That black mark of smoke had spread across the sky like an ugly stain. The peaceful silence that had marked the beginning of the voyage aboard the Starling Gale was gone. Now, an unspoken tension hung in the air, the kind that descends upon a forest when a predator is near.
"How long until they reach us?" Liora asked, her eyes still fixed on the tower.
"Why would they need to reach us? We're going straight to them," Mara said. She didn't slow the ship. "If we turn back now, they'll corner us in the open sea. Our only chance is to get to Smuggler's Cove before they do."
Kael had already drawn his second sword. He stood at the edge of the deck, his gaze scanning the copper-colored water and rusted wreckage below like a hawk. "It won't be just one. A signal like that is used to summon an entire fleet."
Aarav's heart was pounding. Those mental whispers had stopped now, as if the enemy had decided to speak with swords instead of words. He touched his wooden sword. The weapon that had felt heavy yesterday now felt as light as a feather. This was not a good sign. It meant his body was flooded with adrenaline, preparing for a fight.
"Brace yourselves," Mara yelled. "The ride's about to get a little bumpy!"
She gave the helm a sharp turn. The Starling Gale listed to one side and entered a narrow passage between jagged rocks. The path was like a maze, where the skeletons of rusted ships stood agape at every turn, as if warning new victims.
Smuggler's Cove, as its name suggested, was not a beautiful place. It was a small bay, surrounded on three sides by high, black cliffs. Sunlight struggled to reach here. Inside the cove, crooked wooden docks were built, and tied to them were several strange-looking, small, and fast boats.
The air was thick with a mixed stench of coal smoke, burning brass, and cheap liquor. Small shops and houses were carved into the cliffs, their windows casting a sickly yellow glow.
Mara skillfully docked the ship alongside an old pier.
"Kael, you and I will go to Grak," Mara said as she shut down the engine. "Liora, Aarav, you two stay here on the ship. Do not get off under any circumstances. The people here don't like strangers, especially those with faces as 'clean' as yours," she said, glancing at Aarav.
Aarav didn't like that. He felt helpless. "I can fight."
"You won a single fight, not a war," Kael said without turning around. "Your job is to keep the compass safe. For now, that is your most important battle."
Mara and Kael stepped onto the dock and disappeared into the smoke and shadows.
Waiting on the ship was perhaps harder than fighting. The tension grew with every passing moment. Aarav and Liora sat silently on the deck, their eyes fixed on the path Mara and Kael had taken.
"Do you think they'll be okay?" Liora asked, wringing her hands.
"Kael is with them," Aarav said, trying to reassure Liora while he himself was terrified inside.
Just then, they heard some voices from below the dock. Laughter, but it wasn't friendly laughter. It was cruel, mocking laughter.
Aarav and Liora leaned over the railing and looked down.
Three men, likely pirates or smugglers, were standing below the dock. They wore tattered clothes and had rusted swords hanging at their waists. They were looking up at the Starling Gale.
"Well, look what we have here," said one of them, a man with a large beard. "Looks like a new bird has flown into the cage."
"That's Mara Vance's ship," said the second one. "I heard she was heading this way."
"And I heard she has the Tideborne with her," said the third, and his hungry gaze fixed directly on Aarav. "Our master has put a big bounty on his head. Dead or alive."
Liora grabbed Aarav's hand.
The bearded man yelled upwards, "Hey, boy! Come on down! We'll take you for a nice ride!"
All three of them roared with laughter.
Aarav's blood boiled. He was no longer the old Aarav who would quietly endure everything. He picked up his wooden sword.
"Aarav, no!" Liora whispered. "Mara told us to stay here."
"And do what? Sit here and wait for them to come up?" Aarav said angrily.
Then, he remembered Kael's words. 'Your job is to keep the compass safe.'
An idea struck him. He looked at Liora. "Can you create a distraction?"
Liora didn't understand for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "Yes, I can."
Liora walked to the edge of the deck. She looked down at the three men. "What do you want?" There was nervousness in her voice, but she didn't let it show.
"We want the boy, dollface," the bearded man said.
"He's not here," Liora lied.
The pirates laughed. "Don't lie to us! We saw him."
"If you don't leave now, you'll regret it," Liora said, holding her hands out in front of her.
A small ball of green light began to form between her fingers. It wasn't an attack spell, just a display.
But for the pirates, it was enough.
"Oho! A little witch, are we?" one of them said. "This just got a lot more interesting."
Their full attention was now on Liora.
Meanwhile, Aarav was on the other side of the ship. He picked up a thick rope and tied it to the railing. Below was darkness and the sound of water crashing against the rocks.
His plan was dangerous, foolish even. But it was the only way. He had to find Grak, to tell him that Mara and Kael were in danger.
He hid the throbbing red compass under his shirt. Its coldness and warm pulse reminded him of the enemy.
He took a deep breath and began to climb down the rope.
He was only halfway down when he saw something glinting right below him, in the shadow of the dark cliffs.
It was the glint of metal.
Someone had drawn a sword.
Someone was waiting for him in the darkness, right below.
He heard Liora's panicked voice from above. "Who are you?!"
And from the shadows below, a cold, familiar voice replied, sending a chill down Aarav's spine and pulling the ground from under his feet.
"Your worst nightmare."
It was the voice of Rohan.