Zoey, Jean, and Katryna spent most of the time keeping the crew on task while Marcus continued to hole himself away in the belly of the ship, researching and experimenting on the gods knew what. The minotaur said he was trying to come up with a way to create stronger, more resilient minions, but thus far, he hadn’t found much success. At the very least, no one turned into a skeletal hamster, which Zoey pointed out was always nice.
Ethan, on the other hand, kept busy by putting his Master Rigging to use, constantly having the sails trimmed, lines adjusted, and courses shifted ever so slight, thereby tapping into the extra ten percent speed his skills promised.
Late morning on the sixth day, right after Ethan had reefed the sails again due to strong winds, Zoey walked up to him as he stood near the bowsprit. “Those clouds are building faster than I’d like,” she said. “Any thoughts on what we’re going to do about it?”
Ethan grunted as he folded his arms over his chest and tapped out some nervous energy with his foot. He’d been watching the storm continue to build behind them since the start of the race, and up until that moment, he’d talked himself into believing the thunderheads only looked like they were ten miles high and the immense wall the entire system formed only seemed menacing.
“I’ve taken in half the sails already,” Ethan said. “I’m afraid if we play it any safer, Azrael will get too far ahead. He’s setting the pace at this point.”
“No, the storm is what’s going to ultimately set the pace, not him,” Zoey said. “It’s not a question of if it will overtake us, but when. And for anyone who’s caught in it in open water, that might be the last day they see alive. She’s going to be a monster.”
“Going to be?” Ethan asked with a nervous chuckle.
“She looks like a monster now. I’ll give you that,” she went on. “But mark my words. She’s going to be more dreadful than a hangry kraken.”
Ethan shuddered at the mental image. His encounter with a baby kraken was more than enough for him to never want to get within a thousand leagues of one again. “Point taken. I’m hoping, then, you’ve got a suggestion to our hurricane problem.”
Zoey nodded and unfolded a cloth map she had tucked away. “I’ve been looking at our options. Coral Cay is the closest and safest, which is right here. We could be there in three hours, ride the whole thing out without trouble since the harbor’s protected.”
Ethan nodded but only needed a cursory glance to see the problem with that. “It throws us off course by, what, a quarter day once it’s all said and done?”
“It does, and that’s why we could look at trying to push for the Garagos Islands,” the vampire replied, pointing to another spot. “They’re about twenty leagues from here. Farther, but as you can see, we’d only lose two or three hours at the most.”
“That assumes we outrun the storm long enough to make it there,” Ethan said, finishing the picture on his own.
“I’d give us eighty-twenty odds that we do,” she said. “Relatively safe bet.”
Ethan tapped his fingers on the railing as he thought about what she’d said. Running for guaranteed safety at Coral Cay would keep them alive, no doubt, but it would likely have them lose the race as well. That left him with sailing for the Garagos Islands…or did it?
“What about making a run to Little Bargadine? We could shelter the Victory there and even send out a party to search for that wind in a bottle, right? I mean, if we’re laying anchor anyway, we might as well use the time to be productive.”
Zoey shrugged while an ill look fell upon her face. “In theory, yes, we could do that,” she said. “But there’s a lot of water between the Garagos Islands and Little Bargadine.”
“I know, but do you think we can make it?”
“Maybe?” she said. “Not sure I’d give us even fifty-fifty on that. Probably closer to forty-sixty against.”
Ethan grunted and went back to tapping the railing, but it only took him a few seconds to realize most, if not all, of his strategy had to be built around what the others were doing. With that in mind, he stuck his fingers into his mouth and whistled sharply for Jean.
As fast as a kite, the man peeked over the crow’s nest. “Aye, Captain?”
“Can you see what the other ships are doing?” he asked.
Jean held up a hand and whipped out his spyglass. As he looked on, he narrated accordingly. “The Royal Hawk is still the next ship in line,” he said. “A league and a half out. I think they’re following the same bearing as the Cygnet.”
