The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [146]
Boards snapped, a deafening sound, and the ocean rushed in. The speed of it tore the lantern from Jarrod’s hand, and it swirled like a buoy in a whirlpool until it winked out.
‘Drayco!’ Rosette screamed until she felt his wet fur press into her face. He swam beside her, dog-paddling to keep his head above water. Rosette closed her eyes against the dark and sent a bolt of energy to all of them: the horses, Jarrod, herself, Drayco, the others on board. She could hear nothing but the surge of water and the terrible snap and grind of wood being wrenched apart. It was like a sea monster was chewing them up and spitting out the splinters. Without warning, the wall beside her vanished. The boat flipped over and more water sucked in.
She felt Jarrod’s hand grip hers for a second before it was gone.
‘We’re capsizing,’ he screamed above the flood. ‘Take a breath!’
Rosette gulped in air as her head went under.
Drayco, hold your breath. Don’t let it go until we are on the surface.
And where would the surface be, Maudi?
I don’t know yet. Just paddle.
The water was surprisingly warm. Chunks of wood smacked her arms and legs, but it seemed like slow motion. She let the water drag her down and out, the torrent freeing her from the collapsing hold. When she opened her eyes underwater, all was dark and still except for a dull light to the side. She let out a few bubbles of air and followed them, realising that ‘to the side’ was actually up.
This way, Drayco. Stick with me. She swam for that dull light, calling to Drayco in her mind, calling to Jarrod and the horses, following the bubbles up.
Her lungs burned for air. She swallowed against the urge to breathe and kicked as hard as she could. Her arms had begun to tingle by the time she pulled herself to the surface. When her head burst through the choppy swell, she sucked air into her lungs. She heard gasps beside her and yelled between breaths: ‘Drayco! Jarrod!’
I have him, Maudi. He’s hit his head. Help me.
The light around her was sufficient to see, but the swell was so high that she could only glimpse them for mere seconds before she was again surrounded by the heaving wall of water.
‘I’m coming!’ she screamed above the wind. Don’t let him go! She sent the mind message when the swell washed over her face.
Rosette swam in their direction until she bumped into a floating plank—a door that had been ripped in two. Throwing an arm over it, she kicked harder. Drayco, his mouth enclosed around the front of Jarrod’s coat, hauled him right up to her and Rosette dragged him the rest of the way onto the float. He coughed and spat, clinging to the wood.
Drayco leapt up onto the raft and shook himself, riding it like a Rahana Iti islander in the surf. Rosette trod water beside them.
‘Can you see anyone else, Dray? Any crew? Survivors?’
No people.
‘Oh, deep Sednara, goddess of the sea, how have we offended you?’
I can see the horses. They’re heading southeast.
‘Follow them,’ Jarrod wheezed. ‘They’ll sense land if any of us can.’
I want to go that way too, Maudi.
Keep them in sight for me, Dray.
Rosette pushed the board in front of her and kicked. The wind was behind, the current strong in their favour. As she followed the horses, the tips of the masts went under, the sea sucking the rest of the vessel down. When it disappeared, the swell dropped. The wind abated and in minutes, the sea was calm.
‘We paid our price, it seems.’
It’s too high, Maudi. I don’t like it, and I don’t want to go on boats any more.
Nell flew west, straight into the storm. She planned to send word to Maka’ra and cross the straits on the first available boat. It was too long a distance for her to stay in falcon form. She didn’t want to risk it.
Morzone was battened down when she arrived, the harbour deserted. She morphed into her human form and walked the docks, searching for someone to question, but she found no-one about. The wind whipped away the click