The Lion of the Sea (The Maiden Ship Book 2)

by Micheline Ryckman

  Idris yanked on her sleeve. “Do I go now?”

  Sable ran a hand over the boy’s head, turning to Dain and Elden. “When did Foxwing say they’d be back?”

  “At sundown. It’s almost time.” Dain squeezed her hand in reassurance.

  Foxwing’s adversary, Captain Woodward Grim, was said to frequent the tavern tent daily, though he never stayed past sundown, apparently returning to The Gilded Pearl early each evening to allow his crew an evening for fun themselves. It sounded to Sable like the mutinous captain was good to his crew, and she hoped they weren’t just replacing him with a tyrant.

  Casper, Jord, and Foxwing had set out to keep an eye on their target, and get them a warning signal once Grim left. It was then up to Idris and Sable, the deceptively less threatening of their group, to intercept the captain on his walk back and make the necessary “contact.” If Idris gained control of Grim, it’d be an easy shift of power. Sable internally cringed at the word—nothing about this would really be easy.

  The sun dropped behind the cliffs, and she could hear the bustle of people in the camp behind them, but surprisingly, the beach by the docks where they stood was near-abandoned. Dain's hand released hers when a low whistle sounded behind them. They all turned to see Foxwing waving from behind a large outcropping of rocks just downshore. Their eyes followed his pointer to see a rotund old pirate ambling toward them. Woodward Grim was not what Sable had expected. He looked older than Toff and nearly triple his girth; the man was certainly not in his prime. Sable felt suddenly guilty for what they were about to do to the grandfatherly-looking figure.

  Dain and Elden had already slipped out of sight, probably behind the rocks to Foxwing’s side, but she trusted that he, and the others, would keep a sharp eye on both her and Idris if something went sideways.

  Idris didn’t wait on ceremony. The boy leaped ahead of Sable, reaching the old pirate far before she could call him back. “Please, sir, my sister and I—” He didn’t get to finish his sentence. Grim backhanded him so hard that he flew into the harbor sands with an audible thud. Then the captain of The Gilded Pearl advanced. “That’ll teach ye to stay out of my way, rat!”

  Sable raced to Idris’s side, reaching him right before Woodward Grim. A long red streak flowed across the boy’s left cheek, but there were no tears in his eyes—only rage. The ancientness that periodically lurked behind Idris’s pupils had returned in full force, and still Sable placed herself in front to shield his body with her own. Where were Dain and the others?

  Grim towered above them both, hand raised threateningly. He stank of ale and smoke, and Sable no longer felt guilty for trying to take his ship. She knew she could end this right now—with one wave of her finger, she could shift the nasty old pirate someplace he deserved, but she couldn’t risk it. Instead, she lifted her chin in defiance, staring straight into the pirate’s bleary eyes. “Touch him again and you’ll regret you ever lived.” Sable hoped the others would back up her claims by getting to them soon.

  Woodward Grim lowered his arm. “Stupid wench.” He snatched for her, shoving Idris to one side as he grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her to her stomach. Sable panicked as he crushed her body to the ground. Then, as fast as he’d been on top of her, he was off. Silence followed. Sable scrambled to her feet, adjusting her skirts and turning to see that Idris had the old pirate in hand. The ancient gleam to the boy’s eyes hadn’t faded a finger's breadth, and his face was filled with murder.

  Sable made a cooing noise in her throat. “Don’t hurt him, Idris—we need him alive.”

  The boy glared at her. “He deserves to die for what he just tried to do.”

  “I know, I know, but we’ve greater fish to fry.”

  A voice sounded behind her. “Great work. Now let’s get to the ship, shall we?”

  Sable glanced over her shoulder to see Foxwing and Foxwing alone standing beside them. Her eyes narrowed. “Where are the others?”

  The pirate shrugged. “We were set upon by Regina; it seems she got wind of our plans.” He shrugged again. “There’s ears all over this camp I’m afraid. I managed to evade her, but yer friends were forced to stay for questioning. I’m sure they’ll join us the minute she’s satisfied.”

