“Incoming!” Esta threw herself on the deck grabbing hold of a rail to steady herself.
The ship shuddered beneath her and Esta trembled as though she had taken a blow to her own body.
Sea Sprite! She turned over onto her back frantically seeking her sister. Katrine was still aloft, casting fireball after fireball at the enemy ship but her magic was barely strong enough now for the fire to reach the ship and when it did it was easily extinguished.
Sea Sprite shuddered again heralding another cannon strike. Her guns were underwater, useless and the dark ship had deployed rowboats full of black-garbed sailors. Esta struggled to her feet as the deck took a lurch to starboard. They were taking on water fast. She looked around, trying to count her crew. Several were missing.
Below decks?
She flew down from the gun deck and toward a hatch trying not to notice every heave and groan of her ship. She slipped through the hatch and slid down the ladder, landing in ankle deep water. Two men struggled toward her, both saturated, one with a bleeding forehead.
“Hold’s full of water, Captain,” Orto said. “Don’t try to go down. I think we’re all out.” As the ship listed further to starboard Esta was flung against the bulkhead.
“I’ll check the cabins.” She continued along, opening door after door until she reached her own. She had to get the key and the map.
She opened her cabin door and Ice stepped through it into the passageway.
“This what you’re after, Captain?” he asked, tucking the objects she sought into his shirt.
“Thank you, Ice.” Esta reached for the precious items.
“I don’t think so,” he said, stepping to the side and grabbing her arm. He pushed her as the ship gave another lurch. Esta flew through the open door into her cabin and crashed into the chest beside her bed. A blinding pain seared her skull as the door slammed shut and her vision faded.
Sam prowled his gun deck like a caged lion. They were close to the action but not close enough. Just on dawn, the dark ship had made a bee-line for Sea Sprite and before he knew it, the two were engaged. The Lenweri had voted to leave them to it but Sam wasn’t having a bar of that.
“Faster, Nande,” he shouted. “More sail!”
The two ships had slowed as they engaged so it wasn’t difficult to catch up. They hadn’t even noticed the larger vessel looming to port.
Sam’s mind worked hard as he considered the best way to tackle the situation. Sea Sprite was sinking. He didn’t fancy getting caught up in the maelstrom when she went down. All the sails on the dark ship were damaged leaving her becalmed. He could sit back and wait for these two to sort it out but if Sea Sprite went down, would he lose the tools he needed to find the treasure? And what of Lady Moonlight?
“We’re going to board her,” Sam shouted.
“Which one?” Nande asked.
“Sea Sprite.” Yes, there was mutiny in those Lenweri eyes.
“She’s sinking.” No excitement or fear, just a flat admission of fact.
“She’s also the key to the treasure. I want you to board Sea Sprite and secure her.”
They weighed anchor, bow facing to the warring ships, leaving six Lenweri behind to guard the ship. Twenty-four elves and Sam piled into boats and rowed to the stricken vessel. She had listed so far to starboard the barnacles on her portside hull were visible.
“Board!” The rowboats were tethered to the ship with grappling hooks and most of the Lenweri were able to scamper up the side of the ship, bows and quivers slung over their shoulders.
Sam had to use the lines to haul himself up and by the time he reached the rail his arms burned with the effort. He took a moment to process the scene before him.
Men battled back and forth across the tilted deck, both the lady’s motley crew and opponents in black clothing. A man with pale blue eyes stood frozen near one of the hatches on the main deck, hands clutched to his chest. He appeared to struggle against an unseen force. Of Lady Moonlight there was no sign.
The Lenweri awaited his instruction.
“Black shirts are from Storm Chaser, the enemy ship,” Sam said. “Do your best to disarm all fighters then group and guard them.” The Lenweri moved forward subduing the winners of individual battles and pushing them into two groups according to ship of origin.
As Sam moved toward the frozen man, Sea Sprite creaked and settled further to starboard. It wouldn’t be long now. He stopped before the man and searched him, pulling a map and rod from inside the crewman’s shirt.
