Lost at Sea book 1 Where There s a Will chapter 2
- 4 years ago
- 45
- 0
The crew began rousing themselves around noon. It was just too hot to sleep comfortably any longer. The shipwrecked survivors moved slow and gingerly, trudging through their tasks with stoic determination. There was a lot to be done. The ramshackle camp was mostly just strewn hammocks and bedrolls at the edge of the lagoon. There hadn’t been time or energy for much else, so the day’s first priority was to set up a more organized campsite. Nearly half the crew, lead by Mister Reeve, were off in the nearby woods gathering firewood. The sounds of hatchets rendering branches and small trees rang out from all around. Mister North was directing traffic, balancing a clipboard on his wounded hand and scribbling notes as he told people where to put the crates being brought down from the gangplank and the incoming piles of wood. Nearby, the Kestrel’s cook was running his small crew around the three cookfires like a frustrated jester who just found out he had to pretend to be the king. His leadership style was exactly the opposite of the placid and organized Quartermaster.
“No, no, salt in that pot, flour in that one, bones in that one!” the cook shouted, one hand pressed against the side of his head. “First pot is lunch! Second is dinner! Third is for making glue! You salt it again, you’re going to eat it!”
Will sat on a stump in front of the sailcloth awning Doctor Kalfou had claimed as a medical tent. Nearby was a series of cots that had been laid out for the severely wounded. Crewmen laid in them miserable, recovering from broken limbs, puncture wounds, and amputations. All that could be done for them had been. Now it was up to time.
The Doctor herself was finishing rebandaging Will’s hand, making sure the bite wound hadn’t begun to fester. It was inflamed and quite swollen, but Friday was sure it was from bruising not infection. The good doctor had made the mistake of not keeping her footlocker locked when she was out of the room, and when the crew had retrieved it from her room it had opened, dumping most of her possessions into the remaining dirty water that had had not finished draining from the hold. So the clinic was surrounded by ropes tied between trees, drying every article of clothing she had. The only thing that had been clean was the outfit she had been wearing on Barcola, and her laboratory coat. Amid the dirty sailors trudging through the jungle and wading through the shallows, Doctor Kalfou was resplendent in white, and rather unhappy about it. Will, on the other hand, was enjoying the view.
“It’s warm enough, you’ll have dry clothes in an hour or two,’ Will shrugged. He couldn’t help but smile as he looked down the valley of her vest while she leaned forward to work on his hand. He pretended not to notice, and she pretended not to notice him noticing. Neither was fooling the other.
Friday took a deep breath and sighed dramatically, fully aware of what that did to her chest. She casually looked herself over. “Know how much this outfit cost, you? It is white. Blood or grass stains will ruin it forever. Besides, my shoes do not match at all.” She half-laughed, aware of how ridiculous she sounded.
“I definitely noticed that,” Will deadpanned. “It was the first thing I thought when I made my way through the shipwreck camp to check if my hand was rotting off. Black flats with white trousers? What were you thinking?”
She finished his new bandage and gave his hand a squeeze that was just a little harder than she needed to. “The hand will not rot off. Today,” she said archly.
“Thanks, Doc. We really should stop meeting like this,” Will smiled.
“If you wish to spend time with me, you do not need to keep injuring your hand. Your last wound has barely healed,” Friday smirked back.
Will tested the movement of his bandaged hand. “Am I that transparent?”
“Switch to a different limb next time. It was the repetition that gave you away,’ Friday teased.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Will grinned.
“Now, what about the rest of you?” Doctor Kalfou asked.
Will winced a bit, not wanting to admit how badly he was hurt but knowing he should. With an apologetic look he unbuckled his belt and dropped his pants. Doctor Kalfou’s brows raise as she saw his legs. His thighs were covered in ropey bruises where the grindylow’s tentacles had wound around him and squeezed. He raised his chin so she could more easily see the bruises around his neck where he’d been strangled.
“Seen so many of those,” Friday said sadly. “Not much I can do. They will fade.”
“I figured,” Will nodded. “Other than that it’s just the rope burns on my palms.”
“More I can do little about. I have balm, but others need it more.” the doctor shrugged. “Keep the burn clean, and if it swells or fills with fluid come to me.”
Will pulled up his pants. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Shoo,” Doctor Kalfou said waving her hands at him.
Will buckled his belt and headed off to find Jack.
“Sterling!” a voice called out. Will turned his head, surprised. The cook was waving him over. He changed course, wondering what the cook needed from him. They’d only briefly met. Unlike most of the rest of the crew, a ship’s cook was nearly always away from everyone else. The crew rotated galley duty, helping as cook’s mates, but ship’s officers were exempt so Will had barely spoken to the man.
“Stewpot,” Will said as he approached. “What can I do for you?”
“Stewart ‘Stewpot’ Kees was a lanky, dark skinned man with a slight pot belly. Currently, his right arm was bandaged so thickly that only the ends of his fingers stuck free. Will had heard the crew joke that Stewpot didn’t actually own any shirts. He had aprons instead. He was an intense man, quick to yell at mistakes and laziness, but also constantly smiling and joking.
“A bunch of the foodstores were lost in the flood,” Stewpot said, not bothering with the niceties that usually came with casual acquaintances. “Mister North saved as much as he could, but I have a bunch of stuff I need to use before it turns. Here.” The cook pulled the cover off a slightly dented serving tray and offered Will a confection baked in a bread tray.
Will’s brows rose. The top was a lattice of sugared pie crust with delicious smelling filling seeping from within. It looked slightly burnt at the edges and would have been rejected from nearly any bakery, but it was far more decadent than Will ever expected to see onboard a ship, much less a jungle island after a shipwreck.
Will took it with slack jawed surprise. It was still warm. “Stu, how did you ... why?” Will shook his head. “Is that peach cobbler?”
“Aye,’ Stewart grinned and handed Will a fork. “Picked up the sugar and peaches on Barcola. It was supposed to be a big thing for the whole crew in about a week, but only a bit of it made it through last night. It isn’t much, but I wanted to say thanks. You saved all our asses. If you see Miss Webber and Mister Quinn, tell them I have one for them too.”
Will took a slow bite and rolled his eyes in pleasure as the taste flooded his mouth. “Damn, Stu. This is amazing. You made this on a campfire?”
