002. PRIVATEER

   When night came through, the three runaways found the one ship that was still at dock and gave them currency in the form of a golden pin for transport. The First army crept up onto them right as they were about to board. Luckily, the crew mates standing beside the ship didn't like Ravakan's so much.

   When they announced Ravka wanted a fight, every other crewman on deck pulled out guns, aimed for the soldiers of the First Army. Glad to say they made it on board safe, although Mischa had her strong suspensions on why the female and male — that looked to be twins, had protected them from enslavement.

   The Shu male opened up a door into a lower deck chamber after leading them around the ship. "Request for charter, Captain."

   "Immediate Charter." Mal stated as he strutted in with the two girls following in step.

   "He means we need to leave right now."

   The blond young man behind the desk leaned against it, both hands pressed on the top of the desk, placing all his weight on it. "Let's be clear about two things. I don't take orders on my own ship. And we're already underway. I'm glad you've joined us."

   Mischa glanced out the small circle pod window to see the lights of Novyi Zem in the far distance. They had long left the dock a while ago. They were traveling in open waters now.

   "Now, maybe you'd be so kind as to give the room a little light. After all you are Alina Starkov." Mischa frowned, letting out an exasperated breath as the three began to realize they walked right into a trap, blinded by their own righteousness. "A 20-million-kruge Saint."

   The captain dressed in a royal blue trench coat grabbed his pistol out of its holder before slamming in down on the desk in front of him with a dangerous look. "Dead or alive."

   "No point in denying it, Miss Starkov. You are the Sun Summoner." The captain fell into his seat.

   "You're right." Alina wasted no time in calling the light to her, grasping at any opening she could find and manipulating a ball of light in each outstretched palm. The light was so bright it gave Mischa the opportunity to truly look at the young man who had trapped them in the middle of the sea, analyzing his every movement as she inched closer to Alina protectively.

   He whistled, impressed. "Impressive. And it's not often that I say that."

   "Let us go." Alina ordered in a low tone. Mischa brought her own clenched fists in front of her, prepared for the worst. The Captain glanced at her curiously, as if searching through his mind for who she was. "Or you'll be out 20 million kruge and a ship."

   The blond Captain stood back on his feet, surprisingly, not a drop of fear shown on his face. "While I'm well aware you could consign us to the watery deep, you should really consider how far from the docks we are."

   The boy-man Captain poured himself a glass of kvas. "Besides, I'm not handing you over to the Fjerdans."

   "You're not?"

   "Saints, no." He paused in his steps back to his chair behind his desk. "Sorry, is it offensive to say that in the presence of a living Saint?"

   Mal inhaled a deep breath, taking one of the open chairs in front of the Captain's desk. "Okay. What do you want with us then?"

   Mischa glanced behind her to see the same Shu Man with a sword strapped on his back standing in the far corner of the room. He gave a small smirk to her when he caught her looking before taking a seat in the darkness in the corner.

   "With you? Nothing." The Captain rose his eyes rows on the assertive male companion to the two girls. "Honestly, I'm not even sure who you or the lovely young lady with blood on her face behind you are — please, remind me to ask you later why you do have blood on your face. " Mischa tilted her head when he flashed her a dazzling smile that was suppose to probably knock her off her feet. Mischa wasn't so easily swooned. "But the Sun Summoner... Well, you have to know you're quite valuable."

   Mischa rose a skeptical eyebrow, began to feel annoyance of the boy-man as he slurped his kvas.
"You just said you wouldn't turn her in for a bounty, pirate."

   Oh has Mischa Romanov heard all about the tales of pirates during her stay in the Little Palace. The Apparent was not shy about it when he told her of the thief's sailing the muddy waters during one of her sessions. They were slimy little gits who took what they wanted no matter the cost, even if it were other people's lives.

   That's why Mischa had so much disgust laced in her voice when she said the word; pirate.

   "Privateer." The blond man corrected, sending her a small subtle wink that she almost missed.

   "Oh." Mischa fained an apologetic look as if she were sorry she said the wrong word. "I didn't know there was a difference."

   Her eyes locked with the Captain's, a boy around the same age as she. There was no point in denying how handsome he was, blessed by the Saints with eternal beauty that probably had all the girls swoon. Mischa would bet Zoya would be taffy at his feet with just one look at him.

   But, Mischa could also see the lingering feeling of loneliness in his eyes, like a distant feeling. He was downright a flirt and a con-artist. Everything he did irked her own being.

   "And what I said was I wouldn't hand her into the Fjerdans." He corrected Mischa's previous statement once again with an amused look, seeing the way her eyes dropped in annoyance and her lips pressed together tightly. "I said nothing of the Kerch or Shu. I paid a small fortune to empty the dock and make sure you got on my ship. And frankly, I think the Fjerdans are severely undervaluing you."

   "You're right. They are." Alina nodded, stepping closer to the desk so she could tower over him. "Because you'll be able to ask the King of Ravka for twice as much."

   The boy narrowed his eyes on the Shu girl, smirk faltering. "You know the king?"

