Read Online The Ship of Lost Souls 1 by Rachelle Delaney - Free Book Online Page B

oath when they leave. Want to hear it?”
    Jem nodded, and Scarlet cleared her throat and put her hand over her heart. She motioned for Jem to do the same.
    â€œRepeat after me. Though off I go into the world to find my destiny . . .”
    â€œThough off I go into the world to find my destiny . . .”
    â€œI’ll keep the secret of the
Margaret’s Hop
inside of me.”
    â€œI’ll keep the secret of the
Margaret’s Hop
inside of me.”
    â€œAnd if I’m ever tempted to reveal that mystery . . .”
    â€œAnd if I’m ever tempted to reveal that mystery . . .”
    â€œMay I meet the rope’s end with a thousand lashes until I think better of betraying the Lost Souls like the filthy bilge rat I am.”
    Jem blinked. Then he muttered the last line and moved an inch or two away from Scarlet.
    â€œNow,” Scarlet continued, “the Ship of Lost Souls had a purpose, as a haven for children who didn’t want to live in port or with grown-ups. But the Lost Souls needed more to do than just drift around. They decided that every few years a new captain would take over and declare a new mission for the crew. When I joined, Ben Hodgins’s mission was to keep both pirates and the King’s Men in check as they searched the islands for the treasure. They’re certain they’ll find heaps of gold or jewels if they just keep cutting things down. Ben’s goal was more to frighten rather than to rob them of their bounty like other pirates would.”
    â€œHm.” Jem contemplated this. “So what’s your mission as captain?”
    She’d known it was coming—the question she’d been asking herself so often lately. It was complicated. When Ben left less than a year ago, she decided the new mission would be to find the legendary treasure. But when the crew tired so quickly of that, she’d had to find another one, and fast. She settled on one similar to the Lost Souls’ original purpose: to help children throughout the islands. But it was a tricky mission to take on—not least of all because, well, very few children actually lived on the islands. It wasn’t long before the crew started having doubts of their own. She’d heard whisperings now and then from Lost Souls who were growing impatient, and she couldn’t help but wish they’d just found the darn treasure. No one would dare question the captain who’d led them to it . . . whatever it was.
    Scarlet forced a yawn. “How about we continue this tomorrow? I’m pooped. I’ll show you to your cabin.” Without waiting for Jem to reply, she hopped off her barrel and headed downstairs.
    After leaving Jem to find an empty spot on the floor in the room Smitty shared with nearly a half dozen other boys, Scarlet tiptoed down the hall to her own closet-sized nook, which she shared with Ronagh. The younger girl was already curled up in her hammock, swaying gently as the ship rolled over the waves. Scarlet hopped into her own hammock and closed her eyes, exhausted but not yet ready for sleep.
    She could have told Jem more; he’d probably ask for details one of these days, anyway. So full of questions, that one. But she didn’t like telling anyone much about herself. Both Scary Mary and Admiral McCray had long ago advised her to forget, and although she’d resisted at first, her memories soon blurred around the edges, some of them gradually dissolving altogether.
    Scarlet flipped onto her side and listened to the rafters creak as her hammock swung back and forth. Memories of her father remained, but not the ones she wanted. She wanted to picture him without his heavy, blue coat, when his skin was tanned and his face was creased from laughter instead of frowns.
    After her mother died, her father barely spoke, much less smiled. He never called her by the name her mother called her, which Scarlet