“No!” Sykes shouted back. “It’s our only hope!”
“Mr. Sykes,” Ford called back, keeping a firm rein on his temper, “we’re out of shot!”
“We don’t need shot to attract attention, sir!” The last word was said derisively.
“I’m rather afraid he’s right,” Annabelle agreed, pointing to the wyvern.
“What should we do with Mr. Reedis, sir?” Knox asked, gesturing toward the airman who held the unconscious mage in his arms.
“Take him below to my cabin,” Ford said. As the airman started to carry out the order, Ford raised a hand. “When you get him below, remove his jackets and settle him on my bunk.”
“Aye sir,” the airman replied.
“Annabelle,” Ford said, beckoning to her. She approached him warily. He beckoned for to lean her ear to his lips. Quietly he told her, “There’s a belt on the back of my door. A blue one. Be sure to put it on. Reedis has a purple one.” He motioned her eyes down to his waist and fingered his green belt.
Annabelle gave him a curious look but nodded. “It’s a strange time to be giving presents, Richard, but thank you,” she said with a smile.
“It might save your life,” Ford told her. She gave him a surprised look but moved away, catching up to the airman carrying Reedis. “Here,” she called, “I’ll get his legs.”
“He’ll not recover in time, sir,” Knox said to Ford as the trio disappeared below. “What will we do?”
“I think, Mr. Knox, that we’ll just have to leave our fate in the hands of the gods,” Ford said, glancing upwards and out toward where they’d last seen the wyvern. He turned his attention to Angus. “Make your best speed,” he told him. He looked at Knox. “We’ll steer toward that pass, there might be something beyond it.”
Knox gave him a dubious frown but nodded and turned back to the helmsman, a look of resignation on his face.
Ford started forward to force Sykes to stop firing and jettison the dead weight of the guns when the world erupted in flame and Spite jerked the deck out from underneath him, sending him sprawling. He pulled himself up to a kneeling position and saw that the whole front of the bow had been shattered — torn away. A gun, Ford guessed. Sykes had been ramming power in so quickly, one of the cartridges must have exploded in the gun, shattering it.
He heard the wyvern’s shriek and then Spite was falling, bow first at a tremendous rate.
Chapter Six: Let Them Die
What is that? Krea cried as the front end of the airship became one giant billow of smoke and fire.
They’re trying to kill us! Wymarc replied angrily, plunging down toward the airship with all the power she could muster, her talons stretched and ready.
What are you doing? Krea thought. I don’t think —
Well, I do! Wymarc replied, diving on the topmost balloon. If we tear these apart, this cursed ship will plummet to its destruction!
Krea could feel the wyvern’s power, revelled in her grace and strength even as Wymarc screeched in triumph and looped back for another strike.
The airship was falling, the remains of its bow hanging lower than the rest of the ship as it sank in the air.
I’ll show them! Attack one of Ophidian’s get! Wymarc said triumphantly. Watch and learn, my dear! We’ll show them a wyvern’s wrath!
And the wyvern opened her mouth and flamed the front of the ship. Krea saw that the harsh wyvern’s flames had set the remains of the bow on fire and flames were licking back toward the rest of the ship. Flames raced up the rigging to the first balloons and soon they were engulfed in flames.
There! Wymarc cried triumphantly. Annora, you are avenged!
“We surrender!” a voice called loudly from the ship. Krea recognized that voice. It was the Crown Prince Nestor, the same prince she had seen in the square before Ibb saved her from the fire.
“I fired on you, I killed you! Take me but please, for the love of the gods, spare the rest of the crew! They are blameless!”
Wymarc? Krea thought. She could feel the other’s stubborn resistance.
“Don’t listen to him!” Another voice boomed. “I am Captain Ford, I ordered the guns fired. If you must take someone, take me!”
Let them all die, Wymarc thought. Let the ship burn and be a pyre for Annora.
And what of Kalan? Krea asked. Is this justice?
