Page 43 of Lightningborn

“That’s what I thought,” Cutlass groaned. “Mr. Tuhga,” she snapped, turning to the first mate. “Prepare the ship for the storm. I want everyone attached to safety lines in five minutes. Jack, get those sails furled.”

“Aye, Captain!”

“Take the boy with you. He can help with the sails.” The captain turned to Remy. “Boy, are you afraid of heights?”

Remy shook his head, and the captain nodded. “Go with Jack, then. He’ll show you what you have to do. Jack, get a safety line on the kid before you take him up there.”

“Aye!” Jack swatted Remy on the shoulder. “Come on, lad. You’re with me. Safety line first, then up the sails we go. Can’t have ’em open during the storm; the wind’ll rip ’em to pieces.”

“Miss Featherbottom.” The captain turned to Gem as Jack and Remy scuttled off. “I suggest you go belowdecks for this,” she said. “Things are going to get very rough once we hit that storm.”

“I want to help,” Gem said as a flicker of lightning arced over the approaching clouds. “What can I do?”

“Unless you can part the clouds or direct the lightning not to hit the ship or any of the crew, I’m afraid there’s not a lot you can help with,” the captain said. “Don’t worry, though. TheQueen’s Bladehas been through a couple spell storms. They’re nasty, but if we keep a cool head, we’ll have a chance of coming through without too much damage. We don’t have all those lightning rods on the mast and hull for nothing.”

Almost as if on cue, purple lightning flashed from the clouds overhead, striking the top of the mast. Or rather, the thin copper rod affixed to the very top. Sparks exploded from the rod, lighting up the sky for a moment, and Cutlass gave a grim smile.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist you go downstairs, Miss Featherbottom,” the captain said in a tone that brooked no argument. “I am not about to have the king’s daughter flying off into the storm because she ignored safety protocols. Please, get belowdecks. I will tell you when it is safe to come out.”

Gem set her jaw. On deck, Remy stood near the mainmast, tying a long coil of rope around his waist with Jack. That was the difference between thieves and princesses, she guessed. The commoner was put to work, while the princess was told to get to safety. But this was Cutlass’s ship, and Gem had agreed to follow the rules. “Fine,” she said, taking a step back. “As you wish, Captain. I’ll be down in the hold with Cloud if anyone…”

A strange noise rose into the air over the howl of the wind. A low-pitched, almost musical hum. It was faint at first, then grew louder and louder, until Gem could feel it vibrating in her ears. As it grew, she thought she could hear words within the music, though she couldn’t make out anything clearly.

But around her, the crew of theQueen’s Bladewere acting strange. A few moments before, they were scrambling over the deck: tying down lies, securing sails, battening down the hatches, and preparing for the storm. Now they stood motionless, faces turned to the wind, seemingly transfixed by the music.

The captain let out a vehement curse. “Sky sirens!” she snarled. Whirling on the first mate, she struck him across the cheek, hard enough that Gem heard the hollow slap through the fabric of the captain’s gloves. “Mr. Tuhga, snap out of it!” she ordered as the first mate jerked up, the haze clearing from his eyes. “Shove some cotton in your ears and steer this ship! I will not have us drifting into the Maelstrom because of some lice-ridden harpies!”

A flutter overhead made Gem look up. Shapes were descending from the sky, half a dozen of them silhouetted against the roiling clouds. Lightning flickered, illuminating the terrible creatures that were half woman, half bird. Their torsos and heads were human, their faces those of leering crones with sharp, pointed teeth. But their arms were sweeping, feathery wings, and their bottom halves were scaly bird feet and talons. They dropped from the air, still singing that eerie, wailing song, and landed on the shoulders of several crew members. None of the pirates reacted, still in that strange trance. For just a moment, Gem wondered why she and Cutlass weren’t affected. Theywerethe only women aboard theQueen’s Blade.Maybe, like in the ancient legends of old, the siren songs only affected males.

“Oh, I don’t think so!” Cutlass reached down and drew her sword, the curved blade gleaming as she pulled it free. “You want to help, Princess?” she snapped, leaping off the helm onto the deck. “Stop those hags from flying off with the crew!”

She raced toward a bird woman as it started rising into the air, a crew member clutched in its talons. Her sword flashed, and the monster gave an alarmed shriek, dropping the pirate to the deck.

Gem looked down and saw Remy being lifted into the air by one of the sirens. With a gasp, she sprinted toward them, hoping she would get to him in time. The bird woman swiftly pulled him out of reach, but the end of the safety line Remy had tied around himself trailed across the deck.

Gem grabbed the rope and pulled. The siren screeched, flapping its wings harder, and for a few seconds, Gem found herself in the middle of a deadly tug-of-war, trying to keep the siren from flying off with Remy. Planting her feet, Gem leaned back and yanked as hard as she could.

With a hiss, the siren let go. Gem fell backward, hitting her elbows against the hard wooden planks as the resistance was suddenly gone. Remy dropped to the deck with a thump, and Gem heard the breath leave his lungs in a rush.

The siren, or harpy, or whatever it was, landed in front of Gem with an angry, piercing shriek, flaring its wings as it glared at her. Its beady eyes glittered with malice as it opened its mouth, baring sharp yellow teeth, and took a step forward.

A streak of lightning split the skies overhead, turning everything purple-white. Gem felt the energy of the storm all around her, swirling and chaotic.

You don’t need a college education to use magic, Lysander had sneered.The college teaches structure and control, but magic is wild, untamed, unpredictable. Anyone with the talent can use it.

The siren hissed again, her clawed foot snagging Gem’s leg as she stepped close. With a yell, Gem threw out her hand, willing the energy of the storm to become a bolt of lightning that would fry the enemy in front of her.

Nothing happened. Gem felt a flicker of power at her fingertips, but no lightning came streaking from her hands at her call. The harpy flinched back at the sudden motion, but when nothing happened, it smiled evilly and stepped forward again, teeth bared and wings spread to attack.

A blast of fire shot between them, searingly bright, and the harpy screeched. Gem turned, gasping, as Cloud bounded onto the deck and charged the bird woman with a roar. The siren, seeing an actual dragon coming toward her, immediately took off, flapping frantically into the air. Cloud lunged to Gem’s side, growling, wings spread as he glared around for enemies.

“Cloud.” Gem hugged the dragon’s neck. “Good boy,” she panted. “Now help the others.”

The dragon bugled a challenge and leaped forward. His fire breath streaked into the air, and the sirens gave shrieks of alarm as the dragon rampaged around the deck. The eerie song ceased, replaced with squawks and ugly hisses. Crew members who had been dropped shook themselves and gazed around, dazed and confused.

“Excellent!” The captain’s voice rang over the deck as she smacked away a talon with her sword and kicked the thing in the chest with her boot. It screeched in pain and tumbled backward, and the captain stalked after it. “Whatever you’re telling your dragon to do, Miss Featherbottom, keep it up. Drive these interlopers off my ship!”

With guttural, raucous cries, the flock scattered. Apparently, the arrival of an elite predator was enough for them. Wings flapping, they retreated into the air, becoming black specks against the roiling sky, and vanished into the clouds.

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