  Sable didn’t think it was possible for her eyes to narrow more, but they did before darting to the outcrop of rocks the pirate had been hiding behind. “You expect me to believe that?”

  Foxwing grinned, then gave a flourished bow. “On my honor as a pirate, it’s the sea’s truth, lass. I’m convinced they’ll be along shortly, Regina has no evidence against them.” He waved a hand at Idris and Grim. “Besides, we’ve gotten this far—we should at least finish what we’ve started, right?”

  Sable growled. “We got this far? You did nothing but stand back and watch while we were attacked. We’ll finish nothing until we gather the others.” She’d barely taken a step before Foxwing had her arms cinched behind her back and a dagger pressed firmly to her throat. It was so fast, far faster than Sable could’ve imagined possible, and the first thought that came to her mind was, Never trust a pirate.

  Idris’s eyes were wide, the ancient fury behind them replaced by fear as Foxwing said, “Mind yer next move, lad, unless ye want to see this pretty freckled throat bleed.”

  Then some of the fire returned to Idris’s gaze, and Sable thought she might’ve felt a small shiver run through Foxwing’s frame, but it wasn’t enough fear to make him let her go. The pirate was determined to have his ship back—he’d never intended to help them at all. Sable wanted to rage, wanted to gouge Foxwing’s eyes out, but the blade was so tight against her neck that she feared its slice if she moved a muscle. She felt Foxwing lift his chin toward The Gilded Pearl, a silent command for Idris to direct himself and his own captive toward the docks.

  Idris followed the order, turning with Grim and heading for the ship.

  Foxwing eased up on the blade as they walked behind the boy, and Sable took the opportunity to speak. “What did you do to my friends?”

  His breath was hot against her ear. “Nothing terrible. I drugged the first two at the tavern, and it only took a couple unsuspected blows for the others to go down. I had a little help. Those hired hands you once made fun of me for, they came in handy again. Don’t fret, I was merciful. Your friends are all alive”—she could feel his grin—“but a little tied up at the moment.”

  Sable couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief before she gritted her teeth and said, “They’ll come for us, you know. You’ll pay for this.”

  Foxwing twisted her wrists painfully. “I’ll be long gone before they have a chance, lass.”

  The boarding plank of The Gilded Pearl was as intricately detailed as the rest of the ship, and when they reached the bottom, Foxwing whispered to Idris, “Just follow the plan, lad, same as before.” He cinched the dagger tight to Sable’s throat again, likely trying to prevent her from speaking up once they were on board.

  Idris drew a deep breath, leading Captain Grim upward. Several pirates popped up from their idle stations, their eyes going wide at the sight of Foxwing—swords were drawn in seconds. Idris's captive, Woodward Grim raised an arm to stop them. “At ease, lads.”

  More pirates surfaced on deck, men and women alike. There was at least a dozen of them now. One of the women, perhaps the roughest-looking of the lot, took several steps forward, her hand never leaving the hilt of her sword. “What are ye playing at, Captain? Who’s the woman and child?”

  Woodward Grim ruffled Idris’s hair with his free hand as though attempting affection. “Well, I’ve taken a liking to the lad.” Then he turned to give Sable a leering look. “The girl’s only here fer fun.”

  Some of the pirates chuckled, but the woman who’d addressed them first continued to look suspicious; Sable guessed she might be Grim’s first mate. She drew her sword, advancing menacingly toward Foxwing. Several other pirates followed her lead as she said, “Yer not welcome aboard The Gilded Pearl anymore, Trent Laughlin. Ca
ptain Grim went too easy on ye the first time ye tried to take the Pearl back, but that ain't happening again. Put the girl aside and we’ll settle old scores once and fer all.”

  Sable felt Foxwing’s body tense. She could tell he was eyeing Idris, waiting for the boy to step in and help, but Idris stood silent. She wasn’t sure if she was proud of him for taking a stand, or angry that he was risking her life in the process—Foxwing had promised to make her bleed. Sable swallowed carefully.

  The first mate spoke up again, and this time her tone made even Sable shiver. “Yer a dead man, Trent.”

  Then Sable saw it again, the terrifying ancient presence behind Idris’s eyes. Grim’s hand rose in the air as he yelled, “Kill him!”

