by Ben Wolf
Axel turned back and stared at Yurgev, whose bloody face pressed against the shared bars of the cells. “And I thought by now you would’ve learned what happens when you try to order me around.”
“This isn’t over.” Yurgev shook his head and spat on the floor. “Not even close.”
Axel stared steel at him until he retracted back into the darkness of his cell. Part of him wanted to say something keen in response, but another part of him believed the rage in Yurgev’s eyes.
As much as he’d won the fight—decisively—Axel couldn’t help but wonder if he’d started something too big for him to finish.
Lilly swooped in low and hovered only fifteen feet from the surface of the water, hopefully high enough that no other marine life would try to come after her but low enough that the pirates wouldn’t see her approaching.
When she reached the back of the ship, she perched her toes on a small ledge about seven feet below some windows, presumably belonging to the captain’s quarters. If she could get on board, find that Werewolf, and kill him, then perhaps she could frighten or force the rest of the crew to release her friends.
She didn’t know much about pirates, but perhaps they operated on a ruling structure like that of the Wolf tribes—whoever held the most power was in charge. Given the ship’s Werewolf captain, that could be the case.
With her hands locked onto the windowsill, she pulled herself up for a look inside. Though the glass was foggy and dirty, she could still see clearly enough.
Four candles on a table in the center of the room cast an orange light on a bed, the table itself, the door, and two chairs, in one of which the Werewolf sat facing her. He still wore his hat and cape, but his head was down, and he was writing in a large book of some sort with a feather quill. Perfect.
Lilly lowered herself, stepped to the side, and then floated up toward the back of the ship so the Werewolf couldn’t see her through the window. She peered between two rungs of a railing.
Two pirates stood at the wheel, both humans, both facing away from her. High above, in the crow’s nest, two others gazed out across the moonlit waters with the aid of brass telescopes. Four pirates in total, two of them perched thirty feet higher in the air. Maybe she could ignore the crow’s nest for now.
She dropped her altitude and curled around to the side of the ship, her eyes level again just below the railing so she could peek through with less chance of being seen.
A few more pirates milled about on the main deck, but apparently most of them had gone to sleep or at least had ventured below deck. Back toward the rear of the ship, Lilly noticed a door under the wheel. Probably the captain’s quarters.
Now how do I get past two men at the wheel, a half dozen pirates on the deck, and two in the crow’s nest? She headed back to the rear of the ship with the beginning of a plan in mind.
From just below the railing, she whistled loud enough for the two men at the wheel to hear her. They didn’t move.
The second time she did it, they both glanced over their shoulders but stayed put. On Lilly’s third whistle the one not steering the ship turned and headed toward the railing.
Lilly zipped around the side of the boat as he approached and flew up into the air. After a quick check on the pirate at the wheel, she landed on the deck in silence behind the pirate she’d lured to the edge.
As the pirate leaned over the railing, searching the churning waters below, Lilly made her move. She grabbed his ankles, and with all her strength she pulled up. The pirate pitched over the railing down into the frothy trail in the dark waters below.
He yelped on the way down.
Lilly mentally chastised herself. Too sloppy. Now she had to make up for it.
With no time to spare, Lilly darted toward the man on the wheel. When he’d fully turned around to investigate the sound, Lilly plunged her sword into his chest and clamped her left hand over his mouth.
His frightened eyes glazed over and he slumped to the deck. She twisted him around and hefted him up against the wheel. It didn’t look great, and blood was practically raining out of his chest, but it should buy her a little extra time if she needed it.
Six pirates on deck, and two in the crow’s nest. She could have tried to find a way to take the rest of them out, but even with her speed they’d probably notice her. It just wasn’t worth the risk.
Instead of bothering with them, she dropped down by the captain’s door and opened it in silence.
She was inside.
There before her, not ten feet away, the Werewolf sat in his chair, head down, hat on, his cape draped over the back of the chair, just like she’d seen him five minutes earlier. Her sword still in-hand, she left her feet and hovered toward him.
