3

Windshire

Seagulls flew high in the cloudless autumn afternoon sky, and a warm, gentle breeze carried the smell of ocean salt in the air as Aviana and Temperance moved through the seaport city of Windshire. Aviana’s eyes followed her sister as she darted about, the weight of her travel pack not holding her back in the least. On the other hand, Aviana had to conserve her energy, since she’d equipped herself with heavier weapons in case they needed it. Two scimitars hung at her side, and a staff was strapped to her back. A totem—a dragon carved of cherry wood holding an amethyst crystal—was tied to the staff, in case she needed some extra help from nature to cast spells.

“Temperance, don’t go too far,” Aviana called after her sister.

Her sister’s shoulders slumped, and she threw her head back to gaze at Aviana. “But Avi, there are so many new things for me to see—Oh, what’s that?”

Aviana chuckled and shook her head. She should have known the moment they approached the town she’d be like this. She wouldn’t stop talking about all the things she knew about the city from her book studies during their trip. And every time Aviana tried to correct something out of date, it turned into a new game of fifty questions, because Temperance struggled to understand how her books were wrong.

As they passed a shop with large glass windows, Aviana’s gems reflected and sparkled in the mid-afternoon sun. She took a moment to look herself over and straighten her hair. They’d been traveling for about three moons now, putting them into the moon of Xalaria and leaving them only ten more moon cycles before Temperance’s coming-of-age ceremony would be upon them. Unless, of course, Aviana received a magical message with different instructions. The elders had gone back and forth on their decision regarding when they’d have to return. It was frustrating.

The amount of time it’d taken them to arrive in Windshire didn’t help her situation. Aviana hadn’t expected that traveling by foot would take this long. In her many years of secretly traveling to the city, she’d used a teleporting rune. But since the two of them had gone with permission this time, Aviana couldn’t use it, or she would risk potential punishment if her prior actions were discovered and then seen as treasonous.

Temperance gasped, her cerulean eyes sparkling with delight. “Avi, look—a white birdie! Oh, what’s that man doing?”

The young woman’s short attention span amused Aviana, as much as it also gave her a headache. This trip would not only test Temperance, but Aviana as well. She’d never spent this amount of time with her sister alone. It was going to push her patience to a whole new level.

The salt-stained air blew around them, people going about their daily business. To most, Windshire was merely a city known for its exotic traded goods from only the bravest of sailors, as an ominous mist obscured most of the sailable waters around this end of the continent of Alaria. Only a sliver of water parted the mist, allowing boats in and out. But anyone unfortunate enough to veer off course were never heard from again.

The scarce number of boats that made it through ran the risk of dragons stealing their cargo in the Hidden Treasure Strait. Or, at least, that’s what the sailors claimed. Whether those claims were true or not were only known to a few, and Aviana happened to be one of them.

Merchants shouted over each other, hoping to entice a few new patrons and make some coin. One human man in particular flashed about gems and jewelry. The sight of the shiny items attracted Aviana and Temperance, though Aviana was sure not to let any silver-tongued seller get the best of her—no matter how hard it was for her to resist such items.

“Ah, a pair of lovely ladies have come to buy, yes?” The man spoke in Common, the universal language humans adopted as theirs. His words were masked with a particularly thick accent, not common for these parts. Aviana had never seen him before, but it wasn’t like she knew everyone in this town. Either he’d recently moved here, or was a traveling merchant.

Temperance placed her hands on the table and looked around. “So many pretties.”

The young woman had the presence of mind to speak Common back, impressing Aviana. Common wasn’t spoken in Starglade, not since their town closed off the borders to travelers centuries ago, and the use and knowledge of the language fell to obscurity.

When Aviana first started traveling the Windshire, she struggled with the language, though managed, thanks to its intended design of being created from all major languages on the continent. She made sure Temperance was taught properly for the time the clan’s travel rules finally changed. So seeing her sister take to the language quickly in practice elated her.

Aviana smiled at the merchant and gazed over his wares, keeping an eye on her sister. They both had sticky fingers, thanks the instinctual struggle they’d inherited from their father, but while Aviana had learned to quell that instinct in a public setting, her sister was another matter. That was partially Aviana’s fault, though. Her own moral compass wasn’t great, even if she did try to be a good person overall, so she hadn’t taught her sister to be a morally outstanding citizen as well as she could have.

“Tell me, is there anything you may be looking for in particular?” the merchant asked. “I’ve produced only the finest made jewelry, from all around Alaria. Ask me for anything, and I’m sure I’ll have it.”

