How in hellfire were we supposed to win a fight against them? Just one of those ships outgunned ours.
We were screwed. Totally, utterly screwed.
Through the telescopic, I saw a man standing on the bow of the front ship with a megaphone in his hand and a large hat that could rival Viper’s tricorn. We were far from them, but when I concentrated, I could sense the fluxstone inside the megaphone. So I had no doubt we’d be able to hear him, even from this distance.
But what in the world was he going to say to a pirate ship? Did he really think the pirates would simply stop flying and hand themselves over?
What an idiot.
I shifted my telescopic to look at the soldiers behind the man and sucked in a deep breath. I recognized that man. It was Vulture, one of the crew who’d supposedly joined another pirate ship on the island. What in the hellfire was he doing on that ship?
“Willy?” I grabbed him and yanked him closer to me, passing the telescopic over. “Look. Tell me it isn’t him.”
He peeked through. “Tell you who isn’t—holy shit, that traitorous scum!” He pushed the telescopic back into my hand, grabbed my wrist, and hauled me back toward the quarterdeck. “Reaper!”
“What?” Max’s face peeked over the railing, looking angry and frustrated.
Willy nudged me. “Tell him, Ghost.”
Huh? I blinked at my friend before my eyes widened. Right. “Vulture’s on that ship.”
Max stared at me for half a beat before pulling out his own telescopic.
Willy said, “Middle ship. The one in the lead. He’s standing behind their captain.”
Max let out a loud, “Fuck! That no-good, egg-smelling, bilge-sucking dog scoundrel. Traitorous, rotten piece of griffin shit!”
My eyes widened at the name-calling. I’d never heard him so angry before.
He turned from us and headed toward Viper, saying, “Captain, we have a problem.”
Willy pulled me back over to the side and grabbed my telescopic again. “I can’t believe that bilge rat gave us up. He’s—”
A loud voice called out across the sky, cutting Willy off.“Stop your vessel. We have a warrant for the search and seizure of The Black Wraith. You’re harboring wanted criminals. Stop your vessel and prepare to be boarded.”
My veins turned to ice.
Wanted criminals?
I swallowed.
What if… what ifIwas one of the wanted criminals?
My eyes scanned the rest of the ship as my heart beat frantically in my chest. There were a lot of wanted criminals inour crew, I supposed, but what if I was on that list? What if they’d found out where I was?
Viper yelled, “To the cannons! Get ready for a fight, you scallywags! Let our enemies meet the sea, so we can pillage their ship and take to the air!”
That must’ve been a call to arms or something because the crew yelled back, excitement and anxiety building as everyone took to their stations. I had no idea where to go, and my eyes sought out Max without meaning to.
He must’ve been doing the same thing because our eyes met across the deck, pirates running to and fro between us, and he gave me a firm nod. Even though he didn’t say it, I knew he was telling me to be careful, so I did the same thing back before turning away.
He better be careful because I wasn’t done with him yet.
Viper continued yelling out directions about sails and guns, and who knew what else, but I had no clue what any of it meant.
I did understand the call for cannons, though, and my chest went tight with anxiety. I really didn’t want to find out what it was like to be in a ship battle, but I supposed it was happening whether I wanted it to or not.
Willy grabbed my hand and dragged me down to the lower deck. I let him, content with having him lead.
