzenmast, he threw the cat out into the ocean. Then, he jumped after her.