  Foxwing stumbled back in surprise. The pirate had sorely underestimated Idris. Sable took advantage of the loosened grip, freeing one wrist and shooting her arm up through the inside of Foxwing’s elbow to shove the dagger away from her neck. The blade flew to the deck, and the crew pounced just as she tore free and fell.

  Idris instinctively reached to soften her fall, but in the process lost physical contact with Grim. The captain quickly blinked himself back to life, and Idris realized his folly too late. He tried to lunge for the man again, but the old pirate was more nimble than he looked, easily side-stepping the child. Foxwing’s fighting screams nearly drown out Grim’s next words. “Ye’ll die fer what ye’ve done, boy.”

  Grim backhanded Idris to the deck.

  Sable watched a second streak of blood well across the child’s opposite cheek, and this time Idris wasn’t moving at all. The captain advanced, sword now drawn, toward the fallen boy. He was going to kill Idris. Sable crawled toward them, stifling a sob. She had no choice…

  Just as she raised a shaking hand to shift the wretch away, her other palm landed on Foxwing’s fallen dagger. She didn’t waste a moment. Shoving herself to her feet, blade hilt tight in her grip, Sable lunged for Grim’s heart.

  31

  Dain topped the boarding plank just as Sable drove a long dagger into the chest of Woodward Grim. The pirate captain clutched at the knife, eyes wide as Sable used her forward momentum to shove him back and drive the blade deeper. Grim flailed, gasping as he fell, his wide frame hitting the deck hard. It was only moments before he went entirely still.

  Trembling, Sable scurried away from the dead man, her blood-soaked hands leaving a trail across the deck. Dain ran for her, catching a side-eyed glimpse of Foxwing’s mutilated body only paces to his right. Every tale ever told about the ruthless nature of pirates held true tonight.

  Elden, Regina, and a dozen cove patrol followed fast behind Dain. The pirate queen quickly placed her men and women between Grim’s crew and Sable. Elden dove for Idris, lifting the unconscious boy tenderly in his arms and making his way to stand where Dain now held a shaking Sable.

  Dain could barely make out the faces behind Regina’s patrol, but he heard the raging voice of one woman loud and clear. “She murdered my captain—let me at her!”

  Sable vibrated in his arms.

  The pirate queen’s voice was deadly calm. “The only murder I see here is that of yer former captain, Trent Laughlin. Not that the bastard didn’t deserve it. But that girl —Regina waved an arm toward Sable—“committed no crime, Lara Turnspit. She simply defended herself and the child.”

  The pirate woman took a menacing step toward Regina, but she never had the chance to raise her sword. The queen’s blade whipped from its scabbard faster than Casper could wink, the razor-sharp tip fixed on Lara’s throat. “Ye’d be wise to stand down, lass. Ye know the code.” Regina didn’t even have to give the order, her patrol had Grim’s crew unarmed and on their way to shore in a matter of minutes.

  A gentle breeze swirled soothingly around Dain as he ran his fingers through Sable’s hair. This was his fault—what had he done? Sable buried her face firmly into his chest, and Dain’s throat swelled as painfully as the lump, courtesy of Foxwing's thugs, throbbing on the back of his head. He'd been a fool to trust the pirate, a fool to put Sable and Idris in harm’s way. If he hadn’t been so desperate to keep her from leaving, he might have made better choices. Thankfully, Regina had caught wind of Foxwing's plans. If she hadn't showed up to free them and save Sable and Idris, who knew what could’ve happened.

  Once the pirate queen was satisfied with the patrol’s work, she approached. Her eyes narrowed fiercely on Dain and Sable both. “I was right when I said the two of ye meant a world of trouble—my dreams are rarely wrong. I’ve had the patrol send for Helda. She’ll be here soon to tend to yer wounds.”

  Dain let out a sigh of relief before nodding his thanks, but Sable began to shake again.

