War of the Princes 02: Dragoon (7 page)

Chapter 12:
Pulling

“You have what?” Carmine asked, in utter surprise, leaning over the control console.

“
The Pull,” I repeated. “I can find anything I look for, but I have no idea where I'm going.”

“
I know what the Pull is. I've just never met anyone who possessed it.”

“
We'd be happy to add a bonus to your payment if you continue that line of thinking,” Dylan said conspiratorially. He was right, we didn't need Carmine reporting me to the authorities.

“
Of course. As far as I'm concerned, you're simply a paying customer that chooses to follow her heart. You know, I'm a romantic, myself,” she smiled, winking at me.

“
That you are,” Dylan agreed, summoning his charm.

“
She's smart enough not to want any trouble,” Kyle said jumping in to defuse Dylan's advance.

“
Is that a threat?” Carmine asked him, her tone sharp.

“
No,” I said quickly, glancing at Kyle with exasperation.

“
No, no, I just meant, well, you're smart, and if we were in some kind of trouble, you'd rather disentangle yourself from it than get caught up in it. Right?” Kyle stammered.

Carmine gave him a knowing smile.

Good gravity, she was perfect. I was a bit of a sloppy mess beside her. If I were the jealous type, I would have envied her womanly charisma.

“
Don't worry, Katelyn,” she told me with sincerity. “I won't give you away. We each of us have our secrets.”

That
got my attention. Was I wrong in trusting her? What secrets did she have? Would her secrets hurt our secrets? Would there be some kind of secrets battle? Was there a prize?

Focus, Kat.

Kyle ducked his head to look at Sterling. “You okay, Ster?”

Sterling wobbled on his feet. “What?”

“Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he barked, looking more than a little green.

Kyle wasn’t convinced. “Yeah? Cause you look like you ate a trough of week old salmon.”

Sterling burped and a palm shot up to cover his mouth. When he got himself under control, he lowered his hand. “
I said I was fine. I’m fine!”

“If you say so,” Kyle grinned.

“So what's the best way to approach this?” she asked, rotating the wheel slightly.

“
I don't know,” was my response.

“
Don't over think it,” Kyle said, leaning his back against the front end of the console. “What direction should we be heading, right at this moment?”

I strode to the
wide, front windows. Sea birds were coasting below us, just ahead of our bow. Small fish leaped by the dozens, startled by the pressure our vessel was exerting on the water's surface. The birds caught and devoured them in mid air.

Attempting to clear my mind, I let go of every thought but that of my mom. Keenly I felt the desire to turn around and walk to the back of the ship. It didn't make sense. That was the way we had come. Breakwater was that direction, and eventually, Haven as well. I realized my error. Like Dad said, I never called her,
“mom.”

Mother.

I tried again, but the Pull nudged me to the rear of the ship a second time.

Everyone was watchin
g me, waiting. A sheen of cold sweat developed on my forehead. What was wrong with me? When I was exploring Breakwater, I felt the Pull urging me toward the sea. Had I made some horrible mistake?

Kat, you idiot.

This woman hadn't been my mother in a long, long time. Kassey Kestrel had taken that job, and my life was far better as a result. I ached with sudden homesickness. I had no control over the love I felt for the woman who had raised me. My birth mother had revoked her title. She was only what her career made her. I concentrated on Paperglass To Be.

The slightest sensation, like remembering where I'd misplaced something, told me to take a step to the right. I faced the window directly, and pointed. Relief flooded me. It was working.
“That way.”

Carmine pulled a lever, spun the wheel, and we turned smoothly to the right. Our new heading gave us a better look at the storm that was nearly upon us. I peered into the darkness and saw a single flash of lightning touch the
thrashing surface of the water, far, far ahead. A tiny smile touched my lips. It was like a message, meant for me.

“
For this to work, you're going to need to stay up here with me,” Carmine said, bringing me back to the real world.

“
Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” I agreed. “If she moves, our direction will change.”

“
She?” Dylan broke in. “So we're hunting a person.”

Ugh. Good job, Kat. Some professional field agent you're turning out to be.

“We're not hunting anyone, but yes, I'm here to find a person,” I said grudgingly.

“
Well, who?” Kyle asked, bewildered. He probably had so many questions for me.

“
She
,” Dylan snorted, as though he knew. “If you’re looking for Rune Thayer, there’s no reason to hide it from us.”

“
No,” I said, shooting him a warning look. I wrung my hands until I realized I was fidgeting. “It’s my mother. My
real
mother.”

Carmine didn't look too interested, but I decided that was all I would say in her presence. Kyle, on the other hand, was obviously confused and concerned, and Dylan
wore a similar expression.

