the darkness and the current, and at dawn they were horrified to see Calidor clearly in sight. And, worse, the current was carrying them slowly but surely back to land and to the dreaded boy army.
Edyon looked upward. The Pilar’s huge white sail was hanging like a saggy, heavy curtain—and also like a huge flag that could be seen from a great distance. They were sitting ducks, except that ducks had the option to fly, or even paddle.
“Can’t we row?” Edyon asked.
“Apparently not in this type of boat,” Byron replied. “We just have to wait for the wind.”
“I feel like we’re waiting for the Brigantines to spot us.”
“Well, I suppose they won’t have any wind either.”
“Perhaps not, but they may have oars.” Edyon looked back to Calidor. “I can see the castle,” he said, noticing the smoke rising from the city.
Edyon turned to look the other way, toward Pitoria, but of course he couldn’t see it. It was three days away with a good wind.
The sea was flat—so calm that the surface was glassy smooth. The Pilar sat in the water, the sun shone brightly on the blue sea; a flying fish whizzed up and away as if to show off its speed and freedom. But, looking down into the water, Edyon saw a large disk of creamy white substance floating past, then he spotted another and another, until it seemed like the sea was white beneath them.
“Jellyfish,” Byron said.
Edyon shuddered. “Horrible. And so many of them.”
“They sting, but they do no real harm.”
Edyon didn’t want to look at jellyfish or the coastline, so he sank to the deck and closed his eyes. He felt that he was being carried back to face his fate and there was nothing he could do about it. Perhaps too he was being drawn back to March. He closed his eyes, absorbed the heat of the sun, and listened to the slow creak of wood. He’d not slept all night and now, despite his nerves, he smiled at the thought of March coming to find him and dozed off.
He woke what felt like only a few moments later to a cool feel and the sound of a sharp slap. He looked up to see the wind filling the sail.
At last! Wind! Edyon smiled and stood up.
But his delight turned to horror as he saw how much closer the Pilar was to shore, and that a rowboat was leaving Calia harbor, heading directly for his ship. One of his guards spotted it too, and shouted, “Boats out the harbor!”
But were they refugees fleeing the Brigantines, or Brigantines coming after the Pilar?
Whoever they were, they were distant now that the Pilar was finally moving.
Edyon looked ahead. “We’ll make it. We’ll get away.” He focused forward, feeling the wind on his face.
“Boats gaining on us!” came another shout.
Edyon looked behind. The boats that had come out of the harbor were already much nearer. There were three rowboats, and they were moving so fast that there could be no doubt that they were being powered by boys on smoke.
“The breeze is still light, but we’re making better speed now. And those rowers can’t keep that pace up,” the captain said.
“Yes, they can,” Edyon replied. “We need to prepare for them.”
But the guards were on the alert already; they’d seen boys take Calia Castle.
The one thing Edyon had grabbed when he’d fled the castle was the bottle of demon smoke, and he held it out to Byron. “I think you should take some.”
Byron nodded, took the bottle, and inhaled a wisp.
The distance between the Pilar and the rowboats was closing fast. The ship’s captain shouted instructions: “Prevent them from boarding! Keep them away with fire, harpoons, arrows. As long as they can’t get on board we’ll be able to defend ourselves.”
Byron added, “If any boys do get on board, they’ll have considerable strength and speed. I’ll go at them. Only if I’m down, or if there’s more than one, must you attack them.” He turned to Edyon, adding, “And you must go below, Your Highness. Wait down there. We’ll call when it’s safe.”
“I’ll go if they get close. We might get away yet.” Edyon stared up at the sail, willing the wind to pick up some more. The breeze felt stronger on his cheek. He looked to the ship’s wake, trying to assess if they were moving faster, and then to the land, which was definitely more distant.