“Which is headed where?”
“Maybe a point starboard,” he answered. “It’s hard to tell.”
Zoey tapped the map. “They’re making a run for the Garagos Islands. No doubt about it.”
“Which means we can’t afford to go to Coral Cay,” Ethan said. “The only real question left then is: do we chance it all for a shot at getting ahead of everyone, or do we try to simply sail with the rest and essentially restart the race once the storm passes?”
“I wish I could say otherwise, but I’m not specced for this decision any more than you are,” Zoey replied. “That makes it your call.”
“I guess it does,” he replied. He then flashed a quick grin. “Don’t suppose we could make this a save point and somehow reload if it all goes to hell?”
Zoey laughed. “Hardcore, remember? No saves.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know,” he said. “But I can still dream.” With that, Ethan turned his attention back to the crow’s nest once more. “Jean! What of the Griffin or The Popinjay? Can you see where they are?”
Jean swept the horizon with his spyglass three times, in fact. When he finished, he reported back with a sullen face. “Afraid not, Captain. They’re nowhere to be seen. I don’t see the Red Fish, either.”
Ethan grunted. “They’re all going for the prize.”
“They could still be sailing for the Garagos Islands, you know,” Zoey replied.
Ethan shook his head. “They could be, but they aren’t. Azrael won’t squander this much of an advantage. Neither will Sedra or Sir Gideon. Trust me on that.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I played cards with them. They might have taken me for practically everything in the end, but that didn’t stop me from knowing how they all think. And when you’re about to claim the pot, the last thing you want to do is even the odds for everyone else.”
“Okay,” Zoey said, her face hardening with determination. “Let’s get to work.”
* * *
A streak of lightning lit up the aftward sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. A dark storm filled the southern horizon, one that looked as angry and vengeful as any elder god, and though Ethan had been trying to convince himself for the last hour that the sea wasn’t growing rougher, and that the wind wasn’t getting stronger, he couldn’t delude himself anymore.
“Jean!” he called out, cupping his hands over his mouth and looking to the crow’s nest. “See anything else yet?”
The man popped over the lip of the crow’s nest, looking quite at home despite the gale at their backs and the constant roll and pitch of the Victory. “Aye, Captain!” he yelled, pointing. “I’m certain that’s Little Bargadine at the horizon, and she’s got ships at her shore now, too!”
“Whose?”
“Can’t tell, Captain. But I count three of them.”
Ethan cursed and folded his arms over his chest, only to have to shoot them out a moment later so he could grab a handrail when the boat rocked hard to port. “I wonder how long they’ve been there,” Ethan said, looking to Zoey. “Maybe they haven’t sent their landing parties.”
The vampire, who’d been checking and rechecking the lines that secured the carronades, frowned. “I wouldn’t bet on it,” she said. “At the very least, we know they won’t be leaving anytime soon. There’s no way they’ll outrun this storm, even if they weighed anchor right now. I don’t care what skills they’ve picked.”
Suddenly, the Victory lurched sideways before pitching upward. Zoey staggered, nearly losing her footing. Mister Potts, manning the helm, fiercely wrestled with the wheel to keep the ship on course, and he swore up and down every second he did.
“Holy hell,” Zoey said, wrapping an arm around a line to keep her steady. “I’d call that a rogue wave, but I’ve got a feeling there are going to be a lot more like that coming at us shortly.”
Ethan twisted his head over his shoulder. The apocalyptic clouds which had filled the horizon seemed ten times closer than they’d been not even five minutes ago. A massive curtain of rain fell from their bases, while the seas beneath continued to churn more and more violently than before.
“We’re not going to have time to anchor and launch properly if this ship is going to make the cove on the other side of the island,” Ethan said.
“You’re absolutely right on that,” Zoey said as her face soured. “We’ll have to row in once we’ve found shelter. It’ll be rough, but it beats having the storm smash us to pieces.”
