“The map will show it to me once we’re within a few miles of it,” he said. “And not a moment sooner.” “Figures.” The Huntress strolled closer, ignoring the way he cringed into the wall. With his experience among the mercenaries so far, he was certain she would threaten him until she was sure he wasn’t lying or holding out on her. But to his utter puzzlement, she reached out and undid his shackles instead. “What?” She smirked at him. “Worried that I’m going to claw you up with my talons now that you know what I am?” Devian frowned. “W-what?” Andrea’s eyes flickered over to the cage. “You don’t know? I was sure Kaia would have told you in the night. She had the pleasure of finding out yesterday that I’m a werecreature. A falcon, to be exact.” The news hit him like a blow to the gut. A falcon? Surely she was the same one that he had spotted on the ship several times--the one that the queen spoke to. Now that he thought about it, he had never seen Andrea and the falcon at the same time. That was how she was able to scout ahead of the ship. He glanced over at Kaia, who still hadn’t moved. If he hadn’t been so cold to her last night, perhaps she would have shared that information. What did it matter? He knew now, either way. The other shackle came undone, and Andrea motioned for him to stand. Her expression became strange for a moment as her eyes flickered again to the cage. She cleared her throat in a very uncertain, very un-Huntress-like way. “Since you haven’t caused us any trouble,” she announced, “you will no longer be confined to the forecastle.” The words shook through his mind like an echo, but before he could say a word, she added, “Some areas will be off-limits. The queen’s quarters and my quarters, for starters. Use your head when deciding where you’re not wanted, and you’ll keep all your limbs.” She glanced again at the cage, and Devian followed her gaze. Kaia had finally peeked up from her dejected position, watching them both. “As for where you’ll be sleeping,” Andrea continued to Devian. “You’ll be staying in the spare bed in Shirin’s quarters.” “The cambion?” he sputtered. “Yes. Perhaps by the grace of whatever god you worship, you won’t be torn to shreds tonight.” She rolled her eyes at the terrified look on his face. “She’s a seamstress. The only thing you have to fear is stray needles sticking your ass if you decide to sit anywhere in the room.” He wasn’t sure how much merit he could put into Andrea’s promise, but having a real bed--even within reach of a cambion--was certainly nothing something he had expected to be gifted with upon waking up this morning. “Are… are these orders from the queen?” he asked, staring in disbelief. “A trick?” “I am in charge of you two prisoners,” Andrea announced. “I’m second in command, and I don’t need to ask the queen’s permission for every little thing. That’s why she entrusted me with this rank in the first place. If I say you can walk about freely, then you can walk about freely.” Devian chewed the inside of his cheek. “As long as you’re not trying to get me into hot water.” “Now, why would I ever do that, navigator?” Andrea tossed her braid over her shoulder and strolled to the cage. “Think of today as a trial run,” she said over her shoulder to Devian. “Stay with me today, and if you behave yourself, you’ll have freedom privileges tomorrow.” The Huntress opened the bird cage, and Kaia moved neither toward the door nor away from it. Andrea held her hand out and murmured something that Devian couldn’t hear. Whatever she said, it worked. Kaia stood and somberly climbed onto Andrea’s hand. The moment that her little eyes flitted to Devian, he clenched his jaw and looked away. He couldn’t deny that part of him felt monstrous for acting so coldly to her, but she had abandoned him to insurmountable pain. A ghost of the flames seemed to lick at his arms, flaring at the memory of his interrogation. She had left him to suffer. He would be glad if he didn’t have to look at her all day. “Navigator,” Andrea said, striding over to him. She held her hands out, gesturing for him to do the same. “Since you’ll be something of an assistant today, you’ll keep a hold on Kaia.” Devian bit back a groan. He supposed he couldn’t have all the luck that day. Sighing, he held out his hands. Spending one day with Kaia and Andrea would be worth it if he wasn’t treated like scum anymore, he told himself. Kaia didn’t seem particularly thrilled about him being her carriage, either. She looked at