“
Where's Sterling?” I asked, realizing that the big guy had disappeared.

“
He's in the room next door,” Kyle told me. “Throwing up in a bucket.”

*   *   *

“You okay?” I asked.

Sterling looked horrible. His eyes were watery, red, and ringed with dark circles. You could tell by his face that he
was plagued with nausea. He was sitting on a lower bunk, elbows on his on his knees, with a rag pressed to his mouth.

“
Yeah,” Sterling croaked.

“
Man, you look awful,” Kyle said emphatically. The three of us had stolen away to speak in private.

“
Kyle,” I caught his attention and shook my head, gesturing him to shut his mouth.

“
I've never felt better,” Sterling insisted. He didn't so much as attempt to stand, and I was glad. I didn't want to end up a casualty.

Kyle laughed hard enough to buckle over. “Really, man? Okay, then how bout we have a spinning contest. Whoever falls down first, loses.”

Sterling looked as though he was desperately fighting the urge to repaint the bunkroom. “No.”

“Yeah? Why not?” Kyle asked, unable to control his chuckling. “Because you’re seasick?”

“No! I just don’t feel like it!” Sterling scowled, and only succeeded in making Kyle laugh harder.

“
Kyle, come on,” I complained.

Kyle cleared his throat and forced his grin to be a little less obnoxious.

“Okay, okay. What did you want to talk about?”

“
I don't know how much I should say in front of Carmine,” I told them, trying to keep my voice down, even though we were in a different room.

“
We can trust her,” Kyle assured me.

“
Why? Because she's tall, beautiful, and wears really nice boots? I'd seriously love those to be good enough reasons, but they're not.”

“
No, it's not that. I mean, she is incredible, but that's not why,” Kyle said, smirking.

“
She's too old for you,” Sterling informed him.

“
She is not!”

“
She'd never go for it, you're just a kid to her.”

“
Says the guy with the queasy tummy,” Kyle slung back.

Sterling gave him a baleful look that made me glad he wasn't at his full strength.
He’d always seemed like a gentle-giant to me, until I saw him defend himself in a schoolyard brawl. How far could Kyle push it before getting his face pounded in?

“
Guys, save it for the return trip,” I interrupted. “Why are you so sure we can trust her, Kyle?”

“
Well,” he said, sitting down on the bed opposite Sterling. Bad choice of location. “When I was helping her with the engine, I walked around to get a look at it… you should see the craftsmanship on that thing! If I had the design sheets on it I could... sorry. Anyway, I passed a bin that was disguised as a secondary boiler casing. It had an open panel. When I glanced in, I saw some papers. They all had a symbol on them. Triple gears with a circle around them.”

“
So? What does that mean?” a grumpy Sterling demanded.

“
So! That's the other Prince's symbol! Prince Varion,” Kyle said.

I was surprised.
“How the heck do you know that?”

“
Well… when we were in Breakwater Keep, we were left in a room to wait for you. It had a table with some open books. I saw the image in one of them. When I found it here, I knew I had to tell you guys. You can't blame her for wanting to make a living on both sides of the fence.”

“
How is that supposed to be comforting?” I said, alarmed. “She could be dragging us to the other Prince!”

“She’s just a
ferryman. It said so on the papers,” Kyle defended.

“And that makes her trustworthy?”

“We can’t assume everyone trying to make a living is against us. Besides, you have the Pull. She’s following your directions and you’d notice if she changed course.”

“That’s true,” I admitted.

“My point was that we
can
trust her. If she’s a citizen of the other kingdom, she has just as much to lose if we’re caught.”

“I guess you’re right. It’s good to know.” We’d just have to wait and see about her. She seemed like a good person to me, but I’d been fooled before.

“Is now an okay time to ask why your mother is in the Outside World?” Kyle asked.

Taking in a breath, I surrendered and told both of them about my meeting with Officer
Loring. They were taken aback by the events that had transpired. Especially when I mentioned the part about Haven being fed information through another dry pool for centuries. I had a bit more to explain to Sterling, since I hadn't told him about my trip to the outside a year before. “I think we need to figure out a way to let Carmine know we're not on Prince Raserion's side.”

“
I'll do it!” Kyle volunteered.

“
Are you sure?”

He looked at me like I was crazy.
“Of course.”

“
However you break it in, make it sound natural, or accidental.”

“
Don't worry, I've got it,” he grinned.

Sterling looked sicker than before.

“How will we deal with Dylan?” Kyle asked. “How much should we tell him?”

