treasure || bang chan

part 8

Though the ship had not technically belonged to us, now it wasn't ours in a literal sense. From the moment she arrived, Fei owned the quarterdeck, only her hands would steer the wheel or raise the sails. We eventually accepted her government and left her to preside over the helm.

Haseong stood like a statue at the bow, staring through the fog. I paced the deck, at once fighting the urge to probe Fei — maybe standing on the taffrail so I'd have the high ground — and tempted to sidle up to Haseong, see if he might put his arm around me if I stood close enough.

I stopped pacing, about to attempt one or the other, but they spoke in unison.

"We're approaching land."

They eyed each other from opposite ends of the ship.

I stood next to Haseong, looking ahead. Past the fog were ships rocking in the rough current coming from the river's mouth. One of them looked sunken, half its massive body jutting out of the water.

"Is that one of the pirates' ships?" I asked.

"It was one of Pi's fleet," Fei answered. "It capsized in seventeen twenty-one and got caught in the bedrock."

"How do you know that?"

"It's one of his most famous crusades," Haseong said. "My mothers used to tell me about his adventures as bedtime stories."

"Most of the others are there already," Fei muttered. "We could have beaten them if you hadn't haggled so persistently."

"If you hadn't invaded our ship like a madwoman," Haseong retorted. "Chan, your silk whatchamacallits?"

"Oh, yes, good idea." I took the swatch out of my pocket and nibbled out iris-sized circles.

I flinched as I realized Fei was leering over my shoulder.

"May I help you?" I said.

"What are you doing with that?"

"I'm making coverings for our eyes. Why, would you like to try it?"

"What is the purpose?"

"It dampens the colour in case a human is in close proximity."

She blew a breath out her nose and stormed away. "The subjugation — the pressure to suppress our nature — is truly ceaseless, isn't it?"

I blinked. "It's crucial, actually. It's in the interest of the law."

"Well, of course you would think so."

"Is that an insult, Miss Ngai?"

"It's Mrs. Ngai. And no, it isn't. Your eyes tell me a lot about you."

I should have known she was some kind of a vampire nationalist. The disparity between us was a pistol blasting our peace dove out of the air. Gold and red didn't mix.

"But by all means," she said, raising her hands, "don't let me stop you from practicing submission to the despots in Volterra."

"How is it a submission?" Haseong asked.

Fei opened her mouth eagerly, like this was the question she had been waiting for. I sensed the rhetoric coming and interrupted.

"Instead of a submission, see it as ensuring the confidentiality of the vampire world — as well as our own continued existences — and not 'playing into The Volturi's draconian reign,' as some might say."

Her eyes narrowed and her smile widened. "The rose has thorns. Noted." She turned and stepped onto the railing, tying her hair into a square knot at the back of her head. "We've dawdled too long. I will assist at the wreck. You won't see me, but I'll be there. Farewell for now."