Heir of the Gods

Ch. 51: Pirates

Cassia didn't hesitate as Nasir hustled her down the stairs and the short hall into the captain's cabin. He pushed her into the small room and she whirled around just in time to catch a key as it sailed through the air. She peered at the little silver key in her hand before looking up at Nasir.

"Lock the door behind me," he ordered, already turning back down the hall. "Whatever happens, stay silent."

Not giving her the chance to consider what that might mean, he charged back up the stairs toward the main deck. Cassia grimaced, but did as she was told, securing the latch on the door and slipping the key into her pocket. A key she hadn't been aware of until now. Turning, she scurried over to the windows at the stern of the ship, clambering up onto the desk set in front of them so she could peer through the thick glass.

The reflection of sunlight that was thrown off the water was further refracted through the glass, making it difficult to see through. The ship seemed to lurch a little more violently than usual, the only hint that Nasir's orders had been followed and they were now at full-sail.

The ship began carving an arc more toward the south, fleeing the other ship.

Papers and quills crackled under Cassia's knees as she shuffled more toward the right, trying to get a glimpse of the ship again. Even if the glass had been clear, she wasn't sure she'd be able to see anything. The ship had been too far away to be seen without a spyglass. Maybe there wasn't anything to be worried about.

Perhaps the pirate ship had been far enough away that they would easily be able to outrun them. Cassia had never been one for wishful thinking, though. Her pessimism kept her glued to the window, waiting for the ship's white sails to become clear on the horizon.

The caravel dashed across the waves, heaving beneath the strain of a full wind in its sails. Cassia tried to keep her eyes on the line of the horizon, but being in the stuffy cabin started to take its toll on her stomach. Cassia leaned her back against one of the shelves adjoined to the desk, breathing deeply through her nose and exhaling slowly through her mouth. She continued to watch through the window.

Minutes crawled past without anything happening. Eventually, the warm, still air and the rocking motion of the ship began to make her drowsy. Cassia leaned her head against the glass, her eyes sliding closed.

It happened just as she was drifting toward sleep.

A panicked shout came from the deck, loud enough to jolt Cassia back to full wakefulness. A few moments later, the ship jinked violently to the right. Cassia was flung from her perch on the desk, her hip colliding painfully with the chair before she thudded to the floor. Gasping for breath, Cassia clambered to her feet, frantically trying to get a glimpse of the enemy ship.

Why had they turned? Why could she know hear the panicked voices of several sailors, accompanied by the heavy thud of running feet on the deck above her head? How in Torvan's bloody hell had that other ship managed to catch them?

The caravel suddenly swung to the left, sending Cassia flailing toward one of the walls. She smacked into the wood, trying desperately to keep her feet. Her shoulder now throbbing along with her hip, Cassia pushed away from the wall and lunged toward the door.

She reached for the latch, fingers making contact with the warm metal. There, she paused, Nasir's words ringing in her head. If things were getting desperate—which seemed likely, though she couldn't have guessed as to why—Cassia would only get in the sailors' way. Still, her fingers stayed glued to the door, everything in her aching to find out what was happening. To see if she could help.

The thought prompted a brief, sardonic smile. She would be no help sailing, nor had she ever been in a real fight. Ever. Not a physical one, at any rate. And while she trusted both Julianus' training and her own resolve, she was not some stripling youth who had an ultimate belief in their ability to disregard the sanctity of human life.