Page 39 of Wicked Tides #1

“See, that’s where we’re different. You know, after we left that damn island, first thing the captain did was report the loss of his father’s men.

The next thing he did was make sure the families of the men were taken care of.

A fourteen-year-old boy did that. Then, he learned to fight with his left hand since you damn well bit off his fingers on the right.

Now?” He laughed. “Now, you best fear the man. We call him Bone Heart cuz the bastard just don’t die.

Death favors him. Won’t take him, no matter what he does.

And you? What did you do after that day? You kept killing. You kept eating.”

I would have turned and sunk my thumbnail into his other eye were I not distracted by the tavern’s activities. Gus, nor any of the men from the Rose, knew a damn thing about me.

“You can think what you like, Gus,” I said. “Doesn’t make a difference to me. ”

Glancing at Sakari, I noticed one of the other men approaching her with eyes that could only portray one thing. Hunger. I narrowed my gaze, watching and waiting for a reason to hurt him when Mullins stepped in and nudged himself between them. Sakari inched behind him, side-eyeing the stranger.

I knew sailors and I knew hunters and I knew men. It would not take long for drink to loosen their control. I glanced at the counter and the two bowls of stew sitting beside the bread and cheese. The rest had been forgotten with the new arrivals.

But I needed to get Sakari upstairs, food or no food.

“You have a look,” Gus pointed out.

“I have no look,” I countered, watching Mullins and Sakari again as another man joined the pursuit of the young woman.

“Oh, yes you do. It’s the same look a snake has when it’s coiled in the grass about to sink its fangs into something.”

I took in a deep breath, catching the scent of the room.

So many filthy men. So many filthy souls and dirty hands.

The crew of the Rose was well into their leisure time, their bellies full of drink and their ears full of conversation.

No one but Mullins and Gus was paying attention to Sakari or anything else for that matter.

I was growing increasingly uneasy as time passed.

I was itching to slaughter the lot of them for no other reason than to lessen the number of threats in the room.

Suddenly, one of the men snuck a hand past Mullins and slid it between Sakari’s thighs, gripping her firmly.

Mullins shoved the man away and immediately, men were standing from the tables, ready to brawl.

It was sickening. All over one young woman. They were no more civilized than a pack of wild dogs. I stood, about to intervene before Gus gripped my wrist. He stood instead and walked over to the altercation.

“She’s with us,” he said.

“Who says?” one of the strangers barked.

“We do, you rat,” Mullins spit .

“Practicing a little skin trade, are we?” Collin spoke up, laughing in that obnoxious manner again.

“Not your business,” Gus argued.

While everyone was distracted by a battle of dull words, I saw another man sneak around, his fingers twitching to touch Sakari.

The moment the doors opened and Vidar walked in with the young man, everyone’s attention scattered in two different directions.

Mine was the only one on the man going for Sakari.

He rushed up and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her with a playful yet sickening laugh.

One hand slid over her modest breast and she squealed, kicking her legs.

“Hey!” Vidar roared.

Most men looked his way, including the one who’d just assaulted Sakari, but my eyes saw only him.

I zeroed in on the hand that was still around her unwilling waist as she struggled to get away from him.

Mullins turned to push him away when the man pulled a pistol from his belt, aiming it at his head.

“Oy!” Thelasa shouted. “We have ladies of the night here for that. Leave the damn girl alone.”

But they were deaf to her words.

My teeth throbbed in my mouth. My fingers stung as my nails grew from the sensitive beds.

His scent was all I could find in the array of odors filling that tavern and I focused on it.

While his back was turned, I rushed him, leaping onto his body.

He went careening against the wall as my teeth closed over the side of his neck.

With one turn of my head, his jugular and a good chunk of flesh and sinew was ripped away.

Blood spurted over me, hot and bitter. The man clawed at his open wound as I got to my feet and spit a mouthful of his flesh from my mouth.

My hat fell, letting black hair spill over my shoulder.

All eyes turned to me and in my ears, I could hear muffled screaming.

I saw pistols aimed and blades drawn and no part of my mind could convince my body not to cut down the ones wielding them.

I lunged, pushing Mullins aside and leaping onto the nearest sailor.

Gunfire rang, breaking the pattern of furious shouting.

These men were hunters, but I had no truce with them.

Not like I did with Vidar. I had no obligation to spare any of them and I certainly had no desire.

They were merely a proxy for what I wished I could do to the crew of the Rose.

It was in my nature to kill and no matter what, the men reeked of siren blood. They’d killed many of us. Perhaps they’d done worse. All I wanted to do was kill.

Screaming. Gunshots. Tables were being flipped and swords were clashing.

The taste of blood coated my tongue and flesh was lodged in my teeth.

Another man charged me, blade raised. I leaped at him, my thumbnails piercing through his eyes.

All I could think of was Sakari and even Meridan.

Meridan was like me and these men were killers.

Fiends. Even if she was on the Rose, she was vulnerable if anything happened.

I had bitten into three of them before I spun to see Sakari wrapped in the arms of one of the strangers, a knife to her throat.

I hissed, blood dripping down my chin, when the pop of a gunshot rang in my ears.

Something hit my shoulder and sent me stumbling forward.

Three men moved in, grabbing at me with their hands.

Within seconds, my arms were being painfully twisted behind my back and wrapped in thick twine.

I struggled, but the hole in my shoulder had rendered me unable to fight all of them off.

Someone managed to stuff a rolled cloth in my mouth and pulled it tightly behind my head.

Everything was a blur. I barely heard the words that were spoken around me. All I felt was hot rage and searing disdain as the tavern sat in ruins.

“Fucking siren!” someone shouted.

Sakari was screaming, but soon, her screams were as muffled as mine. They’d gagged her.

“Take them both!” another voice said. “Could both be sirens.”

I was dragged outside onto the muddy street while inside, I could still hear men arguing.

No one was fighting anymore. Something had happened to make them stop and I was unwilling to think it had anything to do with me.

They would be happy to be rid of me, I suspected, but Sakari?

I had hoped they cared more about her. I only prayed they wouldn’t allow the other girls to be taken so easily.