“
I don't know,” was my honest response. “Oh! We should have done this sooner. How could I have let myself forget? Could have been the end of us, right out the door.” I fished through my bag until I found a familiar vial. “You both need to put these drops in your eyes. We're lucky no one has noticed. People here don't have grey eyes.” I handed Kyle the eye drops first, and he put one bit of the liquid in each eye.

“
I noticed that. The colors look weird,” Sterling said, finally bringing the towel away from his mouth. He applied the drops, and when he blinked them clear, the three of us had matching brown eyes.

“
Kat,” Kyle said in a gentle tone. “I'm sorry about your mom.”

His
sympathy was kind, but I didn't like pity. Inside, I was a mess of emotions, but outside, I was in control. “She hasn't been my mom in a long time.”

The Flying Fish lurched and dropped enough to make me swallow my lungs. I grabbed at the bunk for support, and Sterling threw up on Kyle.

C
hapter 13:
Meeting the Storm

The storm was upon us. I'd never seen anything like it. The ocean was a maze of angry, jagged swells, nearly as black as the sky above us. The last bit of evening sunlight was
like a flickering candle beyond the colossal thunderheads. Rain pelted down in sheets, battering the Flying Fish. It was terrifying, placing my life in the grasp of such powerful natural forces.

I was leaving the shelter of the forward cabin to
check on the horses when I found myself entranced. What would the harm be if I lingered for a moment? I was safe on the ship, wasn't I?

My inexperience and foolish
gusto were a dangerous combination. I was curious. I'd never seen or done anything like this.

The Flying Fish climbed above the peak of a wave and pitched over the edge, swooping downward. My feet were slippery on the slick ground, but I held tightly onto the rail. It was unnerving to see the body of the ship take such a
dramatic dive toward the water. Instead of crashing into the sea, we continued smoothly, climbing a smaller swell. I was lightheaded from the rush.

The fact that we were hovering didn't save us from the roiling motion.
While the ride might be smoother in the air, our height was always six feet above the surface, so we rose and fell with the water. Wisely, Carmine had retracted the ship's sails to protect them from the weather.

My hair was plastered to my face, and I wiped it away, blinking the rain from my eyes.

An echoing brightness rolled through the clouds and a pair of lightning bolts stabbed the water ahead in quick succession. I smiled, sh
ivering. Thunder boomed over the noise of wind and water, and stirred me to my core. Haven never had storms like this. We were lucky if we ever got a hard drizzle.

This storm, the lightning, it had nothing to do with me. It was wild. Even so, there was something that drew us together. It was like some impossible kinship. Maybe that was what brought me out onto the deck that night. Or maybe
Lord Brendon had been right about me. Maybe I really was insane.

Satisfied and frightened nearly out of my mind, I clutched the rail and began to scramble for the cabin door. I felt it before I saw it. Quicker than I was capable of responding, a sharp finger of lightning darted down, connecting with my body. I'd been struck.

I went rigid, but not with pain. I could see the hairs of lightning twining over my arms, and blinding me as they flashed past my eyes. I was glowing. Its power paraded within me. Seconds seemed like minutes, and I was comfortable, like I was at home. My perception of time slowed down. All at once, the torrential squall outside was a languid and beautiful dance.

It was Rune’s painting, come to life.

I held my palms up and released the lightning, directing it back into the clouds. It snaked through the thunderheads in a
dazzling pattern. The lightning vanished as quickly as it had come, and reality crashed back into me.

The Flying Fish trembled in the storm and dropped a foot in the air. I slid, crashing to my knees
and clutching the railing in a death grip. My curiosity vanished. This was no longer a game of bravery. I could have killed myself! The ocean was a savage monster, and mountains of water churned around the Flying Fish. Hands shaking, I forced myself upright and scrambled into the cabin, slamming the door behind me.

*   *   *

“What the hell did you do to me?” Dylan demanded, furiously. “If our engines had cut out, I could have lifted this whole ship out of danger.”

Wrapped in blankets, and drinking a hot mug of tea, I felt blissfully normal. Dylan was ruining it. The worst of the storm was over, night had fallen, and the two of us were the only ones left awake.

I sipped at my tea and groaned. “Relax, it wasn't anything harmful.”

“
Not harmful? You
shot
me and now I can't do anything!”

“
The bullet barely breached your skin, stop being a baby.”

“
The Lift is gone!”

His pacing in the small ship's kitchen was starting to give me a headache. He was making the room feel littler, more crowded. I took steadying breaths, fighting off my claustrophobia.

“Can you still Command?”

He turned on me, sharply.
“Well, I don't know. I haven't tried because I'm not a deviant!”