Stewpot tilted his head and grinned, thumbing over his shoulder. “Naw. Ship’s right there.”
“Oh. Right. I guess the oven still works,” Will chuckled, feeling stupid. “Thanks, this is really too much.”
“Like hell!” The cook held up both hands in protest. “We’d all be dead if not for you.”
“I don’t know about that,” Will shrugged.
“Well that’s what the crew thinks.” Stewpot insisted. “Look, I’ve been with the Captain a while. I signed on because she’s a living legend. Every story about her is some combination of damn fool crazy, and unbelievable nonsense. I wanted to see if the stories were true, so here I am. There’s been enough scrapes and wonders the last few years that I thought I was ready for anything, you know? I mean, there’s a reason I stuck around when she said she was going after the Drifts. Pretty much all of us who’ve been with her a while are like that. Whatever she’s a part of, we want a front row seat. Last night though ... we ain’t never seen anything like that.” Stewpot lifted his injured arm, then pulled his apron aside so Will could see the mass of bruising around his ribs and chest. “While you were on that thrice-damned ship I took one of their tongues in the wrist. It dragged me in like a damn fish and started crushing the life out of me. I thought I was a goner. Would have been too, if not for Mister Reeve. I was laying there on my back trying to figure out how to breathe again when the blast went off and you three came diving off that wreck back to us. I don’t think you could see the other ship, right? Whatever you did made it jerk away from us like it was being yanked by the hand of the Warden herself. As soon as it was gone, the rest of those damn monsters jumped back into the drink. We all went from fighting for our lives to standing around like idiots in about ten seconds. The three of you ended it. The least I can do is make you a pie.”
“Well, I appreciate it,” Will said, not really sure what to say. “I’m glad you aren’t going to lose the hand.”
“The new Doc saved it,” Stew smiled. “She says it will take a long time to heal, but that’s better than a hook. She’s mighty impressive.”
“Aye,” Will said, talking around another bite of cobbler. “Most of us would be a lot worse off today without her. Fresh wounds and jungles are a dangerous mix.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Stewpot said. “Gotta get back to yelling at these amateurs. If I keep on ‘em, lunch will only be two hours late.”
Will laughed and gave Stewpot a wave as he left, then headed off again to find Jack. He found her having a conversation with Danica North.
“That’s essentially what I had in mind anyway,” Jack was saying. “Just make sure no one wanders off into the jungle before I have a chance to talk to them.”
“Aye,” the First Mate nodded. Her usual smile was missing at the moment. “What about Morant’s men? They seem to know what they’re doing, but I don’t know if they’re reliable. The whole crew knows they stayed below deck through most of the fight, and the tensions are already ratcheting up.”
“Wonderful,” Jack sighed. “As if this situation isn’t tense enough already.”
“Exactly. Coleman and I are still working out how to handle it,” Danica said. She noticed Will and gave him a curt wave before turning back to her discussion.
“They aren’t going to go anywhere unless Morant tells them to, and he’s going to keep them close,” Jack said, offering Will a glance of greeting mid-sentence. “They’re all trained survivalists, but you’re not going to be able to use them for scouting.”
“I guess that will be all on you,” Danica sighed, clearly frustrated.
“Him too,” Jack nodded in Will’s direction.
“Him too,” Will agreed around a mouthful of cobbler.
“You do jungles?” Danica asked, impressed.
“Once or twice. I’m not as good as she is, but I probably won’t die right away,” Will shrugged.
“Sounds better than the rest of us,” Danica’s smile returned for a moment. “So what about Morant’s men?” she asked Jack.
“Link them up with your husband, and have them help him organize the base camp. That will keep them close to Morant, but also make them useful, and might help diffuse the tension with the rest of the crew,” Jack suggested.
Danica nodded slowly. “That’s a pretty subtle way of dealing with a bunch of problems at once.”
“I have my moments,” Jack said dryly.
“Her dad’s a diplomat,” Will said with a smirk in Jack’s direction. “You’d never know it from how she usually handles things, but she’s actually pretty good at this stuff.”
Jack tipped her hat Will’s direction.
“Did you see if the Doc was free yet?” Danica asked Will.
“Well, she has the infirmary up and running, but I think she’s done treating everyone so now it’s just looking after the ones who are bad off,” Will answered. “If you need to talk to her, now is probably a good time. You wounded?”
“Not badly.” she shrugged. “Scrapes and bruises mostly. I have some burns from where a spotlight blew up on me.” She gestured to her chest area.
“Burns are very prone to infection,” Jack said, suddenly concerned. “In a jungle, that will kill you.”
Danica looked surprised, then sighed. “I already hate jungles.” She trudged off in the direction of the medical tent.
Will offered Jack his half-eaten peach cobbler. She raised an eyebrow at it, and took it like she thought he might be pulling a prank on her. He waited. She took a fork full and her eyes widened. “Where? How?” She took a bite and her eyes rolled back in pleasure. “What devil did you make a deal with?”
“The terrible demon, Stewpot,” Will grinned.
“Stewpot is a ridiculous name for a demon,” Jack said, taking another bite.
“Pretty good name for a ship’s cook though.”
“Oh, is that his name?” Jack asked.
“You’ve been on the ship longer than me, and you still haven’t learned the cook’s name?” Will asked pointedly.
Jack looked at the cobbler thoughtfully. “Clearly a mistake on my part.”
“You obviously forgot what I told you about ships,” Will chuckled.
“You’ve told me a lot of things about ships. Most of it, not terribly useful,” Jack took another bite.
“The most important people to know are the cook and the quartermaster,” Will reminded her.
“Mmm,” Jack said, swallowing. “Did you come find me just to give me folksy sailor wisdom?”
“I thought you might want your machete back,” Will pulled her sheathed blade from his belt.
Jack eyed it, then passed the cobbler back and took the weapon. She removed his sword from her belt, passed it to him, and fixed her blade back in it’s usual place at the small of her back. “What happened to your pistols, anyway?” she asked. “I noticed you don’t carry them anymore.”
“They’re back at the lighthouse. I stopped wearing them because I’d miss or misfire as often as I hit my target,” Will said around another bite of cobbler. “The last straw was when I missed a shot, and the bullet ricocheted into a lantern, set the ship on fire, and ended up snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. After that I hung them up. Too unreliable.”