him with wide eyes, as if he might swipe her down to the floor. Annoyed as he was with her, he wouldn’t dream of doing that. His hands were rigid and stiff as she boarded tentatively. “Where are we going, then?” Devian asked, tearing his eyes away from Kaia’s meek form. “Breakfast, of course,” Andrea said, gesturing for him to walk in front of her. “Unless you’re not hungry, that is?” “Starving,” he groaned. Thankfully, the mess hall wasn’t very active when Andrea led them inside. She grabbed two plates and nodded for Devian to sit at one of the long tables. He set Kaia down, and she scrambled hurriedly onto the surface. Devian didn’t speak a word, scarfing down a meal that might have been hot an hour ago. He made no complaint about it. Around here, he could never be sure when he was going to eat again. However, if Andrea kept her word, perhaps he wouldn’t need to worry about it very much. He eyed her, wondering what she was playing at. She wasn’t looking at him. She was spooning aside some food for Kaia, who seemed reluctant to walk over and accept the meal. Whatever happened yesterday, it couldn’t have been pleasant. The Huntress was acting almost apologetic, but Kaia would barely look up from the table. Devian lowered his gaze, refusing to get tangled up in their business. If Kaia wasn’t going to be there when he need her, why should he be there for her? Because she’s small and frightened, and you can’t possibly know what she’s gone through. He shut up the voice of reason in his mind and went back to eating. But naturally, interruption arrived in the form of three people approaching the table. “A fine morning to all of you.” Clive’s cheery voice made Devian’s hair stand on end. The druid sauntered over with two nereid girls. He elected to take a seat right beside Devian. “Don’t choke on your food, now. I know my presence can be breathtaking.” “We’ll try to contain ourselves,” Andrea said, rolling her eyes. Clive shrugged, unbothered. “Devian, Kaia, you know Ondine and Earlra, don’t you? The finest scouts on this ship. When it comes to water, of course,” he added, flashing Andrea a smile. The two nereids sat side-by-side on the same bench as Andrea. Devian recognized Ondine--she had been one of the outspoken mercenaries during his initial interrogation, questioning him about validity of the treasure. “Don’t try to sweeten us up, Clive,” Earlra said, folding her arms on the table and laying her head down. “You owe us a three day break for making us get up this early.” Waving her off, Clive leaned over to see Devian’s face. “That was quite the interesting meeting we had yesterday, no? How are your arms feeling?” Clenching his jaw, Devian tried to keep his gaze fixed on the food. He could feel eyes on him--from Clive and the nereids, sizing him up. “Fine,” Devian muttered. “You did a wonderful job of healing me after I was tortured.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kaia’s little shoulders slump in shame. His heart lurched a bit, but he tried not to show it. “Now, now,” Clive said in a placating voice. “If it had been up to me, there would have been no torture involved. Unfortunately, I am but a lowly mind-reader and not the Queen of the Sea. For what it’s worth, it was rather disturbing to see our Ailith so adamant about using such cruel means.” “For what it’s worth, I’d rather pitch myself into the sea than speak to you for another moment.” The two nereids burst out laughing. Earlra lifted her head and winked at him. “I’d save you from the waters if you did.” Clive was silent for a moment, staring at Devian with an unreadable expression. Devian pursed his lips, certain this was it: he was going to be murdered by an offended druid. But instead, Clive grinned widely and joined the laughter. “Dare I say it, we should torture you more often. You’re far more interesting when you’re pissed.” Devian threw him a dirty look, and Clive held up his hands in innocence. “Joking! Are you mad because you’re still in pain?” Before Devian could react, Clive grabbed his wrists. In an instant, relief washed over his arms. He gave an involuntary sigh that made Clive grin. “You’re not just a lowly mind-reader,” Devian said despite himself. “You’re a lowly mind-reader and healer.” “Mind-reading is far more useful as a mercenary,” Clive said, looking smug as he released Devian’s wrists and turned his attention to Andrea. “You better start your rounds, Huntress, before the queen starts hers.” Much to Devian’s chagrin, Andrea