on as another wave crashed into her. The cold water pounded against her back, tugging at her dress until the ship righted itself and the water sloshed to her feet. Wiping her hair out of her face, she took a calming breath before bracing herself for her the next wave. It hit moments later and she feared it would carry her out to sea.
Small hands gripped her skirt and Emmeline peered over her shoulder to find O’fin clinging to her. With his eyes squeezed shut, he turned his face toward her and shouted words that blew away almost before they escaped his lips. He tugged on her skirt and pointed across the ship. Emmeline strained to see, but the rain pelted her face and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She saw nothing but a blur of wood and sails.
O’fin tugged on her skirt again and Emmeline took hold of his wet hands and pressed them against the mast, hoping his little hands could hold on. It wouldn’t be long before another wave threatened to capsize the ship. Thinking better of it, she tucked O’fin between her and the mast, hoping it would hold against the storm. It was wider than any tree she’d seen in Dolmerti, but the storm seemed so much stronger.
O’fin pulled away and punched his fist into the air, a small finger pointing in the direction behind her. He craned his neck to look up, his eyes falling just shy of meeting her own. But it was enough for her to see the alarm in them.
Emmeline jerked her head up and winced as the stinging rain bit into her face. She relinquished her hold on the mast and put a hand over her eyes . O’fin stopped tugging. Still, she saw nothing. The ship pitched again and Emmeline grabbed hold of O’fin just as a wave tossed them across the deck. Her ears filled with water, giving her a sense of the ocean’s silent power.
They slammed into something hard and the last of her breath whooshed out of her. Gasping for breath, she felt for O’fin’s little body. But her hands came up empty.
“ O’fin!” she shouted. She pushed onto her hands and knees and searched the deck. “O’fin!”
O’fin’s face suddenly appeared in front of hers, his nose inches from her own, and his eyes down.
“Get up! They will find you!” he said in his desert accent.
Emmeline sucked in a breath and choked on the moisture in the air. How could she have forgotten the six sailors? She scrambled to her feet and screeched at the sudden pain shooting through her scalp. Her head jerked back as a hand clutched a fistful of her hair. She lost her footing and slipped to her knees.
O’fin scampered away.
The six sailors made laughing sounds, but their eyes darted from one to another, betraying their unease. Emmeline reached behind her head and tried to pry the fingers off her scalp, but the sailor’s grip tightened.
“Just where do you think you’re going?” he said. “The only place you belong is in the sea!”
Without loosening his grip, or giving her a chance to catch her footing, he dragged her toward the bulwark rail. Emmeline thrashed and kicked, desperate to rip her hair from his grasp, or from her scalp, whichever freed her first. She thrust her bare feet against the deck only to have them slide across the wet wood. With his free arm, the sailor gripped her around the waist and tucked her under his arm like a rag doll. She pounded her fists on his round belly, but nothing she did weakened his hold.
“Put me down! I didn’t cause this!” she shouted.
“ Shut it, witch!” He slapped a hand over her mouth and continued toward the rail. The other sailors followed, their footsteps like a funeral march behind her.
The ship rolled starboard and the sailor’s grip loosened. Twisting her body as much as possible, Emmeline threw an elbow into the sailor’s gut. He grunted and lost his grip just as a wave washed over them, wiping their legs out from underneath them as it tossed everyone to the opposite side of the deck.
Emmeline’s knee cracked against a barrel and lights flashed
Small hands gripped her skirt and Emmeline peered over her shoulder to find O’fin clinging to her. With his eyes squeezed shut, he turned his face toward her and shouted words that blew away almost before they escaped his lips. He tugged on her skirt and pointed across the ship. Emmeline strained to see, but the rain pelted her face and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She saw nothing but a blur of wood and sails.
O’fin tugged on her skirt again and Emmeline took hold of his wet hands and pressed them against the mast, hoping his little hands could hold on. It wouldn’t be long before another wave threatened to capsize the ship. Thinking better of it, she tucked O’fin between her and the mast, hoping it would hold against the storm. It was wider than any tree she’d seen in Dolmerti, but the storm seemed so much stronger.
O’fin pulled away and punched his fist into the air, a small finger pointing in the direction behind her. He craned his neck to look up, his eyes falling just shy of meeting her own. But it was enough for her to see the alarm in them.
Emmeline jerked her head up and winced as the stinging rain bit into her face. She relinquished her hold on the mast and put a hand over her eyes . O’fin stopped tugging. Still, she saw nothing. The ship pitched again and Emmeline grabbed hold of O’fin just as a wave tossed them across the deck. Her ears filled with water, giving her a sense of the ocean’s silent power.
They slammed into something hard and the last of her breath whooshed out of her. Gasping for breath, she felt for O’fin’s little body. But her hands came up empty.
“ O’fin!” she shouted. She pushed onto her hands and knees and searched the deck. “O’fin!”
O’fin’s face suddenly appeared in front of hers, his nose inches from her own, and his eyes down.
“Get up! They will find you!” he said in his desert accent.
Emmeline sucked in a breath and choked on the moisture in the air. How could she have forgotten the six sailors? She scrambled to her feet and screeched at the sudden pain shooting through her scalp. Her head jerked back as a hand clutched a fistful of her hair. She lost her footing and slipped to her knees.
O’fin scampered away.
The six sailors made laughing sounds, but their eyes darted from one to another, betraying their unease. Emmeline reached behind her head and tried to pry the fingers off her scalp, but the sailor’s grip tightened.
“Just where do you think you’re going?” he said. “The only place you belong is in the sea!”
Without loosening his grip, or giving her a chance to catch her footing, he dragged her toward the bulwark rail. Emmeline thrashed and kicked, desperate to rip her hair from his grasp, or from her scalp, whichever freed her first. She thrust her bare feet against the deck only to have them slide across the wet wood. With his free arm, the sailor gripped her around the waist and tucked her under his arm like a rag doll. She pounded her fists on his round belly, but nothing she did weakened his hold.
“Put me down! I didn’t cause this!” she shouted.
“ Shut it, witch!” He slapped a hand over her mouth and continued toward the rail. The other sailors followed, their footsteps like a funeral march behind her.
The ship rolled starboard and the sailor’s grip loosened. Twisting her body as much as possible, Emmeline threw an elbow into the sailor’s gut. He grunted and lost his grip just as a wave washed over them, wiping their legs out from underneath them as it tossed everyone to the opposite side of the deck.
Emmeline’s knee cracked against a barrel and lights flashed
Similar Books