As Lilly approached, she noted that four candles still burned in front of him, and his book still lay sprawled open before him, but he wasn’t moving. Must be deep in thought, or—
She gasped. No!
From her right, a dark blur launched toward her.
Chapter Seven
The sword in her hand clattered across the floor, and so did she. Even though she wore armor, every inch of her body still hurt. Lilly reached for her weapon, but it wasn’t there anymore.
A furry paw pulled her to her feet by her collar, and cool steel pressed against her neck. “Not bad, m’dear. Not bad at all—but not good enough, either.”
Lilly struggled against his grip, but between his strength and her own sword at her throat, she stopped quickly.
“I really be impressed. Ye musta been trained to fight somewhere. An’ yar armor—it be so pristine, so high-end. Ye must be a well-connected, wealthy Windgale.”
Lilly didn’t respond. She just glared at him.
“Not gonna tell me who ye be? Here, I’ll start. Captain Brink. Ye’re aboard the Malice, me pirate ship. Now go ahead. It be yar turn.”
“Do you have my friends?” Lilly asked through gritted teeth.
Brink smiled at her. “As a matter o’ fact, I do. Well, two o’ them anyway. Yar Sobek friend—Magnus, wasn’it? He met an unfortunate end thanks to a fierce encounter with a lake shark. Overlord’s sovereign justice, I reckon.”
Lilly clenched her eyes shut. She would’ve been devastated had any of them died, but of the three, Magnus had truly saved her when she’d needed it most.
Though Calum and Axel had stumbled upon her in the wheat field, it was Magnus who had cared for her, bound her wounded shoulder, and set her at ease. It was Magnus who personally made sure that Roderick, the man who’d captured her for slavery, would never come for her again.
Lilly longed for her protector, and she fought to resist the tears stinging the corners of her eyes. They trickled down her cheeks anyway.
“For conversation’s sake, ye only made one mistake in trying to get to me. That one mistake be why I’ve got a sword to yar throat instead o’ lying on the floor with this same blade stuck in me back.” Brink tilted his head. “Do ye care to know what your mistake was?”
Lilly shuddered, sniffled, and raised her eyes to meet Brink’s. “Enlighten me.”
“Yar mistake was comin’ to get me. Ye shoulda waited for me to come to ye. I knew ye were comin’ the instant ye twisted my doorknob. Everyone else aboard knocks. Only people who wish harm upon me come in without knockin’. Soon’s I heard the door, I positioned my decoy and disappeared.” Brink smiled at her. “Had ye been more patient, ye coulda killed me. Maybe.”
“I’m done talking to you,” Lilly asserted. “Just kill me already and be done with it.”
Brink sighed. “Why does everyone think I’m gonna kill ’em? I’m not gonna kill ye. I’m makin’ ye part o’ me crew.”
“And if I don’t—”
“Trust me. You’ve no other choice, m’dear.” Without breaking eye contact, Brink turned his head slightly and called out, “Krogan?”
Not long after, a knock sounded on the door.
Brink smiled at Lilly. “See? They know to knock.”
Lilly rolled her eyes.
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“Come in.”
One of the biggest Saurians she’d ever seen stepped inside the cabin. He would’ve rivaled Magnus in size before Magnus became a Sobek, and his scaly face bore all sorts of scars. Lilly decided it must be a sort of rite of passage for a pirate.
“New catch, Krogan.” Brink nodded to him, and he walked over. “Strip ‘er down to ’er skivvies, an’ make sure ye take off ’er cape so she can’t fly away. Put it all with the rest o’ the armor and weapons in me closet, then take ’er down to the brig and put ’er with the others.”
“Aye, sir.” Krogan nodded and unfastened Lilly’s cape from her shoulder armor. Only then did Brink release his grip on her and lower the sword.
Brink stepped back and smirked at Lilly. “I hope ye enjoy yar stay aboard the Malice.”
Lilly just glared at him.
