Chapter 12

The night was everything an evening on ship should be. Clear skies, calm seas, land distant flecks on the horizon close enough that they could faintly hear the cries of seabirds. The sunset had been long and gorgeous, full of oranges and pinks that gave way to darker reds and purples before disappearing into dusk. The western horizon was a glowing purple haze that slowly faded revealing more and more stars above.

The Nivalese had a strong musical tradition full of drums and guitars, and many of the new crew were amusing themselves with ribald songs and energetic tunes. A few of the older crew joined the impromptu band with Imperial instruments like harmonicas and violins. The ship felt alive with the music and dancing. She knew how to quickly integrate large numbers of new crew. Mostly it was about alcohol, and friendly contests. With the threat of pirates about, she’d denied the night’s ration of rum, but there was surprisingly little grumbling from the crew. After All Souls Night, most of them were going to need a few days before they wanted to even think about alcohol again. Instead, they were promised games. As soon as the anchor was down and the evening meal was served, she’d announced the terms of the contest. It would be riggers versus swabs, in a Shuffleboard match on the deck. They pulled up the ladder ropes, chalked out a board, and Mister North brought the ship’s playset up from below. Every sailor would get one toss of the disk, and they’d talley up the points at the end. Lace and Reeve were the respective team captains, and Mister North wasn’t playing but was still in the thick of the action taking bets. Even Colin Strong was up on deck, sitting off to the side with a thick knot of cloth around his neck to remind him not to move his head much. He had a slate and chalk in his hands, ready to mark off points as Mister North called them out.

With the gentle rolling of the ocean spoiling many shots and moving pieces around long after they’d settled, the game was hilariously skill-less. Captain Vex sat on the steps to the aftcastle with her first mate, swirling water in her canteen and vaguely wishing it was rum. She was abstaining also. She wasn’t the sort to put a limit on her crew and not follow it herself. She watched her crew roaring with laughter after someone’s terrible shot suddenly entered the target circle with the help of an errant wave.

At the prow, Will, Bella, Jack, Friday, and a rather large mirror sat watching the game from the other side. Will lifted his hat, giving the captain a small salute from other side of the ship. She raised her canteen to him.

“How come she doesn’t join us?” Bella asked.

“On any other night, she might. Tonight, she’s still establishing the ship’s pecking order. Part of that is building up her own mystique as Captain,” Will explained.

“So she just sits there by herself, watching?” Bella clearly didn’t understand.

“Ship’s Captains all have a story to maintain. When the tides turn and luck seems down, a good legend can give a crew something to believe. That matters,” Will said. He wasn’t sure if he was explaining it well, but Bella seemed to accept it.

“So she’s creating an illusion,” Bella nodded. “That I understand.”

“Is it an illusion if it’s true?” Janie asked from the mirror. “From what I can tell, Captain Vex really is everything that she pretends to be.”

“You might be buying the illusion,” Jack smirked. “She’s good, but I don’t really see the point of all the pageantry.”

“She is definitely putting on a show. She has been all day. Janie has a point though,” Will said. “Captain Vex is what many captains pretend to be, but she knows that even though she has enough skill that she doesn’t have to pretend, the illusion is still important.”

“Why?” Jack asked skeptically. “Skill should stand on its own merit.”

“Because of the crew,” Will gestured to the rowdy crowd.

Janie nodded, understanding. “It doesn’t matter what Captain Vex’s skills are if the crew doesn’t know about them or doesn’t believe them.”

“Or just doesn’t respect her,” Will added. “There’s nothing more dependent on teamwork and strong leadership than a sailing ship. All her skill is useless without a crew that trusts her when things get bad. The older crew who have been with her a while have learned that she backs up the mystique. Their trust shows in their work and their morale. For the new crew, the illusion is a shortcut to that trust.”

“Smart,” Bella smiled.

“In the end, we are who we pretend to be,” Friday added. Will nodded in agreement. He didn’t notice Jack and Janie, who both looked uncomfortable as they thought about Friday’s statement.

“That’s profound,” Bella smiled.

“And a bit ominous,” Jack said. “Is it a quote?”

“My people have strong beliefs in the power of masks,” Friday said. “From what you say, the Captain’s mask is her own face. I would wager it was not always so, but she worked to become the mask she wore.”

