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“Okay,” she says, fearfully. “But I’m coming right back here with you.”

“I know I can’t stop you, you stubborn little shark,” I say, pulling her in for a hard kiss before letting her go again. “Hurry!”

She runs off and I turn my attention to the deck, making it as clean and clear as possible, hauling ropes to the side and helping the bosun in storing the sails.

Cruz pulls out his violin and strikes up a tune to get everyone’s hearts going and their nerves ready, then Drakos runs around giving shots of rum. I know I need to give my usual inspiring speech but right now I’m buzzing with so much nervous energy that it’s making me sick.

Somehow though I manage to compose myself enough to give them a short one: “We’re all together in this, lads. We are the Brethren and we do not back down from a fight. We’re doing this for all the pirates around the world, for the sinners and the outliers and everyone else who has to take to the sea to find their home. And this man will not take our home! Nay, we will take his and his life!”

The crew responds raucously, a battle cry that rings out through the ship, and I notice Maren coming up the stairs, a cutlass in her hand. God, I hope that she knows how to use that thing enough to defend herself. At the very least I hope she has the good sense to throw it to the side and use her teeth and claws instead. Yes, the crew would see she’s a monster of some kind but in a life-or-death situation it may be her only way out.

“Gunners, prepare to fire on my mark,” Thane yells, taking the route of shooting first. Our rounds do have a little extra magic to them that help them hit harder and shoot farther, something that the naval ship lacks, so being proactive is the best line of attack when they have more artillery.

“Fire!” Thane yells and the gunners below set off the canons which go off with a bang, shaking the ship. They smash clear into the side of thePembroke, the kind that will send oak and shrapnel into their crew.

“Fine shots lads!” I yell. “Once more! Then switch to chain-shots to the mast! Lothar, Matisse, clear their deck!”

The cannons fire again from below, more clean shots, while Lothar and Matisse raise their flintlock muskets and fire at the deck, their sharpshooting skills honed as buccaneers able to shoot dead the helmsman and another crew member before needing to reload.

I’m trying to see if Smith is anywhere to be seen on the top deck but I don’t spot him and then they’re firing from the cannons at their portholes.

The shots come all at once, at least twenty of them slamming into the broadside of theNightwind, shaking the ship violently. Maren falls to the ground but I reach out and grab her in time just as their own chain-shots attempt to destroy the rigging. They manage to hit the foremast, taking off the top, and the sail starts to fall toward the deck, prompting me to haul Maren out of the way.

“Perhaps now you should go below,” I tell her as the sails slam into the deck behind us, narrowly missing some of the crew.

“Perhaps I’ll just stay out of your way,” she says, moving back toward a barrel, brandishing the cutlass in her hand.

I curse at the fallen mast. Lothar will make quick work of it as the ship’s carpenter, but for now he’s busy reloading the musket and picking off more of the navy.

We fire more shots and the navy ship responds in kind, some going right into theNightwind’shull, making more work for Lothar. I hear a cry from below and know that either Remi or Horse has been hit and that hopefully they’ll be okay. Sterling was our main gunner but at the moment he’s tied up in chains. I spend a moment wondering if he’s worth freeing but decide against it. In his state, he’d probably sabotage our ship and side with the Royal Navy.

“Sam!” I yell for her. “Go to the gun deck, we may need reinforcements.”

She nods and runs just as a bullet goes flying toward her, striking her in the shoulder.

“Ahhh!” she yelps, holding onto her shoulder and grimacing in pain but then she keeps running, not letting the bullet stop her. The woman is made of iron.

But while she can survive any bullet, Maren cannot. I glance at her to check that she’s behind the barrel still but now she’s brandishing the pistol I had given her a week ago and trying to aim it at the navy ship. I want to tell her to save the bullet for close combat but she fires it and manages to hit one of the navy crew in the neck.

She turns and grins at me, delighted at her shot, and my chest grows tight with want for her.

“That a girl,” I tell her, even though she can’t hear me over the din.

BONES.

Suddenly I’m doubling over, my hands over my ears as I hear Nerissa yelling from inside my head.

BONES HE HAS THEM.

“Are you okay?” Maren cries out as she runs over to me, her hand on my back just as another roundshot fires through the deck below, making theNightwindshudder like beast, and a bullet whizzes over my head, striking a barrel of tar behind me.

“Nerissa,” I manage to say, keeping low as I look around through the carnage, the air filling with smoke. “Where is she?”

“She’s still in your cage, of course,” she says, sounding confused. “I put Henry and Lucas and Sedge in your quarters like you said, told them to block the door with something heavy after I left.” She searches my face fearfully. “Why? Is she going to hurt them?”

“It’s not Nerissa I’m worried about,” I say, gently pushing her aside and running across the deck for the stairs just as another explosion rocks the boat and I have to dive to the planks, the wood splintering beneath my impact.

I lift my head, ears ringing fiercely, and look back to make sure Maren is okay. She’s getting to her feet and limping over to me, waving at me with her hands to get going. The rest of the crew seem fine, though Matisse is holding his own hand from a bullet wound to the palm and Cruz is on his back groaning from the latest cannon round.