Despairing Tides (Fate's Intent Book 12) (12 page)

“We’ve come to apologize.” I answered.

“Yeah.” Dirk added. “We realized that we wronged you and we’re sorry for our, quote, boorish behavior.”

Jinx sat back in his chair and laughed to himself. “I’m sure the girls told you that, didn’t they? Women always seem to think they’re right even when most of the time they’re really not.”

“Isn’t that true.” Seth replied. “I’d love to see you say that to their face though.”

“What are you kidding? I may act like I am but I’m not crazy. I bet not even you would dare say such a thing. They’d kill you for sure.”

“Hence, why we don’t.” Dirk added.

Jinx laughed to himself. “That’s smart. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of them, believe me. Now, before I forget, I need to file this. Excuse me.”

He stood up from his chair as he rolled up a map and approached a bookcase. He put his hand on the outside of it and simply pulled it towards him, popping open the disguised door and revealing a concealed room on the other side. Of course we were curious as to what was back there.

We found ourselves leaning forward to get a better look when his voice startled us. “The view is better from the inside, you know?” We looked at each other unsure and Jinx looked out it. “Well, are you just going to sit there and wonder or do you really want to know?”

He turned back inside the room and we got up to follow. The room was filled with display cases of artifacts, maps and weapons of all kinds.

We were all in awe and Jinx smiled by our reactions. “This is where the real magic happens. That out there, just a decoy. In case we were ever caught up in a raid, that’s where they would first look for anything of value but it’s all worthless. This is where I keep everything that is.”

“This is incredible.” Seth said. “I’m sure there’s a story for all of this stuff.”

“Of course there is. Everything has a story. If they didn’t then they wouldn’t be of much value to me now would they?”

“Well, what about this?” I stood in front of a wall of weapons and battle gear, looking it over. “What is the story behind all of this?”

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s my past in war.”

“You were in the war?” Dirk asked.

“As short as it was. I fought in Kalu with the girls and these are reminders of my kills. Count ‘um, ninety-seven.”

“Shit, I lost track after like, fifty.” I said. “And I don’t have a single thing to show for it.”

Jinx laughed. “It’s an obsession. I had to but I’m afraid I’ve forgotten some because after I heard about Lana’s disappearance, I just seemed to push everything else aside to look for her. Then when I heard she was alive, I finally got the chance to sleep and, you know, out of all the places we’ve looked, my mother finds her and I didn’t even think to look there.”

“Wait a second.” Seth said. “Sharlet is your mother?”

“Yes.”

“We didn’t know.”

“I try not to tell anyone but I guess it didn’t help that you already knew her. One can never get rid of the past no matter how hard they try. I was just thinking earlier that Naomi is going to have a similar issue when we reach the docks tomorrow.”

This caught my full interest. I guess it didn’t matter if he was Sharlet’s son or not now. “What do you mean?”

“You do know what’s in Hintus, don’t you?” I shook my head. “Really? She’s never told you?”

“Told me what?”

“About Blake.”

“Wait a minute.” Seth said as he took a step forward. “Cadence’s brother, Blake?”

“The Prince, yeah. She never told you, did she?”

“No, never mentioned a word but you know?”

“Yeah, I know all about it. I was there and I think maybe you should know just so you’re not surprised come tomorrow.” Jinx turned and we all left the back room. He then closed up the bookcase and we took our seats back on the couch while he sat back at his desk and put up his feet. “So, where to begin? Ah, yes, this all started about five years ago when Blake sailed to Kalu for a getaway trip, I guess. He stayed with his sister and that’s when he met Naomi. It was like a two week fling they were on until he had to go back to Hintus, never seeing Naomi again because all the training started up eventually and other things.”

“So that’s it?” Dirk wondered. “He just left?”

“Pretty much. I don’t want to worry you, Bryce but when he sees Naomi all grown up, he’s going to try and claim her.”

“I’d like to see him try. I won’t allow that.”

