A grin spread across Dominic’s face as he disarmed Sawyer, laughing at something Vesper said. Something inside her warmed at the sight.
Asher turned back to Adara, a plea in those ocean irises. “You brought him back to life, Adara,” he whispered. “Please don’t take him from us again.”
Adara swallowed, as if she could choke down the tsunami of shame threatening to boil out of her. She blinked and saw Cal dying in her arms, giving her his key. Then he was gone, replaced by the ship and the Andreilians and the sea. She blinked again, and this time, it was Dominic she saw collapsing to the ground as she drained his life and power as she touched the key he placed in her palm.
Her heart strained at the image, the weight of sorrow pulling her down. She’d always believed it was sacrilege to use the keys in such a barbaric way, yet even if it didn’t go against everything she believed in, Adara didn’t think she had it in her to steal a key. She would not allow her love to be someone’s demise. Not again.
She shook her head mournfully. “I don’t think I can,” she admitted, voice barely audible over the sound of the waves crashing against the hull.
“Are you two lovebirds done over there?” Caleb shouted as he strode toward them. Adara shot him a glare while Asher rolled his eyes. His blue tunic sleeves were rolled to his shoulders, muscles rippling as he hefted a mace on his shoulder. “According to our eye in the sky,” a gesture to the crow’s nest, “we’ve got company.”
Zephyr’s shouts rang out across the deck as he slid down the rigging from the crow’s nest, spyglass tucked beneath his arm. “Pirates!” he yelled the warning for all to hear.
Adara’s brows furrowed. Who was idiotic enough to sail the Plagued Sea? Well, besides them and Damon’s crew. Was it Damon’s crew?
“Zephyr, can I see that?” Adara asked.
He nodded, handing over the spyglass. She approached the forecastle deck, lifting it to her eye. There was a ship in the distance, its massive sails black splotches against the blue sky, a mermaid figurehead carved at the prow. It was sailing straight toward them. The ship was too far to make out much of the crew, but Adara could tell it was not theValen Wind.
“Man the cannons but hold your fire!” Dominic’s order from the helm sent everyone into a frenzy to prepare for attack.
Through the spyglass, Adara spotted the other crew doing the same, preparing but not firing. Desmon, Tyson, and Tobias rushed to the starboard cannons. Ace led Vesper and Sawyer below decks to quickly retrieve more weapons. Asher fetched his bow, slinging the quiver across his back and drawing an arrow, holding the weapon ready for when they reached closer range. Silas and Niran exchanged anxious glances as Ace, Vesper, and Sawyer reemerged. Ace carried a large axe, Vesper and Sawyer gripping crossbows and taking positions on either side of Asher. Niran drew a short sword, and Silas unsheathed two throwing knives from his bandolier.
“Finally, some action!” Caleb boasted, swinging his mace in precise, practiced circles before bringing it to rest across the back of his shoulders. “I was beginning to forget we were sailing the Plagued Sea.”
“Careful what you wish for,” Adara grumbled, drawing Infinova as she strode to a barrel of swords the others brought up from below decks. She’d rather not question their good fortune, only thank Faust, God of Luck, for their smooth journey.
She tossed a broadsword to Evreux, who caught it with ease and gave it a practice swing. Clearly, the training they’d been supplying him with during the spare time in their journey was paying off.
They all watched in anticipation as the other ship approached. The vessel was much larger than theirs, the crew at least twice the size of their own. On the onyx sail at the head of their ship, a crimson skull and crossbones were painted. The threat loomed in the air, charged with anxious energy. Adara drummed her fingers along Infinova’s hilt, itching to do some damage. After all the monsters she and Dominic had faced to collect the relics, a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates would be easy to take care of. She rolled her shoulders back and twirled her sword, testing the lingering injury from the Ruins. A dull throb radiated down her arm.
“What now?” Ace asked, glancing at Dominic at the stern, with his hands tightly gripping the spokes of the wheel.
“Do not engage,” Dominic replied loudly. “We don’t want a fight if we don’t have to, and it seems neither do they.” No one wanted to chance their ship being blown to smithereens in the middle of the Plagued Sea.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Caleb asked, excitement faltering at Dominic’s demands.
Vesper slapped him in the back of the head.
“Hey!” Caleb’s features twisted into a glare of annoyance as he rubbed his head.
“You want to be stranded in the middle of the ocean?” Vesper said, gesturing to the vast sea with no land in sight. The ship swayed, as if some creature beneath the surface sent a wave of warning. “Because that just might happen if they fire those cannons and blow a bunch of holes in our ship.”
“Vesper’s right,” Tobias called out from his station at the cannons. His muscles strained beneath his green shirt, veins bulging from his olive skin as he and Desmond loaded cannonballs into the cannons. His hazel eyes pinned Caleb on the spot. “Don’t do something reckless.”
Caleb hung his head back. “What? Like I’m gonna hurl my mace across the ocean and single-handedly destroy their ship?” he asked, carelessly swinging the weapon around.
“Careful with that thing!” Evreux yelled, ducking before Caleb could accidentally cave his skull in.
“We can outrun them,” Niran suggested. “Dominic can use the wind and water to propel us out of range.”
Tyson scoffed as he loaded a cannon. “Run like cowards?”
Ace pierced Niran with a harsh stare. “He’s not using his magic,” he said decisively. “He’s already injured enough. All of it needs to be focused on healing him. And we wouldn’t want to risk leading them to Andreilia.”
Indeed, Dominic’s magic seemed to have gone awry lately. Adara was still trying to figure out why his Med powers weren’t healing him as quickly as they should have and why he used his magic so sparingly.
“Adara can light their ship on fire,” Zephyr said, bounding over to all of them gathered along the starboard rail.
