by Amy Braun
Slowly raising my head, I stared at the expansive ship over us. Now that we were in the daylight, I could see the dark ship with more clarity as it drowned us in its huge shadow. I should have been more terrified, yet truthfully I was amazed. The airship was a marvelous, if twisted creation. I could see all the detail and careful construction. Every gear had a purpose, the entire machine needing the smaller pieces to work the larger ones. Behind the large spinning gears were a series of smaller cogs and pistons, the hydraulics working overtime to keep the electricity flowing around the gear. The bright red flashes darted and slipped through the maze of pipes and sprockets, punching into the back of the massive spinning gear and filling it with life. I wondered about the red lightning. I’d never seen anything like it before. It had to be some kind of Hellion technology, and the engineer in me wanted to know what it was, how it worked.
The sister and survivor in me wanted to see the entire ship burn.
While Nash and Gemma huddled together in front of me, Sawyer was piloting the skiff with expert skill. I wondered where he’d practiced, because he maneuvered this skiff through the clouds as easily as he had over the streets. His skill at the helm had to be natural.
He glided us higher, moving quickly but not fast enough to draw attention. Luck turned in our favor, because the other skiffs were missing from the Behemoth’s docks, probably on raiding missions. We would be the only ones making berth under the monster ship, but we would have to move quickly through the ship before the real Hellions came back. I wanted to think that luck would remain on our side, but I had no idea what we would find once we entered the hideous airship. It couldn’t be completely empty of Hellions.
My heart was racing again as we sailed closer. I was practically twitching in my seat. How many levels would the Behemoth have? Would all their prisoners be held in the same place? What about the mysterious Vesper? Would that be inside? And what exactly was it?
“You need to relax.”
Sawyer’s voice made me jump from my thoughts, as if to prove his point. I glared at him over my shoulder.
“I’m fine,” I muttered.
“And you’re a terrible liar.”
I glared at him again, then turned and wrapped my arms around my knees. I wouldn’t prove Sawyer’s point, even if it were true. I couldn’t remember being more scared than I was now. There were too many variables, too many things that could go horribly wrong. I could get three people killed, followed by myself, and then Abby. We could all be slaughtered in a heartbeat by the Hellions. More likely, they would keep us alive, torture us to death as the blood was drained from our bodies–
I nearly jumped again when Sawyer sat down in front of me, probably switching on the autopilot function that all skiffs– even Hellion ones– seemed to have. Like the rest of us, he left his Hellion mask off for now. The air wasn’t very thin up here, and the masks just served to unnerve us and make it harder to breathe.
Sawyer leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looking at me with sharp, tawny eyes. I looked at the floor of the skiff, right into a pool of dried blood. It wasn’t an improvement.
“I’d also say that you’re scared,” he added.
I fiddled with the leather cuff of my jumpsuit. The entire uniform was small and constricted around my chest.
“You’re not?” I whispered.
He shrugged, like the idea of dying could never bother him. “Right now? No. When we get up there,” Sawyer turned his head to the Behemoth, the ship we would be invading in minutes, “I probably will be. But right now I’m working on anger. If I have that, I won’t need to worry about fear. It’ll be a weapon on its own.”
He said it idly, like his weapon wouldn’t be a blade that turned on himself as much as his enemies.
“Don’t,” I said abruptly.
Sawyer turned his gaze from the Behemoth to me. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t use anger as an excuse to get yourself killed,” I clarified. “If we can get through this without confronting any Hellions, we need to do so. You can have your revenge the easy way, or the hard way.”
Sawyer smirked mischievously. “Maybe I want the hard way.”
I shook my head. “No you don’t.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Openly taking on the Hellions in the Behemoth is suicide, and you want to live. You never would have made me repair the Dauntless if you didn’t.”
Sawyer’s smile faded, but wasn’t replaced by resentment. Instead, an expression of surprise and concern filled his golden eyes. He seemed shocked that I cared. In truth, I was shocked too. I knew what I was to him, and wasn’t entirely sure that I could call him a friend.
Yet he still mattered to me. There was something about him, a deep emotion I couldn’t identify that desired to be free. To be closer to Sawyer.
Knowing what a huge mistake that would be, I turned away from the marauder. Even though my back was to him, I felt Sawyer’s gaze linger as though he expected me to face him again. When I didn’t, Sawyer got to his feet and walked back to the helm. I exhaled, and the air felt heavy as it left my chest.
I pushed Sawyer from my thoughts and looked at the Behemoth again. We were so close now that the massive airship took up every inch of my vision. I could see the rust and weather stains on its exterior, which looked hastily and carelessly put together, though closer inspection and memories of fire in the sky told me that the Hellion ship was constructed of extremely tough metals. Yet I could see dents and scratches from cannon fire. The Behemoth’s hide wasn’t as strong as we imagined it would be.