“Rings,” Aviana said. “I’m always looking for new rings.”

“Ah, I thought you might be the type.” He pulled out a box he’d not put on display and opened it. Over a dozen rings made of different metals and gems sparkled inside. “Come, take a look. They come from all over. Lakecross, Steelmaw Port, Sandgil, even some come from the mysterious area of the Kyrtaar Shade.”

Aviana’s eyes fell over each of them. She even took one in her fingers to inspect, after looking to the man for permission, of course. This particular one was made of gold and had a single green gem.

“Perfect choice, m’lady,” the merchant said. “That one I procured from a talented Katalaran in Sandgil. Quite the craftsman.”

He really needs to work on his act. Maybe it was because Aviana knew what to look for when it came to Katalara craftsmanship, but she felt this salesman was just bad at his job. “Except this isn’t Katalaran handiwork.”

The man pulled back, offended. “Ma’am, I can assure you this—”

Aviana lifted her own hand and pointed to a silver ring she wore, with intricate engravings and set with triple sapphires. “This ring was handcrafted for me by a skilled craftsman in Sandgil.”

She gestured to another ring, this one gold with two dragon heads crafted into the metal, and poised on either side of a single gleaming emerald. Beautifully written Elvish and Draconic scrawled around the centerpiece gem. “And this one was a gift. They had also commissioned this in Sandgil. Do not try to take me for a fool.”

The man struggled to recover from her callout. Aviana turned away. “Let’s go, Temperance.”

Her sister pursed her lips. “But Avi, I’m not done looking.”

“There are more places to shop. This city is large.”

“But…”

Aviana glanced back. “There are shops by the ocean.”

Her sister gasped and her eyes lit up. “Ocean!”

The redhead took off down the street, though her pace slowed as more stalls distracted her.

Some time passed, and the two browsed the offered goods. A few times, Temperance almost fell prey to some better-equipped silver tongues, but Aviana stepped in.

They’d made it halfway through town, close to the southernmost side, when a loud bang echoed through the air and black smoke billowed up into the sky. Townsfolk whispered and pointed, all wondering what might be going on. Aviana’s eyes narrowed. That’s down at the docks. Had it happened farther north, she’d assume an attack by roaming bandits, or some crazy alchemist. But the docks were well protected. Not even pirates were brave enough to try traversing the mist. Maybe an accident with some cargo?

Before their eyes, another explosion shot into the air, creating more dark smoke. Whatever the cause, it wasn’t good, and Aviana needed to get over there. She may be needed if there were any injuries. “Temperance, follow me and don’t dawdle.”

“But, pretty things at the stores…” Temperance said.

Aviana set a pace forward. “We’ll come back, I promise. Right now I’m needed.”

Temperance followed her sister. “Can I help?”

Aviana thought about this. Her sister had only recently started with advanced spellcasting, but she’d taken to it quickly, like everything else thrown at her. “We’ll see if it’s something you can help with when we get there.”

Her sister smiled wide. “Okay!”

The pair rushed through the street, picking side alleys when the curious crowds became too difficult to push through. Aviana’s heart thundered in her ears when another explosion occurred. Something was very wrong.

The pair shot out of the street, their feet meeting the sandy shore of the beach, and they stopped short. Before them, a grisly sight. A ship, half sunken and on fire, sat tied to the docks. Bodies of dock workers splayed about the white sand, staining it red. Men and women garbed in sailing uniforms wielding swords and bucklers clashed with local militia and paladins from the great city of Natamere. Pirates. She’d been wrong, there were pirates crazy enough to brave these waters.

Aviana turned to Temperance, who watched the scene with wide, fear-stricken eyes. “Tempy, I need you to go back into the alley and hide.”

Her sister didn’t hear, so Aviana shook her. “Temperance!”

Temperance’s eyes snapped to her older sister. “Avi, what’s going on?”

“Something bad. Take my travel bag and go hide in the alley. I’ll come get you when it’s safe.”

“But I want to help.”

Aviana pressed her lips together in thought. Temperance had done well learning how to fight over the years, but fighting dummies and fighting people were vastly different. She couldn’t be sure her sister had the resolve to take a life if the need came. And I promised I’d keep her safe on this journey.

Aviana shook her head. “Not with this. Stay in the shadows and out of danger. Now go.”

She pushed her sister back in the direction they’d come and took off down the beach, drawing her two scimitars. Her feet sunk into the soft sand, which would throw anyone else’s balance, but living over a lake and so close to the ocean back home, she’d adapted to such conditions over the past half-century.

