Spark (Legends of the Shifters) (28 page)

Once
she noticed that I was awake, she smiled widely. “Are you
feeling any better?”

I
nodded. “Yes,” I croaked.

“
Well
enough to eat something?” she asked.

I
looked over at the tray. I didn’t think that I would be able to
handle it if it was something big, but luckily, it wasn't.

It
was just a bowl of warm chicken broth. The aroma that came from it
was mouth-watering.

“
I
think I could handle that,” I said.

She
smiled. “I thought I’d bring it down in case you were
hungry,” she said as she shifted in her chair to grab the bowl.
“And if you hadn’t woken up just then, I would’ve
drank it and left.”

“
Well,
I’m glad I woke up,” I said as I tried to grasp the bowl
in my hands. Sophia seemed to know that I wouldn’t be strong
enough to hold it yet because she didn’t let go as I tried to
raise it to my mouth.

The
delicious broth rolled over my tongue and down my throat. It soothed
the soreness there and warmed my body. She pulled the bowl back so I
could wait a while before attempting any more.

“
It
tastes wonderful,” I said. Unlike Elna, Sophia could cook.

Sophia
beamed. “Thank you… My mother used to make this recipe
for me when I was sick. She used only the freshest herbs, vegetables,
and meat to give the broth more flavor and nutrients.”

I
reached for the bowl, ready for some more. Sophia helped me drink it
down. When the bowl was empty, she stood up. “I’ve got to
go finish cooking supper. The crew will be banging at my door before
long.”

“
Thank
you so much,” I said gratefully.

She
smiled at me and left.

I
stayed up for a long time. The broth had made me feel a little queasy
after a while, but it passed shortly after that. I was about to go
back to sleep when the door squeaked open and footsteps entered the
room.

I
opened my eyes to see Roland. His hair was disheveled from wind and
his face was sunburned. He smiled at me as if he knew how handsome he
looked just then. I sat up straighter in bed and tried to concentrate
on anything but that. “It
would
be you to come in when I’m almost asleep,” I said, trying
not to sound tired. Instead my voice sounded whiny.

“
I
finally got some free-time and figured I’d come see how you
were doing.”

“
Well,
I’m doing a lot better.”

He
smiled, his eyes twinkling. “I came before. It’s just
that this is the first time that you were awake.”

His
words helped me remember how he was the one who had carried me to my
bed. “Thank you for bringing me here earlier.”

“
No
problem,” he said, sitting down on the bunk next to me. “I
would do that for anybody.”

We
were silent for a few seconds until Roland came up with a new topic.

“
We
should be able to jump ship in three days if the wind stays on our
side,” Roland said.

I
smiled at the pun. “So we’re doing good?” I asked.

He
nodded. “Remarkably so.”

“
Good.
I want to get off as soon as possible.”

He
raised his eyebrows. “You don’t like it?”

“
No.
Not if it makes me sick.”

“
It
won’t always do that. You just have to get used to it. I bet
that I got nauseated the first time I was on a boat. I can’t
remember it, but I bet I did.”

“
How
many times have you been on a ship?” I questioned.

“
When
I was little I went on a few trips with my father, but they were all
short so that my mother wouldn’t worry. Because of the quests,
though, I’ve lost count. There are a lot of things that we spy
on overseas.”

I
studied the hem of my blanket. “What are normal quests like?”

There
was no reply. I glanced up at him. He stared off in the distance
flexing his jaw. Finally, his eyes flicked back to me and he
answered. “Some of them are fine. Just gathering information on
how the countries are running. Others are…worse. It depends on
who your taskmaster is.”

I
felt like I might be going too far, but I wanted more information.
“What things did you have to do?”

He
opened his mouth, and then closed it. He seemed to be contemplating
whether or not he should tell me. “I…I think…”
He paused to gather his thoughts. “I should go see if Burton
needs any help,” he muttered. He stood up and walked quickly to
the hatch. Before he left, he turned back. “I’ll tell you
before you graduate,” he said, and then he disappeared.

My
mind was spinning to think of the possible reasons why Roland
wouldn’t tell me. Did he have to kill certain people? Was there
something worse that I didn’t know about?

I
sunk back down into my bed and laid my head on the pillow. I didn’t
sleep for a long time. My mind was too busy picturing Roland killing
someone. The same picture played over and over in my mind. I squeezed
my eyes shut and tried not to think about it, but if anything, it
made it worse. I decided to just let the image stay there until I
eventually drifted off.

I
woke up flying through the air.

I hit
the wall hard just before getting tossed the other way. I scrambled
to my feet and lunged for the ladder. I grabbed it just in time. The
ship lurched the other way and one of the dressers came away from the
wall and barreled straight for me. I had to scurry as fast as I could
up the ladder to avoid getting crushed. I pushed through the hatch
and was greeted with a face full of sea water.