“That’s awful.” Jack winced. Then she looked guilty. “I’m-”
“Sorry, I know,” Will nodded. “Things are already awkward enough with us without you feeling bad every time I talk about anything that’s happened in the last few years.”
“It really shouldn’t have...” She scowled. “It makes no sense.”
“I guess you don’t understand it as well as you think you do,” Will shrugged, handing the cobbler back to her so he could hang his rapier properly.
She gave him a flat stare, her arrogant nature flashing up instantly, but softened right after. She nodded. “You’re right. I don’t. It’s infuriating.”
Things between them were tense. They both dealt with it similarly, by pretending it wasn’t there and trying to behave normally, but it simmered beneath the surface of everything, coloring every interaction with layers of doubt, worry, second-guessing, and bitterness. They were both used to that, and expected it. It had become the background noise of their new relationship, so in the rare moments when it suddenly stopped, the emotional silence was deafening. Jack admitting she was wrong was something Will wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to, and now here she was doing it again.
Will took a deep breath, finished fixing his belt and gave her a half-hearted smile. “We both know more than we did a few weeks ago. It’s a good start.”
“Now who’d being a diplomat?” Jack asked, returning his half-smile and the last of his cobbler.
They looked at each other with so much left unsaid, for now, but they both noticed that it was starting to feel easier to be around each other. The situation was tense and frightening, but for these two there was something about being bickering while shipwrecked on an unexplored island that felt like home.
Captain Vex sat against the wall in her cabin. She hated how still her ship was. It was lodged against a sandbar at the edge of a lagoon to keep from sinking. Gone was the comforting rocking of the waves and the creak of the timbers. The Kestrel felt dead.
Captain Vex wished she was. She sat motionless, limply holding her silver flask. Her red-rimmed eyes stared at the shelves on the opposite wall. She knew every knick knack. She could track the arc of her career on that wall. Places. Adventures. People. They were her trophies. Her treasure. They were the life she’d worked so hard to create.
The top shelf was lined in delicate white plates and cups, beautifully painted with images of trees with blooming pink petals and squarish arches with swept tops. Only a few were fully intact. Most had cracks or chips. They were all old, recovered from scavengers. Of all the legends of the seas, they represented the one Captain Vex loved the most. They were relics of a lost people.
The Kami.
No one knew who they were, or where they had gone. They’d simply vanished, leaving behind incredible works of art, craftsmanship, and architecture unlike anything seen anywhere else in the world. Adventurers and archaeologists had discovered some of their history, but nothing of how they had learned to make such strange and wondrous crafts, or what happened to them.
The story sailors told was that they weren’t really gone. They walked among us still, looking like everyone else. They’d left behind their homes and their own way of life and faded into the world. Anyone you passed on the street might secretly be one of them. That was their way. They wore names like clothes. If you made friends with a Kami, and learned the truth of them, it was best to keep their secret. If you ask them, or revealed their identity to anyone else, they would vanish forever, and go take on a new name somewhere else.
Captain Vex had always felt a kinship with the tales of the Kami. She found comfort in the idea that anyone she met might have a secret legend, that a person could create a new version of themselves whenever they needed to. Mostly though, she liked the story because it made her feel like less of a fraud.
Her ship was broken, her crew was scattered and shaken, there were bodies waiting to be buried. Her luck had been bound to run out sooner or later. It was said that the sea reveals a person’s true self. There was no way she was going to keep up her ruse forever. She’d always known that someday the truth would come out. She was just angry that she’d survived it. Every part of her wanted to run. To vanish into some legend like the Kami, to take a new name and become someone else. Again.
This time there was nowhere to go.
She tried to take a drink from her flask, but it was long since empty. With a shriek of sudden rage, she hurled it. One of the delicate white cups exploded, falling to the floor in a dozen pieces.
She put her face in her hands and wept again.
Tonya bit her lip and closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the sensation. The client behind her had big hands that nearly encircled her waist. He was driving into her at a delightfully slow but firm pace, drawing her off of his cock like he was trying to be a bit gentle, then pulling her back to him just as slowly, but with a delicious impact right at the end. He really wasn’t bad. Certainly better than most. Not bad looking, and not bad with his hands. She liked being touched, and he liked touching. He was one of her regulars, and when he’d come in she’d been thrilled. After the previous two disappointments of the afternoon she felt like she was about to start crawling the walls.
Today was the first day she could think of that she didn’t love her job. Normally she could get off with nearly every client. Bella said she was gifted. That sensitive spot inside her was apparently extra sensitive, by comparison to most women. There was almost always a position where a cock could bump it or rub past it the right way, and within a few minutes she’d just be rolling through orgasms.
Not today.
She could feel it, that hot, wet tension building inside her, just like it always did. It seemed like she was close a few times, but just like the other night every time she got close the tension would slip away, cool a bit, release just enough to not let her get to that luscious breaking point that she desperately craved.
Her John started to pick up his pace. Her hands clenched in the sheets. She loved it. The steady, driving rhythm. The feeling of fullness. His strong hands, and that perfect bumping of that nexus of pleasure tucked a few inches inside her. She had an unspoken theory that some women were just better built for sex than others. It was a private source of pride for her. She might be a poor, uneducated, flat-chested orphan, but she could out-fuck any woman she’d ever met. Well, save for Bella. Someday, she thought she might be able to surpass her teacher too. After all, sex magic was about sex, and nobody loved sex as much as she did.
She loved her life now. She had a room, she ate every day, she was surrounded by fun people, Caine and Chance were always around to make sure she was safe, she got paid to do what she loved most, and made a pretty good living at it. A few months ago Chance told her she was pretty consistently in the top three earners at Mary’s, not because she did anything special that cost extra, or because she had high-rolling regulars, but because she put in the hours and racked up the numbers. A quick dip and wash between clients was all she needed before she was out on the floor again. Her co-workers teased her about her love of cocks. She knew it was probably a bit too much when a bunch of whores told her that she was too much of a whore, but she wasn’t ashamed. Cocks were proof of the love of the gods. They were all different, but they could all bump that button inside her enough to get her off. She had a regular who came in avery couple months who was too small to reach that spot, but she still enjoyed being with him because it let her practice getting off by playing with her clit instead. Bella kept telling her that she needed to practice sexual skills individually, but most of the time she couldn’t. That spot inside her was too sensitive, so the only way she could practice external orgasms is if there wasn’t any penetration at all. As soon as something was inside her, it took the reins.
