Vel didn’t sleep. She couldn’t. Instead, she sat against the far wall with crusty eyes. Erl hadn’t just taken the one nail━he’d taken them all.

  “All done.” She shifted her eyes from her fully regrown nails to a green-eyed boy, who looked out of place from the lot of them. His skin was as dark as Sigurd’s, but his hair a light sandy blond, though nowhere near as bright as Amalia’s. He was her height, Vel noticed, further giving the impression that he was still well within his teen years.

  “Thank you,” she said, dropping her hand into her lap.

  “I’ll kill him,” Sigurd said, looking as if he was trying to reassure Vel.

  “Great. Wonderful idea! We’ll just waltz out of this cell, and kill the captain of the ship, then commandeer it for our own goals! Brilliant plan!” Amalia kicked the bars at the front of the cell, which rang loudly throughout the brig. She turned, crossing her arms.

  Commandeer the ship, Vel considered. She shifted forward, straightening up. “Let’s do it then,” she said.

  “What?” Sandy-blond responded. “We can’t even get out of the cell.”

  “How many [fireballs] would it take to burn the lock?” Vel asked, looking at Sigurd.

  “You’d have better chances picking it,” he responded.

  Leaning forward, Vel lifted her pant leg to show the dagger the pirates missed. “Would this work as a tool to do that?” she asked.

  “Huh, and here I thought I was the only one successfully hiding daggers,” Sigurd said, a smile growing on his face.

  “Okay, so we get out of the cell, then what?” Amalia asked.

  “Then we bottleneck them,” Sigurd said. “You saw those stairways. They’re only wide enough to fit two people side by side.”

  “Means you havta get past the lower deck without alerting anyone,” Sandy said.

  “Are we taking him with us?” Amalia asked, pointing at the healer.

  “I can heal from a distance. It’ll give you a better chance of taking the pirates out,” Sandy offered.

  “Don’t know you, kid, can’t trust you,” Sigurd shook his head, crossing his arms across his chest. He rocked a bit on the barrel he sat on.

  “Hey! I’m stuck inside this prison just like you!”

  “You could be a rat. Common tactic. Put a rat in to figure out the escape plan of the prisoners. Halts their escapes entirely.”

  “Which means we’ve already revealed too much then,” Vel said, sighing. She pulled the pins and comb from her hair, just to let it down and run her fingers through it. “Does anyone here know how to sail a ship?”

  “I do,” Sandy volunteered.

  “Great,” Sigurd muttered, running a hand down his face. He turned to look at Vel. “Could you take the captain hostage?”

  “Yes,” Vel said, confident. She nearly scowled at the thought of being alone with Erl again, but she knew she could take him on. Probably.

  “You work on that when you’re with him. In the meantime, if you can burn this lock, even weaken it, Amalia and I can do the rest. Tonight, we take the ship.”

  “That’s a really weak plan,” Sandy cringed.

  “Got a better one?” Amalia asked.

  “Nope.”

  “You’re getting on my nerves, Kid,” Sigurd growled.

  “Name’s Aden, not ‘Kid’, Landlubber,” Aden pointed to himself with his thumbs, then sat down beside Vel and crossed his arms. “What’s his problem?”

  “You,” Vel said, sighing. “Thank you, for healing me.” She stood up, moving to the cell’s door. Once she was standing in front of the lock, she looked at Amalia. “Can your voice shatter metal?”

  “Even if it could, I can’t aim, and the shrapnel would be dangerous for all of us,” Amalia said, sighing.

  Vel nodded. “Just keep watch on the door for me then?” she asked. Holding up her palm, she began her work. It didn’t take long for her to get cold, or for the fatigue to really set in, though that part was felt mostly in her knees.

  [Fireball level 52]

  Vel’s teeth chattered as she saw the newest notification, and she dropped her arms to hold herself. Amalia already had her arms wrapped around her, and Sigurd was now moving to do the same. Although, he moved her to sit against the back wall, pressed between him and Amalia.

  “Should I sit on you?” Aden asked.