Some
got caught in my lungs, and I tried to cough it out. Roland came out
of nowhere and pulled me off the ladder and onto the deck. The ship
rocked and I lost my footing and would’ve fallen if Roland
hadn’t been grasping my shoulders. He led me up some stairs and
into the captain’s compartment, and tossed me in.

“
Stay
here until the storm ends!” he yelled above the roaring winds.
Then he slammed the door shut and was gone. I looked around. It was
pitch black. “Hello?” I called.

“
Ivy?”
someone said back. It was a woman’s voice. The only other woman
on board was Sophia.

“
I’m
so glad you’re here and safe. I was so worried about you.”
The ship rocked violently and I was thrown toward her voice.

My
head hit the wall hard, sending stars circling through my vision. I
reached out for handholds in case the ship rocked the other way.
Instead, I found Sophia’s hand. I clasped it tight, wondering
if we would make it through this night.

I
tried to keep myself pushed against the wall as the storm tossed us
around. I would slip a little when a sudden wave would crash against
the ship, but my tactic kept me from getting badly injured. Sophia
and I were silent, not only because the storm's roar was too loud to
talk over, but
also because of fear.

The
storm raged for hours, and my legs were starting to cramp by the time
the waves died down. The darkness was still deep and the storm had
left me exhausted. I drifted off as soon as the steady rocking of the
boat permitted it.

When
I woke up, the first thing I noticed was Sophia. Her face lacked its
usual color, and there was a cut above her eyebrow. I thought she was
dead, until I noticed her steady breathing.

The
light was pale, so it was either early morning, or the storm wasn't
quite done with us yet. I stood on unsteady legs to look out the
window. The sun had barely risen over the horizon, and the sky was
clear of clouds. I smiled. It was over.

The
smile faded when I realized that I didn’t know if everyone was
all right yet. I stood up on wobbly legs and hurried toward the door,
opening it. There was no one. My heart flopped in my chest. Had they
fallen into the sea?

I
jumped when the hatch suddenly opened up.

The
soggy crew poured onto the deck. Some of them were bloodied and
limping. I searched through them to find either Roland or Burton, but
I didn’t see them. I hurriedly climbed down the steps, leaving
Sophia, and confronted one of the crew members.

“
Where
are the captain and Roland?” I asked anxiously.

The
man pointed to the hatch. “Down there. The captain fell into
the icy water, and Roland jumped in to save him. I still don’t
know how they both got back on deck. A wave must have tossed them
up.”

He
might not have known, but I know. Roland was a sea serpent. The only
way they both survived was because of Roland’s second form.
Thank goodness for him.

I
didn’t wait for the man to say anything else before dashing to
the hatch and hurrying down the ladder. Burton was covered in
blankets, shivering. Roland was dripping wet, but he didn't show any
signs of being cold.

Roland
looked up at me.

“
Is
he okay?” I asked.

Roland
nodded. “He’ll be fine when the chill passes,” he
said.

Burton
nodded in agreement, but didn’t bother talking.

I sat
on the soggy bunk across from them, and Roland came over to sit next
to me, his shoes sloshing against the floor.

We
sat silently until Burton's chattering died down. When I was certain
he was asleep, I leaned closer to Roland and whispered, “Thank
you.”

Roland
looked at me, surprised. “For what?”

“
For
possibly saving my life,” I answered with a sheepish smile.

He
shrugged. “I'm sure you would've been fine, but you’re
welcome anyway.”

We
sat in silence as the ship rocked gently. I stood up and started to
leave.

“
Wait,”
Roland said. I turned back and looked at him inquisitively.

“
What
happened to the back of your head?”

I
remembered slamming it into the wall. I reached up with my hand and
felt the tender spot where I had hit it. My hair was clumped with
blood. I grimaced. “It probably looks worse than it is,”
I said.

He
studied it a while longer before saying, “I hear that Sophia
knows the basics of healing. You should go to her and ask for help.”

I
nodded. “I’ll get her to look at it.”

He
smiled. I left, content now that I knew he and Burton were safe.

I
looked in the captain's quarters for Sophia, but she wasn't there
anymore. I eventually found her in the kitchen, which had become a
disastrous mess. There were shards of blue and green glass all over
the floor mixed in with pools of wine. Most of the bowls and plates
were made out of wood because of this very reason.

Sophia
was sweeping it all into a corner, her straw broom dripping and
stained with blood-red liquid. She looked pretty put out.

“
Is
there anything that I can do to help?” I asked her.

She
stopped sweeping and turned to me. “No, not really.” She
studied the mess, her mouth formed into a deep frown. “Some of
the crew will be quite angry about this. I’ll have to have
Burton bridle them or they’ll be in here cursing up a storm and
tearing my kitchen to pieces.”

“
Isn’t
there more in barrels?” I questioned. “I've heard mention
of them.”