I cut upward, not holding any strength back, and split its face in two.
The monster crumpled to the deck of the ship, somehow still giggling as it died.
My heart hammered in my chest, and it wasn’t until that second that I realized how tense I had become. Something about the fight… I had never felt so certain about killing before. It had seemed right. Like I had needed to do it.
My arcanist, Luthair said. You’ve done it. Dispose of the body.
With a twist of my gauntleted hand, I created hooks and chains from the shadows and dragged the still-bleeding corpse of the wyvern to the side of the airship. After one unceremonious tug of the shadows, the monster fell overboard, ripping one of the sails with its tail on the way down.
6
Jozé Blackwater
I sheathed the scorching blade in its heavy scabbard. The heat subsided, as though the weapon had gone to rest. The wootz cotton under my clothes kept me warmer than I liked, though. Luthair unmerged, and I stumbled backward, sweat soaking into the bandages.
“I told you this would happen!”
I braced myself on a part of the airship, my head spinning. It took me a long moment before I realized the woman with the zigzag dagger was shouting. She pointed at me and then the gore splattered across the deck of the ship.
“These plague monsters never came for us before,” she said. “It’s because of him.”
Karna leapt over the half-frozen puddles and shook her head. “No, it’s not. You saw what happened in Thronehold. Those plague lunatics are becoming more brazen. They’re making active attacks. Why would they come for one knightmare arcanist who’s already infected? Get it together, Vethica.”
The woman, Vethica, tucked her lightning dagger back in its sheath. She smoothed her short, reddish-blonde hair, her narrow face hardening into something resembling a mix between resignation and indignation. “I still think it’s a mistake to have him here.”
She turned on the heel of her boot and stormed off to the nearest stairwell.
Captain Devlin straightened his tricorn cap and sighed. “Throw me into the abyss,” he muttered. “Flying used to be the safe option.”
Deckhands cautiously trickled out from below deck, cleaning supplies in both hands.
The captain motioned to the mess. “Sorry ’bout this. Clean it as quick as you can.”
After a few deep breaths, I regained my footing and wandered over to Karna and the captain. I didn’t need to avoid the blood, but I did so regardless; otherwise, I’d have to wash my bare feet in the cramped washroom.
“You were amazing,” Karna said with a smirk. “I expected nothing less.”
Captain Devlin tipped his hat. “I do appreciate you puttin’ in the work.” He narrowed his eyes, his jaw tense. “You didn’t summon those monsters to us, right?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“I didn’t think so, but I still had to ask. You understand.”
The captain sighed afterward, his posture slumped. The winds continued to rush by, playing with his shoulder-length curly hair. He seemed like a man who had done this for a long time—it only took him a few seconds to harden back up.
I glanced around, looking for the man with all the weapons. He wasn’t on deck anymore. I held his sword close, surprised by the considerable weight of the scabbard as compared to the blade itself.
“It’s a fine sword,” Captain Devlin said. He ran his hand along the thin line of his chinstrap beard. “Jozé does good work. You should bring it back to him and have a chat. The man’s been talkin’ about you nonstop, ever since we watched your matches in the Sovereign Dragon Tournament.”
I caught my breath, my grip tight on the weapon.
Jozé…
That was my father’s name.
He had been on deck? We had been standing fewer than twenty feet apart, and I hadn’t even gotten a good look at him—just the weapons he had flashed when I had said I had needed one. I couldn’t even recall the expression or clothing he had worn. Why hadn’t I paid more attention?
Karna smiled wide. “You haven’t spoken to him yet, have you?” She rubbed my shoulder. “I knew this would be a shocking surprise, but I didn’t expect this kind of reaction. What’re you waiting for? Go speak to him.”
I suspected she misinterpreted my silence as delight and wonderment, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. My father obviously knew who I was, but he couldn’t even look me directly in the face. He was avoiding me, and that only confirmed the guilt he harbored, either from abandoning me or from the crimes that had gotten him exiled from the Isle of Ruma.
With the blade held close, I headed for the stairs below deck. I would return the weapon. I would speak with him—hear him out—but if he didn’t offer a proper explanation, I doubted I would ever interact with him again.
Luthair walked as a suit of armor behind me, his black plate clinking the entire way. He didn’t normally remain a suit of armor, so I wondered why he maintained the form, but I didn’t ask him about it. Most arcanists kept their eldrin nearby, no matter their sizes.
The crew of the Sun Chaser rushed to clean the frozen mess. Fain and Wraith stayed with them and helped, and I appreciated their efforts. I didn’t feel like participating, and Fain’s icy magic would help with the containment. Most sailing ships sealed their hulls with pitch or tar—it kept water from seeping in—and I suspected the blood wouldn’t leak into the airship, but we were better not taking any chances.
I returned to the narrow corridor before the captain’s quarters, one level below deck. After a deep breath, I headed straight for the unlabeled door. There was no more need for hesitation. I knocked three times, loud enough to be heard throughout the deck.
“Jozé?” I asked, his name odd to say aloud. “I’ve come to return your sword.”
The door clicked and then swung inward. I hadn’t expected the quick response, and it took me a moment to step inside.
His living quarters were cozier than I had expected, but everything had been arranged with care and planning. Bookshelves with doors were built into the bulkhead, and the sole cot was positioned in one corner, while a solid desk and chair were positioned in the corner opposite. A small table and two benches took up the center of the room, but my attention went straight to the phoenix perched in the back.
I almost forgot to breathe.
Although I had seen several phoenixes in my lifetime—even one riddled with the plague—I had never seen a blue phoenix before. But there it was. Perched on a wrought-iron stand.
All the phoenixes I had known had gold eyes, red feathers, and bright orange bodies that looked like pure flame. This blue phoenix had silver eyes, like pools of molten metal, with sapphire feathers, akin to a lustrous peacock. Its body burned a bright white, hidden by its wings and feathers. When it moved, I caught a glimpse of the intense light, but only for a moment. Soot fell from its body, piling on a tray set on the floor beneath its perch.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the phoenix said, her voice regal and her pronunciation perfect. She bowed her heron-like head, her eyes closed. “You may call me Tine. My arcanist and I are pleased to see you.”