“Now then,” Sam said, tucking the objects inside his own tunic, “where is the lady of this ship. Tell me and I might spare your life.”
The man shook his head, teeth clamped in a grimace.
“He can’t speak,” said a feminine voice from behind.
Sam turned to find a dark-haired, masked woman with vibrant blue eyes. “Who are you?”
“You may call me Lady Star, pirate.”
Sam stifled a groan at finding yet another vexatious woman onboard. “Why can’t he speak?”
“I have him bound and gagged and thus he will stay. My sister is still below. Ice had her belongings so I assume he knows where she is.” She gave a flourish of her hand and the man’s head snapped up.
“Witch! I’ll see you hang for this!”
Sam’s hand was around the man’s throat in a second. He squeezed and the scum began to choke.
“Tell me where she is,” Sam said, releasing the pressure a little.
“Her cabin.” Ice coughed.
Sam bolted through the hatch and down the ladder, battling his way through shin deep water and pushing off from the bulkhead to keep himself upright. Sea Sprite shifted as water found its way into different compartments in the hold.
Finally he reached the captain’s cabin, placed his shoulder against the door and gave an almighty heave. Water rushed into the cabin with him as the ship’s stern settled into the water. It cascaded over Lady Moonlight’s prone figure.
Sam fell to his knees and crawled to her.
Is she dead?
Her pale face, blue lips and the nasty gash on her forehead seemed to indicate that fact. As the water flowed over her face she coughed, her eyelids fluttered and her throat convulsed. He pulled her against him, out of the water that was still pouring into the cabin.
“Sorry, lady.” Sam lifted her over his shoulder and stood, her backside nestled against his cheek. “Not the most elegant way to be carried but necessary.” He staggered from the cabin, pulling them through the door and up the sloping passageway by the door frames, before climbing the ladder to the hatch. He deposited Lady Moonlight into her sister’s arms.
“See to her,” he said, looking around the deck. The fighting was over and the men from Storm Chaser had gathered in the bow.
“Sea Sprite’s crew, listen up. This ship is about to sink. I can rescue you but you need to swear to obey my orders. Do you agree?” He glanced down at the sister who looked daggers at him. He hoped she didn’t choose this moment to demonstrate her magic.
A short discussion followed and then the first mate stepped forward. “We agree, Captain.”
Sam pulled Ice forward. “This man left your lady to die in her cabin. Take him and the crew of Storm Chaser in their ship to the nearest atoll and drop them there. You’ll need to take some of Sea Sprite’s sail. When you have completed the task, bring Storm Chaser to me.”
There was angry muttering from Storm Chaser’s crew.
“Sea Sprite men! Choose your best and strongest to help my Lenweri guard these men and sail the ship. You may take half the rowboats. The dead you will toss over the side.”
“Ay, ay, Captain.”
The men were soon sorted into their groups, under Nande’s watchful eye. Sam turned back to the remaining sailors. “Abandon ship for my vessel and make it snappy.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Wait a minute, pirate,” the lady’s sister said. “I’ll not let you take over.”
&n
bsp; Sam raised one brow. “Lady, this ship is sinking and your sister needs help. Let’s get her off this wreck and you can argue later. No doubt she will too.”
“No doubt,” she said.
They scrambled over the portside of the ship hot on the heels of those bound for Storm Chaser. Sam hoped the crew of Storm Chaser wouldn’t give trouble but he feared he’d given those guarding the group a difficult task.
Sam once again hauled Lady Moonlight up and over his shoulder. He went first, navigating the slippery portside of Sea Sprite, certain with each movement of the ship that he and the lady would tumble into the ocean. Somehow he managed to reach one of the row boats and slumped in the prow, the lady in his lap. He lay there, chest burning as he sucked in great gulping breaths, watching as the others followed, filling the rowboats beyond their safe capacity. If they all made it back to Silver Lady, how was he ever going to get Lady Moonlight on board? Stupid! He was an idiot to even have contemplated plucking the woman from a sinking ship!
