Oskar’s voice from months ago, as real as if coming from the man himself. “Again.”
She carved a line across Finn’s arm.
“Again,” Petrina said.
Finn swung wide, and she darted in?—
Alf landed a punch square to her jaw.
Selene’s vision flared white. She staggered and spat blood from her cut mouth.
Bastard.
“Again,” she whispered.
She exploded toward the flash of metal, shedding her exhaustion. Her fear. Her doubt. She’d faced much better swordsmen today.
Finn was more brawler than bladesman. Alf’s sword was too heavy for his wiry frame—useless without the element of surprise.
She struck with everything in her arsenal: blades, knees, elbows. Spinning between them both, her knives furious and unceasing. Petrina and Oskar’s voices now joined by one more: Cassia.
Somehow, Selene knew the pirate queen was with her, in these blades, in this fight.
Again, again, again.
Finn flung his blade aside and roared in frustration. He charged?—
Selene dropped low and swept his legs. They crashed into the stone and sand, limbs tangled. She landed on top and slammed her blade pommel into his temple. He went limp.
Feet away, Alf gulped, sword dragging the ground.
Oskar smiled.
Roman looked ready to draw blood.
Selene rose and sheathed her knives. As she brushed the sand from her body, she met Alf’s wavering gaze. “Next.”
He bolted.
She didn’t have to chase him—shewantedto. For every morning he’d dragged her around by the cuffs. For every laugh when they taunted her.
Alf darted toward the edge of the battle and vanished behind a building.
She followed fast, tracking the shape of him scrambling over crates toward the wall.
He was going for height.
No problem.
She sprinted up the wall after him. Boots hit stone—one, two, three, four—and she caught the ledge just seconds behind. He ran, but he was sloppy. Desperate. He glanced back?—
She leapt.
Her boot hit his spine.
He screamed and flew. He landed hard at the roof’s far edge, arms pinwheeling. For a second, it looked like he’d catch himself, but gravity won.
Selene slid to the edge and peered down in time to watch Alf land flat on his back in a sun-warmed puddle of…something. The splash reeked instantly of piss. And worse.
