Chapter 166: Aella’s Journey
Aella watched her wife scramble away, one child in her arms, the other hurrying after her. She stood, and the group of assembled crew quieted. She could run, or lie, but her crew deserved neither of these things.
“My son was conceived when my wife was held by the demons.” She did not elaborate. She did not have to. She saw horror spreading through the gathered faces, heard the whispers, the fear. She stepped up onto the story-telling stool, and everyone managed to quiet themselves. Dymion leaned into Evander as if seeking his husband’s protection, little Damara still in his arms. He made no move to indicate he planned to flee. That was fine. She wanted everyone to hear now.
The Grand Admiral stood above her crew, looking down at anxious, fearful and angry faces.
“He is in touch with his magic. Has always been in touch with it, as long as he has been on this ship. He used his magic to route out treachery in the court of Basiano, has used it to warn me of great dangers. Egaz is not a danger. He is crew.”
“Will the demons come for him?” the voice came from the back, one of the newer crew that Aella could not place a name to. But she sounded frightened. “I’ve heard that the demons hunt down their bastards and kill them.”
“He’s not a bastard, and I’d thank you to strike that word from your lips or find yourself demoted lower than the deckscrub.” Aella did not snap as she spoke, but instead spoke in even, measured tones. She was vibrating with anger, but could not let that change how she lead her crew.
“Aye, Admiral.”
“If they come for him, then we will kill them. If they come for Jules, for Nereida, for me, we will kill them. If they come for you, we will kill them.” She looked out over the faces in the flickering lamplight. She caught Evander smiling with approval. Dymion and Epelda kept looking over at the baby with worried glances. But Damara slept on, heedless of the crowd’s panic.
“Now, stories will continue,” Aella ordered. “But they end at midnight. We have a blockade to sabotage.” This was met with cheers.
Aella took a step down off the stool. She bent to retrieve her daughter, and then hurried off, not bothering to see who would step up next. The sounds of drums and laughter followed her as she tried, and failed, to open her own door.
“Ner?” she called. There was a moment of silence, and then Nererida’s voice, quiet and hurried, came from the other side.
“Is it safe?”
“Absolutely, love,” Aella replied. The heavy bar landed with a thud just before Nereida wrenched the door open. The siren was paler than usual, her face pinched in the way it usually did when she was trying not to cry. Aella stepped into the cabin, closing the door with her free hand. She placed Damara into Nereida’s arms, and herded her toward the bed.
“Let me talk to him, love,” Aella said. “He’s safe. You are safe.” She placed a gentle kiss on her wife’s head then pulled the curtain closed so that Nereida could cry without her sons seeing it.
Egaz and Alejo sat on the same bed. Alejo’s arm was about his brother. Egaz was shivering.
“Crewman,” Aella knelt before him, carefully avoiding the toys on the floor. The little boy didn’t look at her, and instead buried his face in his brother’s shirt. “No one is angry at you, Egaz.” She placed her hand on his back, and when he did not immediately pull away, she pressed on. “We asked you to hide for too long. But crew is family, family is crew, and no one is going to hurt you or turn you away.”
“They’ll be afraid of me!”
“No, love. No more than they are afraid of your mother. This crew has already chosen to sail with sirens. I will give them the option to leave, but I don’t think anyone will take it.” She pulled the other cot over and sat on it. The sound of the wood scraping across the floor caused the boy to look up at last. “The first question they asked was if the demons would come for you. They were afraid for you, not of you.”
It was only then that Egaz began to cry in earnest. The little boy sobbed in his brother’s arms, as Alejo looked on helplessly. The older child moved his mouth, as if asking what to do, but Aella just gave him a little nod. He was doing what he needed to do. Aella stayed with her sons until Egaz’s crying subsided. She tucked both children in, wishing them sweet dreams. Then she checked on Nereida, only to find her wife had cried herself to sleep as well, their daughter curled up beside her snoring her little baby snores. Aella brought the heavy blanket up over her wife, kissed her head gently, and retreated.
The stories had ended early, and when Aella left the cabin she could hear discussion instead. She lingered outside her door, listening, not wanting to interrupt. She needed to know what her crew truly felt, now that she was out of sight. She scanned those still gathered. Caleb, Matthias, Carlos, Evander, Dymion and Epelda were all together, their backs to the cabin, as if to defend it. Jules was watching from the side, leaning against the railing, an anxious expression on his face. He spotted Aella, gave her a curt nod, but otherwise did not move or act. Aella found herself impressed by the young man. He seemed to understand when restraint was necessary.
The discussion was heated. Two of the crew were maintaining that the demons, if they found out, would come for the ship to get him. It was not the young woman from before, but two young men that Aella scarcely recognized. They were advocating that the whole family be left in port until the blockade was dealt with. A banishment, yes, but only for the short term. They offered that as if it were reasonable. Evander crossed his arms and stepped forward, his tone fierce, angry and carrying the weight of his position as First Mate.
“The Admiral’s family is crew. If they godsforsaken demons haven’t sussed out that the boy’s on board by now, after all this time, after all the fights with them, then they ain’t comin’ for him. Not one more word on the subject. You don’t want to travel with the boy, fine. Shut up about it til we are at a friendly port, then you can jump ship.”
“You could just jump ship now,” Dymion muttered, his lower voice carrying in the silence. Evander glared at his husband, signing at him to stop.
“No one is asking you to put yourself in any more danger than you are already in by sailing with sirens,” Evander continued, as if his husband hadn’t just suggested the complaining crew could walk the plank. “You never even have to talk with him if you don’t want to. But he is not leaving. And anyone who tries to hurt him or his mother, for a situation neither of them asked for, I’ll tie you up meself, toss you into the drink.”
This was met with silence for a moment, before another voice in the crowd spoke up.
“Is he holding the Shadow Dragon? Like you and the Captain held dragons?”
“I don’t believe so,” answered Caleb, stepping forward. “I’ve seen Stars live inside my brother for months. But from what we have learned, Shadow still has a body, a living body. He would not need to live inside a person to grow a new one. I don’t even know if he could.”
Aella stepped toward the circle, clearing her throat so they all knew she was approaching. The two men who had called for her family to leave the ship both took steps back, as if she would strike them.
“Caleb has the right of it,” she said clearly. “Egaz is not possessed.” She felt her magic stir, and let it take over. Better to give it what it wanted. She heard herself speak, could see herself as if she were watching someone play her on a stage. It was disorienting beyond measure. “The Shadows may seep into those of its blood, but may not hold them so long as their body remains. Those who beg for help may yet find it, those who refuse help may yet be drowned in their hubris. The Song of the Last Stand must first be sung, the Sun’s light must be returned and all six must gather with hearts and minds as one.”
The deck was hard and cold. Aella’s cheek was pressed against it, and she felt hands hauling her up.
“Darling Admiral, you have such a dramatic flare but I must insist you cease this penchant for throwing yourself to the ground after speaking.” Matthias was in front of her, concern shining in his eyes even as he wore his stupid grin.
“Take it up with the Moon,” she grumbled. He laughed, an easy sound, and hauled her to her feet.
“Alas, Grand Admiral, I do not think I could keep my wits about me if presented with the Moon’s endless beauty.” She snarled at him, but that only made him laugh again.
Aella stood, straightening her hat. She still had some pride, after all.
“If you aren’t storytelling,” she called, “head to bed! We have allies to gather, and I’ll eat my hat if we don’t run into some kind of trouble on the way. We don’t exactly have the luck of the gods.”
“Aye, Admiral!” She did not check to see who answered, but instead went to sit at the base of the main mast. Beneath the light of the crescent moon, and the shadow of the mast, she finally found rest.