Page 10 of The Summons


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Bandit snagged the Ring from his grasp.

“Come back here with that!” Blake charged after him, but the thieving monkey leapt onto the lady’s shoulder with a fiendish screech.

She leapt back, swatting to dislodge him. But before Blake could reach them, the churlish monkey gave her the Ring and scampered away. He would deal with him later.

For now, he faced the lady. Their eyes were but inches from each other. Shock and dismay sparked across hers…and something else he couldn’t place. She started to take a step back, but he grabbed her wrist and brought her hand up, the one clutching the Ring.

Her lips curved slightly. “Seems your monkey believes this belongs to me.”

He laughed. “My monkey is a thief.”

“Says the pirate.”

He grinned. “Touché, love.” He reached for the Ring. It began to glow.What? Halting, he stared at the odd sight.It definitely glowed—a crimson light pulsated from the jewel in the center. No doubt he’d consumed far too much rum.

The lady followed his gaze and gasped. Nay, not too much rum.

“Take it, Captain.” She flipped her hand, tossing it in the air. Blake caught it, smiling at her insolent antics.

“And if there is any decency in you,” she continued, “return me to my family.”

“I fear I lost all decency years ago.” The Ring felt warm to the touch, but when he opened his hand, the glow was gone.

A shout preceded Finn barreling through the door. “Cap’n. Newt spotted two sets o’ sails off our larboard quarter. Headin’ straight fer us.”

Blake cursed. “Hang it all! I knew they wouldn’t give up.”

“Who?” the lady asked.

“The Jesuits.”

Chapter 4

E

meline knew very little about Jesuits, but there was no time to ponder the odd statement as Captain Keene, if she remembered his name correctly, stormed from the cabin, the monkey on his heels. The door was left open with no guard outside. An oversight? Perhaps not. What harm could she possibly do to the ship or anyone on it? The opposite was more likely. Regardless, Emeline followed them at a distance. If they were to engage in battle, she’d rather be on deck than cowering below where shots would be aimed.

She emerged from the companionway to a blast of hot night air and the scent of gunpowder, sweat, and the sea. Pirates dashed across the deck, some carrying shot to be loaded into guns, others carrying weapons—axes, muskets, blades, and pistols. One man was pouring sand over the deck. Shouts bellowed like grapeshot, sending men into the ratlines to adjust sail for maximum speed. A young lad of no more than twelve, who carried a bucket of powder cartridges, glanced her way and smiled. No one else paid her any mind. The captain stood near the helm, spyglass to his eye.

Emeline inched her way to the starboard quarter and followed the aim of his scope. In the light of a half-moon and splattering of stars, Emeline could make out the dark outlines of at least two ships, large ships by the looks of them, perhaps frigates or galleons. Their fore-lanterns bobbed up and down as the ships rounded each swell, engaging in an odd dance of lights like fireflies she’d once seen in the Carolinas. What shecoulddetermine, even in the shadows, was that ’twas not her father in pursuit. That fact alone caused her heart to shrink. Had he been able to follow close enough to see what ship she’d been taken to? If not, how would he ever find her?

Even as she entertained such terrifying thoughts, peace welled up within her. Her father might not know where she was, but God did. Surely, He would lead her father to her.Won’t you, Lord?

“They’s comin’ up fast, Cap’n,” the man with the gray bandana shouted. “We’ll be within range o’ ’er guns soon.”

Captain Keene lowered the scope and frowned, then spun and spewed orders to his crew. “All hands to the braces! Two points to starboard, Rummy. Bear up and keep her full!”

“Beat to quarters!” the man wearing the bandana shouted.

“Run out the guns!” The voice of the master gunner snapped Emeline’s gaze in that direction. Pacing behind two guns on the main deck, the man continued shouting orders. But nay, ’twas a woman’s voice, though powerful, that emerged from the figure.

Long brown hair fell from beneath a cocked hat as she leapt up on the foredeck to instruct the gunners in their tasks. Though she wore the same attire as the pirates, the slight sway of her hips gave her away. A female master gunner? In all her years at sea, Emeline had never seen such a thing.

Nor did she have time to ponder it when a boom thundered across the sky, sending her heart leaping into her throat.

“All hands down!” someone bellowed, but she was already on the deck, covering her head with her hands.

Rarely did ship battles occur at night. Then again, everything about this night was odd.