I was getting out of here. Now.
I didn’t hesitate as I pulled myself through the window, refusing to look at the creature as I positioned myself behind the bat. I took a big breath and threw myself onto its back.
I landed, exhaling sharply as a laugh of relief left me. The creature dipped slightly as it adjusted to my weight before its leathery wings began to move. Pulling sharply away from the ship, Barnabus rose in the air, a series of clicks leaving him, and my new friend soared nearly vertically up, far away from the surface of the sea.
It was a good thing too. Because the further we got from sea level, the more the reality of what was happening around the ship hit me.
The air around us swirled with violent, buffeting energy, and the ship was at the very eye of the storm. The skies were as dark as night, but not solely because of the swarms of bats filling the space around us. Thunder rumbled and lightning electrified the air. Waves thrashed against the ship as I heard the telltale sound of it starting to break apart.
A cruel smile formed on my lips at the fate Holmeth and his men were about to face. Sea monsters…and they were converging on the ship. Good. I didn’t feel bad about that at all. My eyes narrowed on two familiar figures on the top deck, aiming cannons toward the creatures rising from the depths to attack them.
Frederick and Gregory.
I had absolutely no idea where Holmeth was, especially because from what I could see, there weren’t that many men on the ship to begin with. It wouldn’t have surprised me if the vile man was hiding somewhere. All I could hope was that he went down with the ship. Not only for the pain he and his cronies had caused me but because of the threat they posed to my new home as well.
Everything froze for a moment as realization hit me as my legs gripped the bat’s sides. I had my sheaths, but my daggers…I didn’t have them.
“My daggers!” I shouted over the wind as Barnabus looked toward me. “They have them. I have to get them back—they were a present from someone very special to me.”
They meant the world to me, not only because Elijah had given them to me, but because of what they represented. A strength I’d never had before. Confidence in my ability to protect myself.
Barnabus seemed to disagree with my idea, clicking in what really seemed to be an argument before I infused as much command in my voice as possible. “I am getting them. Bring me to the top deck—please. It will only take a moment, but I will not leave without them.”
I had no doubt Frederick and Gregory still wore them, keeping them in their possession like some sick prize. It would make it a bit harder to get them back, but I wasn’t going to give them up.
After a long second, Barnabus offered a series of loud clicks and my new friend suddenly soared down toward the ship. He angled us to land away from most of the others on the deck, all of whom were focused on blasting cannons at the creatures coming in for the kill.
As soon as I was close enough, I dropped onto the deck, rolling on my side as I waved to Barnabus, hoping he would understand that I would be back as soon as possible. I turned toward my quarry, sprinting across the deck and only stopping momentarily when I was slammed against the railing at a sudden rock of the ship. Hissing in pain, I shook it off before continuing my trek. When I slid past a group of crew members unnoticed, I narrowed my eyes on my targets.
“We need more firepower!” Frederick yelled, and the sound of his voice grated on my nerves.
“Lets blow this fucker out of the water!” Gregory agreed.
I used the chaos of what was happening around me to approach them from behind. My eyes roved their forms, searching for any sight of the daggers, and I smiled when I saw that they had them on their belts, the hilts visible even through the sheet of rain. I glanced over my shoulder, relieved to see that the crew was still distracted with the chaos, and quickly formulated a plan that would allow me to grab the daggers without actually coming face to face with these vile excuses for vampyres.
When the ship rocked, the rail closest to us dipping precariously toward the angry sea, I allowed the momentum to carry me forward a few inches, reaching out carefully to wrap my hand around the hilt of the dagger strapped to Gregory’s belt. I gritted my teeth, nerves roiling uncomfortably in my stomach as I waited for the ship to tip in the other direction, allowing me to drag the dagger from its place in his belt without notice.
Immediately, I tried the same tactic on the dagger tucked in Frederick’s belt but ended up rushing the job as I heard other crew members stumbling back along the deck with more firepower in tow. I accidentally bumped against Fredrick when I gathered the second dagger, but a group of bats swarmed closer to the two of them, scaring the shit out of them and allowing me to slide away without notice.
Victory surged through me. I held a dagger in each hand and sprinted back the way I’d come. As much as I wanted them to suffer like I had—I knew they were going to pay. This ship was going down, but I wouldn’t be on it.
I had nearly made it back to where I was dropped on the deck when a large figure appeared in front of me. I let out a growl of frustration with the realization that it was Holmeth. His eyes narrowed on me, and a snarl broke from his lips.
“You. You fucking little bitch.”
As he charged toward me, the ship rocked heavily once more, and I used my momentum and speed to avoid him with an agile twist of my body. I used one of my daggers to slash his side in passing, and a cry of pain tearing from his lips left me smiling. He deserved so much more than that, but I would take it. I sprinted forward again, seeing the edge of the ship’s deck in sight.
His massive frame tackled me from behind, slamming me against the deck, and a sharp pain shot across my ribs. The ship dipped violently and he rolled, allowing me enough momentum to carry my body over so I was on top of him. I looked down at the man who had caused me so much pain and threatened my family.
I wedged a dagger in his stomach as he jolted, struggling to toss me off of him. So I brought the other dagger against his neck before moving my face down so he could hear me loud and clear.
“Fuck. You. Holmeth.”
I slit his throat open with the dagger in an easy movement. A deep cut to the throat might not kill him thanks to his enhanced healing abilities, but I knew it would incapacitate him long enough for this ship to go down, taking his body with it. There would be no healing at the bottom of the ocean. Vampyre’s needed oxygen to breathe, just like a regular human.
I could have bit him. I knew that—I could have ripped out his throat with my fangs. The idea of having his blood in my mouth, let alone my body, made me sick with revulsion. I couldn’t stomach that disgusting idea after everything he had done, or threatened to do, to me. I could handle a lot, but not that. Never that.
A dark part of me didn’t want him to have a short death that I could have easily given him. I wanted him to feel the despair of knowing his life was going to end and there was nothing he could do about it.
