Dammit, he should have spotted them earlier. Once again, he’d let himself get distracted. “Seven Eberoni naval ships to the east,” he called down to Stefan.
“Have they spotted us yet?” Stefan asked.
Rupert didn’t think so. Their spyglasses were not as powerful as his. The navy was traveling south, hugging the coastline. No doubt, hunting for pirates. And here he was, a pirate, headed southeast, straight for them.
He adjusted the wind once more, sending his ships south on a parallel course and increasing their speed. With any luck, his fleet could skirt around the navy unnoticed and arrive at Danport first. When he took another look through his spyglass, he spotted three pirate ships far in distance, closing in on Danport. Bloody vultures.
“Three pirate ships to the south,” he called down to Stefan. He swung his spyglass back to the navy. Damn! They’d spotted his ships and were turning his way.
“Navy’s coming in first,” he yelled. He shoved his hat on his head as he yanked a red flag from its container inside the crow’s nest.
He faced the other ships of his fleet and waved the red flag back and forth. The closest two in the V formation started waving their red flags from their crows’ nests, then the next two and next down the line till the whole fleet knew to prepare themselves.
“Jeffrey, make sure the women stay below,” Rupert ordered. He couldn’t let anything distract him now.
Stefan shouted, “Battle stations!”
Chapter Six
Brigitta removed another item from the bag of women’s clothing. A nightgown, snowy-white linen with blue embroidery and a blue satin ribbon drawstring around the neck. Her gowns and nightgowns at the convent had always been plain cream-colored wool. “’Tis very pretty.”
“Don’t even think about wearing it,” Sister Fallyn warned her as she watered down the wine.
“It just makes me wonder…” Brigitta’s insatiable curiosity was aroused. She fingered the white lace at the edge of the long bell-shaped sleeves. Whoever had owned these clothes must have been fairly wealthy. What had happened to her? Why were her possessions on a pirate ship?
Brigitta smoothed a hand over the linen. Sometimes when she handled objects, she would receive mental clues, a flash of pictures or traces of emotion that would help her understand why the object had been hidden or discarded. But all she could sense from these clothes was a feeling of great relief. “Why would she leave such lovely things behind?”
Sister Fallyn slanted a wary look at the clothing. “Perhaps they reminded her of something terrible. Like being ravished.”
Brigitta groaned inwardly. Wherever the pirate Rupert was taking them, it was going to be a long trip.
The sudden blast of horns made her jump. “What was that?” She glanced up at the ceiling as the pounding of feet sounded on deck.
Sister Fallyn made the sign of the moons. “Heavenly goddesses, what will happen to us now?”
Brigitta dashed to the window, but it was hard to see much of anything through the thick mullioned glass. She twisted a handle and opened the window as far as it would go, but that was only about a few inches. Nothing in sight, but now she could hear voices yelling overhead and the blare of horns from other ships in the fleet.
A knock sounded on the door, then Jeffrey peered inside. “I brought you—”
“What’s happening?” Brigitta rushed toward him.
“Uh, nothing.” Jeffrey offered her a book bound in tooled leather. “I brought this for you to read.”
“Thank you.” The second Brigitta accepted the book, a small shiver raced up her arms and an instant vision flitted across her mind. A man’s hands turning the pages. And somehow, she knew that man was Rupert.
“Ye must tell us what has happened,” Sister Fallyn demanded.
“Well…” Jeffrey scratched his head. “It’s uh … nothing much. You just need to stay here.”
He started to close the door, but Brigitta caught it with her hand. “Are we under attack? Has the Tourinian navy returned?”
“No, it’s the Eberoni—” Jeffrey slapped a hand over his mouth.
“The Eberoni navy?” Brigitta asked.
Jeffrey grimaced. “There’s no need for you to worry. Rupert can handle them.”
Brigitta’s heart raced as an idea popped into her mind. “This is excellent!”
“It is?”
“Aye.” Brigitta dropped the book on the bed and grabbed her cloak. “’Tis the perfect solution for everyone!”
“It is?” Jeffrey repeated.
