by Lexi Ostrow
Twelve
“Miss, it might be best if ye went below tha deck,” a gnarled accented voice said to McKenna.
She smiled and wiped some rain from her eyes. “It’s nothing. I came on this voyage as a sailor, if you can be about in this storm, I’m certain I’ll be in good hands,” she shouted over the roar of the wind and waves.
“McKenna, let me see you down to the cabins. Felicia is already there, and she won’t hold this against you,” Jacob shouted.
She glowered at him and jerked her elbow away from his grasp as he reached out. Nothing had been cordial betwixt them the past week. She suspected a load of fortnights could pass and it never would be. Her body remembered every caress and thrust of their lovemaking, but her mind remembered his words that followed.
“I’ll be fine, Jacob.”
A crash of thunder screamed through the night, and she flinched and flushed when Jacob gave her a very trying look. Rain splashed down around them, falling like buckets. McKenna finally understood the comments about rain and the ocean. The ship didn’t toss and roll with the waves as much as she felt it should, and she was grateful. Everything deck side was chaotic, and yet, oddly organized.
Men milled about, slipping and slamming sideways as the sea had its way with them. Shouts and orders rang out as loudly as they possibly could in the storm, and water licked up over the side of the ship every now and again. She was smart this time and not standing near the rail, but in the center, uselessly watching it all. But she didn’t want to go below deck. Felicia was likely sick from the pitching of the vessel, and McKenna had never been a caregiver in that sense.
“Put your goggles on. The sailors might look at you sideways, but it will make it easier to see if you insist on staying out here and helping rig the sails,” Philippe said, as he pulled his own on. “I’m not playing nursemaid, regardless of what happened last time I went to Hell. I’m still no one’s bloody nanny.”
She nodded and grabbed her goggles from around her neck and under her deep purple shirt and pulled them over her eyes. Philippe walked like a man who had been on ships many times, and she assumed he had when he’d traveled to London from France somehow.
A hand touched her lower back, and she startled.
“McKenna, please, just go below deck and wait this out,” Jacob pleaded as she turned.
“Because you’re much better qualified? Last I checked, neither of us had been on a ship prior,” she spat back.
A bloodcurdling scream rippled out through the sound of the storm, and McKenna froze. Her gaze shot up to the sky, and her fear was confirmed. She’d only heard that sound once prior, on a training mission with Lucius, who was currently underwater on a ship and hopefully faring better than they were about to.
“Fallen,” she shouted as she darted towards Philippe a few paces away.
She shot a glance upward again and almost wretched at the sight. Three Fallen Angels, with their black wings soaked from the rain, were closing in on the ship. Fallen had the same compulsion abilities as Pure Angels, and that meant that everyone on the ship without goggles was at risk. All three angels were male, and all with black wings, all Fallen by choice.
“Mon Dieu!” Philippe cursed and his eyes locked with hers as they both ran towards one and other. “Get everyone below. We will worry about what needs to be said at a later time. I’m not confident we can handle this without Felicia and Lucius.”
“You have me as well,” Jacob said, sliding up next to them.
Philippe growled low and jerked his gun from his trousers. “Get them below deck, Jacob. I need McKenna watching my back, protecting me. That makes you a liability. My fiancé will likely be grateful I reassigned her, given the circumstance.”
Jacob didn’t move, but rather, withdrew his crystal gun as well. “I’m staying.”
Philippe’s low growl was cut short as their pocket watches began to chime in unison, indicating the Fallen were close enough to trigger them, close enough to attack. “You will do as you’re ordered, or I will personally throw you over the fucking ship.”
McKenna stared at the two men, watching as the anger shifted over both of their faces until Jacob finally put his gun away. “Come with me. There will be time to explain later. Come with me now,” he shouted as he walked from group to group.
“Are you ready for this?”
Philippe’s dark eyes stared into hers, and she felt real fear.
“I do not seem to have a choice.”