Like now, for instance. Her hand was working furiously between her legs. Her head rolled to the side and pressed into the mattress, her breath ragged and full of breathy, demanding moans. The cock inside her was knocking on her pleasure button with every stroke, and her clit was buzzing with electrical joy, but it just wasn’t enough. She clenched and writhed and tried, but nothing worked.
She couldn’t come.
With a final thrust her John emptied his lust inside her and held her hips, breathing heavily for another minute. She just lay there, silently tangled in emotional knots, trying to figure out what was wrong with her.
Emptiness bloomed inside her as he withdrew. The gush and drip that she usually enjoyed was without any of the usual aftershocks. There was no satisfaction this time. Her John thanked her and got up from the bed. Her legs pushed out straight. She heard him get dressed but didn’t move. He asked if she was alright. She nodded. “You wore me out, sweetheart. I’m just going to rest a bit.”
He left feeling proud. She stayed where she was feeling frustrated and confused.
“Get out!” Belita snapped as the door to her cabin opened.
Bella froze, the words she tried to say dying on her lips as a cold, clammy fear gripped her heart. She gave the captain a fast nod and closed the door. The heavy thud of th wood hitting the frame jolted her ... She leaned against the wall for a moment, forcing her heart and breath to slow. She looked down at her shaking hands. What was that? What was Belita doing? Why was she angry? Bella took a few deeper breaths. Why had she reacted like that? The captain was her friend, and obviously hurting. Why was she so ... scared?
On slightly wobbly legs, she walked across the ship, down the gangplank, and through the bustling camp to the infirmary. She felt like she was floating. She was moving, but she wasn’t really feeling her feet hit the ground. Everything felt distant and automatic. She found Doctor Kalfou talking to Danica North. The First Mate was buttoning her shirt back up and nodding. Whatever she was saying cut off as she saw Bella. She tapped Doctor Kalfou on the arm and gestured. The Doctor’s eyes found her and went wide. She walked over slowly. “What happened?”
There was a hollow rushing in Bella’s ears. She hadn’t noticed it, but through the fog in her head she realized she wasn’t really hearing anything. Noticing that helped drag her back to coherency. The Doctor had said something, but she didn’t know what. She felt like she couldn’t speak. All she could do was shake her head.
The Doctor said something to Danica, who nodded and ran off into the camp, but Bella didn’t really register. She felt strange. Distant. Not really able to think. She wanted to ask for help, but didn’t know what to ask for. She let the doctor lead her to a crate covered in a blanket and let herself be sat down. The doctor checked her neck, her eyes, ran her fingers through her hair, and seemed deeply concerned. Bella wanted to reassure her. She smiled. It was all she could manage.
Danica came running back with Jack, who rushed up and practically threw herself to her knees in front of Bella. Their hands clasped. Jack snapped her head back and forth between Bella and the Doctor, talking quickly. Bella’s brows furrowed. Jack. She wanted to say...
“Jack!” Bella forced out, pushing herself off the crate and into Jack’s arms. They held each other, on their knees, Jack petting Bella’s hair and whispering reassurances to her. Bella sobbed.
Danica and Doctor Kalfou waited. “What happened?” Danica asked.
“Do not know, I,” Doctor Kalfou shook her head, worried.
“She was white as a ghost,” Danica said, her concern plain on her face.
“Saw it last night also, during the attack,” Doctor Kalfou nodded. “She came into the infirmary and looked just like that, pale and unresponsive. Miss Hunter managed to get through to her, and then I kept her focused at the time but whatever it is, it is clearly not dealt with.”
“It’s just her,” Jack said quietly. “She used to wake up screaming, and slip into that fugue. She just needs to be held until she comes back.”
Doctor Kalfou took a small breath of surprise and understanding.
“Night terrors. Right,” Danica nodded “Had a crewman who used to get them. The Captain’s old first mate before me managed to cure them. Seems weird during the day though.”
“No,” Doctor Kalfou shook her head. “For Miss Fortuna, her nightmares are a symptom. As is this dissociative state.”
Danica was confused. “A symptom of what?”
“Miss Hunter, did Miss Fortuna ... survive something terrible?” the Doctor asked.
Jack slowly nodded. “Lots of things. She’s N’madi. Her childhood was one long string of horror and survival.”
“The Purges,” Doctor Kalfou said, her voice full of flint.
Jack nodded again, still holding Bella tightly.
“The Witch Purges On the Mainland?” Danica asked. Doctor Kalfou nodded. Danica looked sicked. “I’ve heard stories. I thought they had to be exaggerated. It all sounded like stuff the Skinsails might do. Whole caravans of people rounded up and burned. People branded, imprisoned, hung, just because there were Witches in their family. Bella survived that?”
“She lost almost everyone she’d ever known,” Jack said. “I think she lived through three different slaughters, and a few other close calls. Her mother saved her, over and over again.”
“Four,” Bella muttered quietly. She unburied her face from the crook of Jack’s neck and gave her a weak smile. “But that was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter now.”
Jack nodded and helped her to her feet.
“Sorry to cause such a fuss,” Bella said, wiping her eyes. “I don’t know what came over me. I guess last night hit me harder than I thought.”
“Sit,” Doctor Kalfou said firmly.
“No, it’s alright,” Bella said, smoothing her skirts. “You have more important things to do, and I really need to go find my Familiar.”
Doctor Kalfou clapped once, loudly. Bella grabbed Jack in a death-grip and buried her face in Jack’s shoulder, closing her eyes tightly. Jack put her arms around her again and glared at the Doctor. Then Bella slowly relaxed relaxed, let go, and looked at her shaking hands.
She sat down. “I think something’s wrong.”
Doctor Kalfou nodded. “Trauma sometimes leaves behind emotional echoes. They can come back in other times of stress.”
“Like nightmares,” Danica said, starting to understand.
“Or suddenly finding yourself in a room full of blood and screams,” Doctor Kalfou said gently.
“What happened this time?” Jack asked.
Bella looked a little sheepish. “The Captain yelled at me.”
