If Mia’s words were meant to be comforting, they had far from the desired effect. Ashlinn’s eyes found the deadboy, as always looming just within earshot. He’d found himself a shirt to replace the robes they’d torn off him, leather britches, and heavy boots. He stood like a statue, gravebone blades crossed at the small of his back, constantly scanning the crowds around them. Pretty as the perfect murder. But as Ash glanced his way, those ink-dark eyes flashed right to her. Bottomless. Unreadable.
“Mia…,” Ashlinn pleaded. “I don’t trust Tric.”
“But I trust you, Ash,” Mia said. “Jonnen’s the only familia I have left who matters. And I’m asking you to look after him. Doesn’t that tell you something?”
Ashlinn met Mia’s eyes, tears beginning to well in her own. She could feel her walls crumbling, the iron and fire she showed the world melting away at the notion of having to leave the girl she loved behind. The thought was a stone in her belly. A knife in her chest. She threw her arms around Mia, burying her face in her hair. She kissed her lips, her cheek, her nose, resting their foreheads together as she whispered.
“Promise you’ll meet me there. Promise you’ll come back to me.”
“Promises are for poets.”
“I mean it. I’m not losing you.”
“You know what they say,” Mia smiled. “’Tis better to have loved and lost…”
“Whoever said that never loved someone the way I love you.”
Mia met her eyes, then. Goddess, she was so beautiful. Standing there in the bitter farewell winds and sighing so soft it made Ash’s heart ache.
“I’ve been thinking,” Mia said. “The house at Threelakes you talked about. Flowers in the windowsill and a fire in the hearth.”
Ash sniffled. “And a big feather bed.”
“I’ve been thinking, and…”
Mia turned her eyes to the lead-gray sea.
“… Perhaps.”
Ash squeezed her hand, butterflies taking wing in her belly, a small and fragile smile curling her lips. It was more than she’d ever let herself hope for. The thought of all they might become, the dream of all they might have …
“Perhaps?”
Mia looked at her and nodded, a long lock of raven black tossed across her cheek, her eyes as dark and deep as the Abyss. “Look after him for me.”
Ash swallowed hard, pawed away her tears.
She needs me strong now.
“I will. I promise.”
Drawing a deep breath and steeling herself, Ash followed the others to the groaning gangplank, the Maid rocking gently in her berth. One by one, they headed up, gathering at the railing to look down on Mia and Tric. Ash and Jonnen waited ’til the last, the boy’s hand clasped in hers. He stopped to look up at his big sister, lips pressed together, eyes clouded.
“Remember your manners,” she told him. “Don’t be a brat.”
“Remember what Father said,” he replied. “Don’t get killed.”
Mia smiled. “Good advice, little brother.”
Ashlinn watched as the boy sucked his lip a moment. Staring down at his feet. And finally, he opened his arms and gifted Mia a swift hug, face pressed to her leathers. Ashlinn’s heart melted to see him opening up, to see the gulf between the pair slowly closing. For a moment she was tempted to pick him up, crush them all together in an embrace, like that night they’d spent sleeping together in the storm. The thought of what they might be when all this was over surfaced in her mind’s eye again. All of them together. A real familia.
But it was over almost as soon as it began. And before Mia really had a chance to hug Jonnen back, the boy was breaking away, pulling Ashlinn with him.
One last swift kiss passed between the girls, desperate and bittersweet, Ash sucking the plump swell of Mia’s bottom lip as they parted. And then Jonnen was dragging her up the gangplank, nothing left to say. Ash gathered with the others at the railing, Mia blowing her another kiss, looking over her comrades in farewell.
“Look after them for me, Sid,” Mia called.
The big Itreyan nodded, thumped a fist over his heart. “Never fear.”
“And never forget.”
They put out into the chopping blue, sails creaking overhead, BigJon’s profanity like an old, familiar song. Ashlinn stayed at the railing, the wind snatching away her tears, watching her girl on the boardwalk growing smaller and smaller still. Mia held up her hand and Ashlinn waved in return. Jonnen raised his hand, too. She stooped and picked him up so he could see better, holding him tight.