  “N-no,” Vel chattered out, cringing. She looked at the lock, the burning red color dulling. She wasn’t sure if what she’d done was enough, then again, if she did too much and the lock fell apart, well . . . she didn’t want to imagine how creative the pirates would get to hold them all.

  “Sleep. You need it,” Amalia suggested.

  Vel nodded, closing her eyes. She first thought that the cold would be a deterrent to sleep, but instead found it lulling her. Her head tipped, falling on Amalia’s shoulder━she at least had some propriety left to consciously pick a shoulder━and she drifted off, only to be rudely awakened.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  The sound of metal against metal rang in Vel’s ears, startling her from her slumber. She leered at Olave, who ran a tankard across the bars. “Upsies daisies, Lass,” he laughed out. He dropped his hand with the tankard, then drew his sword as Sigurd began to move. Pointing it through the bars, he tsked. “Don’t you move. Just the young lass, now.”

  “I am going to stab him,” Sigurd muttered.

  “Not if I get to him first,” Amalia replied.

  “I could heal him so you both could do it, y’know,” Aden noted, both Amalia and Sigurd turning their heads towards the teenager.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Sigurd nodded.

  “Come on, I don’t have all night,” Olave frowned.

  Sighing, Vel pushed herself up. She looked at Sigurd, who gave her a nod. Capture Captain Erl. No problem. Just . . . do it. Running her hand through her hair, she paused, and turned to pick up the comb she dropped earlier, along with any pins she could find.

  “Come on!” Olave barked, banging his sword against the bars. “Your pretty little hair ornaments don’t matter. Leave them.”

  After pocketing the comb, Vel turned around, scowling. She pointed a finger, marching towards Olave. “I swear, I’ll━!”

  “Velmira,” Sigurd interrupted. She looked back at him. “Focus.”

  “Ugh.” She curled her hands into fists, then moved towards the slimy pirate. Oh, how she wanted to scratch that smug look off his face. He sheathed his sword and unlocked the cell door, Vel nervous for a brief moment that he’d see the damage she dealt to it. He didn’t, but something else unexpected happened.

  The lock jammed.

  “Eh?” Olave furrowed his brow.

  Vel held her breath for a long moment as the pirate jiggled the door. She only released it once it finally opened, and she stepped out. Olave closed the door behind her, locking it again, and pushed against her back to move towards the stairs. Several others waited at the top of the stairs, likely to safeguard in case Sigurd or Amalia did anything.

  They moved through a wide storage hold, one that continued to the next deck up, though much smaller, likely to provide space for sleeping quarters. Granted, there were hammocks hanging here. Finally, they emerged up onto the main deck, at which point Olave took a hold of Vel’s arm.

  “You don’t have to hold me,” she said.

  “Can’t have you going for a swim,” Olave responded.

  “I don’t know how.”

  Olave stopped in his tracks, Vel faltering slightly as he pulled against her. “You don’t know how?” he asked, looking at her like she was insane.

  “Is that really relevant right now?” Vel huffed.

  The slimy man narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe you,” he said, and shoved her towards the captain’s cabin.

  Great, I don’t really care, she thought.

  When the door to the cabin was opened, Vel was slammed by several delectable aromas. Olave pushed her into the cabin, closing the door, and leaving Vel to stare at a set dinner table. There were only two placements, one at each end, Erl already filling the placement at the far side.

  “Sit, eat,” he pointed.

  Hesitantly, Vel stepped towards the empty placement, and lifted the plate. She looked over the spread of meats, cheeses, and vegetables, feeling guilty when her stomach growled the way it did. Certainly, Sigurd and Amalia weren’t going to eat this well.

  “You may select whatever you’d like, and there is already wine in your cup,” Erl said, narrowing his eyes at her.

  “Wine?” Vel asked. She was definitely going to avoid that.

  What if all of it’s poisoned? she thought, hesitantly reaching for a knife to place a slab of meat on her plate. She held the knife for a long moment after, but ultimately set it down. At least there was comfort in the fact that a dagger remained in her boot. After placing some carrots on her plate, notably not touching any of the food closest to Erl, Vel returned to her seat.

