Page 104 of Daughter of the Dark Sea

The yells and cries of Kora’s crew crested, and she instinctively reached for her sabre daggers. She’d go down swinging to save them, and Theron.

“We only want the captain,” she replied, followed by the sound of metal on leather. The sound of an incoming execution.

“Touch him and you die,” Theron threatened.

The female laughed, and it unleashed something within Kora. Her water beast awoke at the sound, and her body sizzledwith energy, as though she were soaring. Within a beat, she crashed through the door onto the glistening wet deck, the stormy wind and rain whipping her black longcoat.

She unhooked her throwing knives from her belt and, with razor precision, flung them at the first armoured mercenaries she saw. They collapsed to the ebony deck, blood spilling from their throats, mixing with the rain and ocean spray. The crushing guilt from the exile attack raged, roaring at what she’d just done. But they were Galenites, and this time, it was warranted.

Blake was hunched over on his knees, hands shackled behind his back. His black hair was plastered to his head, and his green eyes flared with dread as Kora charged across the deck. A female with long, braided silver hair towered over his knelt body, an estoc sword poised above his heart. Panic consumed his face.

“No,” he mouthed repeatedly over, his voice lost to the storm.

The Galenite female’s dark, deer-like eyes widened in shock, her jaw slack at Kora’s presence and she commanded her mercenaries in Devanian to attack. Kora echoed the order to her crew, and they descended upon the Galenites, led by Samuel, Aryn and Ivar. She approached the mystery female, her daggers gripped in both hands.

“Don’t lay a filthy finger on him,” Kora snapped.

“You . . .” the female gaped and stumbled back. “How . . .” She looked towards Blake, who returned her stare with raging silence.

“What are ye waitin’ for?” a male to her right seethed. He wore a striped brown and red longcoat. “Kill him, Skylar!”

The female—Skylar—shook her head, strands of silver hair falling from her braid and lining her light-brown-skinned slender face. The presence of her unnerved Kora, and she flickedher wet hair out of her eyes. Skylar’s gaze snared on her scar, and she paled. Blake tensed as two of the pirate lords converged, enclosing around them.Well, shit.

“I’ll do it meself,” the captain ofFallen Angel—judging by his red attire—hissed, as he raised his falchion sword. Deep heavy-set wrinkles lined his weather-beaten skin.

Kora instinctively responded, twirling her daggers.

“Come and get him then.” She bared her teeth.

The pirate lord lunged with a battle cry.

“No! Wait Hector—” Skylar shouted, pulling away from Blake.

This close to her, Kora’s whole body screamed, her head pounding with relentless pain. As she battled Hector, the ocean undulated, each wave growing bigger untilHell’s Serpentviolently roiled on the surface.

Calypso spare her.Her power couldn’t manifestnow. But something about Skylar triggered it, Kora’s water beast scratching at the walls, begging to be released.

Before Kora could spear Hector through his hollow chest, a horn blared through the howling tempest and she whipped her head. Several Talmon Empire warships approached, and at the front wasThe Burning Dragon.

Erick’s ship.

“Retreat!” the pirate lords commanded their sailors.

With ropes attached to masts, the crew ofThe Burning Dragonswung through the stormy rain, landing ontoHell’s Serpentwith menace and causing shudders through Kora.

“No! Hold them off!” Skylar glowered at Erick landing onto the deck.

Fiery rage blasted from him as he fought his way to Kora, his dark armour winking out pale silver Galenite mercenaries like stars fading into the night.

“Cassidy, get her!” Skylar ordered in Devanian, pointing at Kora.

Cassidy?

The use of the old language shook Kora to her bones, and she stumbled beforeGolden Harpy’s pirate lord, wreathed in patchwork yellow clothing, and long, brown boots laced up toherthighs. She beamed at Kora, exposing sharp teeth lined with red lips. Coils of brown ringlets were bound by a dark bandana, hidden beneath a tricorne hat.

Kora froze. Afemalepirate lord.

Hector, and the mysterious grey pirate lord, fled the ship, their eyes bulging in fear at Erick’s presence.