Witch Song (Witch Song #1)

Chapter 10

10. BETRAYAL

 "You're sure a boy and girl purchased the boat?"

"Said they were doing some fishing," the man at the boat shop replied.

Wardof grunted. "Where exactly were they going to fish?"

"You're more than welcome to look over my books and see if I marked that detail," Mcbedee said as he scratched his scalp.

Wardof clenched his fists. His bruises had healed; perhaps it was time to make some new ones.

Garg shifted from one foot to the other. "C'mon. We don't need no more trouble."

Wardof shot Garg the glare he'd been using to no effect on Mcbedee. With a growl, he turned toward the door.

"'Spect me to keep tabs on his sister ... He can't even keep her under control and 'spects me to ..." Mcbedee grumbled.

Wardof slammed the door behind him. "At least we know she came this way. My bet is she's looking for Haven. If she bought a boat, the island must be around here somewhere."

"Yeah, but nobody but Witches get in that island and she could change the location 'fore we find it."

"That's why we have to find her before she gets in! Besides, she's an ignorant little Witch. She doesn't know how to move it, you idiot!" Wardof turned in frustration.

"I told you to stop callin' me names!" Garg scowled.

Wardof rounded on Garg, pleased for the excuse to use his fists. "I'll call you whatever names—"

"Hello there, boys," a voice interrupted from behind. Wardof whirled and squinted against the bright sun. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a man who looked an awful lot like Mcbedee dart behind a building. He brought one hand up to shade his eyes. But the man was gone.

A balding man and one with a red beard leaned against the weathered boards of a tackle shop. "You lookin' for a girl?"

Instantly, Wardof was alert. "Yes, shoulder-length dark gold hair, amber eyes, skinny, a little on the short side, fifteen."

Both men nodded.

"That be her," the one with the red beard said. "Whatcha lookin' for her for?"

Wardof gave the same story he'd been using all through Nefalie.

The sailors exchanged glances. "Sister, huh?"

Both men seemed amused, though Wardof couldn't see why. "She's a bit muddled in her mind. Would've been looking for a hidden place?"

The red-bearded Captain smiled. "There's an island. Only one way in and I'm the single soul that knows it. My bet is they're headed there. I run merchandise up and down the coast, but there isn't much business now. We could take you there for the right price."

"Name it." Wardof felt happier than he had in years.

***

Senna sat on the beach, staring across the water and thinking of the green crescent on the cliff's face and the gibbous beneath the waves. "We have to get past the cliffs. But how? We can't get any closer and we can't swim in."

Joshen handed her some salted fish and biscuits before plopping down beside her. "Did you see any signs the island is anything but cliffs? I mean, how do we know if there's even anything inside?"

Senna reached down and scratched behind Bruke's ears. He groaned contentedly beneath her fingertips. "My mother said if I followed the signs of the Dawn Song, I'd find safety. I can't believe she meant I should scale the top of a barren cliff and live out my life on lichen and crabs."