I lowered my gaze from the main ship to the docking bay where the skiffs rested. Each narrow dock was surrounded by thick metal walls and would lock the skiff tightly once it was set in place. Erected in the middle of the docking bay was a narrow shaft that connected to the top of the Behemoth. That had to be what the Hellions used to get into the main ship.
“Damn it,” Sawyer cursed sharply. I broke my gaze from the Behemoth and looked at the marauder captain. He was staring into the distance.
At the four black dots drawing closer to the Behemoth’s loading dock. The raiding skiffs, returning from a hunt.
“Nash, Gemma, get us ready to dock,” Sawyer commanded.
The two marauders at the front of the skiff lurched up and moved purposefully as they uncoiled the harpoon guns from the compartment under their seats, which were borrowed from the Dauntless Wanderer. We didn’t know how the skiff would attach to the docking bay of the Behemoth, and the marauders had no problem damaging Hellion property.
Gemma dropped her rucksack, filled with three dozen magnetic explosives, next to my boot. I frowned and inched my foot away from it. I was told they could only detonate after they were timed, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be near them.
They retrieved the harpoons and began loading them into the guns. The sound of the Behemoth’s crunching gears and screeching wheels stabbed into my ears. Instinct kicked in, and I hunched down. I didn’t want to be anywhere near this abomination. I looked over my shoulder. I could see the spikes of the Hellion skiffs now. They were closing in. I wanted to be back on the ground, running from danger instead of approaching it.
But Abby’s in there. She needs you.
The thought stirred a little more courage into me. I pulled my eyes away from the Behemoth and looked at Gemma and Nash. Sawyer turned the skiff so it was directly facing an open dock. Once we were straightened, Sawyer left the helm and walked to his friends.
Nash and Gemma didn’t need instructions. They lifted the harpoon guns and fired at the same time. A thick metal spear with a heavy rope at the end shot out of each barrel toward the docking bay. It stabbed into the metal with an angry screech and snapped the rope taut. They dropped the harpoon guns and began to pull the ropes. Sawyer was helping Nash adjust a knot in the rope, and Gemma was staring at them impatiently. I got up from my seat and grabbed the rope behind her. I shrugged at her and she grinned.
I
glanced over my shoulder again. The skiffs were only fifty feet away now, splitting off to go into their own docks. They could see us now.
“Sawyer–”
“I know, Firecracker. Give me a minute.”
I seriously doubted we had a minute to spare, but I chose not to waste my breath and focused on helping them.
We pulled the rope when Sawyer gave the command. Our combined strength hauled the skiff into its dock until it loudly snapped into place. Once it was secure, I looked at the black walls beside the skiff. Each side had a watertight door with a large hand wheel that was too heavy for us to open–
Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech!
I jumped near out of my skin when I heard the sound of metal grinding against metal. I spun around and watched as the four other skiffs were shooting harpoons into their docking bays and trying to pull themselves in. If they secured themselves to the dock, they would jump the walls and surround us. The Hellions snapped and snarled beyond their masks. Each skiff had two of them on it, one to pull the rope and the other to taunt us. Eight Hellions against the four of us. The odds were beyond terrible.
Yet the marauders didn’t run. They stood in place, Gemma and Sawyer drawing their flintlocks while Nash stood beside them and balled his fists.
The impact of the bullets struck the Hellions on the two outermost skiffs, though the shots didn’t kill them. But it did cause three of them to stagger, and topple over the side of the skiffs.
Somehow I doubted that Hellions could survive a three hundred foot plummet to the ground.
The other five Hellions scrambled and leaped for the marauders. The lone Hellion remaining on the farthest left skiff misjudged the jump and plunged from view. One of the closer Hellions leaped and would have made it, if Sawyer hadn’t stepped up and kicked the sailing monster in the chest. It buckled from the kick and tumbled to its death.
The three remaining Hellions were almost docked. One of them gave up on completion and launched itself onto the edge of our docking bay. It charged the marauders. Nash rushed forward and grabbed it around the waist. With a roar, he threw the Hellion over the ledge.
The last two Hellions docked as Nash made his throw. These ones were more cautious, keeping away from the edge of the docking bay. They barreled toward the marauders, howling with hunger and rage.
I opened my mouth to scream a warning, but Sawyer, Gemma and Nash were already running to meet them.
Nash grabbed one Hellion by the arm and held it back. Gemma appeared at his side and fired a single shot through the Hellion’s skull. Sawyer drew his cutlass and swung it at the last Hellion. It jumped back and hissed, avoiding the blade.
But the attack had been a feint. Sawyer’s right arm lifted, the barrel of his flintlock aimed at the monster’s skull. The gun barked once, and the Hellion dropped dead, a single hole smoking through the front of its mask.
The marauders stood in place, panting and moving slowly to relax their bodies. My heart was still pounding.
Sawyer sheathed his cutlass to his hip and placed his flintlock at his side. He glanced over the bodies, made sure they were dead, then looked at me where I stood by the door.
He smiled.
“See, Firecracker? Nothing to worry about.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or scream.