   Alina only response; "I'm the Sun Summoner."

   "By all accounts, the First Army have now turned their sights on Grisha." This new news of information made Mischa visibly freeze. Her friends. The ones she loved so dearly. Oh, no. Zoya was probably dead, as well as Nadia and Genya. "Thanks to what you and your conspirator did in the Fold."

   "The Darkling and I were not partners." Alina cut him off sternly. "You may believe otherwise, but once I tear down the Fold and reunite Ravka, the world will see I am not his ally. Help us and you'll be rewarded."

   He was no prepared for her new declaration. "To tear down the Fold?" He scoffed lightly, sitting up further in his seat. "And how do you plan on doing that exactly?"

   "By hunting Morozova's Sea Whip."

   "Alina." Mischa spoke with warning sternly, earning the pirate's quick glance at her. Alina held out her hand to signal she's got this. Mischa backed off, obeying her Saint.

    The Captain trills his lips as he fell back into his seat, taking a large gulp of his kvas. "Well, I suppose if the Stag existed, the Sea Whip and the Firebird might as well." His expression lit up, his conclusions being drawn from the evidence given to him. "You couldn't do it with one amplifier, but two."

   Alina nodded, a hopeful look crossing her features that he might aid in their endeavor. "Unburdened by General Kirigan, under my own power." She paused. "Will you help us or not?"

   The blond man stood up with his glass in his hands, hid feet trailing him back in forth in a pace as he thought. "There's adventure, danger, money?"

   He paused his pacing, whipping his body around to face them, a large grin plastered on his lips. "Now you're speaking my language."

   Not too long after, he lead them out of his private chambers onto the same lower deck where all the crewman slept. Mischa eyed the hammocks handing from the ceiling and the grim living conditions. If she really thought about it, it was like the conditions back in the Orphanage. Except, even those were nicer than these.

   The crewman cheered as their Captain lead the new three shipmates through. The Captain; Sturmhond.

   Mal stuck his head in between the two girls that walked side by side, asking the million kruge question on everyone's minds. "What's the difference between a privateer and a pirate?"

   Mischa covered her eyes when they passed a toilet with nothing giving the man seated any privacy.

   "Alright listen up everyone!" He shouted to gain all the crewman's attention. "We have guests! The Sun Summoner and The Black Bird, and uh, you are?"

   Mischa shifted on her feet uncomfortably. He must've recognized her. Who wouldn't with her sticking to Alina's side.

   Just as Mal's lips parted to answer, Sturmhond spoke for him. "A guest of the Sun Summoner. I expect you'll treat them with the respect I've come to know from you lack of liars and thieves." The crew laughed. "Come along, my darlings, come on, come on. Now, you can have the three in the back. See you in the morning, Miss Starkov. Miss Romanov, let me show you to the wash room so you can deal with the blood."

   Mischa glanced at Alina to make sure she would be okay without her. Her friend nodded, gesturing her to follow the captain. Mischa followed after him, passing by the man using the restroom once again.

   The wash room wasn't even that far from the rest room, but luckily a curtain separated them. Sturmhond nodded to the bin filled with water on top of a table. Mischa tried to keep her grimace in but failed as she approached it and started to rub her hands before grabbing a used cloth and dabbing it into the water.

   "So, who's blood is that?" Sturmhond never left and stood next to the curtain, his arms crossed over his chest, staring at the back of Mischa's head.

   "It's not mine, I can assure you that."

   "Then, I feel sorry for the person on the receiving end of The Black Bird's wrath." He jested, smirking lightly.

   Mischa's shoulder's tensed, biting the inside of her cheek so hard it drew blood. "How did you know it was me?"

   He huffed in disbelief. "Seriously? You're dressed in all black and you're running with The Sun Summoner. I've heard stories about General Kirigan's otkazat'sya, the woman who killed for the Darkling. Some even said you were just a shadow created by him in the first place and you were never real. The Black Bird —"

   "That's not my name anymore." She mumbled, interrupting him, shoulders sagging as she paused her scrubbing.

   Sturmhond clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth as he stared intently at the back of her head. "Brings up bad memories?"

   "More like the good ones I didn't see were bad at the time."

   "I thought you were still with the Darkling. Everyone else thought it too when he betrayed the rest of the world. His otkazat'sya, his right-hand woman. We all thought you conspired with him."

   "I never conspired with Alek — The Darkling." Mischa quickly corrected herself, slamming the wet cloth onto the table beside the wash bin. She turned around sharply on her heels. "He lied to me just as much as he lied to you. If I knew the things he'd done —" Her breath got caught in her throat, her words getting lost. "When I saw him expand the fold on Novokribirsk and kill all those people..."

   Sturmhond was watching her curiously and when Mischa suddenly stiffened and her piercing cold gaze met his, he shuddered.

   "I don't have to explain myself to you." She brushed past him as she tried to remember where they were sleeping tonight.

   Sturmhond found himself grow very curious and intrigued when she let her guard down for a second of a blink. A girl who's hidden deeply into the woman carved from darkness.