A human scream sliced through the storm, and they both turned to see a Fallen picking up not one, but two sailors, off the crow’s nest. Her hand was dripping from the rain, and when she went to pull the trigger, her gun slipped. Frantic, she flailed her arms and bent forward, managing to grab it before it crashed to the deck. It twisted out of her grasp as she brought it up to her face and she cursed.
A distinct splashing sound cut through everything, and she saw that the Fallen were dropping men into the ocean.
“Philippe, now.” She didn’t hesitate at ordering the older man around.
A purple beam sliced through the dark sky and connected with one of the Fallen’s shoulder. It screamed and turned its sights to the pair of them. McKenna forced herself to breathe as the creature swerved and lunged towards them. She slammed the trigger, and her own green light burst out and landed on the center of the Fallen’s face. Philippe’s purple stream added to hers, and its cry was cut short as McKenna refused to let up on the trigger, sending the beam of heat continuously at the creature until it slammed into the deck.
The whole boat rocked from the impact of the big demon, and she was shocked to see that it had fallen straight through the deck, exposing the people Jacob was rushing below to the rain and the fight.
A claw sunk into her shoulder, and she cried out, arching her back away from the creature that had grabbed hold of her. Pain seared through her body, she’d never been hit before, and everything was rushing up at her until she realized she was falling to the deck. Tucking her head to her chin, she rolled before drilling her head into the wooden floor. Her breath was punched from her body, and she gasped as she tried to stand. The gun was still in her hand, and she wasted no time firing another stream of crystal light at the male demon closest to her. Steadily, she moved her hand left to right, drawing a line of smoke and blood across its chest. The demon’s eyes widened in shock as it toppled backwards. Dead.
The wind picked up, and the rain was slamming into her face and hands like tiny needles. She flinched, trying to shake off the pain and saw Philippe wrestling with the final Fallen on the deck. All at once, the rain was forgotten. McKenna gave a fierce battle cry and threw herself forwards, landing on the Fallen’s back. She dropped the gun and quickly wrapped her fingers around the demon’s thick neck, digging her nails in. Blood dripped over her hands, and she heard a training warning in her head about Angel’s blood and was thankful for the rain.
“Get off of him, you bloody beast,” she shouted and cracked her heel onto the spine of the Angel.
He was flailing, tossing side to side, and sliced a gash across her cheek as he tried to grab onto her. Under them both, she could vaguely make out Philippe’s fist pummeling into the Angel’s cheek. It reared back, and her nails pressed even deeper into its flesh. She struggled to hold on, despite the grip her nails had on him. When Philippe kicked up into the creature’s chest, the force of the action launched it backwards, slamming her into the deck beneath it. Her vision danced with black specs, and she tried to shake it off, but couldn’t. It stared down at her with eyes as soulless as Lucius’s, and, for the first time in her life, she began to pray.
“Now, that’s quite enough of that.”
McKenna heard Felicia’s voice ring out and watched in horror as a cutlass went clean through the Fallen’s neck. Its head lopped off and rolled to the side as blood sprayed over her face, in her eyes, and all around the two of them.
“Don’t fucking move, McKenna. Do not lick your lips, do not touch you
rself,” Felicia still sounded a little ill. “Let the rain wash the blood away. Let it take away the poison before you even think about moving.”
McKenna lay on the deck, still, yet panting so heavily, she felt her body moving. The rain sprayed down on her, and she could feel the needle-like sensation returning again as it poked at her with her every drop. She had never been quite so grateful for her goggles—even when she had met Layel.
She had no clue for certain how long she lay, letting the rain wash away the horrific death, but Felicia extended a hand to her and McKenna grasped it. On shaky knees, she stood. McKenna had never been one to shy away from death, and even though she had just taken down a Fallen utterly on her own, she had never seen a head cleaved from a body. She was a hunter and a newling at that. She had never seen a kill cleaned up, though she knew they chopped the bodies to bits.
