Marc nodded at a nearby house that featured a lit lamp post near the road. “We like to admire the lights in the fog.”
The man held out his hand. “You can do that while I admire your port papers.”
My heart skipped a beat, but Marc didn’t. “Of course,” he agreed as he reached into his long overcoat and drew out a few slips of paper, which he handed to the man. “I’m sure you’ll find everything in order.”
“I’m sure. . .” the man mumbled as he inspected the documents. His eyes flitted over each of us, but paused at Ramaro. “What’s that? A pet?” Ramaro cocked his head to one side and flicked out his tongue.
“Just something we picked up out of the sea,” Marc assured him. That earned him a dark look from our lizard friend.
The man squinted at Ramaro. “He looks like an agama. They’re banned from the capital.”
Marc feigned surprise. “Are they? Why?”
The corners of the leader’s lips twitched up. “One of them hid in an admiral’s birthday cake a few years back and stole a priceless necklace.”
Marc scooped up Ramaro and used a stiff hand to pat him on the head. “Well, I’m sure our lizard friend here won’t make that much trouble.”
The guard handed back the papers, and I took a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Mind you stay clear of the thickest of the fog. The Phantom is said to be out and about every night now searching for something to steal.”
“We’ll be careful, sir,” Marc promised as he pocketed the documents.
“Goodnight then.”
“‘Night.”
The men strolled past us, but one of them in the rear paused and half-turned in our direction. He squinted at Marc, and my blood ran cold at his sharp look. “You look familiar.”
Marc had a smile on his face, but I could see the tension in the rest of his body. “Do I?”
The man’s eyes widened, and he stabbed a finger at Marc. “One blue eye, and a patch over his left one! Commander, it’s the pirate captain Torvus!”
His commander spun around, as did the rest of the group, and his beard trembled. “What?!”
Marc grinned at the men and crossed one arm over his chest before he swept into a low bow. “At your service, gentlemen.”
The commander balled his hands into fists, and his nostrils flared. “Get him!”
Marc straightened and grabbed the bottom of his eye patch. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, men.”
The men skidded to a stop a few feet shy of where we stood. Ramaro and I slipped behind our bold leader, and I glanced at him. He gave me a look of warning to keep my mouth shut. I was only too glad to oblige.
The man in the lead straightened and puffed out his chest. “Your magic is useless on shore, pirate.”
“Do you really want to try that?” Marc challenged him as he pinched the patch between his two fingers.
The man twisted his head around and set his gaze on his commander. “Sir?”
The commander sneered at Marc. “Grab him.”
Another of the men leered at me. “And the others, sir?”
A crooked grin slipped onto the commander’s face. “Have a little fun and then we’ll bring her along.”
The men let out a whoop and charged at us. Marc narrowed his blue eye and lifted the patch only a fraction of an inch. A gust of wind blasted out from beneath the stiff cloth and swept over the men. They grimaced against the gale and dug in their heels. The men leaned into the gust, but the wind continued its onslaught. Trees bent under the fury, and stones and trash flew down the cobblestones. The men were knocked off their feet and tumbled down the street. Their commander was swept into their number and rolled along with them. They were soon out of sight.
Marc released his hold on his patch, and the cloth dropped back into place. The gust immediately ceased, and silence fell on the street.
I set my hand over my pounding heart and let out a heavy breath. “That was close.”
