Page 122 of Pirate Witch

My gut is telling me she isn’t here, so I’m not surprised when Kier lands back on the deck and shakes his head.

“She’s not on any of the ships.”

“Coward,” I spit, grabbing the rail asanotherjolt of cannon fire rocks the boat. “She just sent these fools to die for her while she holes up in her palace…” Typical. “And the Alchemist?”

Kier grimaces. “Not here either. I did encounter Commander Derrick, so I gave him our regards.”

I have no idea who that is, but Val and Rysen grunt in satisfaction at the news.

“Good. The asshole deserved it. As for Lily… she’s probably protecting her mistress like a loyal lap dog.” Val runs a hand through his hair in exasperation.

“That’s not all.” Kier’s pupils are blown wide with adrenaline, and he runs a hand over his eyes. “She’s got reinforcements coming in from behind us. They’ll be within firing range in minutes.”

“Fuck. We’re going to be surrounded!”

Val stares hard at the flags across the ship’s rigging, and they begin changing colour before my eyes. I know they’re supposed to be a method of communicating between boats, but I don’t understand any of them. Hopefully, the other captains can see the warnings past all of the smoke.

Dammit. We were already outnumbered. Now we’ll be outflanked as well.

“The best way to stop this is to kill the Eagle and end the battle.” My broom is in my hand before any of my men can say anything. But I don’t launch from the deck like I want to.

I’m not alone anymore. This is a team decision.

“We should call Nos, Cas, and Klaus back,” Ry shouts over the noise.

“No. We can’t. They’re protecting their families,” I retort. “They’ll be needed here once Catherine’s reinforcements turn up.”

“They’d rather be protecting their mate,” Val snaps, unleashing another volley into the ship approaching us. The destruction is so loud, my mage mate has to yell his next words to be heard under the groan of breaking timber and the screams of men diving overboard. “We’re doing this as a team, remember? Their families will understand.”

I go to make another halfhearted objection, but the pennant flags across the rigging are already sliding into different combinations. No doubt Val is calling the twins and Klaus back to the ship. Rysen’s head swivels, vampire vision allowing him to search them out better than I can.

“I can’t see Klaus, but the twins are definitely headed this way,” he says. “TheParlancecaught the message too. Cirio’s got this.”

Indeed, half of the ships are already turning, getting in position to face the new threat. Will it be enough?

“I’m already here,” Klaus interrupts, heaving himself over the side of the ship, his gills disappearing as the water drips from his body. “I only stayed with Lexi long enough to make sure the ship was under her legion’s control.”

TheDeadwoodpivots in the water, sails snapping in the wind as Val cruises us away from the melee and towards the palace, which sits quiet and serene atop the cliffs. The Eagle better be up there. If she’s not…

We’re screwed.

The ship is almost at the edge of the battle when Rysen growls. “There’s a boat headed to intercept us,” he says.

“It’s only a small one,” Val scoffs, and I hear the swivel guns clunking into position. “Barely a raft. I’ve got it.”

I’m still searching for this boat they can both see when Klaus yells so loudly I almost jump out of my skin.

“Wait!” he shouts. “That’s my sister!”

He hops over the rail onto the lower deck and rushes towards the starboard side. Val sighs, and the guns lower, replaced by ropes which slash out into the darkness, bringing the other, smaller vessel alongside us.

His sister? They’re all supposed to be fighting in the battle behind us. What is he…?

Klaus almost drags Cassie onto the deck, drawing hisses from her four salamander mates who are just behind her. She’s dressed for battle, wearing the bronze plate armour of a siren, with her own trident strapped to her back and her hair braided up in a hundred warrior braids woven with shells. She looks every bit as fierce as the rest of the sirens, and I wonder why she didn’t join in with the rest of her sisters when she’s so clearly ready to fight.

Her four salamander mates are similarly prepared, carrying swords, even though I know they don’t need weapons to decimate a whole army. Rossiter is slightly more in front, with Monroe, Vespar, and Galen behind. They assess everyone on the deck as they surround their seer on all sides, dwarfing her. Life outside of the tunnels has agreed with them, tanning their already bronze skin to a richer shade, close to Ry’s. Their hair has lighter streaks of red in it now, and it looks closer to the fire of their shifted forms.

Klaus isn’t intimidated by their show of strength. He levels his sister with his sternest look—which is completely wasted on her—and his tone deepens as he starts to lecture her.