Oathen by Jasmine Giacomo Page A

you’re saying.
You should join the Clan, and sail the seas with us,” she offered.
“We can offer you endless horizons of amazing wonders, and all the
adventure your heart will ever crave.”
    He raised his eyebrows, considering, and she
chuckled.
    “I’m serious. Keep it in your mind, if you
live through this crazy plan of the Seamother’s.”
    Kemsil laughed. “I’m not so sure death would
be a bad thing.”
    “Why not?” Rhona asked, slicing another bit of
avocado off and biting it off her knife.
    “Cursed to be an eternal refugee, alone in the
world?” Kemsil shook his head. “I’m young and vibrant, cursed with
an old criminal’s life. If I sailed off with you to a life of
adventure, any Clan woman who bestowed a gift of claiming upon me,
as you have done with Geret, would die of my curse once her claim
was consummated,” he said, sliding his eyes over to hers. “Geret
has my envy.” He grinned, shrugging a shoulder.
    Rhona blinked and said, “You’re sweet, Kemsil,
but I’ve already laid forth my claim, and I don’t want to die just
yet. Thanks for the offer, though.”
    He bowed his head to her and smiled. “As you
wish, fair captain.”
    She offered him a thick slice of her avocado,
and he accepted with a nod of thanks.
    ~~~
    Across the deck, Meena motioned Geret over to
join her and Sanych. He resisted an urge to glance at Rhona; the
last thing he wanted was for the captain to take out her anger at
Sanych again. But it’s Meena, the Seamother , he reasoned. Even Rhona couldn’t expect me to say no to her. He ambled
over.
    The brisk wind ruffled the Shanallar’s frosted
red hair as she said, “It’s several more weeks to Shanal, even at
the swift pace of the Clan ships. We’re hidden by the Circuit until
we arrive there, but once we reach the coastal waters near Cish,
that may change.”
    “How?” Sanych asked, clasping her
hands.
    “Remember the volcano I mentioned just outside
the city?” They both nodded. “That one’s active. But the entire
city, the harbor, and the countryside for dozens of miles around
all lie within an enormous ancient caldera. The cliffs that form
the caldera wall reach out into the sea and form Shelter Bay. There
is magic everywhere within the caldera’s walls.”
    “You think they will sense us through the
Circuit’s barrier?” Geret asked.
    “It’s not impossible. Their magic will be much
stronger within the caldera.”
    “But won’t the magic of the Circuit be made
stronger as well?” Sanych asked. “It should still protect
us.”
    “The Aldib didn’t create the Circuit of
Sa’qal; they stole it. It’s an ancient device,” Meena said, “from
the era when magic was still plentiful. I have no idea if it was
formed by earth magic or by one of the other magics that died out.
If it’s made of earth magic, we’ll be fine. If not…” She
shrugged.
    “Folly in a firkin,” Geret swore.
    Meena pursed her lips. “Exactly. We can’t rely
on the Circuit until we know if it’ll work the way we need it to.
So I’ve made a new plan which serves more than one purpose. First
of all, I need you to trust me absolutely.”
    Sanych frowned. “After all we’ve been through,
you have to ask that of us?”
    The Shanallar’s green gaze encompassed them
both. “And second, I need you to get captured by the
enemy.”

Chapter Nine
    “ The
unrest started by the Cult of Dzur i’Oth four centuries ago
resulted in the collapse of the monarchy of Shanal,” Meena
explained, as she sat with Kemsil and the Vintens around Rhona’s
cabin table. “One of the strongest Jualan Houses of all time, the
House of Tamkrit, saw an opportunity for more land than they could
possibly own, even if they conquered every island in the
Archipelago, and they took their entire people to Shanal,
proclaiming themselves liberators and stabilizers.”
    “And that actually worked?” Salvor
asked.
    “It actually worked,” Kemsil confirmed, “for a
while. The nation welcomed the