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As a healer and pirate, Mandsy deals help and death efficiently.Mercyis the perfect word for her.

“Niridia,” Alosa continued, “you are my justice.”

Niridia is more fair and levelheaded than anyone else I know. I thought Alosa’s words an apt description. Then she turned her gaze on me.

“And you, Sorinda. You are my vengeance.”

A hush fell over our group.

“Never forget this,” Alosa said. “Never forget how precious you three are to me.”

As I stare at the side of the brigantine while climbing the rope ladder, I realize that Alosa took my suggestion for ship name to heart. In bold black letters, someone has paintedVengeanceon the side of my ship. I suppose I’m stuck with it now, not that it’s a bad name.

I set one foot on the deck, take a look around at all the unfamiliar faces loading food, supplies, and personal effects, and feel a jolt of uneasiness.

I know how to sail. I know the jobs of every sailor on a ship. I know what needs to happen for things to run smoothly and efficiently. I’ve just never been the one in charge before. Alosa said I’d earned it, but it wasn’t exactly something I ever wanted: captaining my own ship. Yet I’ve accepted this responsibility, and I intend to see it through to the very end.

Then I will resume duties as assassin and never captain a crew again.

In the meantime …

I start for the girl barking out orders to the pirates shuffling about.

“Get those barrels stored below quickly. In the back of the hold, please. We won’t need them right away. And, you there! You’re not on vacation. You can have one trunk of personal effects and one alone.”

“Dimella?” I ask when I reach her.

“You must be Captain Sorinda. Nice to meet you.”

She’s a tiny thing at barely five feet, but her voice is so loud, you’d think she was twice that height. With strawberry-blond curls pulled into a band at the nape of her neck and deep brown eyes, she looks positively youthful.

“Before you can ask, I’m twenty-one years old. I can assure you I’m more than capable of serving as your second on this voyage, Captain.”

“I wasn’t going to ask.”

“That’d be a first for me. Everyone takes one look at me and assumes I’m sixteen. Not my fault my da was a wee man. Oi, you there!”

She points to a man wearing an enormous hat. I have to do a double take once I recognize him.

“Enwen?” I ask.

“Miss Sorinda!” he says excitedly. “Wait, that’s not right anymore. Captain! I was excited to hear you were in charge of this voyage!”

Warily, I ask, “Why?”

“Because Kearan is also aboard. Didn’t you know?”

I don’t know what he means by that, but I’m already certain I don’t like it.

“What’s with the hat?” Dimella asks him.

Yes, indeed. Enwen wears the biggest sailor’s hat I’ve ever seen. You could catch gallons of rainwater with it, and the plume looks as though it came from something much larger than an ostrich.

“It’s my newest good-luck charm,” Enwen exclaims. “When people are distracted by this hat, they’re not watching my hands.” He wiggles his fingers.

“There’ll be no thieving on my vessel,” I warn him.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Captain! This is for if we happen to stop anywhere along the way. I never know when I might need my lucky hat.”