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“Please!”

These aren’t the undead. They’re the remaining Drifta.

There are children and livestock among them. Women and men of all ages.

“What are they saying?” Dimella asks.

“They’re asking for help. They want to go with us.”

“Pfft,” Enwen says. “That’s rich. They try to kill us. Try to kill our captain three times over. Now they think they’re in a position to ask for anything. Show us yer gold!” Enwen shouts the last sentence. “Then we’ll be more likely to open our ears.”

Obviously they can’t understand him, but it doesn’t stop him from yelling at them.

“Stop the boat,” I order.

“What?” a handful of people ask simultaneously.

Dimella does no more than raise a brow.

“They didn’t ask for any of this. It isn’t their fault. Those are civilians. Not warriors out there. Lower the rowboats and bring them ashore.”

“Can we even fit so many?” Captain Warran asks.

“We’ll make room.”

“And how do you intend to feed them?”

“The sea will provide.”

“But—”

“Lads, to the rowboats! Bring the Drifta aboard!” Dimella shouts, cutting off the captain’s further protests. When no one moves right away, Dimella says, “Pull your weight or we’ll make you weightless in the depths of the sea!”

That does the trick.

Kearan is already by the railing, working on lowering the lifeboats. Enwen, Nydus, and Taydyn quickly join him. It’s not long at all before the boats are in the water and sailing for the shore.

I watch as the lads row closer and closer. I brace myself for some sort of trickery, but just as I suspected, there is none. The natives board gratefully, and the lads row them back, handing families onto the ship before rowing out for one more load of people.

Dynkinar is among those aboard. She is with her little translator. I hear her say, “Ask for who’s in charge here.”

“That would be me,” I say, sidling up to the pair.

The speaker looks me up and down. Since I understood her just fine, she doesn’t have to guess my identity. “You didn’t die.”

“No thanks to your people.”

“And yet you still let us board.”

“I would have aided you from the beginning, had you not tried to kill me.”

“You are the only thing stopping him from becoming truly invincible.”

“Or maybe I’m the only way to truly stopping him. Kearan told you of our queen. He wasn’t lying.”

Dynkinar holds herself up as tall as she can manage. She is silent for a moment. “I’ve misjudged your people, Captain Veshtas.”

“You were only looking out for your own, just as I would have done. Let us start fresh.”