“Now, before you go attempting to defend her, you must understand how strict Hintins are. The women there are only objects to be owned and traded, nothing more. You cannot go around trying to save everyone as that will only get you killed and you must remember that the royals there are not anything like what you’re used to seeing. They’re cruel and savage to any who show resistance. You don’t want to stir up trouble but know that Blake will provoke it so he gets what he wants. He always gets what he wants.”

I was ready to ask more. Jinx seemed to know an awful lot about them but before I could, the girls rushed in, screaming loudly. “Jinx!”

“What’s wrong?”

“You might want to come see this.” Cadence said.

We all left his office to the upper deck and the girls led us to the pool and stood on the bow, looking forward. There was a severe storm growing in the west. The skies looked as dark as night and we were headed straight for it.

Chapter 24

Seth

The clouds were almost black and rolling towards us. I’ve never seen a storm like this but this is also my first extensive trip by ship. Was this a normal thing? I at least knew it wasn’t good and Jinx took immediate action when he turned away. “I want all hands at the ready! Batten down the hatches and secure all lines! Make fast! We’ve got company, boys!” The crew rushed around to their stations and started to fasten up the ship as Jinx quickly made his way down the stairs and up the other side to the helm. “Miles! I want a tight grip on that at all times! Don’t let her sway! We’re going straight through this thing!”

“Aye, captain.” Miles replied.

“Sail trimmers to your stations!” Jinx shouted as he turned to the rail and looked over. “Come up with all sails! Get them off her!” The men quickly started to climb up into the rigging and settled on the spars, supporting the sails so they could be raised up. “Miles! Scope!”

Miles handed him the scope and Jinx headed down the stairs, up the other side where we were and to the head of the bow.

“What are you doing?” Cadence asked.

Jinxed rested one leg up on the side as he opened the scope and looked through it towards the storm. “It’s pulling us in. We have no choice but to see it through and it’s approaching quicker than I hoped.” The winds picked up and the waters became rapid surrounding the ship after he said it. Jinx closed up the scope and secured it on his belt as he turned to Cadence. “I need you to get below deck. You cannot be up here.”

Cadence was about to reply when a member of the crew came over and shouted through the roaring winds. “We’ve taken down all the sails we can, captain! The severe winds are making it impossible to reach the last two sky sails without risking life!”

Jinx looked up as high as he could. “Nothing is impossible on my ship!”

He hurried off in the other direction and started to climb up in the rigging himself onto the foremast.

“Jinx!” Lana shouted. “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking them down myself! Just get below deck! That’s an order!”

Everyone looked around at each other and started to turn but I didn’t feel right about it and looked up at Jinx. “Wait! He’s not going to get to all of them alone! We have to help!”

“Why do you always try to be the hero?” Cadence asked. “You don’t know a thing about sailing a ship!”

“Maybe not but I do know a thing or two about loyalty and I will not allow him to risk his life for us! You can go below deck but I’m helping!”

I hurried down the stairs and started to climb up the riggings of the mainmast toward its sky sail. I wasn’t alone. Dirk and Bryce started to climb into the rigging after me so they could help while the girls went inside.

The winds have picked up the further we climbed and it made it harder to hang on. Jinx reached the top of the foremast first and started taking up the sky sail but saw us climbing up the mainmast. “What are you doing?! You shouldn’t be up here!”

“Neither should you!” I shouted back, getting a comfortable setting. “We couldn’t let you do it yourself! There’s no time for that! It’s getting worse out here!”

“All right but make sure it’s secured tightly! If it comes undone, it’d be bad for the structure of the mast!”

I nodded as Dirk and Bryce reached my side. “Good! Help me with this!”

They got into a sturdy position on both sides of me and helped me pull up the sky sail as the winds were blowing it all over the place. The three of us got it tied up just as Jinx finished with the one atop the foremast and we were ready to climb back down as the rain started to fall.

“Easy does it!” I shouted as we slowly made our way down. “Don’t rush it!” The rain soaked everything quickly, making our grip on the lines slippery as we tried to hold on through the wind. I know I could jump and make it. Bryce would be in pain for a moment but he’d live. It’s Dirk that possibly wouldn’t if his head hit anything on the way down and I was there to do it with him so none of us would fall.

