“Aye, Cap’n,” said Goldtooth. “Coop, help me with these barrels.”
“We can throw them into the water,” said Coop. “The rest of the men are waitin’ with spikes, ropes and grapplin’ hooks to pull the goods to the ship.”
“Watch out!” cried Aaron, jumping in front of Coop, taking down a crewmember of the French ship with his sword.
“I think most of the crew abandoned ship, but be on the lookout just in case,” Mardon told him.
Nairnie continued to shout, and Mardon wished she’d leave him alone. He had to find Emmaline and he was running out of time. He didn’t need distractions.
“I’m going to head toward the stern, just in case Emmaline is there,” said Mardon.
“Aye. I’ll go look on the other side of the bow,” said Aaron. “Oh, crap, here comes Nereus.”
Sure enough, the Poseidon pulled up on the other side of the ship, and Nereus and several of his men boarded.
“Get everythin’ ye can,” yelled Nereus. “And kill anyone that gets in yer way.”
“Damn it, not now,” groaned Mardon, knowing time was running out. He would never get a chance to even look for Emmaline if Nereus was taking his attention. The only thing he could do was make a deal with the man, and hope to hell he’d take it.
A Frenchman ran up with his sword drawn, and Mardon took him down easily, heading toward Nereus.
“Nereus is here,” Aaron told the others. “Move fast or we’ll end up with nothing.”
“Nereus,” yelled Mardon, holding his sword steady as he approached his nemesis. “I don’t want trouble. I’m only here for the girl and then we’re leaving.”
“What girl?” he asked, taking down two Frenchmen.
“Never mind. All I ask is that you leave my men alone. You stay to this side of the ship and we’ll take the other.”
“Now, why would I do that?” chuckled Nereus.
“My fight is not with you. Not this time. Now, this ship is going up like a torch and you know as well as I that we only have a few minutes before we have to leave. Let’s not waste our time fighting each other.”
“He’s right,” said the young woman that Mardon saw at Canterbury Cathedral. “We need to focus on the treasure. We can’t lose more men.”
“Miriam, I thought I told ye to stay on the Poseidon,” growled Nereus. “Get the hell out of here before ye’re hurt.”
“I resent that,” she spat. “Ye know I can take care of myself.” With that, she pushed Nereus aside and plunged her dagger through the heart of a Frenchman who charged him.
“All right, ye’ve got a deal, Fisher,” Nereus told Mardon. “For now. But never again. Now, stay on yer side of the ship.”
Mardon hurried back and told his men what was going on. Once again, he saw Nairnie waving her hands from the Falcon. “What the hell do you want, old woman?” he shouted.
She pointed upward again. Mardon turned and looked up the main mast, realizing the sail was about to catch on fire. “You’ve got to go, men,” he called.
“Mardon, come with us,” said Aaron.
“Nay! Not before I find Emmaline.”
“Mardon,” he heard a small voice calling his name. A bad feeling washed over him since the voice came from up in the lines.
“Emmaline?” he yelled, rushing to the main mast. He looked up and his heart almost stopped. There was Emmaline, hanging from the lines by one foot. Her arms were trying to grab anything to keep her steady as the ship rocked violently back and forth. “God’s teeth, nay!” he cried. He took a step to the lines when the sound of a cracking whip got his attention from behind. He jumped, the whip just missing him. He spun around with his sword drawn. “Jean Philippe,” he said through gritted teeth.
“So, I guess you’re the bloody pirate my wife is in love with,” he replied. “Well, you can’t have her. She’s mine.” He snapped his whip again, this time hitting Mardon’s hand, causing him to drop his sword. His blade hit the deck and slid to one side as the ship listed again. Fire crackled all around him.
“What kind of a monster are you that you’d hurt such an innocent dove as her?”
He chuckled. “She’s not so innocent. Or didn’t you take a look at that painting you stole? She’s naught but a whore, but she’s my whore.”
