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“Dammit, Nydus, stop hitting them!” one of the women says. “You’ve as much brains as they do.”

“I suppose you’d rather I wait until they force us off a cliff, then?”

“Quiet,” another man says.

“Have you a plan,Captain?” The woman says his title like it’s an insult.

“No, Shura. I just don’t want to hear your bickering any longer.”

When I finally make my presence known, the undead halt their march, and the Islanders within the circle of arms stop, too.

No one says anything for a full minute. Then, “Who the hell are you?” This comes from Nydus, the man who’s supposedly all brawn and no brains.

“Quiet,” Shura snaps. “You know the natives can’t understand us!” She’s a tall woman, probably nearing six feet, and her figure has all the support to bear such an impressive height. Her cheeks have a rosy tint to them, which contrasts beautifully with her onyx-colored skin.

She is not the only woman among them. There are six in total, and I pray each of them is one of the women Alosa sent me to find. I’d hate for any of them to have been lost because I took too long to reach this cursed place. Since theWandererwas a large ship, I can tell they’ve already lost two-thirds of their crew as it is.

“My name is Captain Sorinda Veshtas. I was sent by Queen Alosa Kalligan to find what became of the crew of theWandererand bring any survivors home.”

One man steps in front of the others, coming as close as he can to me before reaching the wall of undead bodies. He’s older than the others, perhaps in his forties. A stern chin sits beneath chapped lips. “I am Toras Warran, captain of theWanderer. Neither I nor my crew have any need of being saved by pirate filth.” He spits on the ground before stepping back toward the rest of the survivors.

The rest of the crew exchange looks between themselves.

“Speak for yourself!” Nydus says. He’s about the same height and build as Shura, and he rubs his hands together before blowing warmth into them. “I would very much like to be saved, and I’ll kiss the pirate queen’s boots if that’s what it takes. I’ve had it with this stars-forsaken place.”

Another man asks, “Why should the pirate queen take an interest in the crew of one of the land king’s ships?”

I meet the eyes of Shura, and she winks at me.

“Do not trust any offer made by pirates,” Captain Warran says. “If they offer food with one hand, the other is sure to hold something sharp. Obviously the Kalligan girl means for us to serve her or die. That is always the way things go.”

I manage to withhold an eye roll. “I’m to drop you off at the Seventeen Isles. What you choose to do after that is up to you. The only thing I expect in return is more sea hands for the return trip.”

“Sounds pretty good to me,” Nydus says. “I’m an excellent sea hand.”

“Count me in,” Shura says. The rest of the girls nod or voice their assent.

In fact, the only personnotin agreement appears to be the captain himself. The rest of the crew is perfectly happy to be saved, by pirates or not. He stands behind the others, arms crossed and face turned away.

“This is the best crew His Royal Majesty could bequeath me with? Defiant arselings is what you all are. You think you know best, gallivanting off with pirates?” He zeroes in on me with his hateful gaze. “Do you have an army behind you in those woods somewhere?”

“No, my crew lies to the south. We will rendezvous with them.”

Warran looks victorious. “Then how, pray tell, are you supposed to free us from these cursed individuals?”

Threydan said it was a present, but I can’t believe he wouldn’t want to be here to witness this. To see my gratitude—not that I would give him the satisfaction. But I note with horror that every single pair of blue eyes is pointed right at me.

Heiswatchingmyreaction.

I say, “Release them.”

At first, I think nothing will happen and I will look the fool. Then the undead drop their arms and cross into the woods without a sound, leaving only me and the crew of theWandererbehind.

“Neat trick!” Nydus says.

“You fool,” Warran says. “She’s obviously controlling them! This is no pirate, but some scheming enchantress sent to put us under the same spell that lot is clearly under.”

“Warran, for just once will you shut the hell up?” Shura says.