Calum stopped listening to Axel talking with the prisoners in their cell when he noticed a shapely female form descending down the staircase.
She wore nothing but boots, skintight white armor lining that covered her from the waist down to her mid-thighs, and a matching upper lining, stained dark-brown near her left shoulder. The top defined her chest and shoulders but left her arms and stomach bare.
Long blonde hair hung down below her shoulders, and her blue eyes sparkled with relief when they met Calum’s.
Overjoyed, he swatted Axel on his shoulder.
“What?” Axel snapped.
“Lilly.” Calum pointed out of the cell.
Axel blinked, looked her up and down, then blinked again. “What’s she doing here?”
Calum shrugged. Had she been captured? Given herself up?
Krogan started toward their cell and unlocked it, but instead of putting Lilly in with them, he ordered Calum and Axel out. Then he opened another cell across from theirs and swapped the four prisoners inside with Calum and Axel, and he shoved Lilly inside as well and locked both cells.
From their original cell, Yurgev and the other prisoners locked in with him leered at Lilly. One of them whistled at her, and Krogan whirled around and whacked the bars with his forearm. Everyone inside backed away.
Starting with their cell and ending at Calum’s, Krogan panned his finger across all the cells. “The next prisoner I hear before sunrise gets keelhauled. Crystal?”
Calum had no idea what that meant, but they’d made enough fuss for one night. Now that Lilly was with them, Calum would rest easier.
Once Krogan disappeared back up the stairs, Calum turned toward Lilly and started to speak to her, but she flung herself at him and wrapped him in fierce hug. It startled him at first, but he quickly returned it.
He had to admit, he loved every second of it—the warmth of her lithe body against his, the faint scent of flowers on her skin… It was incredible. And she’d singled him out, specifically for—
Lilly abruptly let go and flung herself at Axel next, wrapping him in the exact same embrace she’d just shared with Calum.
The sequence left Calum confused and frustrated—but mostly confused.
When Lilly released Axel, she took hold of one of each of their hands in hers.
“Is it true?” she whispered, desperation and fear in her blue eyes. “About Magnus? Tell me it’s not true.”
Calum’s heart tore in half all over again. Both he and Axel gave solemn nods.
Lilly’s posture crumbled, and she stared down at the floor with empty eyes for a long moment.
Finally, she said, “I’m sorry.”
Axel shook his head. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t get him killed.”
Though Calum wondered what Axel meant by that, the last thing he wanted was to start another argument, so he let it go. “He did everything he could to save us, but a shark—that’s what those big black fish with all the teeth are called—a shark got him.”
Lilly gave a solemn nod, and the three of them continued to stand there.
“We should get some rest,” Calum said. “They worked us like dogs today. I have no doubt they’re gonna do it again tomorrow.”
The three of them sat down together, leaned up against the back wall of the cell, and stared at the bars until they couldn’t anymore.
Not long after, the anchors tied to Calum’s eyelids dropped, and blackness flooded his mind.
Blinding light burned Calum’s eyes, but this time he couldn’t even lift his hands to block it. Lumen stood before him, his sword shimmering in his hand.
“Do not be discouraged. Your victory is at hand. You will find me, you will free me, and together we will reclaim Kanarah for its people.” Lumen extended his open hand toward Calum. “Rise, Calum.”
Calum hesitated at first, but gripped Lumen’s hand with his. A jolt raised him to his feet and vibrated through his entire body, and then Lumen vanished.
When Calum awakened from his dream, he found himself standing in the cell. Axel’s body still lay sprawled across the cell floor, motionless, and Lilly lay with her head on Axel’s shoulder, though it looked like Axel had no idea she was laying that way.
The sight sent pangs of hurt and jealousy through Calum’s chest, but he realized that if she’d been laying on his shoulder instead, he probably would’ve scared her half to death with how quickly he’d just woken from his dream.
