Free The Heartstone Blade (The Dark Ability Book 2) by D.K. Holmberg Page A

see anyone on the deck. He turned with the spyglass and finally found Firell’s ship.
    Rsiran had never really seen it. The wood of the ship was painted a dark green. The prow had been carved into the shape of a woman, long hair flowing down her shoulders, before her waist melded into the rest of the ship. Thick lines ran from the two massive masts. White sails were rolled and stored. A long anchor chain hung off the side, disappearing into the water.
    “I don’t see him on the ship.”
    Rsiran lowered the spyglass and looked at Jessa. She stared out over the water, eyes flaring a deeper green. “Agreed. I don’t see him, either.”
    “Is that what it’s like for you all the time?”
    She smiled. “Like I said… you’re just a babe.”
    He laughed and searched the road for Shael, but the wide man had disappeared. There were dozens of shops along the shore he could have slipped into. Part of Rsiran wished he would have followed him just to see what Shael was up to, but there was no reason to worry about who Shael was talking to.
    “Can you get us to the ship?”
    “But Firell isn’t there.”
    She shrugged.
    “What is it you’re not telling me?”
    “Can you get us there or not?” Jessa asked.
    Rsiran raised the spyglass and looked out to the ship and picked an open section on the deck. Fixing it in his mind, he grabbed her, and before he thought about it too much, Slid across the open water and onto the ship.

Chapter 8
    T hey emerged standing on the deck of the ship. Rsiran staggered, but didn’t know if it was the effort of the Slide or the slowly rolling ship that sent him stumbling. Jessa clung to his hand. Her other hand gripped the lorcith charm he’d given her.
    Jessa’s face had turned pale white. “Okay. So maybe this wasn’t the best idea I’ve had.”
    “You’ve never been on a ship?”
    “And you have?”
    Rsiran shook his head. “My first time.”
    Jessa swallowed again. She looked out over the water and started frowning. “Come on. Let’s make sure Firell isn’t here before we go snooping around too much.”
    The ship rocked slowly underfoot, rolling in a way that made Rsiran uncomfortable. With the deck empty, it felt like they were the only ones aboard. He had met others who sailed with Firell, but he hadn’t seen Tagus or Jesin in over a month.
    Lines were coiled neatly along the deck rails. Hooks and oars stored in open lockers, as well as other tools that he had no name for. Near the far end of the deck, stairs led below deck. Jessa started toward them.
    “Will he be upset if he learns we’re here?” Rsiran asked as they neared the stairs. He didn’t know Firell nearly as well as Brusus did, though Rsiran had the sense that they had known each other a long time. But he knew how he would feel if someone suddenly appeared in his smithy without asking for permission first. It felt like a violation of privacy, of trust.
    “Don’t know.”
    She didn’t give more of an answer as she started into the dark stairwell. The wide stairs creaked as they stepped down them. The air smelled different here than it did along the shore, cleaner, less of the stink of fish. Of course, he wouldn’t smell fish on Firell’s ship; he claimed to be a trader but specialized in contraband, forbidden items that he had to sneak past the Elvraeth inspectors.
    At the bottom of the stairs, a narrow hall opened before them. Two doors were closed on one side of the hall. Midway down on the other side was a single door. Also closed. Jessa studied all three doors for a moment before trying the single door. When she found it locked, she unrolled her pick set and quickly opened it.
    “And this is where Firell gets mad if he learns what we’ve done,” Rsiran said.
    Jessa smiled and pushed the door open. “Good thing he doesn’t know that you can Slide.”
    The door opened into the hold. It was mostly dark, but the light from the hall streamed in letting Rsiran see rows of boxes, similar enough to the