“You bastard!” Mardon threw himself at Jean Philippe, taking the man to the ground. They rolled around the deck, throwing punches at each other. The fire was spreading fast. If Mardon didn’t get to Emmaline in the next few moments, he was going to lose her forever.
They parted and Mardon jumped to his feet with his dagger in his hand. But this time, another Frenchman came to help Jean Philippe. Mardon spun around, plunging his dagger into the man’s chest and at the same time hearing the sickening crack of the whip and feeling the sting on his back. The ship listed, and Mardon fell to his knees.
“This will be easier than I thought,” came the man’s voice from behind him. Mardon yanked the dagger out of the man’s chest, rolling out of the way of the whip. He looked up to see Jean Philippe with his sword drawn. The man’s eyes grew wide and his body stiffened. Then he dropped both his sword and whip. He fell to his knees and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Mardon jumped up to see a dagger embedded into his back. His sword lie nearby. He grabbed his sword and plunged it through the man’s heart.
“That’s for everything you’ve done to hurt Emmaline,” he spat, removing the sword and thrusting it into him with force, once more, just to make sure he was dead.
“Mardon!” came Aaron’s voice from the other side of the ship. The mast on the stern cracked and fell, spreading the fire to the main sail. “Come on,” shouted his brother.
Mardon saw his men already back on the ship. Nereus and his men were doing the same. He looked up to see Emmaline, knowing now where the dagger came from that hit Jean Philippe in the back.
“Mardon, help me!” she cried, sounding frantic, still not able to free her leg.
“Aaron, go!” shouted Mardon with a wave of his hand. “Tell Stitch to take the Falcon far from the flames.”
“Nay! You’ve got to come with us,” shouted Aaron.
“Do it, damn it!” Mardon replaced his weapons in his belt, took a hold of the lines, and started to climb. It didn’t take long before he became dizzy from the smoke, and thoughts of his youth filled his head.
“Father,” cried Mardon, at the time only twelve years of age. “Father, I’m stuck.” Mardon’s foot had become twisted in the lines and there was a bad storm tossing the ship back and forth.
“Get down here ye fool,” yelled his father. “We need yer help or we’ll lose all the fish in the net. Get down here, now.”
Being young and still inexperienced, Mardon didn’t know what to do. So he took his dagger and cut the line holding his foot captive. With it, the wind took the sail, flapping it and stinging him in the eyes. The ship listed, throwing him off balance and he lost his grip, falling to the deck.
“Oomph,” he cried, feeling pain like he’d never felt before. He laid on his back unable to move his arm or his leg.
“Ye stupid fool!” His father loomed over him, peering down at him with a scowl on his face. He reached down and pulled Mardon to his feet. Mardon screamed and was unable to stand because his leg was broken. His arm was broken, too.
“Father, help me. I’m hurt,” he cried. His brothers ran over to help him, but his father stopped them.
“Nay,” he said, holding out his arm. “Mardon needs to help himself. He needs to be strong.”
“But my arm and leg are broken. Father, please,” he begged for the man’s help.
“Back to yer posts, boys,” said his father, Cato. Tristan and Aaron did as told, having no other choice. “Now get up, Mardon!”
“I can’t.”
“Then, ye’re worthless and are of no use to me.”
“But I’m hurt.”
“Be strong!”
“I can’t.”
“Ah, ye ar
e never goin’ to be anythin’ but a worthless fool. What a shame.”
Tears filled Mardon’s eyes as his father turned and walked away. Mardon pushed up on one leg and leaned against a barrel. His brothers watched, but were not allowed to help. Mardon’s eyes closed and his world became black as he passed out and fell to the deck, hearing his father’s words of being worthless echoing in his head. It would be years before Mardon felt useful again, and he didn’t know if his father would ever see him as a strong man even when he was fully grown.
“Ye’re a worthless fool,” echoed his father’s words in his head, and mayhap a small part of Mardon believed it and would never forget it.
“Mardon, please,” cried Emmaline, making his eyes pop open. “I don’t want to die.”