Jack felt herself getting angry. “Bitch,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Why?” Danica asked, confused. “That’s not like her.”
Will’s head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. He was cold. He was naked. He was stiff and sore.He was in a bathtub.Uncoiling himself was a process. He caught a whiff of himself and recoiled. What had happened?“Oh. Right,” he croaked as memories came flooding back to him. He reached over and started working the pump. In sputtering bursts seawater came flowing into the tub. It was comfortably warm. Probably daytime. The ocean was usually warm by noon this time of year. The charm hanging...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill’s head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. He was cold. He was naked. He was stiff and sore. He was in a bathtub. Uncoiling himself was a process. He caught a whiff of himself and recoiled. What had happened? “Oh. Right,” he croaked as memories came flooding back to him. He reached over and started working the pump. In sputtering bursts seawater came flowing into the tub. It was comfortably warm. Probably daytime. The ocean was usually warm by noon this time of year. The charm...
Dawn was breaking. The storm had passed and the eastern horizon was slowly swelling from black to purple to herald the coming of the sun. The crew of the Kestrel was finishing roping hammocks between trees. The wounded were mostly already asleep. Others were unloading the smallboats they’d used to get supplies ashore. They were all exhausted but still managing to trudge along. Lord Morant and his porters had set up tents near the waterline, a ways away from the rest of the crew. Bella had found...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe island of Barcola was primarily Nivalese. The inhabitants had managed to repel a mainland occupation a half-century prior by pulling the majority of their people into the mountains and fighting a brutal guerrilla war against the colonizing forces. In the narrow mountain passes, the mainlanders’ usual tactics of shielded firing lines and phalanx-style close combat were completely useless. The colonists tried to starve out the natives, but the lush tropical mountain provided everything the...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe crescent shaped cliffside was littered with walkways and bridges, and dotted throughout with caves. Platforms made from a hodgepodge of materials were anchored into the walls, and stacked on each other haphazardly. Thick ropes and chains made an elaborate net that reminded Will of rigging designed by a madman. The largest platform hung in the center of it all, ringed with crane arms and hoist tackle. The whole web looked unstable, but figures walked throughout the tangle without a hint of...
Will got out of the tub after a quick rinse. He was impressed at how warm the water had stayed.“Jus’ pull the drain stopper,” Belita said. She was in the process of being dried off by her dutiful cabin girl. She had her foot up on a stool and Bella was finishing dragging a soft cloth along her thigh and calf.“Do I get that sort of treatment?” Will asked.“You’re not captain,” Cabin Girl Bella said, smugly. He looked around for his own towel. The one Bella had been using hit him in the face. The...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill got out of the tub after a quick rinse. He was impressed at how warm the water had stayed. “Jus’ pull the drain stopper,” Belita said. She was in the process of being dried off by her dutiful cabin girl. She had her foot up on a stool and Bella was finishing dragging a soft cloth along her thigh and calf. “Do I get that sort of treatment?” Will asked. “You’re not captain,” Cabin Girl Bella said, smugly. He looked around for his own towel. The one Bella had been using hit him in the...
The sky was a flat, grey plane of clouds, slowly roiling. The air was warm and charged. The winds were gentle. An electrical storm was brewing.Will stared at Jack for a long time. “Do you ever think about what you’re about to say before it comes out of your mouth?”“Come on, Will! You never used to care about the words. You could see right past them and knew exactly what I meant. Try that now,” Jack demanded. She was barreling straight on, trying to get Will to catch up.Will wasn’t having it....
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe sky was a flat, grey plane of clouds, slowly roiling. The air was warm and charged. The winds were gentle. An electrical storm was brewing. Will stared at Jack for a long time. “Do you ever think about what you’re about to say before it comes out of your mouth?” “Come on, Will! You never used to care about the words. You could see right past them and knew exactly what I meant. Try that now,” Jack demanded. She was barreling straight on, trying to get Will to catch up. Will wasn’t having...
Will was surprised. He’d heard Bella talk about how bad hexes were before. “I thought you didn’t hex people.”“I don’t, usually. It’s one of those things the Magistrate really frowns on, but against pirates trying to kill us I’m willing to bend the rules,” Bella smiled. She finished crawling around and drawing the second circle as Will tied the mirror to the mast. Inside the mirror Will heard Tonya arrive. “Sorry it took me so long, I really needed to get cleaned up. What’s going on?” Bella’s...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“Fuck,” Will swore. Will tried to turn, but his foot slipped on something. His bourbon from earlier. He ended up catching himself on the bar, but he was off balance. Inside him, he felt something seem to slide.Caine stood up.The whole room went quiet. To Will, everything seemed like slow motion. He knew this feeling. It felt like the world was sliding sideways, and he was a bystander in his own body. He tried to say something, but it was like he was moving through molasses. He only had time to...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“Fuck,” Will swore. Will tried to turn, but his foot slipped on something. His bourbon from earlier. He ended up catching himself on the bar, but he was off balance. Inside him, he felt something seem to slide.Caine stood up.The whole room went quiet. To Will, everything seemed like slow motion. He knew this feeling. It felt like the world was sliding sideways, and he was a bystander in his own body. He tried to say something, but it was like he was moving through molasses. He only had time to...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill was surprised. He’d heard Bella talk about how bad hexes were before. “I thought you didn’t hex people.” “I don’t, usually. It’s one of those things the Magistrate really frowns on, but against pirates trying to kill us I’m willing to bend the rules,” Bella smiled. She finished crawling around and drawing the second circle as Will tied the mirror to the mast. Inside the mirror Will heard Tonya arrive. “Sorry it took me so long, I really needed to get cleaned up. What’s going on?”...
Captain Vex’s hands knotted in the witch’s dark curls. Bella was a profoundly skilled lover. The Captain had a taste of what Bella could do on top of the lighthouse, but being the sole focus of-of a sex witch’s ministrations when there were no other distractions (and Bella was feeling particularly thankful) was to be given the best possible seat in a masterclass in how to pleasure a woman.Belita had already been turned on fiercely by helping Bella with her recharge ritual. The witch was so...
Fantasy & Sci-FiJanie’s breath caught in her throat. Will slowly sat down at the table and held his hands up. “There’s no need for that. Let go of the lady and we’ll talk.”“We ain’t here to talk,” the brute with the pistol said. Another man walked through the door and closed it. He was short and unfortunate looking with no chin and an overly large hawkish nose. His choice to keep bushy sideburns but shave the rest only served to draw more attention to his worst features.“Timmons?” Will said, confused at the...
