Corvus (Stars and Sails, Book 1)

Thirty-seven

Aiden stepped into the infirmary. Upon hearing him, Sabik stood up from his desk and turned around. Aiden raised his eyebrows.

"Oh," he said, sitting back down and turning to his desk. "Come in, Payne. Are you wounded?"

"Only emotionally."

Sabik tapped his fingers against the desk. "I can't fix that." He paused to crush up a dried red leaf.

Aiden crossed his arms. "It was a joke. Self-deprecation, you know?"

Sabik blinked. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"No," Aiden said, shaking his head. "I wanted to talk."

"Tell me your problem." Sabik measured out the crushed leaf.

Aiden's eyes scanned around the infirmary. It was dark, but Sabik's space was well-lit with lanterns. He worked diligently, keeping his eyes fixed on the measurements he was working with. He barely gave Aiden a second passing glance, which was fair, because potentially deadly antidotes were much more thrilling than a guy who wore shoes too big for his feet because he thought they looked neat. They didn't. They were hideous.

"Runa Hyde—I was there with Silas Noble." Aiden ran his fingers across the soft bed sheet and watched the fabric crease up. "You're the doctor?"

Sabik responded by pushing his work aside. "I regret not knowing better."

Aiden bobbed his head, but the agreement was only to fill the conversation. "You couldn't have known."

"I had an idea of what would happen and I was too pig-headed to listen to intuition." he paused. "Or other things..."

Aiden got up and walked over to the second desk. Sabik had abandoned a letter.

Naqi,

Noukti al-chaa. Kaatyaa al.

Sabik pulled his work back towards him. "I do not usually write to my brother in Jhati, but he is young and unpracticed in the old language. I must engage him," he said. He went back to his work.

"There are only a few words here," he pointed out.

Sabik looked back up. "Yes." Paused. "I was informing him about the vessel, but found myself bored. What is there to tell him? Everyone is pleasant. I have no arguments or affinities to anyone. I am held in here by myself most of the time."

Aiden's eyes moved over to a field guide. It had a picture of a blue conical bloom on it. Aiden ran his hand over the picture and looked closely. "Do you draw?" Aiden asked. He couldn't read the writing. It was all in Jhati.

"Pardon?"

"This flower."

Sabik stood up, dropping his work. "Helioflorum?" He moved across the room in four easy steps. Aiden moved to the side. Sabik pointed to the picture.

Aiden nodded. "Yeah, what is it?"

Sabik looked at the field guide. "The vial you found was once full of a memory-wiping drug. A drug that is made from the spiked leaves of this flower. Only I have found it impossible to find any."

"For..."

"The antidote," he said. "It is extremely rare and highly illegal. I am exploring other methods of creating an antidote."

"If that doesn't work?"

"There are always the underground markets. If it comes down to it, I will find it."

Aiden looked over Sabik's shoulder and watched as he jotted something down onto the guide. Sabik was a good deal shorter than him.

Nejem put the quill back into the ink. "I spent three years researching and developing the antidote I gave to Ms. Hyde." He read over his guide. "I tried to artificially recreate the flower by combining similar chemicals. I was certain it would work, but perhaps nature works better than a lab can."

Aiden scratched the back of his head. "But you are—"

Sabik swatted his hand in the air in dismissal before reaching for the quill again and tapping away some excess ink. "Trying again? I have to, no?"

"I guess, I don't really know anything about—"

Sabik stopped writing. "I have to, for Harris," His shoulders stiffened. "Leon Harris, to be specific. I am to develop this antidote for Alchiba and Minkar, should they have survived."

Aiden instinctively clamped an elbow over his side. "Alchiba," he said, just to hear it out loud in his own voice. Didn't like it much.

Nejem turned around. "Do you know who he is?" There was humor buried in his tone.

Aiden headed for the door. "No, I..." he paused. "No I don't. Heard Silas Noble mention him is all." And he did, and part of him was glad both Noble and Ms. Hyde weren't around to spill his secret. Aiden barely had any idea what his tattoo meant. There was no telling what would happen to him once he revealed the truth to the crew. After all, Holden suggested that Aiden stay in hiding. Aiden didn't want his options to be reduced to trusting Josh Holden, but it also didn't seem he had another choice.