We finally stood under the mainmast after we reached the bottom and Jinx came to us. “Good work! I think it should do! Now, we just have to wait it out and make sure this storm doesn’t take us!”

“Tell your men to get below deck!” I shouted. “We can tame this weather but they should not be here!”

“Brilliant thought but weather can’t be tamed!” A wave came up over the starboard side of the ship and pushed everyone to the port side rail like it was trying to prove a point but I knew otherwise.

“That’s not true!” I explained while trying to keep to my feet. “You know our greatness goes beyond just physical skills with a blade and we can prove it! Just get your men to safety and we’ll to the rest!”

Jinx soon gave in and headed up to Miles at the helm. “All hands below deck! Secure all floating material into the cargo hold!” The men quickly scattered and followed orders by going below deck and Jinx took the wheel. “That means you too, Miles! I’ve got it from here!”

“Aye, captain!” Miles replied as he left his side and joined the others below deck.

“Get the girls out here!” I shouted to Dirk and Bryce. “We’re going to need everyone on this!” They nodded and headed to the galley to get them as I went up to Jinx at the helm. “Keep it steady! It shouldn’t take long before we’re out of this!”

“So, what’s the plan?!” Cadence asked. “Somewhat like last time?!”

“Let’s try and make this as simple as possible!” I explained. “Bryce, I need you to be my eyes! Position yourself ahead of the bowsprit and navigate through the storm! Lana, I need you to turn into something big, really big that can swim fast and create a current under the ship to keep us moving forward! Cadence, I want you to channel the wind out around us so we have a straight shot through while I divert the rain and balance the waves! Dirk, you take second position on the helm with Jinx and keep it steady and directing straight forward! Don’t let it pull off course!”

“What do I do?” Naomi asked.

“You’re skill is better for hiding I’m afraid.”

“Come with me.” Bryce said.

She nodded and clung to his side.

“Now, you all know what to do, so do it!”

They all hurried off to their positions. Dirk took a hold of the second helm, behind Jinx and could probably feel it trying to sway but kept it barring straight.

Cadence climbed the mainmast and stood at the masthead as she put her hands together straight out in front of her to push the wind out around the ship.

Bryce ran up to the bowsprit with Naomi and looked out through the storm to know how far we had to get before we were clear. “We’ve got three miles ahead of us, Seth!”

“Okay! Lana, speed this thing up! We’ve got a lot of ocean to cover!”

Lana nodded and went into the galley where she quickly stripped down before diving into the water, turning herself into a whale. She swam directly under the ship in a vertical circle, creating a water current that moved the ship forward.

I stayed on deck and held one hand palm down out in front of me, calming the waves and my other hand palm up, above my head, keeping us from getting even more soaked from the rain.

“We’re not going quick enough!” Bryce said. “We need more speed if we’re going to make it out of this in one piece!”

I kept my hands in position and thought of what to do.

“Lower the sails!” Jinx shouted. I looked back, still not moving my hands. “If you lower the sails, you can cast them into the wind to pick up speed!”

I nodded and looked up. “Cadence, lower the sails! We must quicken this voyage!”

“I can’t! If I let go of the wind while taking down the sails, who knows where it will bring us! You’ll have to do it! Just let go of the rain and you can get it done faster!”

I agreed and brought down the hand I had raised over my head. The rain fell onto us now. I kept my other hand tending to the waves and used one of my gifts to bring down all sails at once.

I tied them all down then put up my hand above my head again, blocking the rain. “Okay, Cadence! Direct the wind into the sails! We’re going for it!” She nodded and I looked up at Dirk and Jinx. “Keep it steady and be ready!”

They nodded just as Cadence turned the wind into the sails and the ship started to move forward with even more speed.

We managed to get through the storm much quicker now that the sails were down and soon drifted into blue skies.