The young woman aimed for the closest target she could find—a buccaneer engaging a young man adorned in heavy plate armor with platinum accents. The pirate swung a short sword at the armored man, the weapon bouncing off his shield. The suns above reflected off the platinum crest of a hammer positioned between a half-sun and half-moon—the symbol of Akorith.

The pirate’s attention stayed firm on the paladin, keeping him oblivious to her presence until it was too late. He turned just as she shifted her weight and swung her curved blades with fluid motions, like a dance, striking true against his legs, and then his back with her off-hand swing. The marauder cried out and the paladin took advantage of their opponent’s state, thrusting his sword through. The pirate choked, and then his eyes rolled back as he went limp.

The paladin threw the man to the side and then addressed Aviana. “Thank you for the assistance, Lady Aviana.”

Aviana held back a scoff. She knew the man in charge of all paladins from the temple of Akorith, High Commander Siverath. They’d met because of her mother. And due to his position, the paladins under him who knew of her, even if she didn't know of them, had come to call her “Lady.” An absurd notion to her, due to the way the Shikala lived, but she’d learned to accept it rather than argue. “We should continue on and push these invaders back.”

The paladin nodded. “I’ll fight alongside you. A joined force is a superior tactic in this situation.”

She agreed. The two of them rushed down the beach. Aviana spied a burly man with russet-brown skin and protruding tusks from his lower jaw, swinging a large hammer at three buccaneers surrounding him. A necklace made of teeth, claws, and feathers similar to Aviana’s earrings hug around his neck. Krax.

Krax was a half-orc who worked at a local tavern, dealing with overzealous drinking patrons. While not uncommon in these parts due to the Thunderblood orc clan that roamed the Karma Wilds, he was one of the few to live in the town. He could hold his own against these pirates, but as a friend of his, she wasn’t going to sit by and do nothing. He can complain about his honor later.

Aviana checked to ensure that her totem hadn’t fallen off her staff in the scuffle and then took a deep breath. She moved her fingers in a specific pattern and muttered an incantation, the words comprised of different sounds and clicks known as druidic, drawing on a source of energy deep inside of her. Once the incantation left Aviana’s lips, the energy she drew out sprung from her feet, and the sand beneath her quickly shifted in a straight line toward a female marauder who was moving up behind her half-orc friend. The unsuspecting woman readied herself to strike Krax with her scimitar, but before she could, large roots exploded out of the sand and grappled her.

Surprised by the sudden attack, one of the pirates was unable to dodge Krax’s swing of his hammer. Crack! The head of the hammer slammed into the man’s chest, caving in his ribcage. He gasped for breath, his arms twitching as he tried to move, and then he stilled.

The paladin beside Aviana rushed in to aid Krax with the remaining pirate, who now was in the process of fleeing; the pirate narrowly dodged a swing of Krax’s hammer. The woman Aviana snared had struggled and found the plants too strong for her. The paladin pursued the fleeing pirate as Krax turned to face Aviana and the woman she’d captured.

Aviana smirked as she passed her. “You’ll be there for a while, dear. Get used to it.”

Krax’s deep voice rumbled her way as he laughed. “I see you decided to finally show up and join the party, Avi.”

She held up her hands. “I figured if you were joining, it had to be a good one, right?”

He chuckled and then looked her up and down. “That’s true. Though you could have worn something more appropriate.”

She glanced down at her clothes, made of a light cloth material only found in Starglade—Starcloth. It had been fashioned into a shirt with a wide collar, trimmed with gold and decorated with blue faux-scaled designs, and a sapphire wrapped around her neck. Blue starcloth draped from it, wrapping down to encase and secure her breasts, then wrapped around her back.

Fabric draped from her waist, securing at the hips, but open all the way up the thighs, more like two separate pieces falling to cover her front and back. The back piece flared out behind her, flowing like a train, decorated with an ornate pattern.

Lavish gold cuffs clung to her wrists, swaths of fabric flowing from them, and cloth sandals wound up her thighs, woven to fit.

It wasn’t exactly battle material, as she didn’t think to prepare for such a situation, but it had its own advantages—light and breathable for the tropical climate of Starglade, as well as freedom of movement. The extra skin showing was a bonus for when she needed it. Aviana would have to rely on her skills to avoiding damage than trust her armor to absorbing and mitigate it for her.

