moment he found him. Together, the two men were able to lift Darius to the surface. Neither man spoke as they hastily wrapped the sling around his unmoving body. After Darius was safely aboard the ship, Daniel and William climbed the second rope to join him.
“In Cyrus’s name,” Carly said, almost in a whisper, as she watched them lower Darius’s lifeless body from the sling.
Dearra was beside him in a moment, her ear pressed to his chest listening for any sounds of life. Desperate, she lowered her mouth to his, pulled his jaw wide, and forced her breath into him.
Dearra shared one breath after another with Darius, but as the seconds ticked on, she felt panic creep up on her, and her breathing came faster and shallower.
Dearra! Concentrate! Come on, girl; you can do this! Brin told her.
Dearra shook herself mentally, and slowed her breathing to the deep, steady, measured breaths she needed to keep Darius alive.
Better. You’re doing fine, Dearra. Stay with it.
The seconds dragged on until a full minute had passed, and then two. Darius’s lips were blue, and he showed no sign of life, but Dearra continued to breathe for him.
Finally, Daniel stepped forward and put a hand to Dearra’s shoulder. Dearra spun on him. Had she Reo’s teeth, Daniel might have lost a hand. She glared at him for only a moment and turned her attention back to Darius.
Hugh was about to intercede when Darius made a strangled choking sound. Hugh was closest, and he bent to help the Breken to his side as he coughed up sea water.
Thank Tolah, you did it, Dearra! You did it!
But Dearra did not hear Brin’s praise as she had dropped her head into her hands and was weeping openly in relief.
Chapter 9
Phillip
Well, Father, I will never complain about cleaning my room again. I think I have swept about a million steps since I came here. Stupid waste of time, I say. No sooner do I sweep them off then a wind comes along and blows the sand right back. I have blisters on my blisters that will never heal.
Zuzu came last night, and the two of us snuck away for a while. I said I thought we should just run for it, but she asked me where I thought we would go. She was right, darn her. The Breken city is large and full of life, and outside of it, in every direction, there’s nothing but sand. I have no idea which way I would even run, let alone how I would survive out there in that environment. Oh well, it was a thought anyway. At least we got to get away for a little while.
Someone’s coming. I hear the mistress in the hall talking to—
Jacob?
What’s he doing here?
Chapter 10
“Royce!” William called out to his son.
Royce had been daydreaming. After weeks of hiding in the ship’s hold, the thrill of being on deck was exhilarating. He’d been dreaming of captaining his own ship one day, but his father’s stern voice snapped him to attention. “Yes, Father,” he answered quickly, if somewhat timidly. Even after a week, he still felt some of the tenderness on his backside. To be fair, his Father had given him the night to rest from his ordeal before meting out the punishment, even he knew, he deserved.
“Darius looks thirsty to me,” William stated flatly.
“Yes, Father.” Royce almost tripped over his feet as he hurried to fetch some water.
Darius rolled his eyes and spoke quietly to William. “Don’t you think he’s suffered enough? You have him waiting on me hand and foot. He’s certainly sorry for what he’s done, and well…it’s embarrassing to be babied like this. I’m fine, so, maybe we could call it even, and let the boy off the hook, okay?”
“No,” William answered in his typical terse style.
“Daniel,” Darius called to the man who was busy winding rope a few feet away, “help me out. Surely you agree with me.”
Though Daniel had been busy, he had not missed the conversation. “No, Darius I don’t think I do. First of all, the boy’s not sorry at all. He’s exactly where he wanted to
“In Cyrus’s name,” Carly said, almost in a whisper, as she watched them lower Darius’s lifeless body from the sling.
Dearra was beside him in a moment, her ear pressed to his chest listening for any sounds of life. Desperate, she lowered her mouth to his, pulled his jaw wide, and forced her breath into him.
Dearra shared one breath after another with Darius, but as the seconds ticked on, she felt panic creep up on her, and her breathing came faster and shallower.
Dearra! Concentrate! Come on, girl; you can do this! Brin told her.
Dearra shook herself mentally, and slowed her breathing to the deep, steady, measured breaths she needed to keep Darius alive.
Better. You’re doing fine, Dearra. Stay with it.
The seconds dragged on until a full minute had passed, and then two. Darius’s lips were blue, and he showed no sign of life, but Dearra continued to breathe for him.
Finally, Daniel stepped forward and put a hand to Dearra’s shoulder. Dearra spun on him. Had she Reo’s teeth, Daniel might have lost a hand. She glared at him for only a moment and turned her attention back to Darius.
Hugh was about to intercede when Darius made a strangled choking sound. Hugh was closest, and he bent to help the Breken to his side as he coughed up sea water.
Thank Tolah, you did it, Dearra! You did it!
But Dearra did not hear Brin’s praise as she had dropped her head into her hands and was weeping openly in relief.
Chapter 9
Phillip
Well, Father, I will never complain about cleaning my room again. I think I have swept about a million steps since I came here. Stupid waste of time, I say. No sooner do I sweep them off then a wind comes along and blows the sand right back. I have blisters on my blisters that will never heal.
Zuzu came last night, and the two of us snuck away for a while. I said I thought we should just run for it, but she asked me where I thought we would go. She was right, darn her. The Breken city is large and full of life, and outside of it, in every direction, there’s nothing but sand. I have no idea which way I would even run, let alone how I would survive out there in that environment. Oh well, it was a thought anyway. At least we got to get away for a little while.
Someone’s coming. I hear the mistress in the hall talking to—
Jacob?
What’s he doing here?
Chapter 10
“Royce!” William called out to his son.
Royce had been daydreaming. After weeks of hiding in the ship’s hold, the thrill of being on deck was exhilarating. He’d been dreaming of captaining his own ship one day, but his father’s stern voice snapped him to attention. “Yes, Father,” he answered quickly, if somewhat timidly. Even after a week, he still felt some of the tenderness on his backside. To be fair, his Father had given him the night to rest from his ordeal before meting out the punishment, even he knew, he deserved.
“Darius looks thirsty to me,” William stated flatly.
“Yes, Father.” Royce almost tripped over his feet as he hurried to fetch some water.
Darius rolled his eyes and spoke quietly to William. “Don’t you think he’s suffered enough? You have him waiting on me hand and foot. He’s certainly sorry for what he’s done, and well…it’s embarrassing to be babied like this. I’m fine, so, maybe we could call it even, and let the boy off the hook, okay?”
“No,” William answered in his typical terse style.
“Daniel,” Darius called to the man who was busy winding rope a few feet away, “help me out. Surely you agree with me.”
Though Daniel had been busy, he had not missed the conversation. “No, Darius I don’t think I do. First of all, the boy’s not sorry at all. He’s exactly where he wanted to
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