chose to start with inspecting what Clive and the nereids were up to. After breakfast, Devian followed them out of the mess hall and toward the side of the ship. Naturally, Andrea commanded Devian to carry Kaia once again. “I see that you’ve picked your regular duty of sitting on your ass--I mean, supervising,” Andrea scoffed as Clive lounged on a crate directly next to the edge of the ship. “What? Someone needs to be around when Ondine and Earlra return from scouting.” Taking notice of Devian’s confused expression, Earlra beckoned him closer. She was sitting dangerously on the railing of the ship. Reluctantly, Devian came closer. Despite his uncertainty toward Kaia, he cupped his hands a little more securely around her as he moved up to the barrier. “Look up ahead,” Earlra told him. “Those are dangerous waters we’re heading into--more so than usual.” “Thanks you to you and your map,” Ondine groused, glaring at him. “Me?” Devian questioned. “Well, we wouldn’t be heading that way if not for your navigation,” Clive said. “I knew there had to be at least some spirit of adventure in that bookish mind of yours.” Devian took a step back. “I don’t choose where the map decides to lead us. Remember, this is supposed to be some grand soul-searching adventure for an ancient demigod. I doubt the sea gods who put this in place would want to make it easy.” “I suppose,” Clive said with a lazy shrug. Putting his hands behind his head and nodded at the nereids. “Ladies. I’ll be here awaiting your full report when you get back.” Without further ado, the two nereids dove into the churning water below. Devian leaned out a bit to see as they cut through the choppy waves with ease. Even Kaia was gripping his fingers, leaning out to see for herself. “Come,” Andrea said. “We have other things to attend to. And I wouldn’t want us to disturb Clive’s hard work any more than we already have.” Clive grinned, tucking his hands behind his head and looking as far from overworked as one could be. “I knew you cared.” As Andrea led Devian and Kaia away, he tried not to look so intrigued. The ship was unlike any he’d ever been on. Now that he had gotten past the strange idea of having a variety of non-humans on one ship, he could certainly see the benefit of it. He would have expected constant fighting, but instead, they were working together, pooling their unique abilities to create the most functioning crew he had ever seen. He saw more evidence of this when they came upon the sylphs. Devian couldn’t help but stare, slack-jawed as they did their work. They were up on raised platforms, whirling around with fluid arm and legs motions, as if in a dance. They threw their hands out at the sails, sending gusts of wind. He didn’t need to ask what their purpose was. It was no wonder the ship moved to swiftly. He stood back, merely content to watch as Andrea circled around the platforms and ensured that each sylph was doing their task efficiently. However, he didn’t get a chance to observe for long before a figure circled around one of the masts, sharp eyes locking onto him. “What is our dear Devian doing outside of the forecastle?” Queen Ailith asked. She wore a magnificent blood-red coat, and her hat was perched perfectly on her head. With her being half-sylph, Devian couldn’t help but wonder if she altered the winds just enough to make her hair and coat flaps wave gracefully. Andrea was at his side in an instant, standing at attention. “He hasn’t been any trouble. And according to your interrogation yesterday, he’s being truthful as well. I say good behavior deserves some measure of reward. It keeps the cooperation flowing.” She crossed her arms boredly. “He’s going to stay with Shirin at night, under my orders.” The queen narrowed her eyes dangerously, but she seemed to mull over her words before purring, “Be careful, Huntress. I do hope you’re not trying to make up for yesterday.” “I had nothing to do with the interrogation,” Andrea snorted. “Oh no, my love, not that.” The queen sauntered over to Devian and grinned at Kaia in his hands. He felt a rush of protectiveness, particularly when Kaia gave a shiver of fright. She hadn’t spoken a word since waking and had avoided attention that morning thus far. “You were quite a hit last night, little one. That voice of yours--something to behold.” She lifted her eyes to Devian. “Has she sung for you?” Devian frowned. “What are you talking about?” “Why, I’m surprised you haven’t heard yet. Kaia gave quite a