Lumen had visited Calum’s dreams again, it seemed he had physically pulled Calum to his feet. And that jolt—had Lumen done something to him? Had Calum somehow been healed of the lashes he’d taken from Krogan?
Calum spread his arms out, and the dull sting of partially sealed wounds crackled across his back. He grunted.
Nope. Not healed.
Worse than that was Lumen’s message: How could Lumen claim that Calum’s victory was near while they were locked in a cage, trapped on this pirate ship indefinitely, now with six more enemies than they’d had before last night? In their current weakened condition, what chance did they have for escape?
“Someone else will have to let you out,” Calum muttered. “We’re not going anywhere.”
He leaned against the bars and his gaze landed on Lilly again. Beautiful, but shaken by Magnus’s death. Strong, yet fragile. Stuck or otherwise, being with her was worth every lash he took from Krogan.
She stirred, and her eyes opened. When she saw him she tensed at first, then, realizing she was on Axel’s shoulder, sat up. “Calum?”
He nodded. “Yeah?”
“You look…” She studied him. “Are you alright?”
Calum shook his head and leaned against the bars. “No. And yes. I feel terrible about Magnus, but at least you’re safe.”
Lilly stood up and stepped toward him. She reached out and cupped his jaw with her hand. “Calum, I’m so sorry.”
He closed his eyes and reveled in her touch, though he tried not to read into it. He wanted to take her hand in his, but his heart wouldn’t let him. He couldn’t trust himself to know how to behave at the moment. He didn’t know what he wanted or what she wanted, and even if he did, they were still locked in a cell in the belly of a pirate ship.
“It’s not your fault.”
“I know,” she said. “But I tried to save you, and I only made things worse.”
While that was true, Calum didn’t care. “You did what you thought was best. I can’t fault you for that.”
She shook her head.
“Besides, we’re all together again,” he said. “We can watch out for each other from now on.”
“Except for Magnus. He’s gone.”
Calum sighed. His back ached, but the reminder of Magnus’s demise shredded his heart all over again. First his parents, then Nicolai. Now Magnus. He slumped down against the bars and buried his head in his hands. He was running out of people to lose.
Lilly knelt down next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Calum.”
“I don’t know what we’re gonna do without him. He knew so much. He was so strong. He taught me everything I know about fighting. He taught me to read and write
. He was my best friend.”
Calum wished he could stop the tears from streaming down his face, wished he could keep his voice from shuddering.
He glanced at Lilly and gave a sad chuckle. “You must think I’m weak.”
She shook her head. “Not at all. There’s nothing wrong with crying when you’re sad.”
Calum scoffed. “Axel wouldn’t cry.”
“Maybe not, but Axel—” She turned and glanced back at him. He still lay there, arms and legs extended, taking long deep breaths with his eyes closed. “Axel is different than you. You’ve got a kind soul, Calum. It’s what I love most about you.”
Love? Calum blinked at her. “You… what?”
“I, uh—” Lilly looked away. “Nothing. Nevermind.”
“No, I heard what you said.” He had heard it… hadn’t he? “What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
Calum wanted to say something else, but Axel moaned and rolled over on his side.
“I feel terrible.” He moaned again.
Lilly stood and put some distance between herself and Calum. The action filled Calum with even more confusion than before, especially since she’d said what she’d said. How was he supposed to make sense of any of this when everything kept changing?
“Everything hurts.” Axel’s words slurred. His eyes cracked open and he looked at Lilly. “You alright?”
She smiled and nodded. “I’m fine.”
When Lilly glanced back at Calum and showed him that same smile, he managed to send one back at her. Forget Lumen in all his splendor—she was the most amazing being he’d ever seen.
Footsteps sounded behind Calum, and Lilly’s countenance changed. She stood up and backed away from Axel, her eyes fixed on the newcomer.
Calum twisted his torso and craned his neck—both of which hurt—to get a look.
Captain Brink stood before their cell with Krogan and two other Saurians behind him.
“Mornin’,” he said.
Calum scooted away from the bars and stood, as did Axel.