“I won’t let you die, Emmaline,” he said, releasing a deep breath and pushing his own inner demons aside. If ever he was going to prove his worth, this was the time to do it. He climbed as fast as he could, no longer worried for himself. All he cared about was Emmaline. He got to her and her arms closed around him.
“Hold on tight,” he commanded. He could hear the mast creaking beneath them now and feel the heat from the rising flames.
“Mardon, we’re trapped. We’re going to die.”
“I promise you, I won’t let that happen.”
She screamed, and became frantic and he couldn’t blame her. He saw the entire ship going up in flames now. The Poseidon pulled away, and the small shuttle boats from the French ship dotted the water. He saw Aaron on the Falcon, running up to the stern, making his way to Stitch. The ship was already moving away, just like Mardon had told them to do.
“We’ve only got a minute before it’s too late,” Mardon told her. Emmaline continued to cry. “Emmaline, do you trust me?” he asked, looking deep into her eyes.
She sniffled, bit her lip, and nodded. “I do, Mardon. I trust you with my life and I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now hold on tight to me and whatever happens, do not let go of me. Do you understand?”
“I do.” Her fingers dug into him as he cut the lines holding her foot, setting her free. Grabbing the skein of rope from his waist, he shielded her body while he reached up and tied one end securely to the yardarm.
“What are you doing?” she asked him.
“We’re going to have to swing as far away from the ship as possible,” he shouted.
“To where?” she asked.
He looked over to see the Falcon moving further away. Aaron was standing on the bow of the ship watching them. Nairnie was yelling something from the deck, but he couldn’t hear a word.
“We’re going to drop into the sea. It’s our only chance, sweetheart. Now, hold on to me for your life.”
“I will,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. “I’m ready, Mardon.”
Mardon looked down once again, feeling sick to his stomach. But pushing aside any doubts or fears, he wrapped one arm around Emmaline and held on to the end of the rope with the other, and jumped. Just as he did, the mast broke, bringing them far out over the sea as the flaming mast fell. Mardon swung out over the water and let go. They hit the water hard. The black depths of the sea closed in around them as the water covered their heads. Holding each other tightly, they sank into the wicked sea.
Chapter 14
Water covered Emmaline’s head as she clung to Mardon. Down they sank into the ocean, having just escaped the fiery ship. Then they started to move back upward and her head broke the surface and she gasped for breath, her arms waving wildly, trying to keep afloat.
“I’ve got you, Emmaline,” came Mardon’s deep voice. She felt his arm around her waist. “We’ve got to make our way to the Falcon. I hope to hell someone on the ship saw us and won’t leave without us.”
“Mardon, I’m scared,” she cried, watching as the De la Croix started to sink.
“We’ve got to swim, sweetheart. We have to get far from the sinking ship or we’ll be pulled under with it.”
That frightened her even more. She wasn’t a strong swimmer, and every time she moved her legs, her dress got tangled.
“I – I can’t swim. My legs are tangled in my gown.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
She saw him grab his dagger and then disappear under the water. Suddenly, she felt very alone. “Mardon!” she cried. “Mardon, where are you?”
She felt a tugging at her clothes and Mardon popped back up above the water holding up the bottom of her nun’s attire.
“You’ll be able to swim now.” He tossed it away.
“Look! Here comes the Falcon,” she said, treading water.
“Over here,” yelled Mardon, waving his arm over his head. “We’re down here.”
For a moment, she didn’t think the people on the ship saw them. But then she heard Nairnie’s shrill voice.
“Stop! Stop, ye fools. I see them. They’re over here.”
“Where?” Aaron ran to her side. “I don’t see anyone.”
“They’re right there,” she screamed, pointing into the water. “Are ye blind? Look, right there.” She leaned over the sidewall to show Aaron, and must have slipped.
Emmaline cried out as she watched Nairnie go over the side of the ship and hit the water with a big splash.
“She fell in! Mardon, save her. She’s going to drown,” cried Emmaline.
Mardon started laughing as they continued to swim toward the ship.
“Mardon, stop laughing. That is your grandmother. She could be dead.”