performance in town last night. Not a treasure’s worth of money, but certainly nothing to scoff at.” She reached out to troke Kaia’s hair, and it took everything in Devian’s power to not pull his hands away. With Kaia’s reaction, he could bet that she hadn’t sung of her own free will. Thankfully, Ailith grew bored of tormenting them. She sighed and gave Andrea nother knowing look. “Yourresponsibility,” the queen said, pointing at Devian. “Both of them. Understand?” “Of course, my queen,” Andrea said, bowing her head. Devian swore she saw a tick in Andrea’s jaw once AIlith turned away. Before he could dwell on it any longer than was safe, Andrea led them off once again. “Break time,” she said matter-of-factly. “I think you should meet your new cabin mate.” A chill ran down Devian’s spine. It must have shown on his face because even Kaia made a move to pat his hand comfortingly. “Shirin is kind,” she promised, addressing him for the first time since her attempts last night. “She made me a new gown and hasn’t tried to eat me. Not even once.” Devian gave a choked laugh. “That’s reassuring.” Shirin, as it turned out, was about as far from intimidating as one could get, so long as she didn’t smile with her teeth. The moment she opened the door, her eyes landed on Kaia. Her hands swooped in and cupped around the tiny girl gently, sweeping her away from Devian. He flinched forward, hand outstretched, but the cambion’s action didn’t seem to be from aggression. “Are you alright?” Shirin asked, her dainty features drawn into horror. “Andrea told me all about last night--how awful!” Devian swallowed hard. Kaia had tried to tell him all about last night. But he had refused to listen, too upset about the interrogation to care what she had gone through. He bit his lip, wondering if now was the time to apologize for that. With Shirin coddling Kaia, however, he doubted it would be a good idea to mention he had hurt her in any way. “I’m fine!” Kaia said, an exasperated smile on her face as Shirin held her lovingly to her cheek. “I… I only had to sing. It wasn’t as if anyone hurt me.” “Only threatened to,” Andrea muttered. Kaia’s eyes flickered up to the Huntress. The tiny girl pursed her lips, but whatever she wanted to say didn’t make it out. Andrea pressed on, “Shirin, this is Devian. You may remember him from being dragged onto the ship.” Shirin dropped her hands from her cheek, holding Kaia delicately. “Hard to forget,” she said brightly. “How do you do?” “I’ve been better,” Devian said, rubbing the back of his neck. “He’ll have plenty of time to tell you all about it,” Andrea said. “You two are cabin mates now.” Shirin’s eyes widened. For a moment, Devian was sure she was going to protest. Instead, she grinned, baring her razor-sharp teeth. “Oh, how wonderful! With all my fabrics laying around, it’s not often I get a cabin mate.” Right, I’m sure that’s the only reason, Devian thought weakly. But mouthful of fangs or not, she seemed kind enough. Before Devian could even begin navigating the confines of the fabric-strewn cabin, commotion came from outside. They all whirled toward the door in time to see Clive burst past the threshold, sweating and shaking. The terrified expression was so unlike him, Devian had to stop and wonder if he was really looking at Clive. “Ondine,” Clive gasped, holding his chest “She returned. Monster-infested waters. She says--there’s--there’s a sea serpent. It took--Earlra. She’s dead.” Shiring gave small wail, and Andrea was immediately running for the door. “The sea serpent--is it coming this way?” “Yes,” Clive said, already moving. “Ondine tried not to lead it back to the ship, but it makes no difference--even if we turn the whole damn thing around, it’s coming for us.” Andrea cursed and looked back only briefly. “Stay here! All of you.” With that, she was gone. “No!” Kaia shrieked, squirming in Shirin’s grip. “I-I didn’t know we were so close! Take me above deck! I can get rid of the sea serpent!” Shirin shared a wide-eyed looked with Devian, just as confused as he was. “Please!” Kaia begged. “You’re all going to die if I don’t!” She was special. Devian knew that. He didn’t know what she was or what she was hiding, but if she was willing to go above deck with a sea serpent out there, it had to be for a damn good reason. Figuring that nothing else in his life had been making sense since he started looking for the treasure, Devian lunged forward and snatched Kaia from Shirin’s hands, racing for the door.