“Yes!” Brigitta pushed the door open and slipped past the boy into the passageway.
“Where are ye going?” Sister Fallyn called after her.
She darted up the stairs and peered out the door at the main deck. The seamen were busy. She could probably slip past them unnoticed.
“My lady, don’t!” Jeffrey clambered up the stairs.
“Come back!” Sister Fallyn yelled as she ventured into the passageway.
Brigitta eased onto the deck and quickly scanned the surroundings. Behind her on the quarterdeck, Captain Landers was shouting orders. To her right, the other ships in the pirate fleet were moving south. To her left toward the shore, there was a group of Eberoni naval ships headed southwest on a collision course with the pirate fleet.
Somehow she had to make contact with them. She ran toward the portside railing and waved a hand in the air. Would they see her? She waved her brown cloak back and forth, hoping they could spot her through a spyglass.
“What are you doing?” A deep voice sifted past her ear on a breeze.
Rupert. She spun around, but he wasn’t behind her. She lifted her gaze. There he was, staring at her from the crow’s nest. “I need to contact the Eberoni,” she said softly, wondering if he would hear her.
He jabbed his spyglass under his belt. “You need to go below where it’s safe.”
“Nay! I have a plan—”
“To get yourself killed?”
“’Twill be beneficial to both of us.”
“Your death?” He slipped on some leather gloves.
“Nay, the plan!” She huffed with annoyance. The man was wasting her time. She turned her back to him and waved her cloak in the air.
“Enough!”
She glanced back just in time to see him slide down a rope and land neatly on the deck. In three long strides he was next to her and ripping the cloak out of her hands.
“Stop that!” She grabbed the cloak back, but he jerked it toward himself, causing her to stumble. To keep from falling into him, she planted her hands on his chest.
“Oof.” Even though the soft wool of her cloak had cushioned her hands, she felt like she’d run into a stone wall.
She steeled her nerves in case her gift struck her, but since her hands were only touching her own cloak, she was spared the strong reaction she’d experienced before. She’d actually fainted then. For now, she seemed to be all right. Except that her nose was only a few inches from his bare skin where his shirt was unbuttoned. She could even see a hint of his chest hair.
As her cheeks grew warm, she lifted her gaze to his masked face. His amber eyes were narrowed, watching her so intently that her mind went blank for a moment. Several moments. His rock of a chest budged slightly, expanding as he took a deep breath.
With a small gasp, she came to her senses. “Excuse me.” She removed her hands and stepped back.
“What is this plan?” he asked quietly.
What plan? “Oh, aye.” She motioned toward the Eberoni ships. “We need to contact them and let them know I’m here. I know! Ye could shoot one of yer arrows at their mast with a message attached. Like ye did afore.”
“Why?”
“To let them ransom me, of course. Their queen, Luciana, is my sister, and she would gladly pay for me. Then I wouldn’t have to go to Tourin. I could stay in Eberon with my sisters. And ye would have the gold ye want. Everyone would be happy. ’Tis the perfect solution, don’t ye think?
”
His mouth thinned. “You think I’m doing this just for the gold?”
“Of course. Ye’re a pirate.”
His eyes flashed with anger. “Very well. Let’s talk about your plan.” He stepped closer to her. “One: I don’t want Eberoni gold. The only person I rob is your brother, Gunther.”
She blinked. “Why? What do ye have against…” She retreated a step when he advanced another one.
“Two: In order to reach an Eberoni ship with an arrow, I would have to risk putting my ship within firing range of their cannons. I will not risk the lives of everyone on board.”
“Ye shot an arrow afore when I was on—”
“That ship didn’t have her cannons ready. These ships do.” He stepped closer. “Three: These ships will not be carrying enough gold to pay your ransom. I doubt they even know that you’ve been kidnapped. In fact, they probably have no idea you’re a so-called princess.”
“So-called?”
“Four: In order to transfer you to one of their ships, I would have to get too close. The minute you boarded their ship, they would blast me out of the water.”
She winced. Apparently, her plan was not so excellent after all.
