Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 144411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Sam, the woman pirate, clears her throat. “Though they both mean the same, I prefer brethren to brotherhood, if you get my saying. And I reckon it was Troop of Desperados.”
“Ah yes, Desperados,” the captain says appreciatively. “That one I’m quite fond of. I know that’s what the Spanish merchants have so affectionately termed us.” He looks to me, the shadows deepening more, so that I swear I’m looking through his skin and at his skeleton underneath. It must be a trick of the light.
Or all the legends you’d heard about them being a ghost ship are true.
My blood runs colder still. Whoever these men are, they killed the rest of the crew with no mercy.
“Either way, you don’t seem afraid enough,” the captain says, smiling unkindly. “Perhaps I’ve been too hospitable. I’ll thank you to come now and we can reunite you with your dear prince.”
He tugs at me hard enough that I nearly fall down. I’m stopped by his arms, his motions dizzyingly fast.
“And Daphne?” I ask as he pulls me along the deck, my wet dress dragging behind me.
“As Cruz said, she’s in the hold,” he says. “But that’s not fit for a princess. No darling, I have a special spot for the royal couple, reserved just for you.”
Oh blast.
“Are you taking us all prisoner?”
He leads me down the stairs into the ship. It’s so dark below, with not a single lantern lit or a fire in the galley. My night vision is better than most, a holdover from being a Syren, but even so I can’t see a thing.
“I’m going to take you and your husband prisoner,” he says, yanking me roughly down another flight of stairs. With my balance off even on my good days, I nearly tumble again.
“Why?” I ask, trying to pick up the ends of my wet dress so I don’t trip on it.
“Because I wager you’re both worth a lot of money,” he says. In the darkness he feels bigger somehow and more imposing. The captain is a fairly tall, large man, big arms and wide shoulders but, now that I can’t see him, can only feel his presence, he seems larger than life, more powerful and deadly. I fear he’s going to do something to me and I won’t see it coming. The idea makes my pulse quicken, my chest growing tight.
“I’m not worth anything,” I tell him and the minute I open my mouth I regret it. If he thinks I’m worth nothing, then there’s no reason to keep me alive.
He pulls me to a stop and even in the dark I swear I see his eyes glow for a moment, a flash of gray-blue, like the sea during a storm. “You think I’ll let you go now? You’re worth something. Perhaps the prince is worth more than you, but you still count. No king will leave a princess out to rot, not with the world watching.”
“How will he even know? Who will tell him you have us?”
“You see, luv,” he says, his voice taking on a raspy quality and I feel him lean in closer to me, his breath hot on my cheek, “we didn’t actually kill your entire crew. We do have some morals. We let a few go and told them to spread the word to your dear king. I have no doubt that by the time we reach Acapulco, there’ll be money waiting for us.”
“Acapulco!” I exclaim. “In New Spain?”
“Tis a long voyage, yes, but the Nightwind has made it countless times. I dare say we’ll get to know each other pretty good by then. You may not even want to disembark.”
The voyage across the Pacific, which I’ve heard takes months upon months for the Spanish galleons that frequent the route, isn’t what first struck me. It was the fact that Acapulco is close to Limonos. Closer than I’ll ever have been to home since I first left.
If I can somehow make it alive across the ocean, held captive on this godforsaken ship for months, there’s a chance that I’ll be able to return to Limonos. It depends on me escaping when we get close to land, but I’ll gladly take that chance and risk death if it means seeing my family for even just a second.
“Come now, and get used to your new home,” the captain says to me, yanking me forward until I feel we’ve walked into another cabin.
“Maren?” I hear Aerik’s voice, sounding small and weak in the dark.
“I’ve got your princess here,” Captain Battista says, and then I hear the rattling of keys. “If you try anything, you’ll be made to suffer, mark my word as god.”
I hear the creak of metal, a cage door opening, and I’m pushed in until I’m stumbling against Aerik.
“Enjoy the privacy, you little lovebirds,” the captain says, and I hear the lock shut. “For I’m sure there will be chaos come the morning.”