“Nearly thirty,” Deneb said. “The rest are below deck.”
A man came around the other corner of the captain’s quarters. “Get to the front. We need more hands to pass bucket—”
Ian rushed forward to protect Sol and Deneb as they continued to release the other Majis. He held up his sword just as the man rounded the corner.
This tasker responded more quickly than the other one had, perhaps because the fire onboard had already alerted him to some form of danger. He jumped back from Ian’s drawn sword and drew a blunt bludgeon from his belt. Ian did not want to imagine why the guard carried a blunt weapon onboard a closed ship.
The man sneered at Ian. “Attackers!” he yelled. “To me!”
Ian lunged forward, quickly swiping his sword in an attempt to stop the man’s cry of alarm, but he was too late.
The guard blocked his swing with the bludgeon. Then he slowly backed away, luring Ian away from anyone who could help him.
Ian took one step forward, holding his sword close, but did not fall for the man’s trap. Sol and the group of Majis were now protected on one side by Ian and on the other side by the fire. Ian was going to guard them for as long as they needed.
Except, they were not the only Majis onboard the ship. At least two dozen more were down in the hold, according to Deneb. And they were likely locked down there. On a now-burning ship.
Ian did not have time to guard the Majis at his back. He had to move now.
Ian lunged forward, feinting his sword to the left.
The man’s face twisted into a sneer, as though he was delighted to take part in this fight.
Ian leaned hard to the right at the last second.
The man was quick and caught Ian’s movement, dancing out of the way in the minimal space. But the quick change of movement did cause him to hit his hips against the railing, throwing him momentarily off balance.
Expecting this, Ian took advantage of the moment. He shifted his weight to his back foot and positioned his sword for another lunge, as the space was too narrow for a wider swing.
But before he could bring his sword down on his enemy, someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. “This is our fight,” said Deneb, stepping around Ian.
Ian put his back to the captain’s quarters to let Deneb pass, and another Majis man followed him. Both of them carried familiar swords, likely the ones that Sol had been wearing.
Keeping an eye on their enemy, Ian saw the first moment of real fear cross the man’s face when he realized that his opponent was now two of those who had been his captives.
Several more of the freed Majis pushed past Ian.
This was their fight.
Ian held out his short swords, handing both of them over to the freed Majis. Then he ran back toward the fire. Aizel was just peeking her head over the railing. Lane and Nele just behind her.
They were dangerously close to the spreading flames.
Ian grabbed Aizel’s wrists and helped her onto the deck, pushing her down the deck away from the fire. He reached back to help Nele, but she was already over the rail and pulling Lane up behind her.
“You should have swam back when you saw the flames,” Ian said.
“That’s not how backup works,” Nele replied.
Ian shook his head, having no time to argue.
By the time they had made it back around the captain’s quarters to the main deck, the Majis had overpowered the rest of the taskers.
Ian inhaled a deep breath. Other than the raging fire, they had succeeded in taking back the first ship. He coughed from the smoke.
Chapter 46
Ian took a moment to assess what was happening around him.