He moved even closer. “Five.”
Would his reasons never end? Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, but she didn’t know which bothered her the most—his harsh opinion or his close proximity. Even now she could breathe in the fresh scent of his white shirt and see the individual whiskers shading his handsome jawline. They practically gleamed in the sunlight. Don’t think about that. “Number five?”
“Never mind.” He handed her the cloak. “Go below. You’re distracting me.”
She was being dismissed. Her embarrassment quickly flared into irritation. How aggravating that this wretched man was now in control of her destiny! Still, she was at his mercy, so if she was going to convince him to send her to Eberon instead of Tourin, she would need to present her case calmly and sensibly.
“When ye have the time, please allow me to discuss my situation with you.” She touched his sleeve.
Instantly a shock went up her arm and a series of horrific scenes flashed across her mind. With a gasp, she dropped the cloak. Shouts of pain and screams of terror echoed in her ears as a barrage of arrows zipped through the air and thudded into the backs of men and the haunches of their horses. Blue uniforms turned red with blood. Horses squealed and charged into frantic crowds. A deluge of fear and grief slapped her so hard it knocked her off her feet.
“Brigitta!” Rupert caught her. “What’s wrong?”
“I…” Good goddesses, she’d never experienced such a powerful vision before. Had she just had a glimpse into his past, a past so painful that he hid it from everyone?
“You’re not going to faint again, are you?”
She blinked. He was holding her, supporting her weight as he watched her closely. “I’m fine.”
He set her on her feet. “Are you sure?”
Her heart pounded. This man might believe all his secrets were safe, but he couldn’t hide them from her. And if this recent vision was any indication, his secret past was very … exciting. Much like one of her overly dramatic stories.
A sense of elation swept through her. She would uncover his secrets, and it would be the most intriguing challenge she had ever faced. She gave him a bright smile. “I’m quite well, thank you.”
His eyes widened as he continued to stare at her. With a small thrill, she realized he was still holding her.
“Rupert!” The captain ran toward them. “What the hell are you doing? They’re getting too close!”
Rupert jumped back, releasing her.
An explosion sounded in the distance with smoke billowing into the air. Brigitta gasped as a barrage of cannonballs headed straight for them.
Rupert faced the Eberoni naval ship and pushed his hands forward. A blast of wind whistled toward the cannonballs, slamming into them with enough force that they plummeted into the water several yards short of their mark.
A giant wave of water splashed over the railing, drenching everyone on the portside. Brigitta stumbled back, and the captain caught her. A burst of tingles shot up her arm, and she jumped back. Holy goddesses, he was hiding an enormous number of secrets, too. Just like Rupert.
“My lady.” The captain handed her the cloak she’d dropped. “Please go below. If you continue to distract Rupert, it’ll be dangerous for us all.”
“I-I’m sorry.” How embarrassing! Rupert had warned her that she was distracting him, but she hadn’t listened.
She headed back toward the cabins, making sure not to get in anyone’s way. What a fool she’d been! Obviously, this was not one of her overly dramatic stories where she could be the heroine. If anything, she’d proven herself to be more of a nuisance. Not only had her plan turned out to be awful, but she’d endangered everyone aboard. If Rupert hadn’t stopped those cannonballs in time, they could have all been killed.
But how amazing that he had actually stopped them. She turned around to see what he was doing now.
He’d removed his gloves. His broad chest expanded as he inhaled deeply, and he lifted his arms to the sky, palms up. A small cyclone of wind began over his head, whirling faster and faster, growing larger and larger. Then he pushed his hands forward and the cyclone unraveled, shooting a gale-force wind straight at the Eberoni navy. All seven ships rocked and heaved as the wind buffeted against them. Slowly, the wind turned them till their sails became full.
Rupert pushed again, and the ships shot across the water, headed north. Brigitta’s mouth dropped open. His power was incredible! In one day, he’d managed to defeat both the Tourinian and Eberoni navies. And he’d done it without anyone being harmed.
Cheers rang out on deck, but Captain Landers shouted in Tourinian, “We’re not done yet! Stay alert!”