But do you know of justice child? They killed my Annora, they deserve to die. Wymarc thought.
Krea was silent for a long while, then she thought That is what you want, but is that what Annora would have wanted?
Wymarc heaved a sigh that stretched through their wyvern body.
What would you have us do?
Save them, Krea said. She saw a man stumble and fall past the wrecked bow of the ship. Save those we can, bring them to the judgement and justice of the gods.
#
“Abandon ship!” Ford called as he found his feet. The explosion and the wyverns’ attack were enough by themselves to ensure Spite’s destruction but together, there was no hope. “All hands, abandon ship!”
“How are we going to do that, sir?” Knox asked, glancing at the snowy waste far below them.
“Throw ropes over the side,” Ford said. “Let the men climb down them. Tell them to let go when the ship is near the ground.”
“Aye, that might work,” Knox allowed dubiously.
“See to it,” Ford said firmly, turning to the stern.
“And you, sir?”
“I’m going to see to the mage,” Ford said. He clapped Knox on the back. “And Knox?” The grizzled seaman gave him a look. “It’s been a pleasure serving with you.”
Knox broke into a grin. “Thankee sir. It’s been a pleasure serving with you, too! And you can’t say we haven’t seen the sights, you can’t say that, that’s for certain!”
Ford nodded once, gave Knox one last salute and strode away quickly, leaving the first mate bellowing, “Throw ropes over the sides lads! Scramble down and cast off when we’re near the ground! Come on you lot! Your lives depend on this! Jenkins, get the men moving! Mr. Franck! Have your men cease their work and prepare to abandon!”
Ford glanced back over his shoulder to see Angus Franck, stunned, looking at the wyvern rising above them.
“Never forget the fury of a woman spurned, Mr. Franck,” Ford quipped to himself.
Surprisingly, the other man seemed to have heard him across half the length of the ship and over all the cries of the remaining crew. He gave Ford a quick salute and called back, “And never forget the flames of a wyvern in anger, sir!”
“Indeed!” Ford called back, diving down the hatchway and sliding down the ladder.
Inside the flailing remains of Spite, Ford was overcome with the sounds of his ship dying behind him as he grabbed handholds and pulled himself up the steep incline toward his cabin in the very rear of the ship.
“There you are!” Annabelle cried as Ford kicked the door open. She reached a hand back to him and helped haul him inside. Ford slammed the door behind him which fell rather than shut as bow became bottom and stern became the top of the stricken airship.
“Put your belt on and climb through the window!” Ford shouted at her. He moved toward Reedis who was moaning and struggling to regain consciousness. “We’ve got to get out of here!”
“And when we’re outside, what then?” Annabelle asked him crossly. “Do we grow wings and fly?”
“No,” Ford told her, dropping a hand toward his belt and nodding to Reedis. “We grow balloons and float.”
Annabelle’s brows rose and she gestured toward Reedis. “His work?”
Ford smiled and nodded in agreement. “Now get yourself out, I’ll need your help with him.”
“There must be a word or something,” Annabelle said even as she started pulling herself through the narrow stern wind
ows.
“There is but I’ll have to spell it,” Ford told her, gesturing toward his belt, “because saying it will kick off my balloon.”
“So spell it,” Annabelle said, pulling herself fully through the window and turning around to lean inside with one arm toward Reedis.
“A-L-T-U,” Ford said, pushing Reedis upwards to the window. He could feel when Annabelle caught Reedis’ arm and began pulling the mage out onto the ship’s stern.
Spite lurched suddenly and fell faster.
“The balloons!” a voice on deck cried. “The fire’s got the balloons!”
“Never mind, men!” Crown Prince Nestor cried. “Over the side, grab a line and climb down!”
Ford had a moment to be impressed with Nestor’s calm and control before the ship lurched once more and he lost his foothold and crashed back onto the door.
“Richard!” Annabelle called back to him. “Richard, are you all right?”
