The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil (48 page)

“Where are we?” she asked curiously, the sound of her voice instantly catching the attention of the four men, their heads lifting to look at her in surprise.

“Ah, Sister. You look better. Dresses are more suited to you,” Edric smiled, moving over to wrap her in an exuberant bear hug. “Knowing you would be with the troops in Palinon, Mother insisted I pack some clothes for you. Your closet is like a maze to me, however, so I hope I chose something comfortable.”

“It covers me, so I can’t complain. I’m just not used to wearing my clothes without a corset or some form of chemise.” Her eyes remained locked on the islands, distracted by their inaccurate position. “Why are the islands to the east? Should they not be to the west?”

“We’re making a pass around their ports in case Ireni remains docked in attempts to outmaneuver us,” Callum explained, the tone of his voice hollow. “It would do us little good if we sailed all the way to the Luquarrian mainland only to discover she was not there.”

She could tell he expected her to argue his logic. He was prepared to defend against some biting remark that never came, instead her head nodding in agreement. It made sense. They were a long way from the mainland. If Ireni was still on the islands, it would set them back less time to loop around them now than it would if they were to blindly bypass the pirates altogether. “Good call,” she smiled at him. “I would not have thought of that. I suppose that’s why you’re the Captain and I am just taking up space on the ship.”

Shifting uncomfortably, Callum let his gaze settle over Aiva’s shoulder, focusing on something behind her so as to avoid looking her in the eye. “If you gentlemen will excuse me a moment,” he said quietly, brushing past Aiva to move down the steps onto the main deck. Open-mouthed she stood there, thinking to say something, no words coming before he was already gone.

“Is he alright?” she asked, staring down the steps to where he had disappeared. She wanted to go after him, but it seemed a terrible time to chase him down. It would look bad in front of the men.

“He’s been acting oddly for a few days,” Gadiel mumbled. Stepping closer, Aiva drew in a breath. She was caught in an awkward position between him and Callum. If she said anything to Gadiel about her suspicions, he would track Callum down without a second thought in order to set things straight. She couldn’t let him do that. Callum needed to hear the truth from her. He needed to hear
everything
from her.

Retracing her steps, she paused at the top of the stairs, aware of Edric at her side. “Varik and I can keep watch on the ship if you want to go to him,” he stated quietly. “Try to talk to him.”

“I don’t know where he went.”

“He is staying with me in the Captain’s cabin. If he was seeking privacy, I imagine that’s where he headed.”

She nibbled her lip nervously. A discussion with Callum was necessary, but to conduct it while in his sleeping quarters seemed improper. If she could wait for him to exit, she could intercept him on his way back to the helm and seek to arrange a semi-private meeting in a less crowded part of the ship. Preferably a location where there were no beds. That had nearly been their downfall while at Phaezut’s palace. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. “I will see what I can do,” she replied, avoiding Edric’s watchful gaze as she stepped down from the stairs, making her way to the rail overlooking the water.

From the corner of her eye she had a perfect vantage of the door leading to the Captain’s cabin. Although she’d never seen what it looked like on the inside, she was able to deduce its location based simply on the arrangement of the ship. Peering over the edge of the rail she could see the windows of the quarters, overlooking the Vai’ld Sea. They were far enough away from land to indicate that their passage around the Luquarrian islands had been completed while she slept. The ship now angled away from the shore, heading deeper into the expanse of seemingly blackened water, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a beautiful sight. Similar to that of the desert from atop Phaezut’s palace, though there was something more striking about the watery horizon when compared to sand. While each had their separate beauty, she preferred the gentle rippling of the waves to the burnt surface of the Palinoen desert.

The crew remained in high spirits. Unlike the men that had traveled on foot from Tanispa, these soldiers were fresh. Energized. Ready for battle. She wanted to be envious of their jovial demeanor but she couldn’t be. The experience she’d had while in the desert was one she would not soon forget. One that she cherished, in a way. It had opened her eyes. Made her realize the error of her ways prior to setting foot on the road. She was certain without the horrible things she’d witnessed, she would still be the same naïve child that ducked away in that supply wagon, what seemed so long ago now.