  Regina squatted by their side, pulling Sable’s chin gently away from Dain’s chest as she said, “Foxwing used ye wrong, and I take a great deal of responsibility fer that… I went too soft on the bastard. I was foolish to hope he’d change his ways. Lesson learned—never trust a pirate.” She almost smiled at her own joke, but then lifted Sable’s chin higher, brows furrowing tighter. “But ye did what needed to be done to save the child, lass. There’s no regretting that.”

  A little of the tension in Sable’s body eased, but Dain pulled her closer anyway.

  Regina stood again, muscled arms crossing over her chest. “The good news is, according to the code, the The Gilded Pearl is all yers, lass. And I think ye’ll be the best captain this beauty has ever known.”

  Dain took in The Gilded Pearl again. There was really no other way to describe this ship—it was the most beautiful vessel he’d ever seen. And now, the whole thing belonged to Sable. They’d both been shocked by the news. According to the ever-mentioned code, Sable had inherited the ship for rightfully supplanting its captain, or in this case, killing him in self-defense. It was a far cry from how things were done in any other culture in the four kingdoms, to Dain's knowledge, and he hadn’t been able to resist questioning it. Regina, however, had given them no choice, her final words a stern, ringing command: “If ye plan to shelter in my cove, ye’ll adhere to the code.”

  While Helda tended to Idris and Sable in the captain’s quarters, Casper and Jord’s still-drugged forms were conveyed to the ship. Dain and Elden laid them out in separate luxurious quarters to sleep it off. He knew Casper was going to be roaring mad when he woke to find he'd missed all the action, but Jord would likely be relieved.

  After Elden headed to the captain’s quarters to get the gash on the back of his own head tended to, Dain made his way to the prow of the ship. The wind whipped around him, and like always it yanked at his hair, pushing it playfully into his face over and over again. Dain almost responded, almost played back, but he managed to resist the heavy urge. He’d been trying hard to ignore the elements the past couple of days, trying to keep his talent at bay for the safety of the cove. He’d never forgive himself if he drew the stalker’s eyes here. These pirates were a rough lot of thieves, but as far as he could tell, they lived by a decent set of rules, at least under Regina’s lead.

  Dain did wonder why the demons weren’t drawn by Regina’s dreams. He’d experienced something similar back in Alloway Manor, when his dreams hadn’t led the stalker’s there either—it was a mystery, to be sure.

  The shuffle of feet sounded behind him before he heard Sable say, “I’ll be needing a first mate.”

  Dain’s eyes pricked with tears as he turned to look at the girl he loved. Her question had been jovial, but her undertone was weighted. Even though Helda had managed to wash away every last drop of blood on Sable’s clothes, Dain could still see the stain of death in her eyes. She’d suffered far too much, not only these past months, but all her life—his own childhood had mostly been smooth sailing compared to hers. Dain tried to keep his response light, giving her the kind of bow even Casper would be proud of. “I’d be honored to accept the position, Captain Cortham.”

  Sable’s lips twitched up, but she didn’t laugh—perhaps she couldn’t yet.

  Dain moved closer
. “I’m sorry this happened… If I hadn’t been so set on keeping you with me, I might have made better choices. Is Idris all right?”

  Sable filled the gap between them, encircling his waist with her arms. “Idris is fine, all stitched up and resting. Helda gave him a sleeping draft, and I don’t think he’ll wake until morning.” She rested her head against his chest with a heavy sigh. “None of this is on your head alone—we made a group decision, and we underestimated Foxwing.”

  Dain reached down, lifting her chin so he could meet her gaze. “He’s the one who underestimated you.”

  Sable gave him a sad smile. “And Idris.”

  “And Idris.” Dain couldn’t resist bending to give her a gentle kiss. Her thickly lashed hazel eyes fluttering closed as tears escaped the corners. Dain wiped at them. “I think you should return to The Maiden with Elden.”

  Sable’s eyes flicked open. “What?”

  “You need rest, Sable—time to recover.” Dain expected her to tilt her head and plant her fists on her hips, but instead her tears flowed more freely. He swiped at them again, feeling compelled to say more. “It’ll be good for you to see Tars—good for you to be at peace for a time.” Dain pulled her to arm’s length, placing the palm of one hand over her heart. “And Ileana can help you—remember how she can heal more than just the body?”