“Nice to know we have extra escape vessels,” Gemma said, glued to Nash’s side.
The big marauder ran his hand up and down his lover’s arm. “Something tells me any other obstacles we face won’t be as simple.”
Sawyer’s smile dropped, the light in his eyes fading completely. “Guess it’s time to find out what we’re up against. Seven of those docks are still empty. That means more skiffs are out there, and they’ll be coming back sooner or later.”
“Probably sooner,” Gemma remarked. “I doubt the forecast called for showers of Hellions.”
Sawyer’s smile was grim.
He and Nash walked to the door on the right, both of them taking a side of it. Together, they pushed and pulled on the wheel. Metal squealed against metal as it was twisted, but soon enough the two young men unlocked the door. I was surprised at how little effort it took, but then again, the Hellions would never assume anyone would make it up to their ship to attack them. Maybe the element of surprise would be on our side after all. The men held the door open so Gemma and I could slip through. Sawyer swung himself inside, quickly followed by Nash.
Teardrop light bulbs protruded from the top of the wall like a row of pustules, dousing us in dying yellow light. Once my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I could see well enough. The corridor we entered was narrow and plain with a single staircase leading upward. It curved around after about a hundred steep steps, which would lead to the top half of the airship if its outer design were to be trusted.
I didn’t wait for the others, bounding for the stairs as fast as I could. A strong hand circled my arm and stopped me. I turned around impatiently as Sawyer held me in place.
“Masks,” he said, raising his.
I glanced at it, then narrowed my eyes. “I won’t forget.”
He looked skeptical, but released my arm and let me start running up the stairs. It didn’t take long to realize that I seriously underestimated how steep they would be.
By the time I made it to the last step, right in front of another door with a hand wheel lock, my legs were rubbery and my lungs were burning. At least I wasn’t the only one winded. The marauders behind me were bent at the waist and gasping for air. When we caught out breath, Sawyer turned to Gemma and Nash.
“Ready?” he asked his crew.
“Ready to run into a ship that could be filled with monsters that will rip out our throats and drink our blood without a second thought?” Gemma summed up unhelpfully. Then she grinned. “Sounds like fun.”
Her smile was easy and carefree, but I saw the way she gripped Nash’s hand and squeezed it tightly.
Sawyer nodded to his friends, his easygoing smile doing little to hide his worry. “Claire and I will look for her sister and take the ship. Once you plant the bombs, get back here, wait thirty minutes, then blow them. Whether we come back or not.”
“Sawyer, are you sure about this?” Nash asked, seeing the seriousness on his captain’s face.
“Sure enough. But you know the rules. Pirates aren’t patient.”
It must have been some kind of code, because neither Nash nor Gemma contradicted him.
Sawyer beckoned Nash. The big marauder followed his captain, taking my place by the wheel. I stepped back to give them space, glancing at Sawyer. Was I making the right choice, or the selfish one? This might have been the only way to save Abby and any other survivors, but I was still risking the lives of three people I counted as allies. I could be leading them to their deaths, and I wasn’t strong enough to save all of them. But they’d hardly protested, and Sawyer seemed more eager than ever to exact revenge on the Hellions. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to them.
Then again, if it did happen, I probably wouldn’t live long enough to wallow in guilt.
As Sawyer and Nash worked on the door, Gemma grabbed my elbow. The severity in her eyes rooted me to the floor.
“If you let anything happen to him, it won’t just be the Hellions you’ll have to run from.”
I stared at Gemma, unable to find any words to say. She had never been very aggressive toward me, but I clearly underestimated her loyalty to her captain. I had no doubt that she would throw me to the Hellions if Sawyer were harmed because of me. I scrambled for something to say that might placate her, but the words died in my throat. There was no telling what we’d find beyond that door. Gemma let go of my arm, leaving my words unspoken.
Sawyer and Nash shoved open the door, which was just as cranky as the last one. It grabbed my attention, drawing me away from Gemma. I took a couple more wary steps, looking at the dim red glow beyond the opening. Sawyer pulled the Hellion mask over his face and slipped through the crev
ice. I was about to put my own Hellion mask on, but hesitated.
I was closer to Abby, in the same area as her, but I had never felt so distant. Fear gripped my mind with icy talons, ready to tear apart my sanity and leave me screaming. I didn’t know what I would find in here, but I couldn’t turn back now.
I pulled the Hellion mask over my face, and nudged through the open door into the Behemoth, taking a deep breath and praying it wouldn’t be my last.
Chapter 12
It was like stepping into a monster’s belly. The cavern past the door stretched until it was lost in shadows. The floor was smooth, bolted iron that gleamed red from the pockets of light skimming across it. That light was coming from rectangular gaps in the walls, flaring behind slim archways that curved like ribs under the hundred foot ceiling. The red glows made me think of the dozens of furnaces working to keep the ship running. The air tasted thick and smelled like ashes. I heard distant, roaring fires, saw their light shove against the shadows and skitter along the walls.