“I would not bet against that wager,” Janie said. She was wearing her veil and heavy black eyeliner, but she’d forgone the lipstick and the rest of the makeup. A shawl was wrapped around her shoulders to protect her modesty, but many of the sailors’ eyes were still drawn to the enigmatic beauty who’s image moved inside the large mirror next to their Ship’s Witch. So far, no one had asked about it, but the curiosity was clear.

“That is why we must all be careful deciding which masks we wear,” Friday continued. “If we wear them long enough, we will become them.”

Will’s eyes were drawn to the fearsome silhouette of Reeve. The big Akula roared with encouragement and laughter, revealing a manic, sharp-toothed grin as he raised his arms in success and clapped one of his swabs on the back after a particularly lucky shot. Will decided not to think about it too hard.

A sailor with a fiddle came closer to the group and played a little more jauntily, beckoning the ladies to come join the dancing. There were other women on the crew, but like most vessels the men vastly outnumbered the women.

“Brave soul, asking a witch to dance,” Jack chuckled.

“Shush,” Bella said, with a small glare. “I don’t get asked to dance very often. It’s sweet,” she got up and let the fiddle player lead her away. She looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Jack before skipping happily into the crowd. Jack smiled as she watched the witch’s hips swish away.

“She wants you to join her,” Will said.

“I’m sober,” Jack snorted.

“All those years of dancing lessons, gone to waste,” Will sighed with overblown lamentation.

“I never wanted to learn dancing anyway. I wanted to learn fencing,” Jack said.

“Like all well behaved young noble women,” Will grinned.

Jack waved dismissively in the direction of the dancing crew. “It’s not remotely the same kind of dancing anyway. Look at them,” Bella was spinning, skipping from one foot to the other rhythmically as she turned and stepped. She held, her multicolored skirts in one hand and swished and spun. Her breasts bounced and swayed beneath her blouse drawing many an eye. She was clearly enjoying the attention. With a wink and a smile she stole a tamborine from a musician and joined the music while she danced.

Jack watched Bella with a pained look on her face. She took a drink. “I wouldn’t even know where to start. This is hardly waltz music.”

“Teach you, I,” Friday said slyly.

Jack shook her head, clearly uncomfortable with the thought. Janie laughed and raised an eyebrow. “Miss Hunter, I never would have expected you to be afraid of dancing.”

Will’s brows rose and his mouth formed into a silent O, enjoying Janie’s polite but impressive barb. Friday looked like she was carefully avoiding having an expression, and Janie smiled slyly. Jack was too busy looking offended toward Janie to notice Will’s amused look. “I just don’t like dancing!” she huffed.

“It’s not about the dancing, Jack,” Will chuckled.

Jack turned around and gave him a confrontational look. “Oh really? Do tell.”

Will gestured toward Bella. “It’s about her.”

Jack stared at him for a while, then her eyes narrowed. “Well played, Sterling.” She stood up and pulled Friday off the bench. The doctor laughed and followed Jack into the throng of dancers.

Janie gave Will a wink. “Nicely done.”

Will tipped his hat to her. “Likewise.”

“How are things going with her?” Janie asked.

“Up and down. It’s been really good for the most part, but there’s this undercurrent to everything,” WIll said.

“I’ve noticed she seems tense tonight. She’s trying to pretend she isn’t, but she’s uncomfortable being around all of us. Especially you and Bella I think,” Janie said, sounding a bit sad and worried.

“I agree. Most of what she’s said tonight has come out a little...” Will trailed of, struggling to find the right word.

“Testy?” Janie suggested.

“That works,” Will agreed. “I think we are both trying not to address the real issues, and just enjoy each other’s company again,” Will said.

“There’s a lot in that undercurrent. Don’t let it go for too long,” Janie cautioned.

“Have any advice?” he asked.

“Go dance with her,” Janie smiled.

Will blanched a bit. “Jack and I feel the same way about dancing.”

“And yet, she’s out there doing it and you’re here with me.” Janie’s arched eyebrow was full of challenge.

“What is it with all the dirty fighting lately?” Will asked rhetorically. “Fine. if I have to dance, so do you.”

“I’m in a mirror, Will,” Janie said. There was an edge of panic to the way she said it. Anyone else might have missed it, but Will knew Janie better than nearly anyone.

