Devon Monk - Tin Swift

Mae sat next to her. She leaned in and Rose could see her better in the low light of the room.

“Hey, there now,” Mae said. “This will help the pain. Just take a couple drinks.”

Mae held the cup to Rose’s mouth, which was good. Rose didn’t think she had enough strength in her whole body to lift even one hand, much less support a whole cup.

The tea came on bitter and green at first, and then was sweet and strong with the hot burn of alcohol.

“Water?” she asked after taking down as much of the tea as she could. She didn’t want to cough, didn’t want to jangle her body so harshly, but the burn of the tea was too strong in her throat.

Mae pulled the cup away, then held another at her lips. Rose swallowed several gulps of water until the fire in her belly cooled and her throat soothed.

“I’m going to change the compress on your shoulder,” Mae said softly. “I have a new stock of medicines, and it’s going to help you feel better.”

The warm numbing of whatever Mae had put in that tea was already spreading sweetly through her. She felt more awake, and although not completely out of pain, it was at a much more tolerable distance.

“That helped,” Rose said. “I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

“It’s coca leaves,” Mae said. “From Peru.”

“Sounds fancy,” she said as Mae spread a greenish-black paste onto a clean cotton cloth and then poured what looked like tea over the top of the cloth.

Mae whispered something, and the words made Rose’s head itch and her nose tickle. She wondered if Mae’s words held magic, or a blessing.

Rose always did like the idea of Mae having magic at her fingertips. Seemed like such a handy thing to keep around.

“Is that helping yet?” Mae asked.

“The pain is better,” Rose said. “We’re not on the airship, are we? With Captain Lee Hink?”

“No,” Mae said, pulling the covers down to Rose’s waist.

From the coolness, Rose suddenly realized she was mostly naked.

Mae gently slipped Rose’s shift out of the way so she could place the compress over her shoulder.

Rose sucked in a breath and blew it out between her teeth to try to keep from screaming. But it was only a few breaths more before her shoulder stopped hurting so. And then a few breaths after that Rose actually felt…well, not better, but not quite so torn up.

“…so we are in a mountain, a cavern, carved out by the man—Old Jack,” Mae was saying as she gently lifted and turned the cool wet rag on Rose’s forehead. “Who has us as his guests, but only through the generous and constant payment of Captain Hink.”

“Is he here still?” Rose asked.

Mae’s hands stilled a moment and then she looked down at Rose and smiled. “Captain Hink? Yes, he is. And he’s asked after you.”

“The captain?” Rose asked. “The airship captain?”

“That’s the one,” Mae said. “He’s out in the main room eating a meal. Everyone is out there—his crew, Mr. Hunt, and a crew from another airship.”

“Another airship?” Rose said as a flush of warmth spread out to the tips of her fingers and toes. “How wonderful. Could you help me sit? I’d like to see this place.”

“I don’t know…”

“Please? I feel so much better right now. I’d like to see this place. I’d like to see everything I can.”

“Let me get a few things.” Mae walked a little ways off.

Rose turned her head to watch and pain bit down hard enough to make her stop breathing.

She was still under a lot of hurt. But at least she could see a few cots lined off in one direction. The walls were unhewn stone, dark, with clever shelves chipped into them and lanterns set here and there. It almost made the place look like a night sky broken by stars.

“What mountain are we inside, and how did we get here?” Rose asked.

Mae came back with a blanket rolled in her arms.

“We are north of the Bitterroots. I’m not clear as to our exact location. Captain Hink said this is Old Jack’s place. Jack takes in airships for supplies and repairs.” Mae reached down and quick as a wink lifted Rose by her waist and tucked the blanket behind her to prop her up a bit.

It hurt, and Rose let out a whimper, but got over it quick enough.

“How exotic,” she said.

“I think it’s damp, dark, and not nearly as warm as I prefer,” Mae said. “But it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. Apparently, Mr. Jack has blasted a labyrinth of tunnels and rooms in the hills.

“I have been informed, in no uncertain terms, that I am not to go wandering off down any random tunnel just because my curiosity takes hold of my feet. Apparently, if I do, I’ll lose all sense and be lost forever.”

Rose smiled. “Sounds like you. Always with a whim in your eyes.”

“Well, there’s some truth to that. Lately.” She paused and took some time to make sure Rose’s blanket was tucked in properly.

Rose stretched the fingers on her good hand, touching Mae. “You’ve done fine. More than fine. I saw you on the ship. We were going to crash. You…you gave us a blessing and saw that we landed properly, didn’t you?”

“I wasn’t in my mind. I don’t think I should have…I didn’t ask the captain if he wanted…”

“I’m sure he wanted to see us all back to land safely. You did right by us. Thank you, Mae.”

“It’s done,” Mae said. “If I can undo the harm, I will. But not until I return to the sisters.”

“Do you hear them here? The sisters?” Rose asked.

“No.” Mae frowned. “It’s something about these mountains. The silence is thick. Not that I’m complaining. The spell set on me to return me home is…”

Rose would have said “punishing,” but Mae just set her shoulders straight a bit and said, “Insistent.”

“And we’re not flying,” Rose said. “Did we stop to supply or repair?”

“A little of both, I suppose,” Mae said. “You haven’t had a bite to eat in far too long. Let me see if there’s something left for you.” Mae patted her hand gently and made a motion to move.

“I’m dying, aren’t I?” Rose asked.

Mae stopped as if she’d suddenly been caught by ropes.

“No.”

“I never did think you lied very well, Mae,” Rose said softly. “I can feel it. The thing that is inside my shoulder is digging under my skin, twisting. I can taste it in the back of my mouth. Like hot, sour ashes.”

“You are not dying,” Mae insisted. “We need to get you to the sisterhood. I’m sure they’ll have a spell, a magic, a way of helping you heal, of keeping you strong. Many of the sisterhood are far better with herbs and tinctures than I am—why, sister Adaline alone is an amazing healer.”

Rose studied Mae’s face. “You are the strongest witch to ever come out of that coven,” she said gently. “It’s why they fear you, you know. Why they are tugging so hard on the reins to get you to turn back to them. They know how powerful you are, Mae.”

“Rose…”

“If you can’t break this pain, send healing to this wound, then I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but I can’t think of another witch capable of doing more for me.”

Mae’s eyes were sad, but there was that determined set to her. Rose had seen her plenty of times like that before. Times when Mae refused to give up on someone she cared about.

“I’d like to know,” Rose continued, “as one friend to another. Am I dying?”

Mae hesitated, before she nodded once.

“Yes. You are not well. But there is more than just the sisters or my skills to hang our hopes upon. The Madders told Cedar that if we find the Holder we’ll be able to extract the tin key in your shoulder. And I am positive that once we remove the key, you will mend up and be good as glim again.”