Aviana looked back up at Krax. “Don’t chastise my way of dress. It doesn’t weigh me down, and my people create this cloth in such a way that it’s as durable as leather.”

He snorted. “Right, because with all that exposed skin, you’re so protected.”

Aviana reached up and poked him on the side of the face where an intricate wolf paw and lightning bolt were tattooed, showing off his allegiance to the Thunderblood clan. “Tell that to your clan. Most of them barely wear loincloths.”

He held his head high. “Orc skin is stronger than yours, little elf girl.”

She poked him in the face again. “And your excuse? You’ve barely got any orc in you, thanks to your half-orc father taking a human as a mate.”

He beat his chest once. “Still orc in this blood.”

“Hey, you two,” the paladin called out. He stood over the body of the raiders he’d chased down. “Think you two could stop chit-chatting and help us out with these pirates? They’re not going to run off by themselves.”

Krax chuckled and glanced Aviana’s way. “Let’s hope your poor clothing choice doesn’t get you killed, or become too distracting for our allies.”

Aviana snorted. Ever since Krax was young, he had pestered her about her clothes, telling her she needed to be more “appropriate.” It was a common complaint down here in Windshire, as Natamere’s control over the city made it the only one in the Karma wilds to have a different opinion on such matters.

“Any idea why the pirates braved the mist?” Aviana asked she and Krax pushed on after the paladin.

“From what I heard, they followed in a merchant ship, disguised as one themselves, of course.”

Smart tactic. If they could get in, then they’d know how to get out after looting. Too bad for them, this town wasn’t exactly defenseless.

Something large landed in the sand near her, spraying sandy debris into the air. Aviana screamed. Krax readied himself, but then relaxed when they realized it was a cannon ball.

"Looks like these pests have magical cannons," Aviana muttered.

Magic cannons were common for seafaring vessels. By the use of explosive magic forcing an iron ball through their tubular structure, they packed a powerful punch against an enemy ship, or in this case a town—if they aimed correctly.

Krax laughed. “You’re lucky their aim was off. Those clothes of yours wouldn’t have protected you then.”

Aviana snorted and continued on. "Like you'd have been able to take on a cannon ball."

“I’d have caught it and threw it back.”

Yeah, sure, keep dreaming, buddy. Aviana dashed up to the paladin they chased after. He’d already engaged with three more buccaneers, and one more with a crossbow hung back behinds his shipmates. Not good.

The paladin blocked two sword attacks and his armor protected him from another. The crossbowman let a bolt fly, attempting to find a weak point in the man’s plate armor. He failed.

Aviana extended her hand toward the closest pirate and summoned the energy for a spell. Cold pricked her fingers and then shot out, slamming into her enemy. The woman flinched, ice coalescing on her arm, and her swing against the paladin came up short as the ice locked her up. Krax took the opportunity to strike and slammed his warhammer into her back. She choked and stilled, blood dripping from her mouth onto the sand.

The paladin mumbled something under his breath, Akorith’s symbol on his shield glowing. The glow faded, and he swung his sword at another pirate, but he’d miscalculated the enemy’s agility and swung wide. Aviana wasn’t sure what type of spell the man had tried, but it appeared to have failed, as was the unfortunate outcome sometimes with spell casting, even when powered by a god.

The crossbowman took aim at Krax and landed a solid shot into his shoulder. Krax cried out, taking a step back from the force. He ripped the arrow out, blood splattering everywhere, and tossed it aside as if yanking it out was nothing.

The buccaneer reloaded quicker than expected and shot him again, the arrow hitting Krax in the same shoulder. Krax roared, ripping this arrow out as well. His eyes contracted and his nostrils flared. Aviana swore she could see red in his eyes as his orcish rage took over. Sucks to be them.

Once Krax got like this, he’d go until either his bloodlust was sated, or he collapsed.

Now seeing Krax as the biggest threat, the pirates turned their focus on him. The paladin took the opportunity to strike, but his bulk weighed him down in the sand, making him slow and easy to dodge. Not good. Krax could take some heavy hits, and his current state would numb him to a lot of the attacks, but even he wasn’t invincible.

The crossbowman whistled out something, and he received a return response. Son of a harpy! That exchange could only mean one thing—reinforcements.

Aviana took a moment to assess the battlefield. Paladins and locals fought pirates all over the beach. Most of the scuffle still remained on the docks, but there were far more raiders than she expected there to be.

Boom! Another cannon went off. A flying projectile caught her eye. She turned to her allies and screamed, “Scatter!”