The rain had not let up any as if she expected that with the attack down the clouds would have mysteriously parted. It was as gloomy as ever, and the danger from the storm was not over. McKenna’s eyes trailed to the left, and she saw the headless demon. Bile rose in her stomach, and she quickly shook it off.
“Are you okay?” Philippe asked as he walked up to them.
“I think so.” She looked away from the mess of blood that was slowly rinsing around the boat from the rain. “Yes, that was just more violent that I expected.”
Felicia shrugged. “Jacob said all proper vessels have a weapon in the Captain’s Quarters. I just relived him of his. Next time, bloody come and get me when this happens.”
Philippe raised a dark brow, and the way the night sky framed his face was truly haunting. “I don’t care who you are, Felicia, we know the chain, and we are aware that I sit at the top.” Lightning crashed, making his statement all the more threatening, and Felicia took a step back.
“Fine, but I have helped plenty.”
Tension slipped away from the Frenchman’s face, and he smiled. “We have all helped, to some extent. Even Jacob. I’m not a commander. I do not like having people to look after, but I am pleased to be with you ladies on this mission. Now, if we could simply find a way to lose the demon below us I would be overjoyed.”
A low whistle followed Philippe’s words, and she turned and saw Jacob emerging from the destroyed staircase. “It’s done then?”
The three of them nodded in unison.
“We’re going to have a mess to explain to them. There’s a dead winged man on top of quite a few hammocks and two dead bodies that were lost overboard to add to the mess —unless you retrieved them?” Jacob questioned as he made it to them.
McKenna paled, she had forgotten about the men thrown into the sea. Her face twitched, allowing her emotions to come out. “No, no we didn’t. But you’re right.”
“Actually, he’s not,” Philippe said.
“Just why is that?” Jacob’s eyes narrowed.
McKenna prayed he didn’t take on the Frenchman, who was clearly still combative from the fight.
“We have a hold to clean up and attempt to repair. Sailors might be used to sleeping amongst the stars, but we have two women with us. We need to be certain the cabin we share has not been damaged and get them set up in it. Then, you and I will throw the three Fallen to a murky grave. Tomorrow, I will set a meeting with the captain to discuss today’s events. Our guns fire quicker than their muskets, and there should be no concern for our lives,” the cadence in Philippe’s voice made him sound like a natural leader.
“He’s correct. If I was any of these men, which I have been to the extent of being dumped into this world, they’re terrified. They’ll not likely push for answers until morning,” Felicia chimed in.
“Or they’ll create a frenzied mob,” Jacob muttered so quietly the storm almost swallowed the words.
“Either way, this conversation is over. I will see to it that everyone has what they need in the morning.” Philippe turned to Felicia. “Thank you for coming to the deck, you may have saved McKenna. Are you up for teaching a group of blathering sailors that is simply time to sleep now?”
Just over the side of the boat, McKenna saw the tip of the submersible, it was early morning then, and Lucius had survived the storm okay. She pointed. “Lucius is alright.”
Felicia smiled. “That damnable demon is always okay. Thankfully.” She started to walk off, her skirts wet with rain and turned back. “Are you joining me, or do I have to make them listen all on my own?”
Philippe said something in French that was covered by the howl of the wind and walked after her.
Jacob was as drenched as McKenna. His blond hair clung to his face, and his clothing stuck to his body, outlining every inch of him and taunting her—as fate always seemed to do when they were alone.
“I’ll head down with them, perhaps I can help,” she muttered.
Jacob stepped in front of her. “You’re avoiding me. You had the control, McKenna. You could have stopped our coupling, and you chose not to.”
Her jaw hung open just as her hand lashed out and her palm connected with his cheek. The slap stung her hand as much as she figured it did him and she cursed. The rain began to slow as she shook her hand and glared at the man she wanted more than anything on the planet.
