Chapter 16:

  The decision was finally made to limp forward, heading to the isnd. They continued on the path Epelda had set them on, albeit much slower. They would only row until nightfall. If the stars were out, they would regain their bearings and adjust as needed. If clouds rolled in, which looked unfortunately likely, they would drift along in the direction they faced. It took a frustrating amount of time for the Admiral to get the others to agree on one course of action. She had seen Epelda and Nereida both enter her cabin. She needed to talk to the Dragon-blooded, to make sure they were both well.

  Evander found her just as she was about to enter her cabin. She checked a sigh; it would do no good for her to snap at him again.

  “The littles never even knew there was a problem,” he reported softly, “except that we went “too fast”. Then they pyed in the spilled beans, rinsed them and Dymion put them on the boil. Helpful little ones.”

  “Well, at least there is that. I didn’t expect little heirs to be so… happy to help. Enthusiastic?” She ughed a little.

  “They grew up on a farm. Apparently the older one wanted to chop potatoes, and when Dymion wouldn’t let him, the boy said he knew how to sughter a chicken and take it apart.”

  “Did he now?” She felt her lips tighten. That seemed a bit violent for a noble child.

  “That’d be normal for a farm boy, ma’am. He talked a bit about collecting eggs with his ma, and had about three hundred and fifty questions for my hubby.” He shrugged. “All about pnting and growing. He likes sunflowers.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” she asked with an exaggerated sigh.

  “So ya have something to talk to the Princess about,” he replied wryly. “Something besides givin’ her heck.”

  Blood rushed into her face and she had to turn away from the first mate. Why was she suddenly so warm under her colr? Ugh! Even when she wasn’t here, the princess was causing her problems!

  “Thanks?” the words escaped her before she could form a coherent thought, and Evander ughed. He cpped her on the back.

  “Had to happen eventually.” He strolled away, ignoring her when she called out to him.

  “What had to happen?!?”

  Everyone in her vicinity was suddenly very, very busy. She scowled at the nearest person, a young man who made the mistake of existing in her presence. He ducked and hurried away, refusing to meet her gre. Gd that she could still spread fear, she stormed into her cabin.

  The cabin was dark, too dark for conversations to occur. A single beam of light came from the only uncovered window. She blinked as her eyes adjusted, rubbing them in surprise when she looked around and saw no one. It took a moment, but she finally noticed the curtains to her bed were drawn. When she stepped forward, she heard it; not so gentle snoring. She pushed the curtain aside, slowly so as not to wake whoever had the audacity to sleep in her bed. She would read them the riot act!

  What she found melted her heart instead. Epelda was asleep, Nereida snoring loudly behind her. Nereida’s arm was over the young woman, a protective, almost motherly stance. Ael smiled at the scene. She supposed she could let them rest there. Nereida rolled over, curling up against one of Ael’s pillows.

  Sudden realization stole over her as she stared at the sleeping princess. Nereida was in her bed! Her mouth went suddenly dry as the implications danced about her head. Should she wake her? No, she might wake with a scream and then Ael would have that to expin to the crew. Some of the princess’s hair had come out of her braid, likely in the wind. And she had not taken the time to fix it. It curled around her face in a way that was very fetching. Ael wanted to stay, to watch her breath and rest, to memorize every detail. But that would not be appropriate; she was married. And in Ael’s protection.

  And so, despite her desperate want to stay, Ael backed away from her bed, leaving the two Dragon-Blooded to sleep. They had earned their rest… and she needed to not be in the cabin when the princess woke up. She did NOT want to deal with Evander, especially with his implication that she … she was falling…

  Oh saggy dragon tits!

  She fled her cabin, taking heed to not sm the door. Ael leaned against the wall, closing her eyes to try and calm her mutinous heart. Nereida was a princess! You could not simply court a princess; there were rules and family obligations and she was already married. The urge to sm her head into the boards was very, very strong. What in the five hells was wrong with her?!?

  The clouds rolled in, light grey and not threatening. But there was no sky to be seen. The Admiral sent several deck hands scurrying off with orders. She snagged Evander as he passed.

  “Tell his royal samander self that Nereida is asleep in my cabin, and if he would like her chaperoned I will find someone to do it.” Evander stared at her for a very long moment, as if the words she had spoken had not trickled into his mind.

  “Is she… in your bed? Or mine?” His words were strangled, though it sounded like he was attempting not to ugh. Ael felt her cheeks go red. She considered, for the briefest moment, that she might like to jump into the ocean just to avoid this conversation. When she did not immediately answer, Evander simply began ughing. He doubled over, unable to breathe. He ughed a solid two minutes before he was able to stand.

  “Oh, dragon’s breath, ya couldn’t pay me enough to tell him that.” He managed to reign in his ughter eventually, the only sign of his mirth a slightly raised lip. “With respect, Admiral, no.” She made an unimpressed noise at him, but he remained unmoved. She took a moment to consider if anyone else was stupid enough or brave enough to tell the brooding Samander that his wife was sleeping in the Admiral’s bed. The crew was very rge, more than three hundred strong. Somewhere on her ship there had to be someone both brave and stupid.

  However, she did not have the time to find this mystically brave but also very stupid person… and so it had to be her. She calmly walked to where her guests were staying. She could hear high voices jabbering about dice rolls. Gently she knocked on the oak door. The door opened only a little, and Basiano’s fierce, sun-burnt face came into view. A concerned expression passed over his face.

  “Nereida went to see you already,” he said softly. “Has she not appeared?”

  “Ummmm no. That is not what happened.” Admiral felt as if her words were betraying her. “She fell asleep. She’s in my bed. Should I arrange for a chaperone?”

  She expected fury, or jealousy or something violent. Instead, she got the st thing she expected.

  The usually very dour Basiano burst into a loud, violent ugh. The sounds of dice being thrown stopped.

  “Oh, Dragon of the Sky, if she heard you ask that she’d skin you!” He managed between guffaws. “Is she safe?”

  “Yes,” the Admiral blustered, irritated at the implication that someone on her crew might harm her.

  “Then let her sleep! I have the children, she is safe, they are safe, that’s all I care about.” His mirth faded, though his eyes still sparkled as if he knew some joke she was not privy to. It irked her, but she did not feel like making things awkward. She said goodnight, and fled back to the main deck.

  The night settled around them. The Admiral posted more guards, but in the dark of the night, if the demons found them there was a good chance they’d not get enough warning to escape again. She called off their story-circle, needing everyone to be well rested… and because the princess still slept in her cabin. She did not want to wake either of the Dragon-Blooded with music or mischief. Unwilling to go to sleep in her cabin, the Admiral leaned against the wall outside. She could hear the princess’s snores. That should have been the first clue she was dragon-blooded, she snored like a dragon! The image amused her, of curvy Nereida transforming into a long, snake-like dragon. In her mind, the dragon version of Nereida was a beautiful blue, shimmering like the ocean, with a mane of silver hair, and her perfect stormy eyes.

  The Grand Admiral awoke with a start. She had not meant to fall asleep. It took her dream-addled brain a moment to process what she was hearing as bells rang, calling all hands. She stood and looked out over the ocean. It was dark, so dark, but the sound of the ocean had changed. In the shadows, only minutes away off the port side, she saw them: two Demon Destroyers… headed straight for them.

  The demons had arrived.