Page 11 of Princess of Death

I couldn’t see my knuckles through my gloves, but I knew they would be bone-white from the way I gripped the wooden railing, listening to the waves splash against the hull as the galleons sailed closer.

Davin came to my side, his forearms resting over the edge. “We’re just one ship out to sea. Probably not worth their time to stop if they see us.”

I fucking hoped so. “You’re probably right.”

“It looks like they have bigger plans anyway.”

The world was a big place, and even with my extensive travels over the last six months, I’d barely seen a fraction of it. So I had no idea who these men were or what their agenda could be. But with a fleet of ships like that, the salt air held a hint of war. “I’m sure they do.”

Davin’s eyes shifted to the side of my face. “Are you alright, Captain?”

I kept my eyes on the horizon. “Just eager to get home.”

“It looked like you were talking to yourself before we set sail.”

I definitely hadn’t been talking to myself.

“And you looked pale…like you’d seen a ghost.”

I’d seen something worse than a ghost. “We lost half our crew. Still shaken up.”

“That wasn’t your fault.”

“Never said it was.”

“That fault lies with Captain Hartshire. And now his soul is buried in a watery grave.”

It had been his decision that had caused all this grief, but I wouldn’t say he deserved what had happened to him. “We all make mistakes.”

“I’ve never seen you make a mistake, Captain.”

If only he knew.

My eyes stayed on the horizon and watched the ships come closer. In the light of their torches, I could see some of the details of their elaborate ships, the gold-plated sides, the frescoes they’d mounted on the sides of their ships. “I’ve never seen ships like that.”

Davin turned his attention to the fleet. “Nor have I.”

It seemed like they were going to pass without incident, continue on their way to war or home for a respite. But then the galleon in the lead began to turn—and head right this way. A burst of adrenaline dropped into my stomach, and the first thing I did was push my mind out to feel another’s, to feel any dragon in my vicinity, because I knew this was bad.

But there was no one.

“Drop the sails!” I ran down the steps and worked the ropes of the first mast. “We’ve been spotted.”

Everyone sprinted to help, to get the sails down and get the ship moving.

“Dump all supplies,” I ordered. “Their ships are heavy with plated gold. We can outsail them if we turn into the wind.” That meant we’d have to go the opposite way we wanted, but it was better to delay our return and stay alive than become prisoners of war.

The crew turned the masts, and the sound of the wind catching the sails filled my ears. I turned the ship to the left and felt her drag across the water before she started to glide, the hull slicing through the water like a sharp knife through soft cheese. My hand gripped the spoke as I looked over my shoulder, seeing the entire fleet pursuing us. “Shit.” I turned to the crew on the deck. “Prepare the cannons. Fire on my command.” With half the crew dead, I’d have to line up the shot without extra men to shift the sails to catch the wind as it changed directions. That meant the ship could stall in the sea if I weren’t careful.

A victory would be impossible. But an escape might be within our reach.

I guided the ship through the water and turned slightly so the crew could aim their shots. “Fire!”

I felt the ship immediately rock with the explosions from starboard. Several cannons fired at once, and another round followed immediately afterward. I pulled on the handles of the wheel to correct our direction and didn’t see if we hit our mark.

But the men cheered, so I knew something had struck.

I glanced to the left when I saw a shadow, a glimpse of midnight blue and a black cape, but then I blinked and it was gone.

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