Fantasy & Sci-FiJanie’s breath caught in her throat. Will slowly sat down at the table and held his hands up. “There’s no need for that. Let go of the lady and we’ll talk.”“We ain’t here to talk,” the brute with the pistol said. Another man walked through the door and closed it. He was short and unfortunate looking with no chin and an overly large hawkish nose. His choice to keep bushy sideburns but shave the rest only served to draw more attention to his worst features.“Timmons?” Will said, confused at the...
Fantasy & Sci-FiLost At Sea - PrologueHer name was Linda Reuters, but she resembled Scarlett Johansson just enough for her friends and colleagues to often call her 'Scarlett' instead of her real name. They thought it was funny and she pretended she despised it, but that was all smoke and mirrors: Secretly she had always found the cheesy nickname much more interesting than her real name. And so, from a certain point she had just stopped correcting people. She was, after all, a practical thinking woman. ?You...
Lace lounged against a tree, enjoying the music and her drunken buzz. The wake was still going. It wasn’t the happiest reason for revelry, but after a shipwreck and being attacked by monsters it was clear the crew would take any reason they could get. Sailors were an odd lot. They tended to be fairly stoic until you put a few drinks in them. Then everything they were feeling came pouring out. They were communal too, so what one felt, they tended to all feel, even if they generally didn’t talk...
“Bring her about to port, nice and gentle, but keep tightening the turn until she starts t’ list. Then pull back,” Captain Vex said.“Aye, Captain,” Colin Strong said with much less enthusiasm than usual. The big man looked like hell. The whole right side of his face and parts of the left were swollen and bruised in an angry clash of colors. Purples, yellows, even some blues and greens. The impact points were the fierce dark red of abraded skin and broken blood vessels. His upper lip was swollen...
Fantasy & Sci-FiHe had hips that pounded like the waves, relentless and driving. A slow, rhythmic battering that was trying to knock her over. All she could do was hold on. He stared down at her, his eyes full of concern but his expression a mask of calm. His large hands gripped her hips and pulled her back as he drove forward over and over again. Something inside her spasmed.“Holy… fuck,” she muttered, her hands clenching against the wall.“Are you alright?” he asked, pausing his pounding hips. It was obvious...
Fantasy & Sci-FiHe had hips that pounded like the waves, relentless and driving. A slow, rhythmic battering that was trying to knock her over. All she could do was hold on. He stared down at her, his eyes full of concern but his expression a mask of calm. His large hands gripped her hips and pulled her back as he drove forward over and over again. Something inside her spasmed.“Holy… fuck,” she muttered, her hands clenching against the wall.“Are you alright?” he asked, pausing his pounding hips. It was obvious...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“You should have come straight to me,” Lord Morant said with an authoritarian stare.They were standing on the deck of the fishing boat as it pulled away from the docks. Morant, Lynch and Jack had joined them without a word as they boarded the ship. Will had started to speak, but Morant had cut him off.“Why would I do that?” Will snarled back, still fuming.“Nae, Will. He’s right,” Captain Vex said. She wore her hat and coat, but her other clothes had still been wet and were packed away, so she...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe crew began rousing themselves around noon. It was just too hot to sleep comfortably any longer. The shipwrecked survivors moved slow and gingerly, trudging through their tasks with stoic determination. There was a lot to be done. The ramshackle camp was mostly just strewn hammocks and bedrolls at the edge of the lagoon. There hadn’t been time or energy for much else, so the day’s first priority was to set up a more organized campsite. Nearly half the crew, lead by Mister Reeve, were off in...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“The energy doesn’t have to come from you, it just needs to be received by you,” Bella said. She was watching Captain Vex’s back arch against the bed while Will’s tongue worked between her legs. Belita stretched languidly like a big golden housecat, her expression happy and glazed.“Received?” Tonya asked, not following.“Well, it has to turn you on,” Bella clarified. “That’s not a completely accurate way to put it, but there’s enough overlap that it will work until you have enough experience to...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe prow of the wrecked ship hit the Kestrel with a sickening crunch. Swabs went to their knees. Riggers hung on to their ropes as they were whipped back and forth by the jarring impact. A few unlucky sailors even found themselves bowled completely over, or found themselves hanging in the air, suspended by their safety lines. Rope burn, splinters and scraped skin abounded. Those at the front of the ship fared the worst. Danica and Mister Lynch were thrown backwards from the prow all the way to...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“So there was something under the water?” Captain Vex asked. “Yeah,” Will nodded, as he bolted down the last of the spotlight-lanterns on the railing next to the ship’s wheel. The other three hadn’t survived the fight on the prow. Captain Vex wasn’t thrilled about that, those lanterns were expensive. Will’s hands hurt badly, but he still had a bit more to do before he could let the doctor look him over. Besides, there were a lot of crew worse off than he was. “I started to figure it out when...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe island of Barcola was primarily Nivalese. The inhabitants had managed to repel a mainland occupation a half-century prior by pulling the majority of their people into the mountains and fighting a brutal guerrilla war against the colonizing forces. In the narrow mountain passes, the mainlanders’ usual tactics of shielded firing lines and phalanx-style close combat were completely useless. The colonists tried to starve out the natives, but the lush tropical mountain provided everything the...
“What did you do?” Caine asked. Janie hadn’t really noticed him come in. He was leaning in the doorway watching Janie blow out the candles in front of the mirror. She was disheveled and flushed after watching Bella work her oral magic on Captain Vex, and she definitely did not expect an audience for what she was thinking about doing next.She was recovering from being startled, but Caine didn’t give her time to reply. “A customer says you stiffed him?”“That isn’t true at all!” Janie said. “I did...
