Charmed Vengeance

As long as it misses us we’re fine, Noli soothed, heart racing. So much rested on the sprite, who wasn’t always reliable.

But I wanted a point.

Two more cannon balls streaked across the sky, one from each cannon, the booms from the discharge so loud they seemed to rattle her down to her very core. You have two more tries, Noli told her.

The spite lobbed the first back at the cannon ship, barely missing their deck, but the second nearly hit the Vixen’s Revenge.

Good job, keep focused, you nearly hit one, you’ll get that point next time, I’m sure. Noli knew from experience scolding would only frustrate her. A frustrated sprite wouldn’t be able to get the job done. The cannons fired two more.

Take that, the sprite yelled as she lobbed the first cannon ball back in an arc that hit a ship squarely in the balloon, causing it to dissolve into a ball of fire. Ten points, she squealed, dancing a little, ten points.

Don’t miss this one, Noli cried as the second one careened right at them.

Oh no! The spite deflected this one, again just barely.

Careful. Noli watched the one ship sink toward the ground in a ball of fire, parachutes popping open as men abandoned ship. The other ship threw ropes and deployed men on hoverboards to help their fallen comrades.

Another cannonball hurled toward them.

I got it, I got it, the sprite cried. In a perfect volley the cannonball arched back to the cannon ship, hitting their gas-filled balloon. As soon as it made impact, the hydrogen exploded, that ship joining the other in defeat as it careened to the ground. More parachutes deployed. Ten points! The sprite all but crowed aloud.

And that was why helium should be used instead of hydrogen.

Flying figs, they’d done it! Knees giving out, Noli sank to the ground in relief and she realized she had control of the body. You did such an amazing job. Twenty points for you, none for them. You win, she praised.

The sprite preened. What do I win?

“Noli what are you doing up here?” Captain Vix’s shout roused Noli out of her internal conversation.

“I … I was just helping,” Noli stammered, fear pushing the elation at their success aside.

“I gave you an order and you disobeyed it—that’s treason.” Vix’s voice rose in pitch as her face contorted in anger.

“I … I’m so sorry, Captain,” Noli stared at her feet. Had Vix seen? There was no way she could explain what she’d done. But Kevighn had been correct, there was no alternative.

“Go to your room, now, and stay there. I’ll deal with you later. First we have to get out of here.” Vix scolded her like a naughty child.

She was right, Noli had disobeyed a direct order to stay below and tend the engines. “Yes, Captain.” She untied the rope around her waist and tried to keep the tears out of her eyes, since Vix wouldn’t be moved—or amused. “I’m sorry, Captain,” she added, making her way to the hatch that would take her below.

“You’d better be.” Vix turned to shout at Kevighn.

Noli went below, heart heavy.

Why is she mad? We won the game? the sprite asked.

Never mind. You won, do you want to weave now or sleep? Sleep pressed down on her, but she should reward the sprite. Noli still couldn’t believe how well she’d done.

Sleep. But we can weave later? We’re close to finishing.

Noli yawned as she trudged to her room, ever footfall heavy. Of course.

When she reached her little room she realized Rahel slept soundly in her hammock. Oh well. Not even bothering to pull on her nightdress, Noli climbed into the hammock, wrapping her arms around the little girl and the doll and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

“Noli, wakey, wakey,” Rahel whispered.

Noli’s eyes fluttered open in time to see Rahel making the doll dance. On her chest.

“Winky brought you something to eat. Are you in trouble?” Rahel frowned in concern.

The early morning’s events rained down on her with the force of a thunderstorm as she sat up and rested her still-shod feet on the floor. “Only a little, why do you ask?”

“Winky’s been checking on you and we’re supposed to let you sleep, and the grumpy man-lady has been yelling a lot.” Rahel made the doll dance on the hammock.

Noli wasn’t sure how all this related to her being in trouble. “We should be in San Francisco soon—then we’ll try to find your papa.”

Rahel danced around the tiny room, holding the doll tightly in her arms. “Oh, I’ll have to give you back your dolly. Thank you for sharing.”

One look at Rahel was all Noli needed. “You may keep Charlotte. I’ll make Jeff win me a new dolly.”

“Truly?” A giant smile broke out across Rahel’s face. Noli couldn’t help but grin at the little moppet. “Truly.”

The moment Kevighn slunk up the stairs to get some coffee he could hear arguing on the bridge. At least if they were fighting, Vix wouldn’t see him. He feared if she did they might toss him off the moving ship instead of booting him off when they arrived in San Francisco.

Actually, getting off in San Fran wasn’t a bad idea, he could find Ciaran. But that meant leaving Magnolia. If he could get anywhere near her he’d ask her to come with him. Unfortunately, Vix had Asa guarding the door to the engine room.

Kevighn was certain Vix had seen Magnolia in action. Actually, his fair blossom had been something, lobbing those cannon balls as if playing that idiotic game that Tiana’s ladies enjoyed, the one with nets and golden balls.

Of course, to a mortal, the sight of sweet Magnolia, in her cape and bonnet, using magic to send cannonballs back to the cannon ship might be terrifying.

“I don’t like this idea at all,” Vix retorted. “I don’t think this is the right place for your sister.”

“Will you at least tell me what you saw?” Jeff asked.

Kevighn quietly helped himself to a cup of coffee as he eavesdropped.

“Will you tell me why you want her on the drop? Kyran is particular,” Vix retorted.

Kyran? Kevighn’s ears pricked. Kyran was one of Ciaran’s aliases.

Wait, why were they doing business with Ciaran?

“I think Noli knows … about their kind. I’ve seen the design on her knife before—on one of their knives. Her valise has to be magic—there’s no explanation as to how she could have brought all those dresses in a regular one,” Jeff insisted.

“But how would she know?”

“I think this Charlotte must have been one of them, since she received the knife and the valise from her. For all we know they could have been the ones who kidnapped her.”

Kevighn nearly dropped his mug. How close they were to the truth, well, about the kidnapping, not about Charlotte.

“Even if she does know of them, what good would bringing her with you do?” Vix added.

“I … I just think I need to bring her. Also, she reacted to the artifact, the one we stole from the museum in Denver. She noticed it in the case when she went with me inspect the museum during open hours. I know there’s more to what Kyran is telling us.” Jeff sighed.

“We’re thieves,” Vix hissed. “It doesn’t matter why someone wants something or if their stories line up. All that matters is that they pay us.”

Wait. Artifacts. Museum thefts. Roderick’s message about a job Ciaran needed him to do. What exactly was his old friend up to?

Well, he was about to find out.