Absently, she twirled her wedding ring about her finger, aware of the ease with which it spun. She had lost more weight along the way than she realized. Where once the thin band had fit snugly, it now was at risk of slipping from her hand without her knowledge, finding little resistance from her bony knuckles. Afraid of losing the precious crest, she removed it from her hand, comparing its size to that of her other fingers. It would be better suited to her middle finger for now, granting more support from the slightly wider base.

Before she could secure the band, the ship rocked unexpectedly from a large wave, her body pitching forward against the rail as she stumbled to keep her balance. To her horror, she felt the smooth surface of the ring slip from her fingertips, glinting brightly in the sunlight as she reached for it, frantic, heart pounding wildly. She could think of nothing but the ring, watching it fall, further and further over the edge. Without care of the consequences, Aiva extended her arms, bending sharply to grasp at the plummeting jewel. It was so close, just within her grasp. If she could just reach a little further…

Her fingers closed around the ring, not soon enough for her to recognize the flaw in her actions. In her haste to reclaim the band, she failed to take heed of the danger she placed herself in by leaning so far over the edge, crying out at the sensation of her body toppling over the rail. With her free hand she tried desperately to find something, anything she could get a hold on to stop her fall, afraid of the water’s depth below. There was nothing. The side of the ship was clean, freshly painted, devoid of any rope or other object which might offer safety.

From above she could hear voices shouting, calling her name. Too far away to offer assistance before it was too late. Resigned to the fact that falling was inevitable, Aiva inhaled a deep breath, prepared for the splash which would soon follow. It was the cold that struck her first, nearly causing her to choke from shock at the sensation like tiny pricks of ice along her skin. She floundered about in the water, hand clutched tightly around the ring, surprised that despite the fear of the fall she had managed to keep hold of the object, unwilling to let it go.

Through the cloudiness of her thoughts Aiva was aware that someone was coming closer, the sound of their voice ringing in her ears. Grab their hand. Everything would be okay. It was a nice sentiment, but in her current predicament, it was difficult for her to believe. The water was so cold! How was it possible for the liquid to be like ice when the desert was so hot?

The voice was closer, a feeling like a hand grasping for her arm urging her to stop moving. Afraid of sinking into the depths of the sea, she couldn’t bring herself to do as the voice said, her arms continuing their frantic flails in attempts to keep afloat. Hands were grabbing at her, losing their grip from the water which covered her skin, making it harder to maintain a secure hold while she struggled. In the back of her mind she knew she needed to stop and allow the hands to help but instinct told her to fight. Stay above water. If she didn’t keep moving she was certain she would freeze to death.

Finally the hands managed to get a firm grip on her right arm, tugging hard to lift her from the water. In that instant she could see Callum’s face in her vision, shouting for her to grab onto him. He dangled from above by a rope held by several soldiers, the sight bringing more painful memories to mind of the last time she had seen him in such a way. The ravine. Once again her foolishness left him risking his own life to save hers. All things considered, she was amazed he hadn’t simply left her to drown. She deserved nothing better from him. Instead he now gave the order for the men to pull them up, his fingers slowly sliding along her forearm. His hold was tenuous. If she didn’t offer some kind of assistance, she would find herself in the sea again.

Her head quickly started to clear once she was free of the icy water. Her strength was restored, reaching up with her left hand to grab onto Callum’s arm, relieving some of the strain he exerted to keep her in his grasp. With the help of the soldiers, it didn’t take long for them to reach the rail, several pairs of strong hands pulling them from the rope and back onto the ship’s deck.

Back on the safety of the ship, a cool breeze sent a chill down Aiva’s spine, causing her to shiver uncontrollably, her arms wrapped around her upper body for warmth. The men were gathered around, looking her over for injuries. It was frustrating, knowing it was her own stupidity which had placed her in so much danger. And all over such a tiny piece of jewelry. Ignoring the inquisitive stares of the men, Aiva opened her hand to stare down at the ring she still clung to, the gemstones having cut into the skin from the tightness of her fist. Callum’s gaze followed hers, the sound of his heavy sigh pulling her from her reverie.