“When was the last time you went dancing?” Will asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Janie said nothing, then sighed, knowing she was defeated. “Never.”

“Never. Not once, ever?” Will prodded with a smile on his face.

“No. I’ve never been dancing. I’ve never been asked to dance. I’ve never danced,” Janie admitted.

“Well, I think it’s time.” He stood up, and held out his hand toward the mirror. “Miss Castilian, will you dance with me?”

She reached toward the mirror and tapped it. Will could faintly hear her fingernail on the glass. “Taking your hand is going to be difficult.”

“Will you dance with me?” Will repeated.

“You’re really going to pick up the mirror and dance around with it, aren’t you?” she asked rhetorically. She already knew the answer.

“Will you dance with me?” Will asked again.

Janie’s face broke into a smile. “Yes.”

Is Will dancing with your mirror?” Danica asked from the aftcastle stairs.

“Tha’ madman.” Captain Vex laughed into her cup. “It innae mine anymore. I gave it tae Bella. She says who owns it is important for witch stuff.”

“Weird,” was all the commentary Danica had. The Captain nodded.

They watched as the shuffleboard match on the midship continued. The riggers seemed to be in the best position, but with Shuffleboard things could turn in an instant. Behind the game toward the prow the musicians and dancers moved in a haphazard mob. In the center was Will, who was holding the Captain’s mirror and bobbing to the music.

“Any discipline problems yet?” the Captain asked.

“None. Mister Reeve has a good handle on them already,” Danica said.

“Your husband’s going tae run out of people for punishment duties with Reeve as Bosun,” Captain Vex smirked into her cup.

Will had turned the mirror around and was holding it and moving it in awkward rhythm as Bella danced with Janie.

“This is going in the log,” Danica said.

“I forgot ye were keeping that,” Belita laughed, almost choking on a swallow off her canteen.

“Someone has to keep track of all the weird shit that happens on your ship,” Danica shrugged. “Dancing with an enchanted mirror is definitely worth an entry.”

“What was the last entry?” Belita asked.

“Mister Quinn,” Danica shrugged.

“Well that’s boring. He’s just an Asura,” Belita scoffed.

“Just an Asura,” Danica said with a disbelieving shake of her head. “Famous, enigmatic, inhuman warriors famed for their bizarre mannerisms and dedication to powerful people. No one knows where the hell they come from, or what they really want, but every once in a while they do things like single-handedly kill small armies. And we have one on our ship, right now, acting as a butler to a glorified field guide.”

“I suppose he doesn’t seem that strange t’ me anymore. Aye, at first I was impressed, but now he’s just a slightly greener member of th’ crew,” Belita shrugged. “He’s pretty helpful, even though he dinnae need tae be.”

“Where’s he sleep?” Danica asked.

“In Miss Hunter’s room,” Belita shrugged.

“You sure? Where’s his stuff?” Danica pushed.

“In Hunter’s room?” Belita repeated, looking confused.

“Nope. I was the one who helped him get stowed. He doesn’t have anything. I saw Miss Hunter open her footlocker and get settled in. Quinn doesn’t have anything. He wears the same clothes every day, and as near as I can tell he doesn’t have a single possession besides what he wears.” Danica said. Belita was about to say something but Danica kept going. “I’ve gone to her cabin to find her a few times. When she’s in the room, Quinn usually answers the door. When she’s not in the room, no one answers. I find her elsewhere later. Sometimes Quinn isn’t with her.”

“So?” Belita asked, wondering where this was going.

“If he’s not with her, and he’s not in their room, where is he?” Danica asked.

“The privy? Who knows? Maybe he just doesn’t answer the door if she innae in the room,” the Captain shrugged.

“I checked with Doctor Kalfou earlier today, just to make sure there weren’t any problems. I specifically asked if she was still alright sharing a berth with Quinn. She said she hadn’t seen him.”

Belita’s brows furrowed. “How could she miss him? He innae easy to overlook. I saw him earlier today. He came to get a meal for Miss Hunter.”

“I’ve seen him too. You’re missing what I’m saying. According to the Doctor, Quinn hasn’t been in their room since she arrived. She said the only time she has seen him in her cabin is when she first came aboard. Quinn and Miss Hunter showed up while the Doctor was unpacking. Since then, he hasn’t been there once.”