“This is charitable of you, pirate,” Lady Star said. “I had no idea thieves had such good hearts.”
“Humph,” Sam said. “You and your sister are little better. What would you have me do? Sail on past?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I saw what you took from Ice. You’re after the treasure. That’s the only reason you stopped.”
Sam looked down at the woman in his lap. “One of the reasons.”
Lady Star laughed. “Do you mean you can’t resist a damsel in distress?”
“What if I can’t? You should be damned glad I came along.”
Esta strode through the fog, her skull aching fit to burst. Why was there no damned light? There was something she should remember but it wouldn’t come, lurked in the corner of her mind, just out of sight. Gradually, she became aware of a light in the distance and moved toward it, the ache in her skull increasing with the glare.
Sea Sprite! Her ship was in trouble and she couldn’t get to it.
She rocked and lay on something only a little soft. Voices argued around her. She opened her eyes and the strong mid-morning sun sent spikes of agony through her skull.
Esta moaned and closed her eyes, trying to sit up at the same time. A hand stopped her.
“Steady, sister, you’re in no condition to move yet. Besides, you’ll capsize this boat.”
Esta steeled herself for the pain and opened her eyes again. “Let me sit up,” she snapped. “The sun is killing me!”
Katrine helped her sit and Esta shaded her eyes. Her first sight was Sea Sprite sitting at an odd angle in the water and disappearing fast. “What are you doing? Lonso, for the sake of the Goddess, you should be below decks repairing the hole and pumping out the water.”
Lonso flinched and averted his eyes. “No hope for her, lady. It was her or us.”
“Ridiculous,” Esta snapped. “Truly, I am ashamed to be your captain in moments like this. That ship is irreplaceable!”
“Actually, Moonlight, you are no longer captain of this crew,” a familiar voice said.
Esta turned to find the Singing Pirate’s green gaze upon her.
“You! I hoped never to see you again,” she said, turning to glare at Katrine. “You are as bad as these men, Lady Star. I thought I could trust you and what happens when my back is turned?”
Katrine folded her arms across her breasts. “We had more on our mind than your stupid ship—like saving your life!”
“Go back,” Esta said, turning to the pirate. “I assume you’ve taken command of my crew?”
“You assume correctly and you’re being unfair if I may say so. Your ship is doomed. You have to know when you are defeated, lady.”
Esta looked back at Sea Sprite and physical pain crushed her chest making her forget her aching head. Becoming captain of the Sprite had been her proudest moment. She had been free on the ocean, happy like she had never been on land and now the Goddess had taken it from her. Esta would never be able to afford a replacement. Her shoulders slumped as she envisaged what the death of her ship would truly mean for them all. She lowered her head to her hands and cried.
Chapter 5
When Lady Moonlight crumbled, Sam didn’t know what to do. He looked to Lady Star and she pulled her sister into her arms.
“There, there, sister. This is a cruel blow but in time you will prevail and a new ship may be found for us to continue our trade. I’ll do whatever I can to help. Let us board the pirate ship and recover from our trauma.”
Lady Moonlight sniffed as she pulled out of her sister’s arms. “This man would take everything from us. He cannot be trusted.”
“Still,” the younger woman said, “we have few options at the moment.”
“Don’t forget I’m sitting right here,” Sam said, dismayed at the way the lady could anger him.
She turned to him, flinching at the movement. “I know where you are, pirate, and I’m not ashamed for you to know exactly what I think of you!”
“I saved your life, you ungrateful woman!”
“Oh, and for that I am supposed to thank you, even though you let my ship die?”
“You infuriating, miserable excuse for humanity,” Sam said, incredulous that this woman could not spare a small shred of gratitude for the risk he had taken. His shoulders and arms still ached from the effort of carrying her.
Lady Star chuckled and Sam stared at her. “What’s so funny?”
“Yes,” Lady Moonlight said. “I would like to know that too, sister.”