“That's a matter of opinion. Okay, do it. Something small,” I said, frowning. There was nothing I hated more than the feeling of helplessness that accompanied being Commanded. Still, I needed to know how potent my bullets were.

He shook his head.

“Do it already.”

“I did! If it had worked, you would have spit your tea into your lap.”

I smiled. Good news for me! My pistol was going to be a real boon out there in the world.

“You just love this, don't you?”

I looked into the bottom of my cup.
“Not really.”

“
How long?”

“How long, what?”

“
Will it last?”

Did I really want to tell him?
“Just a day. Each shot lengthens the duration.”

“Splendid,” he said in an acrid tone, leaning against the counter top.

“I had to,” I said, peering up at him.

“
Right, and now I'm the same weak fool I was when we first met. How grand.” Some of the anger fled him and he sat down across from me at the table. He pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket and began to shuffle them. “You know, as soon as it happened... Stakes… and then... in the dark... for a year... I... I wish it hadn't gone the way that it did.”

“
Congratulations, Dylan, you get the understatement of the year award,” I said with a sour smile, putting my mug down on the table.

“
If you'd just trusted me to come with you to Haven, none of this would have happened,” he said looking at me with such sincerity I knew he believed it. I wanted to slap him to snap him out of it.

“
You're pinning this on me?”

“
Just admit it to yourself, Katelyn, you condemned us both.”

“
Did you hit your head? Because you're talking like you have brain damage. You were a liar, Dylan, and you probably still are. How could I trust you? If I brought you to Haven you may have decided to sell the information to Stakes.”

“I don’t need money!”

“Money, power, boredom, what difference does it make? You lied to my face! You pretended to be injured. You would have let me bring you all the way to my home without telling me that you were a Commander. I couldn’t believe a thing you said, and I wasn’t about to entrust you with the safety of my entire country.”

“I wouldn’t have turned on you.”

“Dylan, you
did
turn on me.”

“He would have killed me if I didn’t stop you from leaving. I had no other choice.”

“There are always choices, and we both made them. I know with absolute confidence that mine were the right ones. I also know that your final decision was to plant a knife in my back. I don’t like our arrangement any more than you do, but we're in the same boat now, literally, so make the best of it.”

“
You ruined me!” He slammed the deck of cards down on the table, and a few of them flew onto the floor. “And now I'm supposed to be grateful that my brother has me on a leash, parading me around with
you
of all people? Why am I even here? What do I gain from this mockery?”

“
You know, that’s your problem,” I said, leaning forward against the table. “You're always looking for a payoff. Brendon has given you another chance here. Is this the person you want to be?”

I gathered the blanket around myself, and left him there, alone with his cards.

“I am what life has made me, Katelyn,” he called after me.

Slipping into the
darkness of the nearest bunkroom, I sat on a cot and hoped that he wouldn't follow me. How could I not be upset? Dylan was a self-serving jerk and a coward. But the most difficult thing to deal with was the idea that I might have been wrong. Could I have done something differently?

No.

Absently, I drew the symbol that called up the Shadow Chasers. One by one, ten pairs of round, white eyes appeared in the dark. I could still feel the lingering sensation of the wild lightning that had touched me. I held out a hand over the obsidian salamander-like creatures. I'd barely been able to use the Pull lately, and the Spark was slow to respond. I had to remind myself of what Rune had first taught me. I had to remember that it was a part of me.

Little streams of
white lightning rolled from my hand, feeding the Shadow Chasers. Each and every one of them accepted the power, and used it to change their appearances. They glowed like miniature versions of mythical creatures, no two exactly alike, and lit up the room.

A breath hissed in my chest. I wasn't alone. Someone lay in the cot across from mine, quietly thrashing.

I picked up one of the lit Shadow Chasers, and carried it closer. Soft light illuminated the bed.

It was Kyle.

His face was pinched, tortured. Soundlessly, he twitched.

I put a hand on his shoulder.
“Kyle...
Kyle...
”

He flinched in his sleep, shrinking away from my touch.
His eyes snapped open and he screamed, throwing his back into the wall. Sweat beaded his brow, and dampened his curly hair.

“
I- I can't-” he blinked, disoriented. He fought to catch his breath and looked at me, finally seeing. “K-Kat?”

“
You were dreaming,” I told him.

He looked down, not
embarrassed... something else. Something more complicated than that. His movements were sharp, edgy. “Was I?”

“
It was a nightmare.”

“
Oh. Yeah. Thanks,” he said, his voice trembling. “I've already forgotten what it was. It was just a dream, but, Kat, I have a really bad feeling about... something.”

You and me both, Kyle.