“You need not have struck me,” his voice was level, quiet, and audible with the storm dissipating.
“Then you are as daft as any man, despite your upbringing. I struck you because of your insistence that we act like it didn’t happen.” She felt her blood began to simmer and she took a step closer to him.
Confusion wasn’t the only emotion racing through Jacob, but it was the one winning out. His heart still pounded from the attack he’d witnessed, but it was nothing compared to how rapidly it beat after being accosted by McKenna. Her words made perfect sense.
The rain was siphoning off to a small trickle, though the water was still rough enough to send strikes of waves crashing into the boat and up its side. McKenna looked like a force to reckon with as she stood before him in the storm. Her hair was in knots about her head, her blouse covered in blood and her clothes certainly more ripped and damaged from the fight than he liked. But standing with the waves lapping behind her and her blue eyes shining bright, he found her beautiful. Stunning indeed.
And she found him despicable.
He’d hoped that bedding her would have separated her from his thoughts. It had done the exact opposite. His nights were ridden with flashes of their passion in his dreams, and he oft woke with a lust so fierce, he had to see to himself before leaving the quarters, once Philippe had dressed and gone of course. She’d gotten under his skin, and the more he thought upon her, the more he realized he had begun to develop feelings for her.
Jacob had been sneaking about the ship for a week, trying to find a way to bump into her and had failed at every step. When she spoke with the sailors, he found himself filled with jealousy, and he’d been trying to attribute it to nothing more than being attached to the gift of her virginity.
That wasn’t true. Jacob couldn’t deny it because, as the Fallen had come for them, all he’d wanted to do was stand by her side. Jacob had wanted to be topside to protect her, even if she didn’t need it. When Felicia had charged about seeking a weapon, he’d been angry that he hadn’t thought to do the same and jumped into the fray. He should be distancing himself from McKenna, not craving time with her or wishing to bed her repetitively until neither of them could remember where he started and she began.
His mouth opened to respond, but he stuttered and snapped it shut. Anger swirled in the air around them, but so did hurt. He’d been trying to do the proper thing and spare her the rumors, and in turn, he had pushed her away.
“Do you have nothing to say to me?” she pressed.
“I have more things to say to you than you could possibly imagine, McKenna.” The words were soft spoken, and he wasn’t even certain she heard them.
“Then say them now, whilst I have to look out for you, I do not have to interact with
you to save your arse.” The wind picked up her hair, and she growled as she tucked the errant strand behind her ear and put her hands upon her hips.
“I wanted to spare you,” he raised his voice and cursed, not wanting the whole of the ship to hear. “Come with me to the mess deck. It is likely crowded, but we can speak quieter. This is not an issue that concerns everyone on board. Besides, I can see the torn masts from this angle, men will be coming out to hang new sails as soon as the rain ceases. Those that can function, of course.”
She looked as if she were going to deny him, but walked in the direction of the mess deck and stepped inside. As he expected, there were a handful of men sitting and chattering hysterically, those who had been inside when the attack had begun,. Jacob reached a hand out to guide her to a private spot, and she casually stepped to the side and found her own way to the back right corner where no one was.
“I am waiting.”
For a moment, he almost reminded her that he was a Royal, but that wouldn’t help their case for him to throw his lack of a title about. “I did it to protect you. I thought if we could act as if it didn’t happen then your virtue could remain intact, even if it were a lie.”
“Was it not also a way to not let even the scoundrels on board know that you’d bedded a woman with no parents, no title and no use to you?’
There was so much venom in her tone, Jacob physically recoiled backwards from both the accusation and her anger. “You are wrong, McKenna. I bed whom I wish. I might not flaunt them around the Court or the ton, but I have no care or concern for the status of the women I bed when it is merely bedding them.”
He regretted the words the minute her upper lip pulled back into a snarl. He’d placed his foot in his mouth once more, and there would never be a way to prove to her that he hadn’t meant it the way it had sounded.