Not done? Brigitta hurried toward the door where Jeffrey was waiting. As she stepped through, she blinked to adjust her eyes to the dimmer light in the passageway.
Sister Fallyn was scowling at her from the base of the short staircase. “Look at you, yer gown is all wet. What happened to yerself?”
“There was a big splash from some cannonballs—” When Sister Fallyn stiffened with shock, Brigitta quickly added, “But no one got hurt. Everything’s fine.”
“It is not fine,” Sister Fallyn huffed. “What on Aerthlan possessed ye to go up on deck? ’Tis too dangerous!”
“I wanted to let the Eberoni navy know that we’re here. I thought if Luciana paid for our ransom, we could go to Ebton instead of Tourin.”
“Oh.” Sister Fallyn tilted her head while she considered. “That’s not a bad idea.”
With a groan, Brigitta shook her head. “It was bad. Rupert instantly rattled off five—no, four—reasons why it wouldn’t work.” Why had he refused to tell her his fifth reason?
Sister Fallyn scoffed. “He’s a thieving pirate. What would he know?”
Quite a bit, Brigitta thought as she paused on the second step.
“Come now.” Sister Fallyn motioned for her to hurry. “We’ll feel safer in our cabin.”
“But then we won’t know what’s happening.” Brigitta glanced at Jeffrey, who was hovering behind her in the doorway. “Can we stay here? With the door open so we can hear?”
“I-I suppose.” He glanced to the side and laughed. “I can’t close the door now. A big fat pelican just sat in front of it.”
“Really?” Brigitta peered outside and smiled when she saw the pelican sitting against the door.
She glanced to the portside but could no longer spot Rupert. Where was he? She scanned the deck till she saw his hat. He was indeed tall, for the tip of his hat stood a foot above most of the crew. He was standing close to the mainmast, putting on his gloves. Then he grabbed a rope with one hand and pulled a lever with another.
Suddenly he zoomed straight up into the air till he reached the crow’s nest.
Brigitta gasped. “How did h
e—”
“It’s one of his inventions.” With a grin, Jeffrey pointed up. “See the pulley up there and the trapdoor? When Rupert pulls the lever, the trapdoor swings open and a heavy weight drops down. The weight’s connected to the same rope Rupert’s holding. So when the weight goes down—”
“Rupert goes up,” Brigitta finished. “But doesn’t the weight crash onto the deck?”
Jeffrey snorted. “Rupert designed it so the weight falls into a cargo hole, where it’s caught in a net.”
Brigitta watched the pirate swing his legs over the railing of the crow’s nest and land neatly inside. “’Tis a clever idea.”
“Oh, Rupert’s really smart,” Jeffrey boasted. “He invented the privy down below.”
“Really?” Brigitta had been astonished by the sink and toilet that had pipes with running water. There was even an odd thing Jeffrey had called a shower.
“See those tanks over there?” Jeffrey pointed at three metal tanks at the far end of the passageway. “It’s my job to make sure they’re always full. The water goes down three different pipes to the privy. One for the sink, one for the chamber pot, and one for the shower. Gravity makes the water flow downward and eventually out some pipes into the sea.”
Brigitta recalled the levers Jeffrey had shown them. By twisting them up or down, a person could make the water pour out or stop. “What if ye run out of water?”
Jeffrey waved a dismissive hand. “Rupert has it covered. He put a bunch of barrels on deck to collect rainwater.”
Indeed, Brigitta thought, the pirate had an annoying way of being quite thorough. He’d certainly blasted her idea full of holes in just a few seconds. Even so, she couldn’t help but admire how inventive his mind was.
Tall and handsome. Extremely clever. He certainly seemed like a dashing young hero. Except for the fact that he was a thieving, sorcerer pirate. And that small thing that kept nagging at her. Something about Rupert was off. She just couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“I hate to admit it,” Sister Fallyn grumbled, “but the privy was quite impressive.”
Jeffrey nodded. “That’s what Lady Ellen said. She’s the one who left all those clothes.”