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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

AMARI

P ANELS FLY AS THE mighty Skull breaks through the doorframe. He charges at me like a ryder on the hunt. Blood drips from his hand. Runes flicker on his glowing axe.

“Amari, run!” Inan demands, but I ignore what he says. I glance back at my brother, homing in on the shackles that bind his wrists.

If I can find a way to draw his swing…

The blade I wanted is right before my eyes. I have to take the chance. I won’t leave Inan to die.

The Skull swings his glowing axe, and I drop to the floor. My skin stings as it hits the ice-cold water. The blade passes over my head, cutting straight through the metal of one of the hanging cages.

The hold rings with the violent clash. The bottom half of the cage falls to the hold’s floor. As water splashes around me, I struggle to rise. The water chills me to the bone. My teeth chatter as I finally manage to throw myself against the wall of the hold.

But the rising waters do nothing to slow the massive Skull. The air reverberates around us as he raises his axe once more.

Skies!

I throw myself to the side just as the Skull swings. He attacks with no regard. Instead of cutting through me, his blade blows through the wooden wall.

Shards whip through the air. More water spills into the hold. The collapsed wall reveals a room full of barrels with thick black liquid. Blast oil leaks into the water as the barrels start to float.

“Amari, go!” Inan points to the open pathway.

“I’m not leaving you behind!”

I fight through the sloshing water, dragging myself to my brother’s cage. Behind me, the Skull closes in. His boots splash through the water at my back. But I need him to get close.

This is the moment to draw his attack.

“Hold out your shackles!” I shout to my brother.

Inan stretches as far as the chains will allow. The Skull’s blade will have to be precise. With the right blow, Inan and I can fight.

“Hurry!” Inan’s amber eyes grow wide. I feel the heat of the Skull’s glowing axe. I reach Inan’s chained hands and turn as the Skull’s blade barrels down.

“Now!” Inan orders. I dive to the side. The Skull’s axe strikes through Inan’s chains. His glowing axe cuts my brother free.

Inan leaps from his cage, driving his elbow into the Skull’s temple. His attack catches the Skull off guard. But before he can strike again, a giant wave rams into the ship’s side.

With a violent lurch, the entire floor tilts. Our feet fly out from under us. The Skull crashes into the wall, and his axe drops to the floor. The Skull’s frame begins to shrink as seawater slides over his axe’s tarnished brass.

I lunge for the hilt, but the glowing metal burns my hands. Tendrils of smoke rise from my palms.

It’s as if the weapon is bonded to its owner.

“Don’t touch it!” Inan tries to warn me. He goes for the axe instead. But before he can try to pick it up, the Skull clubs him over the head.

“Inan!” I cry out as my brother falls to the floor. I try to reach for him, but the Skull doesn’t give me the chance. His meaty palm grabs me by the hair. Another wraps around my neck. The Skull lifts me up, squeezing the air from my lungs.

My eyes sting as I fight for breath. I kick. I thrash. I claw. But no matter what I do, I can’t break free. My throat burns as death wraps around me.

Not like this , I think to myself. Not when we’re so close.

That’s when I see it—the animal-skin pouch with a rope strapped to the Skull’s belt.

I think back to the Skull who attacked Nao’s cell. When he pulled the rope, flames erupted in a single breath. If Kenyon hadn’t stopped him, the bomb would have gone off. It would have blown through our cell.

As white spots fill my vision, I don’t give myself time to think. With the last of my strength, I reach down, ripping the rope free.

“ Nei! ” the Skull roars at my attack. Sparks start to fly. Flames erupt down the rope. The Skull drops me, reaching for the bomb.

Inan rises from the water. With an unsteady start, he shoves the Skull forward. The warrior falls into Inan’s open cage. Inan works fast, using the right key to lock the man inside.

“Hurry!” I say.

Inan grabs my arm. A burning scent fills the hold. My heartbeat spikes as we run up the stairs.

We push to make it to the deck before the bomb ignites.