“So where’s he been?” Captain Vex asked.

“Exactly,” Danica said pointedly, tapping her nose for emphasis.

“Huh,” Captain Vex said, her mind wandering for a bit. “Aye, that’s strange.”

“Sure is. I think your threshold for noticing when things are strange has gotten pretty skewed,” Danica smirked.

The Captain shrugged. She couldn’t deny the accusation. “S’pose that’s what I have ye for.”

“Oh, yeah that’s the reason,” Danica scoffed.

“It’s just another part o’ your eye for detail. I think ye missed your calling as one of those private investigators from the stories,” Captain Vex smiled.

“Obviously I need a funny hat and a pipe,” Danica laughed. “I’ll pull them out whenever I’m trying to figure out the next crackpot thing to happen on your ship.”

“Remember that time when Sandman put all th’ swabs tae sleep when we went around the Horn?” Captain Vex mused.

“Yeah, I remember. I hate being up in the rigging, but you made me climb up there because all the men had to be on deck, shuffling around, sleepwalking through their duties so they didn’t jump overboard,” Danica rolled her eyes. “That log entry has an awful lot of curse words in it.”

“I was right there in the ropes next to ye,” Belita shrugged.

“Stupid sirens,” Danica grumbled. “Stupid witch doctors and their stupid sleep curses.”

“Sure was fun afterward though,” Belita grinned.

Danica gave her a conspiratorial grin. “That part is in a different log.”

Caine stuck his head into Bella’s former alcove looking confused. He was about to ask why there was Nivalese music coming from the mirror for the second night in a row, but he stopped.

Janie was dancing, smiling, clapping and laughing in front of the mirror. From where he stood he didn’t have a great angle on the mirror, but he could see it well enough to recognize Bella’s swirling, multicolored skirts. The witch was tilting and bobbing strangely in the frame. It occurred to him that someone must be moving the mirror around on the other side.

He chuckled to himself. It was nice to see her happy. After their last interaction, he wasn’t sure how things would go with her. She wasn’t in an easy situation, and it was likely to get harder. On top of everything else, there were rumors beginning to spread that he hadn’t told her about yet. She had enough on her mind. He also wasn’t sure what to do about them, or where they’d end up going, so he was trying to wait things out. Rumors were fickle things and might just fade out if they weren’t given any support. The ongoing strange sounds coming from the “Witch’s Alcove” didn’t help though.

He watched Janie dance for a few more moments. She mostly just swayed in time to the music and clapped along happily. He ducked back out of the curtains and back into the Lounge, nearly running into Chance. The skinny man looked pensive and stressed, which was normal for him, but Caine didn’t like it aimed his way. “I sent the musicians on a break. They can’t play over that racket,” Chance said.

“Think of it as free entertainment. The crowd seems to like it,” Caine shrugged.

“This is the second night in a row, Caine. Is this likely to keep happening?” Chance asked.

“I don’t think so,” Caine said. “I’ll see what I can do about it later. For now, let it be. It isn’t hurting anyone to have the music coming from Bella’s room instead of the stage.”

“Except the musicians who I still have to pay even though they’re just sitting at the bar now,” Chance said, exasperated.

“Move a few tables in the game room. Have them set up in there,” Caine shrugged.

Chance’s brows rose. “Good idea.”

“You could have come up with that yourself. What’s really on your mind?” Caine asked.

Chance hemmed and hawed for a moment. He was used to Caine knowing things so in the end he just sighed. “I’m not running a boarding house. I told you we could give Miss Castilian a place to stay if she was working, but she’s clearly not ready to be one of the working girls. She’s going to have to do something else.”

“I’ll talk to her about it,” Caine said.

Chance nodded. “After all the problems lately, I want to hire some extra security. I’m thinking two more for each shift.”

“Good idea,” Caine nodded. “Just let me know when you want to interview people.”

Chance gave him another nod, then bustled off to deal with other things. Caine wandered back to his seat at the bar. Ruby was working the bar and she filled his tankard as soon as he set it down.

“Do you ever drink water?” she asked with a smirk. “Hell, do you ever eat?”

“Beer has everything I need. It’s liquid bread,” Caine said dryly.

“Your liver is going to commit suicide. You’re going to turn funny colors, and die,” the pretty bartender said cheerily.

