Tessellations [BOOK TWO]

Chapter Twelve

I don't fear age, I don't mind death
They say that it's cold and lonely and dark
But death is a dream, a sweet, peaceful sleep
It's life that's a nightmare, the blade in my heart

We were blindfolded, lying bound in the dark, silent belly of a tiny sea vessel, with no idea where we were headed and no idea how to escape.

"Are we going to die?" I heard Lily whisper at some point, her voice shaking slightly. None of us had the heart to answer.

Hours went by. Eventually I did my best to fall asleep, trying to ignore the uncomfortable slant of wood pressing into my back as I closed my eyes. I failed for the most part, only drifting off for brief moments, and even then I didn't get any rest; my nightmares woke me feeling even worse than before.

I was jolted alert hours later when the ship came to a stop, its side brushing against something - a dock? Above us, we heard voices and the hollow sound of boots thudding against the wood, and the boat wobbled as several of the soldiers stepped off.

There was a blur of light through my blindfold as a trap door was yanked open. I winced. "Rise and shine, little convicts," barked the captain. "Everyone out, single-file. The Queen'll be wanting you alive, but if you try anything, you have my word than I will kill you without a second thought."

I crawled on hands and knees to the trap door and was dragged out by my arm, painfully twisting my right shoulder. I cried out.

"Leave her alone," Jasper said, his voice sharp.

I heard a harsh slap as the captain hit him across the face. "You're not in any position to be giving orders, pirate," he said softly, his voice veiling an unspoken threat.

We were pulled onto the dock, where we stood blindly, awaiting blows that never came. At last, I was forced forward again, this time through the open door of a carriage. I managed to sit down before the others stumbled in, quickly filling the tight space.

Our blindfolds were removed. I only had time to glimpse a scrap of sky and the sea beneath it, still blurry to my unfocused eyes, before someone slammed the carriage door shut and bolted it from the outside.
Our hands remained trapped behind our backs, and once my eyes adjusted I saw that Annie had been gagged as well. The windows were painted over, leaving us with still no clue where we were.

A bruise had formed on Jasper's cheek.

Lily fell asleep, her head falling against Channing's shoulder. Not long after, he fell asleep against me. I wasn't interested in succumbing again to my nightmares, so instead, I occupied myself with the window. I'd discovered a small chip in the paint - a spot no larger than the tip of my pinky, but just big enough to peer out of. I watched hills go sliding past, sometimes transforming into the straight ups and downs and crisp angles of a nearby town before smoothing out once more.

I wished I knew where we were. I didn't.
Hours later - it was hard to tell, but it felt like hours - I timidly thought, Jas?

His response was quiet but immediate. I'm sorry, Bird. They'll be able to tell we're communicating.

Which meant that we couldn't speak telepathically. Which meant I was just as lost as before.

I reverted to watching the landscape, listening to the muted tumble of the wheels in resigned silence.

•

We halted after what felt like a lifetime of traveling; I saw nothing but darkness through the hole in the paint, so I was certain the company was stopping for the night.