“You bound her,” the guardian rumbled.
The silver cuffs around Edith’s wrists burned suddenly colder. Gerald lifted his chin slightly.
“She belongs to the Smokeclaw clan.”
The temperature of the sea seemed to drop instantly. Danger rolled outward so sharply Edith physically felt it. Dave’s massive form shifted closer.
“Oh,” the guardian said softly. “You said the wrong thing.”
Gerald finally seemed to realise exactly how precarious the situation had become.
Spencer moved fast, one enormous tentacle surging upward over the railing and wrapped carefully but firmly around Edith’s waist. Gerald reacted instantly.
Magic exploded from his hands in sharp golden fire. Edith barely had time to gasp before Spencer yanked her bodily away from the railing as Gerald’s magic struck where she’d been sitting seconds earlier.
The boat exploded into chaos. Wood splintered everywhere and the pirate woke up screaming. Mark lunged forward shouting something.
Dave laughed like an absolute menace, enjoying the show far too much. Edith found herself dangling several feet above the water, held securely in Spencer’s massive tentacle.
“Okay,” she said breathlessly. “This is objectively the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Spencer made a low rumbling sound through the water. Edith decided immediately that Kraken noises were unfairly attractive.
Gerald looked furious now. Actually furious, not the composed male he wanted people to see. His carefully controlled mask cracked completely as he pointed at Spencer.
“She is promised, she is MINE!”
Brutas surged upward sharply enough to send waves crashing across the deck.
“She chose otherwise.” The force in the guardian’s voice shook the entire boat.
Gerald staggered slightly and Mark grabbed the railing hard.
Edith stared at Brutas in awe. Honestly, ten out of ten rescue experience so far. The silver cuffs still bit painfully into her wrists though, suppressing every instinctive flare of magic beneath her skin. Spencer noticed immediately. Of course he did.
His tentacle tightened slightly around her protectively before another curled carefully toward the cuffs.
Edith blinked. “Please don’t accidentally remove my arms.”
The enormous Kraken eye fixed on her, he was somehow offended.
“Sorry,” Edith muttered. “You’re very emotionally expressive for a sea monster.”
Dave barked out another laugh, loud enough to shake the water.
It was then that Mark moved suddenly. Not toward Spencer, but instead toward Gerald.
The bounty hunter grabbed the older male’s arm hard enough to stop another spell from forming. “Enough,” Mark snapped.
Everyone froze and Gerald stared at him in disbelief. “What?”
Mark’s jaw tightened. “This wasn’t the deal.”
Edith barked out a laugh. “Oh NOW you’re developing morals?”
Mark flinched slightly, allowing Gerald to yank his arm free violently.
“You stupid boy,” he hissed. “Do you have any idea what you’ve interfered with?”
