The Raven’s Parting

Damned my head. That wine is far too good. I hate this ship.

Wait. Are we out to sea again? Did we… did we leave last night?

“Gustav?”

Oh shit. It’s him.

“Penn, how are. Burp! Oh, my stomach. How are you?”

“I’m fine,” he says, rubbing at his arm, the movement stiff. “Just a little scratched up and…”

“Burp!”

“Hmmm.” Why does he always look at me like that. Like I’m a problem he’s been assigned.

“Yes, good, good.” I wave a hand, the world tilting unpleasantly beneath my feet. “Have you seen my brother?” He’s probably already in full pirate-captain mode. Gods, my head. What happened last night? I visited Mother’s grave. Met Darius in the alley. Then… then something…

“The cap’in’s in his quarters,” Penn says. “Talking to your sister.”

My sister.

“My… my sister? Ella….” So, we succeeded. We really did it. We got her out.

Penn’s still staring at me. That look again. Measuring. Judging.

“Thanks, Penn. I’ll, Burp! I’ll go see them now.”

“Probably not the best time, sir…”

“Till next time!” I clap him on the shoulder and stagger away before he can finish. Damned man is so tiresome. Always judging me. Always annoyed about my supposed privilege on this ship. Just because I’m Darius’s brother. Ergh.

The corridor sways as I make my way aft. Salt and old wood fill my lungs, grounding me just enough to walk straight. The captain’s quarters door is shut. Raised voices leak through the cracks.

“…you can’t just decide this for all of us,” Ella’s voice carries through the door. Strained, tight, like she’s been holding herself together by habit alone. Not angry. Worse than angry.

Darius answers low, controlled. Too controlled. “I’m not deciding for you. I’m asking you to stay.”

“Stay?” There’s a bitter laugh. “On the seas? On the run? You call this living?”

I press a hand to the wall as the floor rocks beneath me.

“It’s freedom,” Darius says, too quickly. “It’s ours. Nexhara is done. There’s nothing left for us there. The mainland will just chew you up, and spit you out.”

“At least it’s solid ground,” Ella snaps. “At least Gustav would be safe.”

My name lands like a punch. My stomach lurches, wine and guilt rising together.

There’s a pause. Long enough that I can picture Darius’s jaw tightening the way it always does, when he’s losing ground.

“He’s safer with us,” he says finally. “With me.”

“No,” Ella replies, softer now. Tired. “He’s safer away from this. Away from you. Away from that seemingly endless supply of rum, he keeps getting his hands on.”

I step back before the door can creak beneath me. My heart’s pounding. My head throbbing.

“For Sol’s sake, Ella!” Darius snaps, then, quieter, more dangerous. “I saved you.” A heavy slam follows. His table, by the sound of it. Too many more like that and it’ll crack. “You were rotting in that dungeon for four years. I couldn’t just…”

“Rotting?” she cuts in sharply. “You idiot. It wasn’t some commoner’s hole. It was just as lavish as half the noble houses in Ravensport. The only horrible part was Lynn’s daily visits. Her gloating. Telling me how much better the city was doing now our family no longer owned it.”

“Well, she…” He falters. That’s new. “I had to save you, El. I’m your older brother. I couldn’t just leave you there.”

“Oh yeah? And Gustav is the oldest,” Ella fires back. “But I don’t see him prancing around the archipelago, pretending to be some unstoppable pirate.”

“He’d never be sober enough!”

Ouch.

“I’m serious, Rea.” Her voice hardens. “Lynn is dead.”

What. She’s dead. Wait, I remember, sort of remember. Last night. She was there.

“Argh!” Damned my head. Shit, did they hear me?

“So, what if she is,” Darius snaps. “She imprisoned you. Deposed you!”

She exhales slowly. I know that sound, I would always run for the hills when we were kids. Nothing good ever follows. “Lynn was the last thing that city had, resembling freedom or autonomy. Yes, she took bribes. Yes, she bent to Malguinem, and the empire. But she kept the island independent.”

