Legends of Marithia: Book 3 - Talonsphere by Peter Koevari Page B

more bread. She had very little life experience, even if she was mature and educated for her age. He told himself that she didn’t know what she was doing. How could she? Bloodships were not written into any books, and sailors were sworn to uphold their secrets.
    Adela called out to Lucia as she was led away. “Pleasure to meet you!”
    “And you,” Lucia said, before barking at her deck hands dropping another box. “I said be careful, damn it!”
    Raehar brought his sister close to him and whispered in her ear as they walked away from the docks. “Lucia can never learn who she was before she was quickened, or the spell will be undone.”
    “Undone? And what does that mean exactly?”
    “Sis, ye already know too much. It’s too dangerous to Lucia for anyone to know how to undo her. Ye must be more careful.”
    She frowned and stopped walking. “Then why are you telling me and showing me everything then? It makes no sense.”
    He kept walking, but she grabbed his arm and spun him around. “Why take such a risk to show me the ship? What’s going on?”
    This is what I was afraid of.
    Raehar knew the concern in her eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair and puffed out air. “It’s nothing, I just wanted ye to be happy. Aren’t ye?”
    She squinted as she stared deep into his eyes. “Raehar, you make a terrible liar.”
    He knew she was right. Ever since they were children, she could always knew when he made up stories, or told any lies. He took her to the edge of the forest and sat her down.
    “All right, so ye got me.”
    “Spit it out! What’s happening?” she said, rubbing his arm.
    “Captain said we can’t talk about it, so ye better not blabber to anyone.”
    Adela scowled. “Brother, I’m not ten years old anymore. I’m nearly eighteen. Out with it.”
    “Little sister, why must ye need to grow up so fast? All right then. We know that the world’s changing, and it’s not natural for clouds to rain blood. There are strange things happening that nobody can explain.”
    He pointed to the faint outline of Trahoterra on the horizon. “That island lays waste to our ships when we sail due south-east. Fire comes from nowhere. Captain often wonders what awaits us on the other side, and even worse, what horrors may be coming our way.”
    “Aye, I’m sure he does. But what does it all mean then?”
    “We don’t know, but Silvertongue is intent on finding out. He’s too bold and I fear he may be putting all of us in danger. There are things out there that’d scare ye half to death. The things I’ve seen, not to mention the things I’ve done.”
    Her eyes widened. “Really? Like what?”
    He knew he couldn’t tell her everything. If he did, she would never look at him the same way again. A pirate’s life was not glamorous and he had to resist the temptation to lift some weight off his shoulders.
    “We’ve sailed in almost all directions and found some amazing things. When the captain first took me on-board, when I was just a young boy, we found a small island and heard the most beautiful voices. It was like honey to be devoured by our ears. When our ships approached, we found them.”
    “Found who?”
    “Half woman, half fish. Captain called them mermaids, and they were fierce fighters. So fierce in fact, that when a captured sorcerer told Captain that he could turn the ships by sacrificing mermaids into them, we lost many good sailors to catch them alive.”
    Adela looked to Lucia’s large form floating on the water. “Raehar... what have you done? Lucia is trapped inside the ship?”
    He shook his head. “No, sis. She is the ship. Ye need worry not about Lucia as she remembers nothing. She’s happy with what she is. May the gods help us if she discovers what she went through to become one with the ship. I witnessed the horror with my own eyes. But there are no ships like ours, and we rule the seas. That comes at a heavy price.”
    He sunk his head, realising the truth in his words.