She jumped out of the way of the careening ball. Krax didn’t hear her in his haze, and their paladin ally jumped into action, pushing the half-orc with his shield, then tossing the two of them to the ground. The two pirates engaged weren’t so lucky in their attempt to get out of the way.

Bile rose up in Aviana’s throat as the large metal ball tore through the men. Blood, viscera, and body parts splattered across the sand. She tried to keep herself composed, but couldn’t stop herself from retching. She’d seen some gruesome things—her father had publicly executed three people after their failed assassination attempts on her life, but none of that compared to witnessing this.

I’m so glad I told Temperance to hide.

Krax’s bloodthirsty roar pierced the air. Aviana managed to glance up before another retch took her over, watching Krax rush the crossbowman. The marauder shot him with the crossbow, but it did little to stop the raging half-orc. Krax swung and smashed the man into the ground, his body going limp.

Her body, not done reacting to the cannonball assault, heaved again. Metal armor clanked as the paladin rushed over to her. “Are you alright, Lady Aviana?”

She took a shaky breath, her stomach now settling. “I… I think so. I’d heard horrible stories of how these people worked, but that…”

He knelt down and offered her a waterskin, propping up his shield to protect her as they sat out in the open. “Here, take some of this.”

Grateful, she took a swig to clean out her mouth and then another to drink and settle her emptied gut. Krax’s bloodseeking roar echoed into the air and the two of them watched him rush into another skirmish.

Aviana took a deep breath and stood. “No rest for the weary, it seems.”

“Afraid not, m’lady.” The paladin held his shield at the ready. “Shall we join him and send these dishonorable filths back to the sea?”

Aviana swung her two swords. “Can’t let have Krax have all the fun.”

♦ ♦ ♦

A cannon fired. People screamed and ran past the spot Temperance had found to hide in. She’d done what Aviana told her. She didn’t know how long she’d been hiding, but it sounded as if the attack on the beach wasn’t getting any better. Avi, please be safe.

She hated this. Hiding like she couldn’t handle herself. She could be useful! She did well during practices; Cryson even said so. Of course that was only when he wasn’t playing tricks on her. Her nose scrunched. She didn’t like him very much. Especially when he’d act like she was crazy when she told him to stop, as if he didn’t know what she was talking about.

Temperance sighed. But if she didn’t listen, Aviana would bring her home and she didn’t want that. The moment Aviana told her about this trip, she could hardly wait to experience it! She stayed up late, reading books to make sure she knew everything there was about the towns they’d see. And so far, this trip was just as fun as she’d hoped! Even though Aviana was being silly sometimes by trying to tell her things that weren’t in her books. Books can’t be wrong!

She wanted to explore and learn so much more. And go swimming! The water here looked like fun, and maybe had new critters she could befriend. She liked making new friends.

Another cannon echoed through the air, and this time Temperance heard screams of pain. Her breath caught and she curled into herself, hugging the stuffed blue dragon tight in her arms, her body shaking. “Kyanite, I’m scared now.”

Aviana had given him to her as a present when she was little. He was her best friend and went everywhere with her. He gave her good advice, even if it went against what she wanted to do, and was always there for her when she needed someone.

Crash! Temperance flinched when crates fell over near the back side of the alley. She swallowed when someone grumbled, and she peeked out of her hiding spot. Temperance spotted a man with a bandana around his neck, leather boots, and ratty vest as he stood up and stumbled forward. He carried a bottle in his hand, some liquid sloshing around in it.

Temperance’s eyes fell to the swords strapped to the man’s hips. Pirate! Her nose scrunched when an awful smell wafted into the alley. A drunk, unwashed one at that. Ick! But even drunk, that meant she wasn’t safe here. But if she ran, he’d see her, and what if there were others? He could call out and she’d be caught.

Pirates were mean people. They did many unkind things. At least, that’s what her books told her. She’d ask Kyanite what to do, but if she spoke, he’d notice. She’d just have to stay hidden and hope he didn’t notice her.

Her eyes fell to her clothes. Easier said than done. Her long head scarf may help her hide, but her outfit was vibrant, like her personality, and her bright red hair and pale freckled skin made her stick out more. Wait, I can cast spells!

Aviana taught her all kinds of spells. And one in particular would help her hide better. Temperance hugged Kyanite tighter and muttered the incantation. When the spell went off, an energy inside her drained and the spot she hid in darkened, as well as her clothes and skin, like a dark shadow had fallen over her. She slowed her breathing, and waited as the pirate continued to stumble down the alley.

