Page 125 of Vengeance of the Pirate Queen

When my eyes reopen, I know they are brown once more by the way all the occupants on the ship suddenly relax their postures.

I say with a slight chatter, “What do the lot of you think? Is it not time we put this place behind us for good?”

Then the cheering starts.

Drifta and Islanders embrace. Dimella whistles in a way that splits the ears. Philoria and Visylla jump into the air with arms clasped around each other. Roslyn slides down from the crow’s nest and clamps herself around me, uncaring that I’m covered in blood.

Kearan meets my eyes over all the celebrating people, but his widen before they roam frantically over the crowd.

“Wait!” he shouts. “Where’s Enwen? Has anyone seen Enwen?”

All sounds stop, and no one answers his question.

“Enwen!” Kearan bellows. He weaves through the dead bodies, rolling them over and checking their faces. When it becomes impossible to tell how many he’s sorted through, he starts tossing over the dead and previously undead. The rest of the crew doesn’t need my order to help. The lads help carry all the bodies overboard. Some of the girls go below to search. The injured are brought to me, and I heal them all in quick succession. Dimella begins roll call and takes down the names of the Drifta who have joined us.

When done, I aid in the search, finding Kearan near a pile of bodies at the front of the ship. One at a time, he rolls them off the heap with the strength of a bear.

Enwen’s still form lies beneath them all.

The panaceum can do many things, but it cannot bring people back from the dead.

Kearan falls to his knees beside the body. His face is distraught. He gathers Enwen up in his arms and—

Drops him.

“You bloody bastard!” Kearan says. “I could feel you breathing, you half-wit.”

Enwen cracks one eye open as he rubs the back of his head. “Maybe I lost consciousness.”

“You were faking dead!”

“I wouldn’t have to if you just told me how much you cared!”

Kearan looks ready to punch him. He stands, turns around, and meets my eyes. I cross my arms and look pointedly between the two of them. It takes a while, but eventually he gathers control of his temper. He reaches out a hand to Enwen and helps him to his feet. I observe as he draws Enwen close, whispers something in his ear, then releases him.

The crew goes back to cheering, and it’s as though nothing happened at all.

Enwen steps back from Kearan with the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. “Don’t worry,” he says. “Your secret is safe with me. Now, go on.” He pushes Kearan in my direction, not that Enwen could make him move if he didn’t want to.

All the screaming and laughter of the crew fades to the background as that big, brutish man approaches me. He enfolds me in his arms, covering my poorly clothed limbs with his warmth.

“You’re freezing,” he says.

“I know. Isn’t it exciting?”

He smiles.

“What did you say to Enwen?”

He rolls his eyes. “I told him he was my best friend.”

“Was it really so hard to say?”

“I’ll never hear the end of it now.”

“Nor would you want to.”

“Suppose not.”

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