“Never mind me!” Ford called back. He could feel that one of his legs was broken. “Just get him and leave.”
“He’s not through the window!”
“Just get him halfway through,” Ford called back, moving painfully to push himself upright, limping on his good leg and searching for handholds that he might use to get up back to the window to help push Reedis.
Ford could smell smoke coming through the door. Spite was burning fiercely, the flames being fanned by her plunge through the air. Dimly he heard cries of men outside the ship and with a horrified thought guessed that their ropes had been burned through, leaving them to plunge thousands of feet into the frozen plain below.
“He’s through!” Annabelle called. “Richard — “
“Say your spell!” Ford shouted back.
“Alt you,” Annabelle said in a nervous voice. “Richard, Richard! What’s supposed to happen?”
“You didn’t say it right!” Ford called back. He’d managed to get himself to within a hand’s width of Reedis’ foot. He moved once more, his teeth clenched in pain as he took weight on his broken leg.
“I don’t know how!” Annabelle wailed. “Richard!”
Richard Ford took a deep breath, pushed against Reedis’ lower foot with all his strength and shouted, “Altu!”
“Ow!” Annabelle called in pain and surprise above him.
“What? What? No!” Reedis’ voice came back faintly through the open hatch. “You fool! You’ve doomed yourself!”
Ford’s belt burst into a huge balloon which filled his cabin and trapped him away from the window.
“No, Richard, no!” he heard Reedis’ pained cry as the mage flew away from the wreck of Spite.
“Go with the gods, my friend!” Ford shouted back with the last of his strength. To himself, in a whisper, he said, “You cannot say it wasn’t fun.”
Chapter Seven: Have A Heart
We can’t catch them fast enough! Krea wailed as another man fell beyond them to his death.
We have to try! Wymarc called back even as they swooped and caught two men in their talons. The sudden weight caused Krea Wymarc to screech in pain but then they were diving with all their ability down to the ground below.
Drop them! We’re low enough! Wymarc ordered and Krea agreed. With despairing cries the two men fell to the ground even as Krea Wymarc strained her wings to get back to the plummeting ship.
We’ll never save them all, Krea groaned in horror as they saw two more men falling, their ropes burnt through.
I realize now, these men could have been my children, Wymarc thought sadly even as the two of them, twin-souls, fought the air for height.
What’s that? Krea thought as they spied something out of the corner of their eye coming quickly from the mountain pass.
Help, I hope, Wymarc replied, turning them so that they could have a better look.
It’s Hana! Krea cried in surprise, causing the wyvern to screech loudly and triumphantly. Below them, the few remaining men on the deck cringed, expecting their doom.
Except one man. Krea watched in surprise as the man jumped up and down and waved at her.
Who is that? Wymarc asked.
It’s Angus! Krea cried in surprise. And, suddenly, her heart felt like stone. We have to save him!
He’s waving toward the others, Wymarc said. I think he wants us to save them first.
There are too many! Krea wailed, fighting with Wymarc trying to dive toward Angus.
We can’t get him, Krea, he’s still on the ship, Wymarc said. We can get those who are on the lines. And they’re in greater danger.
No! And Krea fought for control of the wyvern. The white winged beast jerked back and forth between the burning deck and the flailing men hanging below.
Krea! Wymarc shouted. You can’t save him!
Krea shuddered in despair. Wymarc was right. As a wyvern there was no hope of getting down to the burning deck and scooping up the man. Only those dangling below could be saved.
Angus! Krea wailed. He made us, Wymarc! Without him, we wouldn’t be here!
I know, Wymarc said soothingly. And we will honor his memory just as we honor his will now.
Have a heart Wymarc! We share this body, my feelings matter too! Krea wailed.
Hana hove into sight and waved, grinning from ear to ear as she spied Krea Wymarc. “I did it, I did it!”
And — without warning Wymarc — Krea shifted back into a human.
