Hearts in Zenith (Four Husbands and a Lover)

18. Fresh Start

The night was over, thanks Gala! When the first pink streak of sunrise shot across the sky, I hopped off the cot I hired. It was far less comfortable than Kozima's arms. The room was stuffy and full of other women in need of an affordable place to sleep. As I stretched my shoulders, I missed waking up with his runaway curls under my cheek. Cracked ceiling with sleepy flies crawling over it made a poor substitute for fading stars. The place was ugly, but safe and cheap. Soon, I should be able to afford a better room, but not a husband to share it with. That would take a while.

With yesterday's bread heel between my teeth, I ran down the winding lane towards the patch of blue between the buildings: the Gulf. Its wet, salty smell wiped away the stink of poverty from my nostrils. My bread dropped into my stomach one well-chewed piece at a time, then swelled there. A tough bugger, but I could handle it. I washed my face and hands, then peered at the sails from under my hand.

The Naiad's familiar shape loomed ahead.

I ran over, pulled in a chest full of fresh breeze to yelp, "Sharim!"

Sharim's head popped over the side. The vitality radiating from her set the drummers drumming inside my head. Maybe I should have limited myself to wine yesterday, like Anastasia. The beer didn't seem vile, but the hangover was brutal.

I winced. "You're energetic this morning, Captain."

She twisted her neck left and right, but only out of habit. All tension that used to plug her, bone and sinew, seemed to have dissipated. I swear, she looked ten years younger.

"Divine Gala spoke to Lydia, don't you know?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

I rubbed the vein pulsating on my temple. Wine next time. Wine, and to the River Vash with the cost!

"You don't say! Did Divine Gala quicken Lydia's womb with a semi-Divine child?"

"Nothing like that," Sharim said, chuckling. "Apparently a beautiful young man had been overcome by Divine inspiration at the Temple. He had a prophetic verse for everyone, including Lydia."

"Sheesh, maybe I should drink less and pray at the Gala's Rock more! My dive had only ugly men and no poetry at all."

Her brows quirked. "Maybe you should."

At least she held back a question about my age.

"At any rate, Lydia believed the verses. She came back inspired, ordered her husband to mind his place, and promised to give her boys dowries enough to marry princesses. But only if she likes them, ha-hah. Then, she cut off the man she was courting."

"Praise Gala!" I exclaimed. "She did it all in one night?"

"All in one night."

"A woman of business!"

"A woman of faith. It was you who said she would turn around. And that Divine Gala is on our side. It all came to pass."

Curse my big mouth. I wanted to keep Sharim's spirits up, while I was waiting for our ruse to be a go and I must have blurted out something. "Everyone's said that, Sharim."

The Captain shook her head stubbornly. "You whistle--and good wind rises, Safic."

I was going to argue, but I liked the sound of this new saying. Forcing things to go my way, it felt good. It felt right. Speaking of which...

"Speaking of the wind. I saw the mercenaries coming to town, the Queen's Deadhead Company. I want to try my luck with them. Fighting is more my business than oysters, and the barracuda won't bother you again. No offense."