Galen threw Dyna down before him. “It was her doing.”
Fury boiled in Draven’s discolored eyes, but they cut to Galen. “It’s your job to mind the ship!” His fist pummeled into Galen’s jaw, knocking him down next to her. “Useless bastard.”
Galen cowed. “I’m sorry, brother.”
“Where were you?” Draven growled. “You left again, didn’t you? No doubt for a dalliance at the brothel.”
“No, I may have been taking a nap, but I was here. I tried to stop her.”
Draven grabbed Galen’s throat and squeezed until his face turned purple. “I swear if we didn’t have the same mother, I’d break your neck and toss your body into the sea.” He shoved him aside and faced Dyna. “I hunted for months in the Misty Isles to capture that bird, you meddlesome little wench.”
She glared at him. “It should never have been in captivity.”
“You will pay dearly for what you have cost me.” He raised his fist. She covered her face and braced for the blow, but he kicked a barrel instead. His chest heaved as he breathed deeply to rein in his rage. He huffed and righted his fur cape. “As luck would have it, you’re worth more alive than dead. Tie her up.”
The dwarves grabbed Dyna before she could run away. They tore off her satchel and tossed it down. Keena’s cage peeked out from under the flap. Draven hadn’t noticed her yet. The fairy reached out a trembling hand, her little frightened eyes watching helplessly.
Dyna kicked one dwarf in the groin and punched another. A satisfying crunch sounded beneath her fist. The dwarf released her, howling in pain as he held his bleeding nose. Galen surged forward and his fist rammed into her stomach. The air shot out of her. She dropped to the deck with a wheezing gasp. Stars danced in her sight and she nearly vomited.
The bond pulsed with Cassiel’s presence before she heard him shout her name. He ran up the gangplank but stopped short at the chaos on the ship. They locked eyes through the wall of dwarves standing between them.
“Did you send her to release my bird?” Draven growled.
Cassiel glanced at the large empty cage that once held the phoenix. Dyna took advantage of the distraction and tried to run to him.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Galen grabbed her and roughly bent her arms behind her until a searing pain shot up her back, and she screamed.
“Unhand her.” Cassiel reached for his waist, butEsh Zayinwasn’t there.
Draven laughed. His dwarves took out their daggers and surrounded him. “She’s mine now. The lass cost me substantial loss and I don’t take too kindly to that.”
“Name your price. I will pay you whatever you want, and we will be on our way.”
A sneer twisted on the poacher’s face. “Oh, you’re not going anywhere either, mate. The bounty for the both of you is more than enough to mitigate my losses.”
Cassiel went rigid.
Dyna glanced between them. “What bounty?”
Draven took two notices out of his coat and waved them. “Someone is willing to pay a hundred thousand gold pieces for you, bonnie lass, and eighty thousand for your master. I wonder why that is?”
She gaped at the pages, then at Cassiel. He mouthed Tarn’s name.
Draven shrugged and neatly folded the pages before tucking them in his coat. “I don’t care as long as I’m paid my dues. Tie them both and stick them in the phoenix cage.”
Dyna hardly noticed the rope binding her wrists as the weight of dread suffocated her. Draven would soon find out he had captured a Celestial, and the result would be catastrophic for the Realms.
Cassiel paled as he stared at the cage.
“Run!” She bucked wildly as Galen began dragging her towards it. “Go. Leave me!”
His hair fell over his forehead as he lowered his head.
“Are you mad? Get out of here!”
“Please,” he said softly. “Let her go.”
Draven released a booming laugh, and his dwarves snickered. “Did you hear that? He saidplease. Well, now I may do so since he asked so politely.”
