Page 39 of Queen of Whispers and Mist

Buttercup flew ahead, likely scouting so Jagger’s steps would be sure as they made their way up the stairs. With each one, the panicked cries of the crew only grew louder and more frequent. It didn’t take more than a single glance to see why.

A gasp was ripped from her as she tried to make sense of the chaos on deck. Two thick black snakes... no, not snakes. Though they slithered and moved with the overly articulated grace of a serpent, they were the size of fallen oak trees.

Then the rest of the creature rose from beneath the sea, cresting up over the side of the ship, and her brain emptied of all coherent thought. Suddenly her daggers were feeling woefully inadequate.

Shadow didn’t have the word for the monster before her... but Jagger did.

“Lusca.”

“Wait, that was real?”

He didn’t acknowledge the question. Why bother when the answer was literally in front of her?

Faster than should have been possible given its size, one of the massive tentacles lifted and slammed down on the deck, causing theRevengeto groan under the impact. Wood splintered and cracked, the ship shaking as crew members were flung off the sides. Now the shudders and jerks that sent her toppling made a lot more sense.

“Man the cannons!” Calypso shouted, her voice steady amidst the fray. Shadow could just make out the fierce cast of her face. She didn’t look scared; she looked pissed. There was something comforting about the captain’s lack of fear, and Shadow immediately began breathing easier.

“Aye, captain,” Bronn and several others called back once they were in place.

“Fire at will!”

Shadow scanned the line of cannons, searching for someone that might need her assistance. She was no expert, but she could follow orders. When her eyes landed on a familiar redhead loading the cannon closest to the creature’s amorphous head, her heart tripped over itself. Her sudden terror was so potent and all-consuming, she could hardly draw breath around it. Especially when two more tentacles drew up from the water. One by him, the other right beside her.

“Ronan, look out!” she yelled, trying to alert him to the danger. But her cry had the opposite effect. Instead of spotting the glistening black arm lined with horrific maroon suckers, he turned to her.

All the color drained from his face.

“Behind you!” she screamed, but he was frantically pointing behindher.

“Get down!” he shouted back.

But there was nowhere for her to run. As one, both tentacles snapped forward, reminding her of a striking serpent as they went for their targets.

One curled around Ronan’s waist, tugging him up and back straight off the ship right as the first of the cannons fired.

“No!”

Her heart lodged in her throat as she watched the cannonballs sail through the air, narrowly missing Ronan and the tentacle as it whipped past.

She was so focused on him that she wasn’t paying any attention to the very real danger heading for her.

“Fucking move!” Jagger snapped, his voice holding more power than she’d heard from him as he bowled into her, knocking her to the sea-sprayed boards.

Buttercup let out an ear-piercing shriek as the tentacle meant for her collected their master instead.

What transpired next happened so quickly, Shadow wouldn’t have believed it possible if she hadn’t witnessed it with her own eyes. The tentacle holding Jagger curled back, preparing to reel him into the watery depths. As it arced up, Buttercup flew straight for it, their tiny body transforming in a kaleidoscope of sparks. The sparks twisted and spun, creating a massive fireball in the sky. The ball of light and flame collapsed on itself before rapidly expanding back out.

In the wake of the explosion, a huge firebird remained.

But that wasn’t Buttercup’s only trick. The cocoon of flame that allowed their metamorphosis wasn’t just a pretty light show. It was a weapon in its own right. Everywhere the sparks landed caught fire. The ship, its sail, the deck, and... the monster.

The enormous beast let out a bellow that made the ship quake, sending mighty waves hurling up and crashing onto the deck. The benefit of that was that the waves put out the flames. The downside was even more men were pulled into the unforgiving sea.

Opening their beak, Buttercup spewed out a jet of molten flame aimed directly at the tentacle still holding their master captive. The flame seared the flailing limb, cleaving it in two, triggering another wail from the Lusca and sending both halves down to the sea.

The phoenix swooped, wings spread wide and ready to catch the man they’d fought so beautifully to protect.

Shadow pushed to shaky feet, relieved that saving her hadn’t spelled death for the boson. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Ronan.

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