“Well… yeah, but…”

“But nothing,” Ella snaps. “With her dead, King Malguinem will install a puppet. In five years, Nexhara isle will belong to him. Just another asset. Everything I worked for my entire life, gone! Our family’s work. Gone!”

“Well… when you put it like that.”

Is that true? Gods, have I really been that blind? Damned, have been out of the loop for that long. Just ignored everything.

“Ouch!” Yikes, that sounded like it hurt. She always did punch harder than she looked.

“I’m going to the mainland,” Ella says. “We still have distant family. Something I can build on.”

“Yeah right,” Darius scoffs. “What are you going to offer those leeches? They won’t help you for free.”

“I won’t give them a choice.”

Yikes. “Burp!” Oh shit, they definitely heard that.

“I’m taking Gus with me.”

What?

“He isn’t a child, El,” Darius says. “He’s our brother.”

“I never said he was. But if he stays on this ship, playing pirate with you, you’ll get him killed. Or he’ll get himself killed.”

“Playing pirate?” His voice cracks on the word. “How dare you. Everything I did was to escape the toxic politics. Father’s damned plan for you. With no regard for what it did to me or Gus. You wouldn’t even be alive if not for my ship. My crew!”

“Get over yourself, Rea!” Ella snaps, back. No doubt she’s got that look on her face, scary. “Stop blaming everything on Father. You’re a glorified mercenary. That’s all you’ve ever been. No one will sing songs about you. Your end will come at sea, or at the end of a rope.”

“At least I tried to make a name for myself,” he fires back. “At least I left that island. Became someone without hiding behind a family name.”

Damned. I need to break this up.

I swing the door open. It lets out a dull thud as I misjudge the handle entirely. Well, at least that got their attention.

“Good mornin’,” I slur, leaning far too hard on the frame. “Or… afternoon? Hard to tell. Ship’s moving. Or maybe that’s just me.”

Both of them freeze.

“I, uh,” I gesture vaguely between them, stomach churning. “Penn said… burp! Sorry, said you were talking. Sounded important. Also, loud.”

Yikes. How long is this silence going to last? I swear I’m starting to hear fish swimming leagues away.

“Good morning, Gus.”

Thank Sol, someone broke it. Why is Rea pressing his fingers into his temples like that? Sort of looks like Father. Probably shouldn’t mention that.

“Ella!” It’s been so long. She looks… okay. Really okay. “Give your big brother a…”

Ouch!

“Don’t touch me, Gus!”

“Why did you have to hit me, though?” Damned left hook of hers.

“Gustav, pack your things. We’re getting off at the next port.”

“Ella, please…” Ah. She’s decided. Best not argue Darius.

“No alcohol!”

“There are a few I could…”

“No alcohol!”

“Okay! Fine, fine.” By the gods, if Darius got Father’s looks, she got his temper. And what did I get? Just his taste for booze, I suppose. “Where are we going?”

“We’re heading south. Malguinem territory, but it’ll be fine. We’ll catch a ship east from there. Straight to Eldara.”

“Are you serious, El? The Empire? There’s no fame or fortune to be made there.”

“And what if I don’t want either, Rea? What if I just want to live in peace?”

“I… um.” What do I even say to that?

“I’m not discussing this anymore. Come on, Gustav.”

Ouch. Did she really have to shove past me like that?

“Rea, I…”

“Just go with her, Gus.”

Damned. He won’t look at me.

“We messed up. I messed up.”

“Rea, I…” What can I say? What should I say? “If I go… just promise me you’ll stay safe.”

“How can I promise that, Gus?”

We both sigh at the same time.

“Alright,” he mutters. “If I promise that, then you promise to never drink again.”

“What? That’s…”

“Gus!”

“I…” Damned it. Why does he have to sound like an actual brother now?

“Can you promise? And this time… keep it?”

My chest tightens. My breath catches.

“I, I promise, Rea.” I force a grin, even as my eyes sting. “And, I promise to spread tales of the mighty pirate Darius Raven, to every bard I can find!”