Fantasy & Sci-FiJanie looked at herself in the mirror. She barely recognized the person she saw.Her had been styled with hot metal rods and some kind of light, fragrant oil that held its shape as it dried. It had taken a while, sitting there and letting Tonya do who-knows-what to it. Then Tonya had put makeup on her and helped her pick out an outfit from a communal closet. After all that work she could finally see it all. Her hair tumbled in loose flowing waves. A small black hat with a white band was pinned...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThey got out of bed and Janie tentatively approached the ladder. She looked over to Bella who shoo’d her forward encouragingly. Janie began to climb. She could faintly hear the rhythmic slapping of skin on skin and a woman’s deep, throaty moans. She climbed a little faster.As her head crested the trapdoor in the early dawn light she saw Belita Vex still wearing one of Will’s large shirts and nothing else, holding onto the brass railing, looking over her shoulder with an expression of excited...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThey got out of bed and Janie tentatively approached the ladder. She looked over to Bella who shoo’d her forward encouragingly. Janie began to climb. She could faintly hear the rhythmic slapping of skin on skin and a woman’s deep, throaty moans. She climbed a little faster.As her head crested the trapdoor in the early dawn light she saw Belita Vex still wearing one of Will’s large shirts and nothing else, holding onto the brass railing, looking over her shoulder with an expression of excited...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe prow of the wrecked ship hit the Kestrel with a sickening crunch. Swabs went to their knees. Riggers hung on to their ropes as they were whipped back and forth by the jarring impact. A few unlucky sailors even found themselves bowled completely over, or found themselves hanging in the air, suspended by their safety lines. Rope burn, splinters and scraped skin abounded. Those at the front of the ship fared the worst. Danica and Mister Lynch were thrown backwards from the prow all the way...
“Get out!” Belita yelled as the door opened.“Nope,” Danica said, walking in and shutting the door behind her. “I said leave!” Belita snarled, pushing herself halfway up into an unsteady, angry crouch.“And I said no,” Danica shrugged. She walked over and sat down against the wall next to the Captain. “Part of my job is to tell you no when you need it. Right now you need it. What’s going on?”“Insubordinate… I’m going tae-” Belita couldn’t find the words.“What? Lock me up? Whip me? Hang me?”...
Fantasy & Sci-FiCaptain Vex’s hands knotted in the witch’s dark curls. Bella was a profoundly skilled lover. The Captain had a taste of what Bella could do on top of the lighthouse, but being the sole focus of of a sex witch’s ministrations when there were no other distractions (and Bella was feeling particularly thankful) was to be given the best possible seat in a masterclass in how to pleasure a woman. Belita had already been turned on fiercely by helping Bella with her recharge ritual. The witch was so...
Will had his feet up on his desk and was enjoying some long awaited silence. It felt a bit strange to be alone. Only a few days ago he would have been used to it. Janie had always left in the evenings. He rarely had visitors. The lighthouse was built in an area of the town which did not have a lot of nighttime activity.All the chaos and excitement that had happened the last few days was what his life had once been like all the time. Now that he had it again it made him realized how much he’d...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill had his feet up on his desk and was enjoying some long awaited silence. It felt a bit strange to be alone. Only a few days ago he would have been used to it. Janie had always left in the evenings. He rarely had visitors. The lighthouse was built in an area of the town which did not have a lot of nighttime activity.All the chaos and excitement that had happened the last few days was what his life had once been like all the time. Now that he had it again it made him realized how much he’d...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe barge Princess Caroline made a brief stop at Westminster Bridge steps, allowing Patrick and I to disembark, from where it was but a short walk along Whitehall to Horse Guards. On entering Colonel Slade’s office I was pleased to see both Krish Armityge and Zinnia Teazle present, as I had little opportunity to speak to either of them before having to rush off to Bristol. I looked forward to picking up the latest news concerning Caroline Ashford from Krish, and of my sister Rebekah from...
“Aye, Cap’n,” Will said, his voice muffled between her legs. His tongue kept up its swirling around her entrance, occasionally sweeping up and fluttering across her clit. She sat up a bit, leaning back on her forearms and watching the top of his head. The muscles in her thighs and her butt twitched of their own accord, squeezing as her pleasure mounted. She ran a hand through his hair and pulled his mouth harder into her, starting to rock her hips.He firmed his tongue into a point and started...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“Aye, Cap’n,” Will said, his voice muffled between her legs. His tongue kept up its swirling around her entrance, occasionally sweeping up and fluttering across her clit. She sat up a bit, leaning back on her forearms and watching the top of his head. The muscles in her thighs and her butt twitched of their own accord, squeezing as her pleasure mounted. She ran a hand through his hair and pulled his mouth harder into her, starting to rock her hips.He firmed his tongue into a point and started...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. She was exhausted. She’d been standing unmoving, concentrating fiercely for hours. Her whole body ached. Fighting to remain in one position while the ocean rocked the floor beneath her had been much more difficult than she expected. Her thighs were quivering. In spite of her fatigue, her eyes were glued to the mirror, watching the scene play out in her alcove.Tonya was naked, sitting on Bella’s table, her legs spread wide and wrapped around...
Fantasy & Sci-FiA loop of rope dropped around a pale neck. The screaming head attached to it didn’t seem to notice. The makeshift noose went taught. A pale, rag-clad body was yanked thrashing into the air. Lace Webber swung down like a boom, counterbalancing the weight of the creature she’d just lassoed against her own. She crashed into another grindylow with both feet, feeling a satisfying crack and sending the clumsy creature sprawling across the deck. Another crewman quickly took advantage of the opening,...
Fantasy & Sci-FiA loop of rope dropped around a pale neck. The screaming head attached to it didn’t seem to notice. The makeshift noose went taught. A pale, rag-clad body was yanked thrashing into the air. Lace Webber swung down like a boom, counterbalancing the weight of the creature she’d just lassoed against her own. She crashed into another grindylow with both feet, feeling a satisfying crack and sending the clumsy creature sprawling across the deck. Another crewman quickly took advantage of the...
“So there was something under the water?” Captain Vex asked. “Yeah,” Will nodded, as he bolted down the last of the spotlight-lanterns on the railing next to the ship’s wheel. The other three hadn’t survived the fight on the prow. Captain Vex wasn’t thrilled about that, those lanterns were expensive. Will’s hands hurt badly, but he still had a bit more to do before he could let the doctor look him over. Besides, there were a lot of crew worse off than he was. “I started to figure it out...