What are you doing? Wymarc cried in alarm.
“Hana!” Krea called, her voice barely carrying over the fire and wind around them. “On the deck! That’s Angus! Save him!”
You fool, Wymarc cried as they plummeted earthwards, you’ve killed us both!
“Nope!” Krea said smugly. And she shifted them back into wyvern form, their wings outstretched, breaking their fall, turning it into a dive — a dive which brought them under two more stricken men which they grabbed with their talons and lowered back to the frozen ground below.
#
Hana dove to the burning ship, craning through the smoke to find the man that Krea had begged her to save.
The airship was nearly perpendicular to the ground, held up by only the last three balloons.
“I’m going to get you!” Hana shouted over the winds that supported her. She saw the man — Angus — jerk his eyes toward her. Angus was moving back to the stern of the ship, climbing over the railing and standing on the stern. Hana moved herself closer to the plummeting ship, close enough to Angus to hear his breathing and reached out a hand. Angus smiled at her and jumped toward her. Hana gasped in surprise and horror as her fingertips brushed his but he fell away from her, plunging toward the ground below.
“No you don’t!” Hana shouted, killing her winds and diving toward the man below. She forced a wind on her back, pushing her down faster and faster until she caught up with him and then she pushed herself closer, arms outstretched.
“Are you a god?” Angus cried to her in amazement.
“No, I’m Hana,” she said, grappling him, clutching him tight in her arms and moving the winds under them to cushion them, slow them down.
“I’m very pleased to meet you,” Angus Franck told her with a grin.
Hana was about to reply when a shout and a noise caused the two of them to turn back toward Spite in time to a man plunge toward the stern, shouting, “By the gods, I won’t leave you!”
“He’s going to miss the ship!” Angus cried in horror.
“No,” Hana said, “I’ll get him there.” And she raised a hand, called on the gods, and sent a blast of wind toward the falling man, forcing him in the right direction.
#
Reedis looked up in alarm as the spell jerked him upwards, pulled by the safety balloon he’d half-expected to fail. Below him he saw Spite, flaming and plummeting to the ground below. His eyes widened as he too
k in the green of Ford’s balloon — trapped inside Ford’s cabin.
Frantically he looked around and up. There was a balloon above him. He recognized Annabelle by her boots.
“Annabelle!” he shouted up into the wind.
“Reedis, Richard is trapped!” Annabelle called back down. “I couldn’t get to him.”
“Your knife!” Reedis shouted. “Throw your knife into my balloon!”
“What?” Annabelle called back in surprise.
“Just do it!” Reedis bellowed.
“I don’t want you to die,” Annabelle said in worried tone.
“I don’t plan on it,” Reedis called back. “Now puncture my balloon, I’ve got to get back to Captain Ford!”
Reedis craned his neck upwards, trying to see around his balloon and then he peered downwards, trying to compute his aim. He felt rather than heard the knife hit the balloon and then he was falling, arms all akimbo, toward the burning ship below.
“I really must be mad,” he muttered to himself as the horror below registered on his senses. “Oh, gods! And I’m going to miss!”
He had just a moment to spot the strangest sight — a young girl and Angus Franck hovering in the air — before the girl blasted him with a harsh burst of wind and he fell right onto the stern of the burning Spite.
“Ow!” Reedis groaned as he hit the hardwood with all of his body. Reflexively he grabbed on and slowly started pulling himself toward the captain’s window and the green balloon. “Richard! Captain Ford, I’m coming!”
“Reedis?” Ford’s muffled and pained voice came up to the mage’s ears. “Reedis, what are you doing?”
“Rescuing you, captain,” Reedis told him.
“Your balloon?”
“I had Annabelle puncture it,” Reedis said proudly. “Fell right back down. Would have missed the ship except some remarkable girl pushed me with her winds.”
Twin Soul Series Omnibus 1: Books 1-5 (Twin Soul Series Book Sets) Page 30