“Not likely,” said Mardon. Then he looked up to the side of the ship where Aaron was getting ready to jump in after her. “Don’t bother, Aaron, I’m sure she’ll be fine,” he called out.
Sure enough, Nairnie came up spitting water everywhere.
“Damn yer ship,” yelled Nairnie. “Ye need to get high safety rails. It’s no’ fit for an auld wench like me. I could have broken my neck or my back. Get me out of here. Do ye hear me? Get me out!”
“I told you,” said Mardon, looking back at Emmaline. “My grandmother is too ornery to die.”
Once they were back on the ship, Mardon put one arm around Emmaline and the other around Nairnie, giving them both a quick squeeze. “Stitch, take us the hell out of here,” Mardon commanded. No one said much. The entire crew watched in silence as the French ship disappeared under the water and the shuttle boats with the survivors made their way to the shore of France. The crew of the Poseidon was watching as well.
“Look, there’s that girl again aboard the Poseidon,” said Aaron, nodding toward Nereus’ ship. “I wonder who she is and why she’s there.”
“I don’t know,” said Mardon. “But because of her, Nereus agreed to our deal and didn’t give us trouble aboard the ship.”
“We managed to get some booty, Cap’n,” interrupted Goldtooth, nodding to the pile of barrels and trunks they were able to steal before the ship went down. “The men are anxious for their shares of the plunder.”
“Aaron is quartermaster and he will handle that,” said Mardon. “But since it was from Lady Emmaline’s ship, she will be first to claim what she wants.”
“Lady Emmaline?” asked one of the men.
“I thought she was a nun,” said another.
“Nay, I’m not a nun,” admitted Emmaline, looking up at Mardon. “May I explain?”
“Go ahead,” he answered.
Emmaline looked out at all the eyes of the crew staring at her, and decided she wanted to tell them the truth. She no longer wanted to lie. Releasing a deep breath, she looked only at Mardon when she told them.
“I was married to an evil Frenchman who whipped me and treated me horribly. He just . . . died on the ship.” Her body stiffened when she said this. Reality came crashing down around her. Her husband was dead, the evil bastard, and for that she was thankful. But now, she realized that even though Mardon stabbed the man with his sword, it was she who initially killed him by throwing her dagger. A s
hiver went up her spine. The thought of it all made her stomach clench.
“Then why were ye dressed like a nun?” asked Coop.
“Because I came back to England and my family put me in a nunnery. But I escaped.”
“Why did they put ye there?” asked Ramble. “And why did ye want to escape?”
Now, she really felt ill. In order to explain all this, she’d have to tell them that she was the woman in the naked painting. And once she did, they would all know what she looked like under her clothes. Just the thought already made her feel violated.
“She was a widow, that’s why,” said Mardon. “And she left the nunnery because she was trying to get home to her ill father.”
“Yes, that’s right.” She flashed him a smile for stepping in to help him.
“Well, now that yer bastard of a husband is gone, I suppose we’ll be droppin’ ye off with yer father,” said Goldtooth.
“My father is dead,” she said silently, feeling the loss of him now more than ever. “I can’t go back to his manor because my stepmother is there and I know she poisoned him.”
Everyone remained silent. Finally, Ramble spoke up. “Well, where will ye go, Lady Emmaline? Back to France? Or will ye stay in England? After all, ye have to go somewhere.”
“I – I don’t know,” she said, feeling cold, hungry and tired. She really hadn’t thought of this until now. The idea that she was homeless and had no other living family except her stepmother was a frightening thought, indeed.
“Lady Emmaline will stay right here on the Falcon. With us,” said Nairnie, wringing out her wet skirt.
“Here?” asked one man.
“With us?” asked another.
“Wenches aboard a ship are bad luck,” called out one more. The men were becoming agitated quickly.
“I think it’s time to split up the booty,” said Aaron, stepping in to help change the conversation.
“Emmaline?” asked Mardon. “Do you want to take first look?”
Mardon (Pirate Lords Series Book 2) Page 15
