Page 107 of Ship of Shadows
Iwalked with my brothers, Bastian and his crew behind us. I shot a glance at the pirate lord, and he sent a wink my way, making me smile as I turned forward.
We made our way through the jungle, the hilly terrain thick with foliage sprouting everywhere. We carefully picked our way through the smattering of knotted trees, hanging vines, and bushes ripe with thorns and berries that Lochlan warned were poisonous.
I stepped over a large black helmet.
“Have you been tempted to use any of these items?” I asked Lochlan.
He shook his head. “For whatever reason, without our shadows we can’t use this magic. I’m surprised how many people come to this island and take these items.” His gaze darkened. “Most don’t make it back out, not with the shadows trained to keep everyone in.” He shuddered. “I saw one woman ripped to shreds by the shadows when she attempted to run out to the shoreline.”
I ducked under a black arrow that stuck out of a tree.
Lochlan nodded his head at the arrow. “Should we test one out on the pirate lord and see if I can make it work?”
I elbowed him. “Are you going to be nice to him?”
“I don’t think he responds well to nice.” Lochlan slung an arm around my shoulders. “Besides, he seems like the type of guy who can take whatever I throw at him.”
Mal just snorted.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said. “It all makes sense now. Why you were so distant those months before we disappeared. Why you never had time for us, why you shut us out. You were hiding him, your relationship with him.”
“Of course I was.” I spread out my arms. “Look how you’re reacting, even though you know the truth of the situation. That he’s as trapped as you are.”
“Except we didn’t resort to kidnapping,” Mal retorted.
“You would have if it was the only way to save me or Lochlan or Marian.”
Mal stiffened at that. “I would’ve found another way.” He stalked ahead.
I wished Leoni were here. Wished we hadn’t fought on that ship. I needed her right now, and her reassurance.
“He just misses Marian,” Lochlan said. “He’s been worried sick. He thought maybe the shadows got her, or her father found out and forbade her from seeing him.”
I didn’t think now was the right time to reveal that her father had not been happy to learn of her relationship with Mal. They’d have a steep hill to climb—if we ever got him out of here.
“So he’s taking out his anger on me?”
“Well, on the pirate lord, if you want to get technical,” Lochlan said. I elbowed him and he laughed. “It’s good to see you, Gabby.”
I nestled into his hug. “It’s good to see you too, Loch.”
We continued to walk through the jungle, shadows constantly whooshing over us, and each time one did, cold crept through me. I rubbed my arms despite the humid heat.
“You’ll get used to that too.” Lochlan tipped his head up. “The cold.”
“Have you seen your shadow?” I followed his gaze to the shadows, all of them smaller, slighter, clearly young boys.
“Once.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “It didn’t go well when I tried to catch it. Damn thing nearly threw me out of a tree. That’s the other thing they don’t like. When you try to catch them.”
“We have a plan,” I said. “We can discuss it when you and Mal are ready. After we’ve settled and had a chance to scout the area ourselves.”
Lochlan didn’t respond. “We’re almost there.” He pointed ahead to where Mal walked.
Two thick trees, both nearly as wide as Bastian’s ship and as tall as his masts, rose up, and thick wisteria hung down like a curtain between them.
Mal swept the wisteria aside, and held it for us as we walked through. Once I was on the other side, I gasped.
