“I can’t go home. We have to get James back.”
“Aye. We will, or die trying.”
“Aye!” the crew echoed in agreement.
Tink whirled around to find them all staring at her, several knee-deep in water. No one judged her tears. Instead, she got nods of encouragement, weak smiles: Sage and Barley, hand in hand; Anne, with her hands on her hips; Francis and his crooked, gapped grin. And all the rest too. Even the merfolk looked mildly intrigued.
She straightened and turned back to Smee. “Or die trying.”
Knowing what would happen when the merfolk carried her through the water to shore did nothing to alleviate the terror involved. It was thoughts of James, envisioning his roguish grin when they finally saved him, that kept her sane as she held her breath and felt the rush on the water tugging at her as Adella sped through the current. The fear didn’t fully let up even oncethey broke the surface and the mermaid deposited her in the shallows. Tink sputtered and gasped as she crawled ashore. A wave crashed against her back, twisting her wings and knocking her face-first into the shallow surf.Fucking elders!She clawed at the wet sand. The sea tugged at her, trying to drag her back. Saltwater invaded her nose—again.
Suddenly, she was plucked from the sea.
“It’s a good thing you’re small,” Sage joked as she tossed her over one shoulder, knocking wind and water from her lungs. “I swear.” She sat her carefully on dry sand. “Once this is over, I’m teaching you to swim.”
“I’m never,” Tink sputtered, “going in the water again.”
Sage slapped her on the back, sending up another coughing fit. “We’ll see.”
“You all are a sorry lot.” Captain Cressida stood on the beach, hands on her hips, and half a dozen of her crewmates behind her.
Tink blinked, shielding her eyes from the too-bright sun. That’s who the merfolk got to help them?
Smee emerged from the surf, shaking water off him like a dog. “Cressida!” he called, his voice too jovial for the situation. He’d been the last to leave the cave. The captain, even temporary captain, couldn’t go before his crew.
She cocked her gaze to him. “That’sCaptainCressida. And from what I hear, you’re Captain Smee?”
That sobered him up. Everything about his face turned hard, his shoulders stiff as he stomped onto the shore. “Temporarily.”
“How do you know he’s alive?”
“They’d have dumped his body in the sea,” Smee said solemnly.
Cressida gave the slightest nod.
“The merfolk searched. They didn’t find him,” he added.
“Well…” Her gaze slid over Tink and the others gathered on the beach. “Best of luck trying to retrieve him once I drop you in port.”
In port? Drop them?Further from James.Conversation became an inaudible buzz in her ears. How far away would Blackbeard be by the time they got to port? Then they’d need a new ship and have to track the bastard down. He could do terrible things to him by then. He likely had already. If they got there too late…
“No!” Tink shoved to her feet, kicking up powdery sand.
Cressida raised her brows and glanced past Smee to Tink.
“You’re helping us get him back. Now. Right now!”
“Tink,” Sage grabbed for her, but she pulled away, stomping toward the pirate captain.
“Why would I do that, little pixie?” Cressida crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side. “Interesting that you hid your identity before.” She glanced to Smee, who shrugged in return.
Tink ignored the question in her statement and came to a halt next to Smee. “If you let Blackbeard get away, who do you think he’ll come after next? You attacked him too, remember? And we may not be there to help. We certainly won’t if anything happens to James, er, Captain Hook, because of you.”
Cressida’s gaze darkened in the shadow of the wide hat upon her head. “She speaks for you?” she asked Smee.
Smee draped an arm over Tink’s shoulder. “Aye. I support the words of my crew.”
His crew.Her heart swelled. Her chin jutted higher.