Ethan kept his gaze firmly latched on the island, jaw clenching, stomach tightening. He didn’t like what she had to say one bit. From what he could remember, the layout of the island meant that if they played it safe, they’d lose at least another hour or two making their way around a small mountain to get to the fort compared to the landing at the southern shore and simply marching north. By then, no doubt someone would have that bottle, and this would be all for naught.
“We’ve got to go ashore now,” he said, making up his mind. “We won’t win otherwise.”
“We won’t be able to win if we break apart, either,” Zoey rightly pointed out. “Look, I know sailing around isn’t ideal, but maybe fortune will still favor us. Whoever gets to the fort first will have to deal with whatever traps they might have put on the chest.”
“There are traps now, too?”
Zoey shrugged. “Maybe. Wouldn’t be the first time the game makers have done that to spice things up.”
“That figures,” Ethan muttered. “What have they cooked up before?”
Zoey bit her lower lip as she gave the question a moment’s thought. “Well, last year, it was a petrification blast that turned everyone into statues in a thirty-yard radius if they didn’t make their saving throw, and at minus five to boot. Five years prior, a guardian ward had been etched on the pedestal that summoned a thousand giant, starving rats. I wasn’t there, but from what I hear, four ships had their entire shore parties skeletonized in minutes.”
Ethan shuddered. “I really didn’t need that visual.”
“Yeah, so while the early bird may get the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.”
Ethan nodded reluctantly, conceding her point. He turned her words over a few times in his head, and while he could see the practicality of playing this safe, he couldn’t shake the feeling that if he did, he’d never cross the finish line first. Moreover, if anything, this world had taught him time and again he needed to be bold. Daring.
“I hear what you’re saying,” he finally said, “but we’re not the second mouse at this point. We’re the fourth, and unless there are three sets of mouse traps, we get nothing.”
“Captain!” came a new call. “If the storm gets worse, our sails will tear apart! We’ve got to find cover!”
Ethan ran forward, stumbling as he did, until he could see Katryna at the bow. The swashbuckler had her hands full as she worked the lines along with a half dozen skeletons and a few of the crew.
“How much more can she take?” he asked.
“She sure as hell can’t take that!” Katryna yelled, pointing to the approaching thunderstorm. “And we don’t have much rigging to spare, either.”
Ethan frowned, as he couldn’t help but feel attacked over the last comment. He had, after all, lost money at the card table, money that could have, and should have, gone to loading the ship with more supplies. That, however, was in the past, he knew. Dwelling on it would change nothing, and he still needed to act.
“Jean!” he yelled. When the man looked back from the crow’s nest a second time, he pointed at the island. “How hard are the waves hitting the shore?”
Jean held up a finger before aiming his spyglass. Given how much the sea tossed the ship, Ethan doubted he had even the slightest prayer of seeing a damn thing, but he hoped nevertheless. To his surprise, he yelled the answer he wanted. “They’re pummeling the coast like a like a hammer on an anvil, captain!”
Ethan looked to Zoey and smiled. “Perfect.”
“Perfect?”
“Yeah. Perfect,” he repeated before giving a sheepish grin. “Well, perfect enough to fake like I know what I’m doing.”
Ethan stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply. Everyone on deck spun to face him. He was only interested in grabbing the attention of two: Katryna and Jean.
“Katryna! I need you with me at the helm!” he yelled before turning his attention upward. “You as well, Mister Bayard!”
The woman nodded and barked some orders at a couple of others before relinquishing her position and running over. At the same time, Jean grabbed ahold of the lines and slid himself down to the deck. Together, they all ran for the quarterdeck, and midway, the Victory pitched upward as it caught a wave, nearly sending Ethan careening into a carronade.
“Mister Potts,” Ethan said once they were all there. “How close can you skirt us next to the island without running aground?”
“Skirt?” he repeated. “Did I hear that correctly?”
