We’re not going to make it. She didn’t say the words out loud, but she felt them deep inside.
And it terrified her. What were they going to do? She didn’t see any way to drive the beasts back. There were just too many of them. Every heartbeat, they appeared to multiply.
While the Deadmen couldn’t, in theory, die, they could be overrun, and that was quickly happening.
“Get Mara below! Protect her!” Du’s voice was a fierce, stabilizing growl above the sounds of war.
And his words caused a surge of tenderness to rush through her as she rolled with the ship. Even now when his thoughts should be on his own survival, they were on her welfare.
In that moment, she saw him the day they’d met. Saw the look on his face as he hesitated to harm her. His dark eyes haunted and furious.
For the first time, she fully understood what Belle had told her. What the Deadman’s Cross on their arms really meant.
Blood and bone, Devyl Bane would give it all to see them safe and their souls returned so that they could have their lives back. So long as there was breath inside his body, he would fight for them.
He would fight for her.
Her gaze went to him and his battle with the one Irin who hated him most. Long before Vine had killed Du, Gadreyal had wanted Duel’s head for the simple fact that he’d shown her up and won favor in the war against Thorn and his army. Until Duel, Gadreyal had been the premier Cimmerian general in Britain. The chosen one of the ancient dark gods, and they’d doted on her for it. Yet in no time, he’d surpassed her success rate.
No one could match Duel’s ferocity.
But as Mara watched them, she saw that he was still weak from his earlier attack. Because of the conditions of his release that forbade him from consuming human blood or the hearts of his enemies, he hadn’t been feeding properly and therefore couldn’t heal as fast as he should. His Aesir lineage held certain dietary necessities that were deemed rather gory to those unfamiliar with their race. Things she’d judged him for over the centuries.
And Gadreyal knew it too. She was taking no mercy on him as she drove him back against the railing.
If they didn’t do something, Gadreyal would defeat him and return him to the hell Thorn had spared him from.
“Help him, William!”
He hesitated. “No offense, mum, but he’ll have me head if I leave your side. And he’s a mite big blighter with an awful temper. I’d rather not test it right when he’s already upset, if you know what I mean. And I’m rather fond of me bullocks. I’d like to be keeping them a bit longer, if you don’t mind.”
Biting her lip, she debated what to do. To attack Gadreyal would be all manner of stupid. Unlike her, the Irin had been born to battle. She had even more experience than Duel did.
With no better idea, Mara lowered her chin and used her powers to smack Gadreyal with the mast.
It worked. Tucking her wings down, she stumbled away from Duel with a foul curse.
Proud of herself, Mara headed for Du, intending to check on him.
She didn’t make it.
Something grabbed her from behind and sent her sprawling.…
Devyl ran as he saw the demon tackle Mara. His heart pounding in fear for her safety, he leapt for them and, while airborne, took the bastard’s head with one stroke of his sword for daring to touch her. He landed on the deck and rolled, making sure to grab Mara and pull her with him out of harm’s way.
They came to rest at the side of the ship, with her on top of him.
“Are you all right?” he breathed.
“Aye. You?”
He nodded. “Why aren’t you below like I said?”
“You know I don’t follow your orders worth a damn.”
Her teasing tone made him smile in spite of the danger they were in and undermined the anger he wanted to feel. He dropped his gaze to her parted lips and wished fervently they weren’t in battle.
No sooner had that thought gone through his mind than Gadreyal’s troops pulled back.
