Witch Born(66)
“Reden?” she said softly. “Joshen doesn’t want me to be here.”
Reden studied her sidelong. “How so?”
She fired again. “He doesn’t want me going to Tarten. I’m not sure he can deal with all this.”
“Give him some time. He’s still trying to find his footing—to figure out how to balance protecting you with letting you go into dangerous situations.”
Someone cleared his throat behind them. “When you’re moving forward, you have to aim a little behind the target to compensate for the ship’s speed.” Senna recognized Joshen’s voice. She turned to find him watching her, his arms crossed over his chest and his expression tense.
Senna rubbed her forehead in frustration.
Reden nodded towards her pistol. “Keep practicing. I’ll be right back.”
He took Joshen’s arm and steered him away.
Senna looked around for another ball to load in the pistol. Reden must have taken them with him. She tentatively approached the hatch.
She could see the edge of Reden’s back and hear his tense voice. “Fine. Don’t tell me what happened. But I’ll tell you this as your friend, you’re losing her.”
“I’m trying to protect her!”
“You’re her Guardian. You protect her from danger. You can question her plans, her choices, but you don’t threaten her. You don’t force her. You follow where she leads and clean up what you can.”
“Even if it kills her?” Joshen’s voice had grown threatening.
Reden didn’t back down. “Being a Witch means putting herself in danger for the world’s sake if needs be. That’s why they have Guardians.”
Joshen didn’t speak for a moment. “I love her, Reden. I can’t stand by and watch her nearly die. Not again.”
“So it’s selfishness, is it?”
“What? No, I—”
“You can’t stand watching her get hurt so you betrayed her trust? ’Cause that sounds like selfishness to me.”
Joshen was silent. “I can’t risk her.”
“She’s already at risk. Accept it and stop being a fool, before it’s too late.”
Reden turned to go up the stairs and caught Senna watching. He gave her a reprimanding look.
She retreated back to the side of the ship before Joshen could see her. “You took all the balls,” she said sheepishly.
Glancing at the pouch at his hip, Reden grunted. “So I did.”
“Thanks for speaking with him.”
Reden nodded. “You two need each other.” He gestured for Joshen to join them. “You know the pistol well enough. Let’s see how you do in combat.”
Over the next few hours, Joshen taught her how to escape a hold. Specifically, how to block a gag by holding her wrist to her lips. The goal was to protect her song, which would be her primary weapon.
The hurt between them was like a slow poison. Cleansing it would take time, and time was something neither of them had. So they studiously ignored their pain.
Joshen drilled the same four sequences over and over.
“Can’t we learn something new?” Senna finally asked.
He circled her. “No time. Better you learn a few things well.”
At lunch time, Senna was relieved for an excuse to stop. She retrieved food for the four of them, making a cup of soothing tea for Mistin’s throat.
Joshen helped her carry it to where Mistin was singing even more croakily than normal. Reden stood beside her and didn’t seem to mind the sound at all. She finished the verse and he said something. She laughed, a sound that was beautiful even if her voice was not. He noticed them and touched Mistin’s elbow. She took the tea with obvious gratitude.
Senna passed out travel bread, apples, and salt pork. “Call it a day, Mistin. The ship might need you if I’m stuck in Tarten.”
Mistin took a bite of her apple. “That will be difficult, as I’m coming with you.”
Cord appeared, his own lunch in hand, and sat beside Senna. She had to suppress the urge to squirm.
“Are you sure you can keep up?” Joshen asked as he took the other side.
“I’ll be on a horse, idiot.” Mistin glared at him.
Cord chuckled.
Mistin transferred her glare to Cord. Both men clamped up and stared at the deck.
Reden grinned. “In a fight between you three, I’d bet on her.”
Senna handed Mistin the pistol she’d been practicing with, and that settled it.
After they’d eaten, Reden gestured for Senna and Joshen to join him in the captain’s cabin. Once they were behind closed doors, Reden said, “Senna, we’ll be arriving in Tarten soon. I need to know you’ll obey me if I tell you to run. If I say return to the ship, you do it.”