“Listen to yourselves.” Lady Star looked from one to the other. “Does it not strike you as somewhat ridiculous that you are bickering like this when we have all just escaped death?”
Sam frowned at Lady Star. “Not in the least.” He turned to her sister. “Does it seem ridiculous to you, Moonlight?”
“No! I don’t appreciate you finding anything amusing in this, sister.”
At that, Sea Sprite gave a groan and slipped slowly below the water. Lady Moonlight lurched toward the edge of the boat as if to dive over and save her precious vessel. Sam gripped her shoulder, hoping to prevent her headlong dive over the side and also give her support. He regretted the loss. It was never easy to see a ship destroyed. He didn’t know how he would deal with the sinking of his own vessel. Except for the men rowing, they all sat watching the water swirl over the ship until all that was left was debris bobbing on the surface.
The rest of the trip passed in silence, the lady refusing to take her eyes from the place where Sea Sprite had disappeared. He was ill equipped for dealing with distraught women and the sister didn’t seem to be able to break through Moonlight’s melancholy either. When he had embarked on this mission he had never dreamed that catastrophe would force upon him the unwanted mantle of rescuer. But it had and now he had no earthly idea what he was supposed to do with the prickly woman and her motley crew.
They reached Sam’s ship, and Lady Moonlight insisted on climbing to the deck without aid. He stayed below her to ensure she had help if she slipped and was rewarded with the sight of her shapely behind in black tights. Perhaps the aggravation would be worth it after all?
When Sam had taken care of the new sailors and seen that their wounds were being attended to, he looked for Lady Moonlight. He found her in the bow, sitting with her legs over the side, still gazing at the place where Sea Sprite had sunk.
Sam cleared his throat. “You should have that injury tended to, Moonlight. It could be serious.”
She touched the wound below her hairline and flinched. “Needs stitches,” she said. “My sister can do it when she is free.”
“At least let me clean it for you and mix you a potion for the headache,” Sam said, holding out the medicines he had brought over.
She glared at him. “What do you want, pirate? Half of everything I own is at the bottom of the ocean. What would you have of me?”
Sam pulled the map and metal rod from his shirt and her eyes widened. “I already have all I need. So you see, I could have let you
drown with your ship.”
“You have it!” She looked down at the water below as if trying to reason out her next move. Then she looked back at Sam. “What will you do with us?”
Sam smiled. “I have treasure to find, lady. I intend to do just that. You will stay with me as my guest until I am successful and then I’ll take you and your crew back to your home. Simple as that.”
“That’s my treasure!”
“I have the map and the rod which would seem to be some sort of key. You on the other hand have nothing, as you have so recently said. If you ask me, you should be glad to be alive.”
Her fists bunched and her rich brown eyes turned flinty. “I found those and I started this mission. I need that treasure, now more than ever. It might be enough to buy another ship or even mean I never had to smuggle again. I could just—”
Sam was intrigued. He was sure Moonlight had been about to say more than she should. He longed to know where she came from, expose the secrets that were so clearly a part of her world.
“I have my own crew and family to concern myself with,” Sam said. “You should know all is fair among thieves, Moonlight, and thief you most certainly are, even though you hold yourself superior to me.”
“I would never have done what you did. How did you find out about the treasure?”
“Same way the Storm Chaser did I guess. Word on the street. Your man Ice was involved, I think.”
Lady Moonlight drew in a sharp breath. “He is new!”
“Was, lady. He’ll be lucky to survive the day. I’ve dropped him and the remaining crew of Storm Chaser on an atoll. They’ll be at each other’s throats. It will be survival of the fittest.”
The lady’s eyes widened. “That’s monstrous. No matter what they’ve done, you can’t take the law into your own hands like this.”
Sam drew himself up. “I can and I did. The law of the high seas is as I see fit. Those men attacked your ship. I doled out justice. Monstrous would have been to make them all walk the plank and take their chances with the sharks. How many would have survived then?”
The Lady and the Pirate Page 3
