Snake Heart (Chains of Honor #2) -Lindsay Buroker Page 0,42

to be on the main decks or the gun decks. The sounds of more booms reached his ears.

“This may be our chance,” Yanko said. “Everyone’s turning out for the battle. There won’t be anybody left in the cabins. Maybe Pey Lu’s quarters won’t be guarded.”

“I thought you didn’t want to deal with your mother.”

“I’m open to dealing with her empty cabin.”

“I think those are Kyattese ships.” Dak left the periscope and waved Yanko out of the pilot’s seat. “We’ll try to sneak close enough to board.”

“Excellent.” Arayevo leaped from her seat, almost clunking her head on the ceiling. She raced toward the hatches where they’d first come aboard. “Lakeo, grab your weapons. We’re going to infiltrate a pirate ship.”

“I don’t have any weapons—Yanko’s mama stole them all.”

“Maybe the Kyattese left something on board. Come on. Back here. There are some lockers.”

Yanko watched them rummaging, amazed at how excited Arayevo was at the idea of some adventure. Was it possible his mother had been the same way? Stifled by the thought of raising children in a remote mountain village? If that had been the case, why had she married his father in the first place? Why have children she would only end up abandoning? And why had she had to become a criminal in order to have adventures? Couldn’t she just have rejoined the army? For that matter, why had the sea called to Arayevo? She, too, could have found other ways to have adventures, surely. Legal ways. What if her thirst for excitement got her killed? Or what if... what if it meant she would never consider returning to Aspen Hollow with Yanko? Would he have to give up the homeland he loved to have a chance at being with her? The sea didn’t call to him the way it did to her. Assuming she truly was done with Monkey-brains Minark, could they find some place they could be together and both be happy? Did she ever think of being happy with him?

“Have you told her?” Dak asked.

“What?” Yanko glanced warily at him, realizing he might have been caught gazing after Arayevo with moon eyes.

Dak flicked off the interior lighting, plunging them into near darkness. The exterior lamp was out too. Dak made small adjustments to the controls. They seemed to be traveling very slowly, deep enough below the surface that the currents only tugging gently at them. A small amount of light filtered down to them. Dawn must be brightening the sky up there.

“About what? Finding me a sword?” Yanko smiled, making his tone light. He didn’t think this was the appropriate time to discuss his issues with women. “Do the Kyattese even carry such things? They don’t seem to be a sword-swinging people.”

Dak glanced at him, but said nothing else. Maybe that was all the prying he would do. Yanko wondered why he had bothered. Unless Dak thought they were about to get killed and that Yanko should confess his feelings before that happened.

Dak started to get out of his seat, leaning toward the periscope, but he paused. “We getting close?”

“To Pey Lu’s ship?”

“Yes.”

Yanko checked with his mind, mapping out the three pirate ships in his head and their boat’s position in relation to them. He could also feel a fourth ship at the edge of his range now and noted that it was made from iron instead of wood. Was there a Turgonian craft in the Kyattese fleet? Or had the Kyattese bought ironclads from the Turgonians?

Aware of Dak waiting for an answer, Yanko concentrated on the pirate ships. He could worry about the new arrivals later.

“We’re close to one, but I don’t think it’s her ship. Hers is...” Yanko sensed her aura before that of anyone else’s on the ship, a big frigate closer to the island than the other two vessels. He yanked his touch back, afraid she would feel him probing. “That way.” He pointed.

Dak accepted his assessment without a word and turned the underwater boat. It was a small thing, but the sign of trust pleased Yanko.

A clang came from the rear of the craft, and the women chattered excitedly about a machete they had found. It was probably for cutting back foliage on an island rather than for beheading pirates, but Yanko supposed it was better than nothing, especially for someone without magic to call upon. Arayevo sounded even more animated than Lakeo at finding the thing.

Yanko shook his head. “No, I haven’t talked to her about my feelings,” he said quietly,