  “You really should try the ham,” Erl said, pointing to the meat directly in front of him. “I insist.”

  “I’m allergic,” Vel lied. To you.

  [Deception level 6]

  “Ah, are you now?”

  Vel narrowed her eyes. “Why all of this?” she asked.

  “To feed my little gold weaver well.”

  “Yours?” Vel scoffed.

  Erl sighed. “Lass, you’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future. It would be in your best interests to accept that.”

  “Then what is this? Are you courting me now?”

  “In time, I’m sure you’ll come to like me.” A wicked smile spread across Erl’s lips, sending a shiver up Vel’s back. He was so sure. The thing that irked her most about this was that he thought he had all the power, but . . .

  He doesn’t, and I’ll show him how he doesn’t! She just needed to get closer to him. Maybe she could do that with [shadow sneak]? Or perhaps she should throw her dagger at him? No, I need to be absolutely sure I can capture him.

  “Eat up. You’ll need your strength for your task tonight,” Erl said, standing up. He dabbed a white handkerchief against his lips, then pocketed it. Pulling out her shawl, he walked towards her. This was her chance!

  First [shadow sneak] to get behind him, then she would pop up and use [webshot] to secure him. Just a little closer, and she could be done with this in an instant! Then they’d see who truly had the power!

  Vel waited in anticipation, foot ready to roll to enter the Shadow Realm. She even leaned forward, and . . . he walked past her. In two large steps, the door behind her was opened.

  “I expect to come back to three large silks the size of your shawl,” he said, and closed the door.

  “Three?” Vel asked, breathless, like she’d just been hit in the gut. She missed her chance. No, no! Sigurd and Amalia would come up without her support, maybe even die! Vel stood, and rushed to the door, hearing a distinct click. Locked. “No!” she banged on the door, then leaned against it, pounding it with her palm. “No . . .”

  Stepping back, she shook her head. No, she wouldn’t give up, not yet! So, rolling her foot, she fell into the Shadow Realm. When she landed on the glass, she surveyed the scene, then discovered something she’d failed to account for━she couldn’t see beyond the light. Outside of the captain’s cabin, and even many places within it, there was still an abundance of light from the setting sun.

  “Can I move levels?” Vel wondered, considering the idea. There was no way that she could see here to access the lower decks. No, something told her that she’d need to find an access point down. “Damnit!” she hissed, taking a few steps through the realm.

  [Shadow Sneak level 17]

  [Shadow Sneak level 18]

  Vel looked towards the room beyond the door she couldn’t access. Well, that she couldn’t before. She stepped across the wall, and through the glassy ground, beheld a study. This had far more knick knacks. Golden ornaments and painted leather bound books lined a shelf behind a massive desk. Nautical maps lined the wall opposite to the windows, though part of the light blocked them off.

  There was nothing special that Vel could see━it was just a study. Sure, there were probably important things in drawers, she assumed, but not enough to make her budding headache entirely worth it. However, she did consider using it as a spot to make it seem like she just vanished, maybe for an ambush against the captain.

  That still didn’t solve her current dilemma.

  [Shadow Sneak level 19]

  I hope Sigurd and Amalia stay where they are . . . she thought, and returned to the other room. She let herself fall from the Shadow Realm, landing beside her chair. Pulling a hand up, she held her head. Yes, she was going to need that food now.

  [Shadow Sneak level 20]

  Grimacing, Vel pulled herself into the chair, feeling defeated as she stared down at the meat and carrots before her. Picking up a fork and knife, she began to eat, nearly feeling ashamed for how good it tasted.

  Once her plate was cleaned off, and then some, she pushed it aside, along with the goblet of wine. “I . . .” she said, staring at the empty space in front of her. She had failed, and perusing through her long list of skills did nothing to help her out of here. If only to save Sigurd’s and Amalia’s lives in their escape attempt, she began creating silk.