Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Chapter 16
Nox
Even as I go through the motions of putting together a reckless plan that will facilitate the Audacity hiding from view long enough for Bastian’s glamour to draw our pursuers away, I wonder if it’s even possible. Obviously I was aware he could cast glamour, but apparently I was a fool for assuming the only person he could cast it on was himself, or possibly use it to influence the perceptions of another person interacting with him. It never occurred to me that he could create something from nothing with enough detail to fool a large group of people.
I’m still not entirely certain he can do it, but we don’t have a better choice, so I have to assume he will be successful. Otherwise, we’re going to have a fight on our hands in a setting where we can least afford it. The farther north we sail, the more violent the seas become. Lightning is now a regular occurrence, the thunder coming so quickly that it’s almost impossible to get two words out between booms. Everyone who isn’t strictly vital has been sent belowdecks. The pocket dimension that holds the crew’s quarters will eliminate the worst of the potential seasickness, but if the ship goes down, the entire crew goes down with it.
The thought leaves me sick. In every other confrontation, I’ve been able to see half a dozen ways out. I’ve been aware that my power, or the power of my allies, is enough to ensure victory. Maybe not victory without losses, but victory nonetheless. I don’t have that assurance currently.
In the hour it’s taken me to gather the necessary crew members and go over the plan, the Crimson Hag and her two sister ships have closed the distance enough that I can pick out some of the individual members of their crew. Not close enough to see their expressions or faces, but I’m familiar enough with them that I can tell that that bastard Miles is at the helm, his green-scaled skin wet with rain.
I stop next to Bowen. If he were another person and I were a different captain, I might squeeze his shoulder and reassure him that his former crew will not take us. He doesn’t want to hear that, though. Not from me. Likely not from anyone, excepting potentially Evelyn.
“You could always sink them,” I offer.
He gives me the disapproving look I anticipated. “Because that worked so well when Siobhan attempted it. Even if I blew a hole in their hull, they obviously have the ability to patch it without going down. And if they didn’t? You would have me condemn an entire crew for their captain’s poor decisions?”
An entire crew who voted Bowen out a handful of months ago. It’s clear that as much as he no longer wishes to sail beneath crimson sails, that vote of no confidence still irks him. His crew was his family, and they left him on a beach and sailed away, all for the crime of not wanting to murder a mother dragon and her hatchling.
“No,” I finally say. “The entire reason we’re doing everything that we’re doing is because a good portion of the Cŵn Annwn crews are filled with people who wouldn’t have consented to participate if they had another option. I’m not above sinking them if it means saving us, but our current plan should negate that necessity.”
He takes a breath and nods slowly. “Do you think it’ll work?”
I have no fucking idea, but I’m the captain, and the captain must always be in control, so I smile and wink at him. “Of course it’ll work. They have no reason to expect what we’re about to attempt. If I didn’t know Bastian could do this, then I doubt anyone else does. They will follow his glamour.” I just hope he can hold it long enough for us to escape.
I’ve brought every air-user on the crew to the deck and stationed them in small groups where it will be most effective for them to direct their wind. It’s impossible to ignore how exhausted they all look, even with the short shifts I’ve had them on. We can’t keep up this pace for more than a couple more days without someone suffering magical burnout. This will be our one chance to make a clean getaway…at least until we encounter the next crimson-sailed ship. I’m already exhausted just thinking about it.
Evelyn approaches, her blond hair plastered to her face. It doesn’t make her less pretty, of course. Especially because she looks like she’s having the time of her life, a wide grin on her lips and her green eyes twinkling with mischief. “I have the amplifying circle in place. All it needs is a drop of your blood to activate. You’ll have to move quickly, though, because the rain will wash the circle away even with my preparations.” At that she frowns a little. “The water repellent in the spell should have protected it, but I had to put up a secondary shield in order to even finish it.”