Corvus (Stars and Sails, Book 1)

Forty-six (Part 2 of 2)

Aiden fell onto the sand on his hands and knees. He panted, catching his breath for the first time since he'd jumped. He and Amelia Rose hadn't been too far from shore, but the waves were choppy. He had spent the first ten minutes looking for her in the water. Eventually, he made his way back to shore, having to trust that she had made it back too. He coughed up mouthfuls of salt water, then collapsed as the waves washed up against his feet. After a few deep breaths, he pushed himself up in the sand. He didn't have his naval disguise anymore. If one of Fairburn's men caught him, it would spell his end.

Amelia Rose wasn't down by the beach, but there were footprints. They were worn into the sand—small bare feet, too small to be a man's. Aiden had thought about kicking off his shoes a while ago, but he wasn't about to lose his Scorpion Shoes. They were a gift after all.

He followed the prints out to the main road when Aiden realized where he was. This dusty pale road, the one with the fan-necked lizards and the vultures that stared at you with hungry eyes and blood on their feet. The road to Dead Man's Palm was one of Aiden's favorite places because it was always just him and Nova. He never had to give a damn about anyone else out there.

The footprints were gone now, but if they belonged to her, then he didn't anyway. There was only one place for her to be all the way out here. He walked down the road, the ridges at Dead Man's Palm getting farther away. Something looked different and less lush about Aydesreve.

The sunflower field was gone, just a brown patch left where it usually was. Seemed they finally tore down all the dead stalks. This time of year was always a reminder of the eerie seasonal shift ahead. Something about the dessert looked different in the winter. It was darker, the nights colder, the mornings humid.

The mesquite was still standing at the corner of the road. Aiden walked over to it. He looked up into the branches. Sometimes he wondered what she thought about, to be curled up in a tree when so many other things were happening. Supposed everyone needed to get away.

"You're looking at the field?" he asked, placing his foot in a knot and pulling himself up. He couldn't climb as gracefully as she did.

She looked surprised to see him, and despite nearly falling from her cradle in the branches, she said, "Yes." She looked over his head. "They tore it down."

"They tear it down every year."

Amelia Rose's eyes filled with tears. "That's not--that's just not the point, okay?" She rubbed her eyes with her fingers. "It's different. Everything's different. And I'm changing too."

"I don't—"

"I've been so selfish. Did you know I was excited when Tanner died? Isn't that horrible? Excited? I'm some kind of monster to feel so..." She trailed off, tears running thick down her cheeks.

"Human?" Aiden held out his hand, and she tentatively let her fingers fall across his palm.

"Human? This isn't human of me!"

Aiden shook his head. "Nobody is just good or bad. It ain't like that. If you're not complicated, you're not human."

Amelia Rose nodded, but she shook harder, tears racing down her tan cheeks. "I'm sorry, Aiden. Really, I'm so sorry."

Aiden paused brushing his hair out with his fingers. It was gritty with saltwater--a familiar feeling.

"You just took down Captain Fairburn's ship. You swam through the ocean without having ever swum in your life." He spotted a web above him and watched it carefully. "How can you doubt yourself?"

Amelia Rose nodded. She was quiet for a minute. "I've been terrible to you," she said. "And Mr. Holden, but I think he deserved it."

Aiden grimaced and hopped out of the tree, landing on the ground in a puff of sand and dust. He ran his hands through his hair for any spiders. Checked his pockets. "Yeah, he deserved it." Aiden grinned and Amelia Rose laughed. "But let's go to Silas Nobles Ranch first. Then you think about Holden." She sighed and climbed out of the branches.

Silas Noble's house was to the right of the sunflower fields, just up a winding road. Aiden was nearly dried off by the time they made it the chipped red farmhouse. It was small and looked like it was dark inside. There was a stable in the back and a small barn. Aiden and Amelia climbed into the paddock. The stable boy was hard at work brushing off Wild Tooth in the middle of the field. She tried to bite him, but he avoided. The boy looked at Aiden and Amelia Rose, then back at Amelia Rose, who made his face turn in confusion. He cautiously went back to brushing off the horse.

"Hey-lo," he said, avoiding another bite.

"You have a horse named Nova? My friend Rich Haworth boarded her here about a month ago."

A look of understanding came over his face. He looked at Amelia Rose. "I was wondering. About the uh—the trousers. You're the crew? Mr. Noble's?"

Aiden nodded. "He's not here?"

"He's with you," the stable boy laughed awkwardly like Aiden had just told him a terrible joke.

"That's right." Aiden said, "Just uh...making sure you knew it." He rocked back and forth on his heels before he started moving towards the stables. "Anyway, I'll just be taking my horse."

"You been swimming?" the boy asked, ducking when Wild Tooth bit at him. She snorted and stomped her feet. He moved the brush in circles on her shoulder.

"Uh," Aiden made sure Amelia Rose was following him. "Yeah." They left the gate open behind them. Nova was awake, tucked in her stall. She neighed at Aiden and buried her nose into his shoulder. He pressed a kiss against her cheek.

Before he could turn around, Amelia Rose handed him the bridle. She opened the stall.

Nova happily let Aiden fit her with the tack. Together the three headed out to the paddock. Holding the scruff of her neck, he jumped up onto her back. He helped Amelia Rose up behind him.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"We're going to go see your husband," he replied, as he brushed Nova's black hair flat with his fingers. Amelia Rose said nothing, just pressed her cheek into the space between his shoulder blades.

"Do you need me to open that gate for ya?" the boy asked.

Aiden shook his head, before tapping his heels into Nova's sides. With a snap of the reins, he called out, and she took off toward the fence, running. At the last minute, she made an elegant jump and Aiden felt weightless before her hoofs thudded down on the other side.