“If he fucks things up that badly, the only option will be to swim for shore, and that is a death sentence with mermaids in the water.”
“Still better than drowning in my cabin when the pocket realm collapses.” She shrugs and turns a keen eye on Evelyn. “It would be ill-advised for you to pull another stunt like you did aboard the Hag.”
“So I’ve been told.” Evelyn cocks her head to the side. “What’s that sound?”
The whole crew goes silent. Only the creak of the ship and the soft movement of people shifting can be heard … until a faint shriek sounds, so high and wailing that it could almost be the wind itself.
“Incoming,” Dia mutters. “Get over here, girl. Stand next to me.”
Evelyn glances at me and I nod. “I’ll protect you both.” I’m powerful, but even I don’t know if I could fly both of them and myself to the nearest island. Probably, in a worst-case scenario, fueled by panic and fear and adrenaline, but that would mean abandoning the Audacity and its crew.
There’s no law against being voted out of the captaincy. Fleeing a fight? That’s a different animal altogether.
No, the only option is to keep this damned ship afloat, no matter how badly Hedd mangles the fight. I’m not being fair—the bastard has survived this long, and it’s not by avoiding doing his duty—but I don’t care.
As if my thoughts summon the man himself, Hedd appears on deck. He holds a great ax that most people wouldn’t be able to lift off the ground and his shirtless body is painted in gray symbols.
At my back, Evelyn whistles. “A berserker, huh?”
I glance at her. “You have them in your realm?”
“Yes, though they’re rare.” She narrows her eyes. “They also don’t need the symbols in order to shift into their other form.”
“Neither does he. He’s just a dramatic fucker.”
Hedd hefts his ax. “They’re coming! Let’s show these monsters what the C?n Annwn stand for! Death to all!”
A chill shoots up my spine. That’s not what … Fuck, I’m going to keep doing this, aren’t I? It’s like there are ingrained paths in my brain and I can’t quite jump the tracks. Another time, I’d remind myself that it took twenty years to make those paths and they won’t be undone in a matter of days. Right now, I’m not in the mood to be kind to myself.
I reach back and touch Evelyn. “Stay here.”
“You said that already,” she murmurs.
“I did.” I consider my options and decide there’s no reason to pull my sword. Not yet. “And you have a history of ignoring my commands and doing what you want.”
“Well … yes.”
“Don’t do it this time.”
And then there’s no more time for talk because the mermaids arrive. The sea churns as they bound and leap over each other to get to their prey. To us. They’re truly monstrous. No one would mistake their top halves for human, though they have a torso and arms and a head. But human fingers don’t have that extra knuckle—and they don’t end in claws. Human teeth aren’t sharp, jagged points designed for ripping and tearing. Even their approximation of hair isn’t hair at all. It’s closer to tentacles than anything else. Add in powerful tails that allow them to jump well above the surface of the sea and they’re every sailor’s nightmare.
The shrieking noise becomes almost too much to take. There are more of them than I anticipated, but that makes sense. We’re rarely called out for small infestations.
They surge up in a wave almost as a single unit, intent on breaching the deck. I grit my teeth and throw up a wall of power, breaking them against it. The impact shudders through me. Those monsters hit harder than the dragon.
As soon as my magic drops, the crew is there with harpoons and fire and various magical attacks. The shrieking takes on an agonizing tone as those attacks find their victims. The water churns violently, dark purple blood coloring the blue.
And then they turn on their injured counterparts. They’re equal opportunity predators, and a little cannibalism doesn’t bother them in the least. I knew it was coming, and it still makes me sick to my stomach. It’s not enough to stop the next attack, though. They’re insatiable, bottomless destroyers.
“That’s it! Send them to a watery grave!”
The mermaids shouldn’t gather themselves for a singular attack again—not when a portion of their number are eating their injured comrades—but I still keep an eye out for the possibility as I bat individual creatures from the air before they can make contact with the deck. It takes nearly as much effort as the wall did because there’s an element of precision involved. If I’m not careful, I’ll sweep the crew members into the water, and that’s a death sentence.
In the chaos, I catch sight of Nox on the other side of the ship, their crimson duster flaring out behind them as they send streams of fire and air in turn against the mermaids. Very few people with elemental-based powers have access to more than one element. Nox can tap into all four.
Hedd appears next to me, his form shifting and growing. It’s not a pretty sight, but once he’s in his berserker rage, he can go for hours and he’s damn near unstoppable. There’s not a lot of room left for coherent thought, though. “Let them on board!”
I frown. “Excuse me?”
“Is this a fight or is it a fight?” He smacks my shoulder hard enough to stagger me. “Let them come. That’s an order.”
“People will die!”
“You will fucking die if you disobey a direct order. Let. Them. Come!” He raises his ax menacingly. “Or I kill that little witch cowering behind you.”
CHAPTER 27
Evelyn
I KNEW THAT THE CAPTAIN HAD A BAD VIBE, BUT EVEN I hadn’t anticipated this level of recklessness. Bowen is the only thing keeping those shrieking mermaids off the deck. Even from where I stand next to the mast, I can see how sharp their claws are, how vicious their teeth. Bowen is doing his best, but they’ve dragged no less than three crew members down into the deep.
And now the captain wants to make it worse.
“Don’t do it.” I don’t mean to speak, but Hedd immediately turns his vicious attention in my direction. It’s too late to back down. The only way through is through. I lift my chin, trying not to flinch as someone screams far too close. “It’s the wrong call.”
Hedd looks at me for a moment and then dismisses me just as quickly. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that mutiny.”
“Someone questioning a dangerous order is not mutiny!”
Bowen answers without looking at me. “That’s enough, Evelyn.” He nods slowly. “Of course we’ll follow your orders, Captain.”
Hedd grins and rushes toward the railing. I waste no time grabbing Bowen’s arm. “You can’t seriously mean to obey. I thought we were past this.”
“He’s a berserker.” Bowen speak so softly, I can barely hear him over the sounds of fighting. “If he attacks you, even with all my power, it will be a battle of attrition. While we’re fighting, the mermaids will kill too many of the crew. There’s no choice. Set up a shield around you and Dia. Don’t argue with me, Evelyn.”