“Why have you removed your ring?”

Her heart pounded at the question. Oh, how it must look to him! “It isn’t what you think,” she exhaled, quickly sliding the ring onto her trembling hand. Someone wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, distracting her briefly before she regained her train of thought, stumbling after Callum as he started to move away. “Please, Callum. I swear to you, it was an accident.”

He paused suddenly, motioning the other men away with a sharp flick of his wrist. “We need to get you out of the wind until you dry,” he mumbled. His eyes were downcast, making no move to beckon her forward, though his posture indicated that he awaited her to follow. Anxious to clear the air between them, Aiva hurried forward, stumbling slightly, her legs still shaking from the cold and excitement. He offered no assistance as he led her toward the door to his cabin. Once there, he held it briefly for her to step inside before quickly allowing it to swing shut behind them. Cool in his mannerisms, Callum made his way to a large desk positioned in front of the windows at the far side of the room. He made no attempt to speak, leaving them in silence until Aiva couldn’t stand it any longer.

“I’m sorry if I disrupted you,” she said quietly. Nothing else felt appropriate. So many times they had found themselves together, suffocated by the awkward tension between them, and still she had no idea how to get around it. How to break the ice and open the way for the conversation she so desperately wanted to have.

“Don’t worry about it,” he waved dismissively. “I was only looking over the maps.”

His eyes remained downcast, avoiding Aiva’s gaze. Aiva couldn’t help wondering if he could feel the tension between them the same as she did. It seemed impossible for him not to. If it was any thicker, she was certain it would be physically palpable. “It’s fortunate, though,” she said, her tone rising as she took a step forward. Callum stared down at the maps, holding his attention so as to not have to look at her.

“Fortunate? You could have died – ”

“But I didn’t,” she cut in, moving closer to the desk. She wanted him to look up. To acknowledge her presence with more than mere forced conversation. “I was hoping you and I might have a chance to speak. You’ve been avoiding me for days now.”

“Aiva, I really…” he lifted his gaze to her briefly, instantly averting it once again, the tips of his ears burning a deep crimson. Quickly he came out from behind the desk, his hands moving to tug the blanket tighter around Aiva’s shoulders. “I – I’m sorry. The water makes your dress a bit more – sheer – than I realized. You should keep this around you until it dries.”

Tilting her head to one side Aiva watched him, amused by the oddity of his behavior. Their eyes met, locked in an almost electrified silence before she took the blanket from his grasp to hold it on her own, granting him an opportunity to break away, striding determinedly back toward the desk. Boldly, she pushed forward, coming to stand on the opposite side of the map Callum now pored over, making every effort to avoid looking at her. “I refuse to leave this room until you agree to speak with me,” she said matter-of-factly, leaning in to rest her slender hand over the map where Callum’s eyes were directed, forcing him to glance up. “You have put me off long enough.”

Lacking his usual grace he dropped into the chair behind him, leaning back to rest his feet on the table. “Fine,” he stated flatly. “What is it you’re so insistent we speak on? I’ve already secured the annulment. What else could you possibly want from me?”

“How about an explanation as to why you’ve been so disagreeable since we left Phaezut’s palace? I thought we made progress and now we’ve regressed to where we were at the start of this all.”

“Disagreeable?” he blinked at her, a sarcastic laugh escaping him before he continued. “Am I supposed to just accept the fact that one of my closest friends counseled me against going to your room only to then crawl into your bed? I know we agreed upon seeking an annulment, but we are still married. Could you not have at least waited until the decision was final? And Gadiel, of all people…”

“Oh, Callum! I knew it!” Aiva shouted, slamming her fist down onto the table. “I thought of any man you would know better than to assume something as fact simply because a single source passed on unpleasant information. The same thing happened when Dacian told me about you and Ireni and how true did that turn out to be? Did you even consider asking? To determine what really happened before washing your hands of me?”