The night was everything an evening on ship should be. Clear skies, calm seas, land distant flecks on the horizon close enough that they could faintly hear the cries of seabirds. The sunset had been long and gorgeous, full of oranges and pinks that gave way to darker reds and purples before disappearing into dusk. The western horizon was a glowing purple haze that slowly faded revealing more and more stars above.The Nivalese had a strong musical tradition full of drums and guitars, and many of...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThis kiss was different. The first had been a question. This one was a demand. It was hungry. Not overly aggressive, but fierce with desire. Janie moaned into his mouth and one of his hands found the back of her neck and gripped a little harder than he probably should have. Her fingers were twined in his hair again. After a brief eternity their lips parted and their foreheads came together to rest on each other.“Wow,” Will said faintly. Janie nodded against his head. She was suddenly aware of...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThis kiss was different. The first had been a question. This one was a demand. It was hungry. Not overly aggressive, but fierce with desire. Janie moaned into his mouth and one of his hands found the back of her neck and gripped a little harder than he probably should have. Her fingers were twined in his hair again. After a brief eternity their lips parted and their foreheads came together to rest on each other.“Wow,” Will said faintly. Janie nodded against his head. She was suddenly aware of...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella stared, not sure how to respond. “You know what Will’s curse is?”“Damn it,” Jack whispered. “I didn’t want to talk about this.”“Too late. Do you know how to get rid of it?” Bella demanded.“Yes,” Jack sighed. “It isn’t what you think though.”“What is it then?” Bella asked, wishing Jack would just give her a straight answer.“No. I’ve already said too much. You and Will are both too damn smart and neither of you can just let anything lie,” Jack shook her head. She stood up.“Oh no! You don’t...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella let go of Will’s shoulders and quickly shimmied her long sleep shirt up around her waist. Her fingers found her smooth slit. She wasn’t wet, but Belita giving Will a blowjob was starting to feel really good. She licked her fingers and brought them between her legs. She was glad she didn’t have to focus on trying to get herself turned on. Under the circumstances that might have been hard without the assistance from the link between them.While Bella adjusted herself and got ready, Captain...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella let go of Will’s shoulders and quickly shimmied her long sleep shirt up around her waist. Her fingers found her smooth slit. She wasn’t wet, but Belita giving Will a blowjob was starting to feel really good. She licked her fingers and brought them between her legs. She was glad she didn’t have to focus on trying to get herself turned on. Under the circumstances that might have been hard without the assistance from the link between them.While Bella adjusted herself and got ready, Captain...
Fantasy & Sci-FiGrindylow were starting to crawl up the Kestrel’s sides, cresting the railings toward the midship, flanking the defenders. At the helm, Captain Vex cursed. They were running out of time. “Danica, Coleman, get us free!”“Aye, captain!” came the answering calls. Coleman and Danica North led their gaff hook wielding swabs toward the prow, but the fighting was too thick. There wasn’t going to be any safe way to employ their hooks and shove them free of the black ship. For every Grindylow the crew...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. She was exhausted. She’d been standing unmoving, concentrating fiercely for hours. Her whole body ached. Fighting to remain in one position while the ocean rocked the floor beneath her had been much more difficult than she expected. Her thighs were quivering. In spite of her fatigue, her eyes were glued to the mirror, watching the scene play out in her alcove. Tonya was naked, sitting on Bella’s table, her legs spread wide and wrapped around...
“What did you do?” Caine asked. Janie hadn’t really noticed him come in. He was leaning in the doorway watching Janie blow out the candles in front of the mirror. She was disheveled and flushed after watching Bella work her oral magic on Captain Vex, and she definitely did not expect an audience for what she was thinking about doing next. She was recovering from being startled, but Caine didn’t give her time to reply. “A customer says you stiffed him?” “That isn’t true at all!” Janie said....
“You trained him to do what!?” Will demanded.Bella was sitting on the edge of the bed trying to coax her monkey back inside. “Well, I was ransacking your room for your clothes. I pulled your drawers out and started stuffing as many of them as I could into a duffel, and then you called me down. Jack must have thought we were robbing the place and kept going after I left.”“You trained him to commit larceny?” Will was simultaniously amused and horrified.Bella gave a small guilty shrug. Janie...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“You trained him to do what!?” Will demanded.Bella was sitting on the edge of the bed trying to coax her monkey back inside. “Well, I was ransacking your room for your clothes. I pulled your drawers out and started stuffing as many of them as I could into a duffel, and then you called me down. Jack must have thought we were robbing the place and kept going after I left.”“You trained him to commit larceny?” Will was simultaniously amused and horrified.Bella gave a small guilty shrug. Janie...
Fantasy & Sci-FiMister Garrik looked up at the ceiling, raising an eyebrow at the muffled sounds of a woman’s pleasure. “Mister Sterling, I appreciate your time, but I came here to do business, not be distracted by the sounds of blue theatre.”Will cleared his throat. “Apologies, Mister Garrik.” Will’s quick mind pulled a lie out of thin air. He was talking before he’d really formulated his story. “I am hosting a friend who... used to work as a brothel girl. She upset the madam and was kicked out of her room. I...
Fantasy & Sci-FiMister Garrik looked up at the ceiling, raising an eyebrow at the muffled sounds of a woman’s pleasure. “Mister Sterling, I appreciate your time, but I came here to do business, not be distracted by the sounds of blue theatre.”Will cleared his throat. “Apologies, Mister Garrik.” Will’s quick mind pulled a lie out of thin air. He was talking before he’d really formulated his story. “I am hosting a friend who... used to work as a brothel girl. She upset the madam and was kicked out of her room. I...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella stared, not sure how to respond. “You know what Will’s curse is?” “Damn it,” Jack whispered. “I didn’t want to talk about this.” “Too late. Do you know how to get rid of it?” Bella demanded. “Yes,” Jack sighed. “It isn’t what you think though.” “What is it then?” Bella asked, wishing Jack would just give her a straight answer. “No. I’ve already said too much. You and Will are both too damn smart and neither of you can just let anything lie,” Jack shook her head. She stood up. “Oh...
Jack idly watched Bella draw an elaborate warding circle. The first ring ran along the floor of the round tent. She was in the process of drawing a second ring on the walls in large white symbols. Friday was outside whispering some sort of incantation and walking in counterclockwise circles around the tent. They were moving with practiced efficiency, but to Jack it felt like ages. She lay in the center of it all on the pile of blankets and furs, exhausted and barely able to move. Her mind...