I sighed in relief to see the storm continuing to move east and us safely out of it. I finally got to put my arm down and let the blood flow through it as everyone abandoned their stations and walked up to the helm.

“Well done, everyone.” I said. “We made it out alive.”

“Where’s Lana?” Bryce asked.

Dirk immediately let go of the second helm and looked over the starboard rail. “Lana!”

There was no answer and no movement in the water.

“Where is she?” Cadence asked as she looked over the edge with Dirk.

“There!” Naomi pointed just off port side. Lana breached out of the water, turning herself from a whale to a bird and flew back onto the ship. Naomi put Lana’s clothes on the deck and she burrowed inside them. “It’s about time. We thought we lost you.”

Lana laughed while turning back into her human form. “I’m all right. The storm wasn’t so bad underwater.”

“Lucky you.” I said.

The others laughed.

“Okay. I guess I shouldn’t have doubted you.” Jinx said.

“All is forgiven. Let’s just keep moving.”

Bryce stepped up on the shrouds on the starboard side and leaned out over the water, looking to the west. “Our run in with the storm put us ahead of schedule! At this rate, we can make it to the docks by nightfall!”

Jinx smiled. “Perfect but I hope you know what you’re doing when we arrive. I hear it’s not going to be easy.”

“We have an idea.” Cadence answered. “But nothing substantially planned yet.”

“Well, don’t you think you should be doing that? I may have some information you can use.”

“What?” Naomi wondered.

“Hang on.” Jinx said. “Miles, take over!” Miles came up from below deck and approached Jinx on the helm. “Keep us gearing direct west. We’ll make berth by nightfall.”

“Aye, captain. Direct west.”

“Come with me and I’ll tell you.” Jinx walked passed us and started down the stairs while we followed and into his office. He sat down at his desk and we all took a seat on the couch. “So. I didn’t receive all the details but as urgent as the King sounded I must assume you’re going to Hintus to bring back Rory. Am I right?”

“Yes, but how did you know?” Cadence wondered.

“Well, there’s no question as to why Trever would want him. He just became King and needs his son to take up his royal duty as Prince.”

“What?!” That’s how we all reacted.

“You didn’t know?”

“No.” I answered.

Jinx laughed. “Wow, you don’t get out much or word just travels faster by sea.”

“So, all this time, Trever had a son?” Dirk wondered.

“It makes more sense with all the secrets.” Bryce said. “But my mother is going to be so pissed that he didn’t tell her. How old is he?”

“He’s young.” Jinx answered. “By now he’s got to be—oh, I’d say, probably only about fifteen almost sixteen.”

“So, he’s just a kid.” Naomi said. “Well, this shouldn’t be too hard.”

Jinx laughed to himself. “Yeah, you’re going to wish that were true. Rory’s got a mouth on him that continuously gets him into trouble but has yet to learn from any of it. He’s going to see this as a kidnapping not a rescue.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t handle.” I said.

“Then you better hope you keep a sharp eye on him at all times. The second he sees your eyes averted from his, he’ll make a run for it but after the things I just saw, I’m sure you’ll make him wish he didn’t try it.” Everyone laughed. “So, do you know where to look?”

“Not really, no.” Cadence answered. “But let me guess, you do?”

“Of course. Here, I’ll show you.” He got up from his desk and walked over to a wooden rack holding rolled up maps. “Okay, let’s see here. Randal. Dorlin. Nindor. Talin, no. Ah, here we are. The great city of Canbell.” He took out the map and went back over to his desk. “Well, you’re not going to see it from way over there.” Everyone looked at each other then we got up and stood in front of his desk. “Here.” He pointed to the location on the map. “This used to be the old brewery on the south side of town, just a mere stroll from the palace. It’s abandoned now but Rory has somehow managed to find a use for it, perish the thought.”

“So, that doesn’t look like it would be too hard to get to.” I said.

“Good.” Cadence replied. “We should ready our things so we’re prepared to leave the moment we dock. I want to make this a quick grab and get out.”

“Then let us hope that’s all it’ll take.” Jinx said.

We had Dirk. It would be.