Corvus (Stars and Sails, Book 1)

Thirty-eight (Part 1 of 3)

"Apparently," Haworth said, turning the wheel, "That's the worst thing you can do," He stretched his back, producing a few loud cracks. Amelia Rose winced.

It was a dreadful morning. The rain poured down in sheets, pounding against the deck and making everything a mess. The winds hadn't picked up, and for the most part the water was steady. Jade wrung out her hands to warm them up a bit.

"Really?" Suzaku asked, walking across the poop deck and taking the stairs down to the main, where he pointed a loose line out to a naval officer.

"Yes, really!" Haworth exclaimed, calling after Suzaku. Despite him being out of earshot already, Haworth continued, spinning the wheel. "Bees just don't care how long you go swimming, Dirty Jim. They'll wait forever."

"That is categorically impossible," Jade offered as she stretched out her aching calves.

"So, I get out of the water, alright. I'm soaking wet and these bees, they come at me. One thousand of these jokers, easily," he said.

Jade sighed. This cannon looked alright. She had three more to go—it was important to make sure they were all in working order. That was something she probably should have done in Longport, not twenty hours out from Aydesreve. Amelia Rose looked at Haworth incredulously while scrubbing the deck with her mop. Something in her eyes showed that she was entirely invested in the narrative, despite her disbelief. She nodded at him to continue.

"So they come to me, Dirty, like this," he simulated the flight of one thousand bees by jabbing his fingers at her. "Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt, just like that. So what do I do?" He swiped his hand up. "I attacked. All one thousand of em' dropped like nothing, Dirty. And I only got one sting, right on my ass." He pointed, respectively.

"Another mystery solved," Jade replied, grunting as she nudged the long gun into a more optimal position and then securing it into place. Her frizzy red hair was matted down against her head. She flicked the rain off her brow, unable to do the same with the sour look she had. The cannon still wasn't quite in place, she pushed it again. Now that that was taken care off, she had a few more details to square up.

She left the poop deck and passed Payne. He reminded her of crazy old Lucas Wiater just a little. This morning, after a lot of thinking, Jade decided that Wiater would in fact have liked Payne, but would have thought he didn't look like a proper sailor. And Jade would have had to agree. He fitted perfect in Lucas Wiater's old sailing frock and now Aiden looked like he belonged on the water, if not for his obtuse choice of footwear.

As for Jade, she hadn't found a coat that made her feel like herself instead of like she was trying to fill a man's shoes.

And she didn't think she would. And she didn't think that mattered.

He nodded at her before Suzaku called him over.

"Captain!" Jade spotted Rafaele in the crow's nest. He leaned over the small rail. "There is a ship signaling us with a flag at the larboard." He looked through his telescope quickly. "Should I answer?" He looked again. "Oh, there are two of them, yeah?"

Jade spun around, Payne hurrying to her side. No matter how hard she looked or squinted, she couldn't see much through the fog, only the faint outline of a mast—so ghostly she hadn't seen it before. She turned her head to Aiden.

His face paled as raindrops ran off his cheeks. "What flag is it, Rafaele?"

"Durantan." He called back. "The other isn't flying a flag."

Jade's heart dropped. She was hopping for another rematch with Zelley, not a confrontation from the Navy. She sighed. "Bore up," she called to Haworth. He nodded at her and spun the wheel, glancing up at Rafaele for better direction.