Vengeance of the Pirate Queen(79)

Apparently, I’m feeling a lot more forgiving now that I know I’m dying.

Dynkinar nods.

“What happened?” I ask. “Why were you fleeing to the sea?”

“The undead attacked in full force. They were killing everything in sight. We are all that made it out alive. The King of the Undersea must be stopped.”

“We’ll stop him. When we regroup with my queen, we will form a plan of attack immediately.”

Dynkinar bows her head. “It is our only hope now.”

“See to your people, and I will see to mine.”

She nods before helping to locate space for people below and above deck.

And I eye my sailors, who are rowing like mad for the ship, and I see immediately why.

The undead have arrived.

They pour out of the trees by the hundreds, their movements jerky and unnatural. Their eyes glow that peacock blue, even from here, and they move as one force.

One mind behind them all.

“Hurry it up, Kearan!” I scream at him.

“Thought I’d take in the sights first,” he fires back petulantly.

The undead reach the shoreline, but they do not stop. They plunge right into the water, sending it foaming and frothing upward. They march in over their heads, disappearing into the unknown depths.

“Damn,” I say.

Are they swimming? Are they walking the distance? How long will that take? Obviously the boats will reach us first, but will there be enough time to help everyone aboard?

The crew moves as quickly as possible. We haul all the newcomers aboard, and then the lads bring up the rowboats.

“Get us moving, now!”

They don’t need telling twice.

Captain Warran takes the helm again, and he gets us going while Kearan assists the smaller children about the ship. If anyone has noticed that I haven’t moved since coming up top, they don’t say anything.

That bundle of heat within my chest flickers slightly.

“Fighters to the starboard and port of the ship,” I call out. “Keep an eye on that water. If anything tries to climb aboard, slice it!”

As the ship begins to move, the crew takes position at the edges of the railing, peering into the water.

There’s a silence, as though everyone is holding their breaths, waiting to see if we’ve made it. I manage to walk myself to the side of the ship and look into the water below.

Nothing but a smooth surface.

And then I hear screaming belowdecks.





Chapter 23





I LEAP FOR THE stairs leading belowdecks before I remember I’m injured. Maybe I pass off my scream of pain as a battle cry. Luckily, Kearan beats me to the stairs, so he doesn’t see the way I lean against one of the walls when I make it to the bottom. The way I have to pause to catch my breath. To process what has happened.

I killed all those Drifta belowdecks after first boarding the ship.

Threydan has risen them again.

He must be close.

The undead are swiping at mothers holding children, charging at the elderly, pinning men in place. Each has Threydan’s bright blue gaze. I lock eyes with one, holding that glowing stare, and I swear I see those eyes move down to the belt keeping my insides together.

I take out that undead first.

He doesn’t even move as I get within range with my rapier, slicing him to ribbons. He stares at my face, then down to the belt again. I realize then that blood is seeping out from under my makeshift tourniquet.

I’m going to lose energy fast, so I have to be quick.

I slice through muscle and tendon, rendering the undead useless. There’s only a handful of them in this room, and I can’t imagine what Threydan plans to do with so few. Perhaps slow us down, even if it’s just a little.

Kearan is right beside me, fighting off his own undead. Many of my girls have followed us, and they join the fight without question, making me proud.

And then the floor moves, and I’m jerked off my feet.

I realize a moment later that the floor didn’t move. Rather it stopped moving. The undead lowered the anchor.

Oh no.

The fall jostles my belt, and I can’t move for a moment, so I just yell weakly, “Capstan!”

A combined group of Drifta, my girls, and the crew of the Wanderer all rush for the stern of the ship, where the mechanism that controls the anchor is housed.

“Are you okay?” It’s Kearan’s voice, but I don’t seem to have the energy to move my head in his direction.

“I’m fine,” I say from the floor. My torso throbs unbearably, and I try to calm my breathing.

And then a shadow is thrown over my form as Kearan kneels before me.

“What is that?” he asks, his voice almost too low for me to hear. He points toward where the blood is escaping from my body.

“Stab wound,” I answer.

His large hands hover over the belt, but he dares not touch me. “How bad is it?”

“Goes in one side and comes out the other.”

“And you’re still fighting?”

“I’m not dead yet.”

“Of all the stubborn—” He adjusts the belt, cinching it tight over the wound once more and ignoring my scream of pain. Kearan hauls me into his arms, and I gasp as the wound is jostled again. “Iskirra! Captain down! Iskirra!”