His feet dragged, and he stumbled a few times. Then, when he was only a few feet away, he stopped. He mumbled to himself and looked her way. She swallowed. Does he see me?

He mumbled some more and one word caught her ear. “Shiny.”

Temperance’s eyes ticked to her feet and they widened. No, my bag! In her attempt to tuck herself in, she’d kicked it, and some of the small gems she’d pocketed when a shopkeeper wasn’t looking had fallen out. What was she to do now? Would this spell keep her invisible if he entered its radius?

The buccaneer stumbled and fell on his face. The annoyed “oof” he let out made her giggle and she instantly regretted it.

“Huh?” The pirate lifted his head and they locked eyes. Temperance’s body locked up. He sees me! She didn’t know how, but her laughter must have broken the spell. What was she supposed to do? Throw a dagger? Oh!

Without breaking eye contact, she drew one from her hips, but before she could think to throw it, his eyes widened and he sloppily scrambled back. “D–d–dragon!”

Glee bubbled up inside her. Dragon? Where? Temperance looked up to the sky but saw no dragons flying above. Not even a shadow. There’s no dragon… Her eyes drafted down to Kyanite. Unless…

Boots stepped on the broken cobblestone ground and a dark shadow loomed over Temperance. She looked up to see a tall, muscular half-elf man with short sandy hair and tan skin. He wore tight pants, an open shirt, and leather boots. Who is he?

The buccaneer stumbled down the alley as he tried to run away. The new man continued to stand in his place, his eyes pinned on the fleeing pirate. Is he the dragon the pirate mentioned? No, don’t be silly, Tempy, he’s not a dragon. That clay-for-brains pirate was talking about Kyanite.

The man’s nostrils flared out as his chest inhaled deeply, as if he were preparing himself or taking in a pleasant scent, and then he turned his gaze to her. His bright green eyes gazed at her, soft and kind, unlike when he’d stared at the pirate. He’s got pretty eyes. He had strong facial features, too. She also noted he wore chainmaille under his shirt. I think Avi would like this guy. He fits her type.

“Are you okay, Miss?” While his voice came out strong and smooth, he turned to face her. The movement was quick, triggering a startled reaction from her. Temperance screamed and tossed her dagger at him. The man’s eyes widened and he jerked back, his hand coming up at a lightning pace, and he caught the blade by the hilt mere inches from his face.

Temperance’s mouth hung open. “Wow… That was a good catch, Mister.”

The man chuckled. “As was that throw. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do it again. I’m not here to hurt you.”

She ducked her head. “Sorry. That pirate scared me.”

He nodded, his posture relaxing, making him a lot less intimidating even with his build. “I suspected as much. It’s okay.”

The man tossed the blade into the air, and caught it in a loose grip before repeating the action. That’s cool. She liked this man. He seemed like a fun type of person.

She released her hiding spell and stood up. He handed the dagger back to her. “Here’s your—”

Temperance blinked when he didn’t continue, instead merely staring at her. “Something the matter, Mister?”

“That symbol…” His eyes looked her up and down, but not in the weird way she knew some men did when they looked at Aviana. “Those clothes. You’re a Shikala from Starglade, aren’t you?”

He knows about us? Joy welled up inside her and she nodded. “Yep! I’m traveling with my big sister, Avi!”

The man’s brow twisted. “Avi? As in Aviana?”

She nodded again. “That’s her. Do you know her?”

“Yes, I’m well acquainted with her.” His lips pressed in a thin line. “If you’re here, and you said you were traveling with her, where is she?”

The two of them peered up to the sky as the clouds gathered and darkened quickly. Thunder rolled overhead. “Um, she’s on the beach shooting lightning up the butts of the mean pirates. They must have made her really mad if she’s doing this.”

The man snorted. “Of course she is. Great, now she’s showing me up.”

Temperance cocked her head at the man. “What do you mean?”

He shook his head. “No time to explain. I should help you get somewhere safe before I go help out on the beach.”

Temperance shook her head, taking back her dagger, and then scooped up her and Aviana’s belongings. “It’s okay. I can find a safer spot on my own. Thank you, though.”

Without letting him protest, or thinking to get his name, she dashed off down the street. Even though she told the man she’d go hide again, she didn’t think that was a good idea. Aviana needed help, and hiding wasn’t going to keep her safe either. So if she could find a way to help her sister and be safe in the process, then Aviana couldn’t possibly get mad at her and send her back home!

The logic was flawless. She just needed to find her sister and figure out how to help.