“Iamslightly terrifying,” she said.
“Like a giant puppy, kind of terrifying,” Dilly said.
“So I’m just Koinu,” she said, folding her arms. “I suppose it could be worse. For example, I could be married to that grumpy idiot.”
She nodded straight ahead, where Bash was barking orders at some poor boy who was likely on his first crew. Bash reached down, picked up a rope with the hook attached to his wooden arm, and demonstrated how to tie a proper knot.
“He’s a quick learner,” Dilly said.
Yes, he was. Maybe it was very wrong or said something about me, but my core lit as I watched him work the rope with his hook.
“Oh god,” Val said.
I blinked several times, trying to push away several ideas that occurred to me all at once. Ideas that were particularly suited to a different company.
“It’s better than when they were literally fucking each other with their eyes and pretending that they weren’t,” Dilly said.
“Is it?” Val asked. “I’m going to go do some hard manual labor.”
I laughed, rubbing at my neck. Getting out of bed was hard this morning. My legs were deliciously sore, and as a matter of fact, most of me was. I could probably use a break, but I doubted that would happen any time soon.
Bash may still be mad at me, but after agreeing that we couldn’t do anything else to stave off my potentially dying three different ways, we found other ways to channel that energy. I certainly wasn’t complaining, given my time on earth was starting to appear considerably shorter than intended.
Either this vow on my wrist killed me, Bash’s insane ex-lover, or a giant mythical Leviathan. I could hardly say which was more preferable, though Ximena was lowest on the list.
As I contemplated my impending doom, a grindylow managed to get over the railing a few feet from where Bash stood. I reached for the pistol at my side, but I was too far away to take a reliable shot. Its beady eyes scanned as it lifted up straight to mine. For a second, it was one year ago, and Billy was teasing me for being as stubborn as a grindylow before one attempted to attack me.
Shouts arose, and with horror I watched as it leapt several feet at a time, leaving a trail of slimy green ooze in its wake. I lifted my pistol and leveled it at the top of the stairs, waiting. It hunched its back legs and launched, my pistol erupting with a large boom, smoke filling the air.
The creature lay twisting and writhing as it made a mournful sound. Heart beating out of my chest, I reached into my pocket and placed the next bullet between my teeth, metallic biting into my mouth. I reloaded my pistol and fired one more shot, and just as before, the creature took its last breath, eyes fixed on me.
I crouched down in front of it, acutely aware that there were several eyes on me.
“If another one makes it over the ship, the one responsible is on deck duty every fucking day till I say otherwise.” Bash bellowed.
I used the tip of my smoking pistol to prod at the amphibious creature’s head. Slimy goop clung to my pistol as I pulled it away.
Dilly bent down next to me.
“What sea were you born near?” she asked.
“The North,” I murmured.
“On it or near?” she asked.
I lifted my eyes to hers.
“On it,” I whispered.
Dilly swallowed.
“I need more books,” she said.
I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me was in a book, but if anyone could figure it out, it would be her. She tiptoed around black blood that seeped into the floorboards of the ship and made a small squeaking noise as she passed Bash, who looked positively murderous.
“I’m fine,” I said, still poking at the creature with my pistol.
It seemed to be oozing at an accelerated rate, and green slime clung to my pistol. I raised in front of me, wrinkling my nose as I watched it drip.