“I’m not that lucky,” Caine said. He took a long drink.

Bella hadn’t had such fun in years. Normally, she could never relax in a crowd, and even among her own people it was rare for a witch to be asked to dance. She hadn’t really had the chance to dance like this since she was a teenager. Jack had been right about asking witches to dance. It didn’t happen often. Between that and her fear of crowds, Bella hadn’t done anything like this in years. She loved dancing, and the attention. She was used to catching eyes wherever she went, and she liked it, but she also had to be constantly on her guard. It was almost impossible for her to enjoy the side of her that got a thrill out of public exhibitionism in a way that felt safe. Tonight, she was loving everything. She whirled and moved from partner to partner enjoying the freedom and the attention, casting smiles, winks, trailing touches, flirtatious hip-bumps and sexy shimmies and spins that did delightful things to her curves. She normally wouldn’t have agreed to dance, but with Will and Jack nearby, and the fact that she knew Captain Vex had specifically vetted her crew to be accepting of her, she decided to let her guard down.

She’d been mostly spending her time in the Captain’s cabin. She hadn’t socialized with the crew much, so she wasn’t sure what to expect, and neither were they. It was one thing to know there was a witch aboard who was working with the Captain. It was entirely another to be dancing with her.

She could not have planned a better first impression. The crew of the Kestrel were consummate sailors, confident, brash, unbridled in their approach to life. They were used to attraction and sexual thrills being short lived affairs without any real promise or deep meaning. They felt that way about most things in life. Moments were just moments, meant to be enjoyed but dismissed when they were gone. It was a trait that came with the life they lived. They were folk who braved the elements and faced the possibility of death on the seas with dismissive bravery. They’d all signed on for what they knew was going to be a very dangerous mission. They were gamblers, throwing their lives in as the ante, hoping to win big. People like that didn’t tend to get hung up on things like prejudices, superstitions, or jealousy.

They were exactly the right kind of people for Bella to find a sense of community with. She whirled from partner to partner, her skirts swirling and her tamborine slapping her lush body to the beat. She was light on her feet, full of energy and unabashed sexuality. The Nivalese sailors immediately reacted, turning the dance into something akin to the festival the night before. The Mainlander sailors might have been taken aback, but the Nivalese rhythms and enthusiastic grins drew them in. Even without a rum ration to lower their inhibitions further, the music and the energy in the air made them all quick to enjoy the unbridled sexuality their new ship’s witch was adding to the festivities. Doctor Friday quickly took Bella’s lead. The striking Nivalese woman was completely used to such displays, and was obviously enjoying the turn things had taken. Even some of the more conservative Akula sailors joined the dance after a bit. There were only a handful of women aboard, so they were in high demand. For the most part, the women were only made up of Bella, Friday, and a half-dozen of Lace’s rigging crew. Many men simply formed a circle, watching and clapping to the beat. A few danced with each other. Some tried to get Jack to join them, but she stayed in the circle watching Bella, waiting her turn with the sultry witch.

Will spent most of his time dancing with Janie in the mirror, but after a while he’d turned the mirror around and somewhat awkwardly acted as a cavorting eisel, holding up the mirror from behind so that Janie could dance with the other members of the crew. Then one of the crewmen took the mirror so Will could dance without holding it. Soon after, the big mirror was being passed around the circle as the sailors each took their turn. They had no idea who Janie was, but she was mysterious and gorgeous, so they didn’t much care. Most of them simply assumed she was some kind of mystic spirit bound to the mirror in service to their witch. It was a strange thing, but they’d already accepted a witch aboard so strangeness was expected.

Bella’s looks and infectious grin made accepting things fairly easy. She earned herself more than a few admirers while the music played, but they were all reasonably respectful. Bella was clever enough to whirl away to a new partner the moment someone started getting too familiar with their words or hands. Fortunately, those moments were few. With anyone else, they could have sparked jealousy or frustration, but one of the benefits of being a known witch was that people tended to behave very respectfully. No one wanted to risk a witch’s ire.

There was a moment tension when Bella whirled from her previous partner and found herself unexpectedly in Jack’s arms. She started to tug jack into the circle, then paused as she realized who she was dancing with. The tension only lasted a moment, but both their hearts seemed to clutch in their chests. Jack started to step back, but the gorgeous N’madi witch gave Jack a sensuous but shy smile and a small curtsey, then fiercely pulled Jack into the middle of the circle, spinning and skipping together. Jack was surprisingly adept, despite her earlier protests. She’d had years of dance training, quick to adapt, and was light on her feet so she found the freeform Nivalese rhythm easy enough to move to.

