Tink screamed.
The rope binding Tink with the others fell away.
She panted for breath as she opened her eyes.
Okay.She’s okay. He didn’t hurt her. Hook repeated over and over to himself. His ship he could lose. It hurt, worse than the aches of his body, but a ship could be rebuilt. Losing Tink?
Impossible.
He’d rather lose his other hand. His own head. Anything.
Blackbeard slammed his sword back into its sheath. “Milady.” He held out a hand to her like the gentleman he wasn’t.
Fear clutched at Hook’s throat. If he did anything to her…
Tink looked at him, her eyes wide.
He gave the slightest nod. It’d be to her best interest not to anger him.
Reluctantly, Tink reached her bound hands toward Blackbeard. He grabbed the ropes that tied them together instead and jerked her forward. “Bring out tha plank!”
No. He shuddered. A scream lodged in his throat.
Tink looked at him, confusion written on her face. She didn’t know.Bloody hell. She had no idea.
“You said you’d let them go!” Hook yelled.
“Aye,” Blackbeard replied. “I’m letting ’em go.” He pulled Tink across the deck to where his men readied the plank.
She saw. She understood. Her heels dug in. She wrenched herself backward, to no avail. He strained, the rope biting deep.
“What do you want?” Hook screamed. “I’ll give you anything.”
His crew chimed in, but he barely heard them. He could barely hear himself over the rush of blood to his ears and the pounding of his heart.
Blackbeard laughed. “Looks like I picked tha right one ta start.”
Two men grabbed her by the arms, hauling her up on the plank. Tears streamed down her face. Her body shook. With her bent wing, she wouldn’t be able to fly, not far enough.
“What do you want?”
Gold teeth glittered through the other captain’s beard. “I have it all.”
“The scale of Leviathan!” Tink blurted.
Blackbeard froze. His whole crew looked at Tink as if she’d sprouted a second head.
“Ya have tha scale,” he said at last, barely a whisper.
“Let us all go, and we’ll give you the scale,” she said again.
Smart girl. Brave girl.
“That’s right, let my crew off safely, and I’ll give it to you.”
He stomped over to Hook. “Why? When I have tha clues.”
Hook notched his chin higher. “It’s not there.”