“Yes, Mister Potts. You did.”
The man sucked in a deep breath as an apprehensive look splashed across his face. “I could maybe get us a within couple hundred yards. Any closer and we risk the reefs, or worse, the rocks.”
“Maybe?” Ethan said. “I was under the impression you knew what you were doing.”
“Aye, sir. I do,” he said, face hardening.
“Then I want you to get us within two hundred yards of shore, and once we’re clear, make for the cove on the leeward side of the island. We’ll meet you there after the storm clears.”
The man gritted his teeth and forced a smile. “Aye, sir. I’ll get you there.”
“Mind filling us in what you’ve got in mind?” Katryna asked, tapping Ethan on the shoulder.
“We’re going to surf a lifeboat into the island,” he replied.
Katryna’s eyes bulged with equal parts shock and excitement. “What? Are you crazy?”
“No, but I am super lucky,” he said. “Besides, don’t you want to live?”
“Do I ever,” she beamed. “But I don’t want to wind up pasted against the jetties, either.”
“Don’t worry. We won’t be.”
“And by we, who does that include?”
“You. Me. Jean, and Zoey, along with a few skeletons,” Ethan said. He then shrugged at Zoey unapologetically. “You’ve just been volunteered for the away team.”
“You put me in a red shirt, and I’m shooting you first.”
“My dear, the only thing you can count on me doing is trying to get you out of your shirts,” he replied. After she rolled her eyes playfully, Ethan clapped his hands together. “Now, then, this is what we’re going to do: Mister Potts will get us as stupidly close to shore as he can. The four of us and some of our boney buddies will climb into a lifeboat and ride the surf in. I figure the waves ought to be plenty strong enough to carry us all the way there in one go.”
“Captain, we’re going to be lucky to be thrown overboard and land upright, let alone make it to shore,” Jean said.
“I’ve got the luck part under control,” Ethan said. “Trust me on this. Besides, we might run into Sir Gideon, and I thought you’d like to be there when we do.”
Jean cracked his knuckles. “Oui. I would.”
“What of the crew?” asked Zoey, throwing a glance toward them all over her shoulder. “Who are you going to put in charge
?”
“Marcus will have command,” Ethan said, already having thought of that point. He then called for the minotaur who came out from below deck, and once the monstrous crewmate had joined them all along with a curious Maii, Ethan filled them both in.
“I must say, Captain, I’m not fond of this rash plan of yours,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “But you have my word your ship will be in good hands with me.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Unless, of course, you don’t make it back,” he said with a dark chuckle. “Then I suppose it’ll be my ship.”
“We’ll be back. Count on it,” Ethan said with finality, pointing a finger at the minotaur. “And for the record, it would become Zoey’s ship, and Maii has my full permission to eat anyone and everyone who acts otherwise.”
Maii flashed a wicked grin with razor-sharp teeth. “I’ll keep them in line. Don’t worry about that,” he said before licking his chops and straightening. “Perhaps we make an example of someone while we have the time.”
Ethan furrowed his brow. “No, Maii. We won’t.”
“But that one right there threatened you,” he said calmly, eyes fixated on a nearby crewmember. “Or will, rather. I’m sure of it. I can smell the fear wafting from his skin.”
“I said no.”
Maii huffed and settled back down. “Fine. We’ll play it by ear then.”
The conversation ended at that point, and for the next however many minutes, as they sped toward the island, Ethan tried to visualize his plan coming to fruition over and over again. When he felt they were getting relatively near, he and his party sprang into action.
The group ran across the ship, Ethan proudly managing to keep himself from going overboard through the swells, while Zoey seemed to float across the deck seemingly without a care in the world, no doubt tapping into her well-developed vampiric attributes. When the four of them reached one of two secured lifeboats, they started to untie the lines as others of the crew helped keep the raft in place.
The Crew (Captains & Cannons Book 2) Page 22