Jack felt like the world got smaller. She forgot the music and the crowd and just moved, watching Bella’s joy at finally being able to let her guard down. Jack knew how rare it was for her, and even though her chest was a knot of tangled feelings she was absolutely determined not to screw this up for Bella.

They didn’t talk, but their eyes said volumes to each other. Jack’s apprehension and care was clear on her face, and Bella was encouraging but guarded. The crowd loved watching the two women dance together. There was quite a lot of applause and jeering, but it was good natured so neither Jack or Bella cared. They shared a momentary exasperated look as one of the sailors encouraged them to kiss. Another sailor next to the bold man elbowed him in the arm. Bella leaned in and gave Jack a light, momentary kiss on the lips, then spun away to a new partner, leaving Jack alone, wide eyed and dazed. The crowd roared and clapped. Jack blushed bright red and stood there dazed. Will rescued her. He took her hand and pulled her into a fast waltz. Jack had the good sense to let him lead, moving naturally while her mind reeled. After a few moments she looked up at him, the expression on her face a tangle of confusion and elation. Then she realized how they were dancing.

“This isn’t waltz music, Will,” Jack called over the music. Still, she kept pace with him and allowed herself to be turned under his arm.

“It’s the only dance step I know,” Will grinned.

“Because I taught you,” Jack laughed.

Will shrugged. “You looked a little lost when Bella left. I wanted to check on you.”

Jack’s impulse was to roll her eyes and tell him she didn’t need taking care of. She held that reaction down. She didn’t need it. That was true. She liked that he was trying to look out for her though. She gave him an appreciative smile. “Thanks. I think I’m about done with dancing though.”

“Me too. Come on,” Will said. They reached the edge of the circle, and slipped into it. Then through it, and were out of the chaotic tangle of musicians, onlookers and dancers.

They both laughed and took a few breaths to calm their pulses. They both started talking at the same time, stopped, waited for each other, then laughed again. “You first,” Will said.

“Bella kissed me,” she said, looking happy, but worried and confused.

“I saw that,” Will grinned. “You didn’t even trip over your own feet.”

She swatted him in the arm, then sighed. “I can’t get a read on her.”

“Her kissing you isn’t a pretty clear sign?” Will asked.

“This morning she told me she was still mad at me, but every time we talk, she’s supportive and helpful, but guarded,” Jack explained.

“Supportive, helpful, and guarded is most of Bella’s personality,” Will chuckled. “Just have to add mischief and innuendo to round out the total package.”

Jack chose to ignore the joke and stay focused on her thoughts. “She’s trying to help me figure all this out, but she’s definitely not letting me know what she really thinks or wants. Then she kissed me just now. I’m just ... I don’t know what it means.”

“Don’t ask me,” Will shrugged. It was a lie. He knew exactly what was going on in Bella’s head and what her goals were, but he felt like it wasn’t his place to tell Jack.

“Big help you are,” Jack sighed. They found a bench at the prow and sat down. “What were you going to say?”

Will gestured to the mirror that was bobbing and turning in the arms of a brawny sailor. “Janie thinks you and I need to talk.”

“We have been talking.” Jack gave him an incredulous look.

“Talk more. Talk better. There’s a lot we haven’t really gone into,” Will said.

Jack looked worried. “I know. Are you saying you want to talk now?”

“No. Things feel nice right now. I think the conversation is going to be hard, and I don’t want to ruin something good. Besides, I don’t think I should leave Janie out here by herself,” Will said.

“She’s in a mirror, I think she will be fine,” Jack said with a sardonic eyebrow.

“She’s never been dancing before,” Will said.

“I think she still hasn’t,” Jack smirked. “Clapping on the other side of a window someone else is dragging around is hardly dancing.”

“True. It’s a milestone for her though, and I don’t want to disappear in the middle of it,” Will said.

“Good,” Jack nodded. “If it were me in her place, I’d be pissed if you vanished in the middle of my first almost-dance. I’ll have to thank her for letting me get out of our pending conversation.”