AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Deal. As long as I get my pick and you don’t just give me scraps.”
“I just want my treasures, mate, greedy bastard that I am…ifany of this is true.” Isaiah held out a hand. “Truce?”
They shook on it, a crucial moment wherein he waited for Ven’s other hand to reach for the sword. They stepped back with no incident, and he determined the man was serious as hell about finding the ghost ship—yet another successful step.
“I can start giving you details. But not here. Considering how easily you found me, we need a better, more private location, so that no one else will know.”
“Lead the way.”
Step three.
“I was thinking about a place away from your ship and mine,” Isaiah began, then rolled his eyes. “And without all these people around recognizing us and attempting to follow us…unless, of course, you are nervous to be alone with me.”
“I said to lead the way.”
He did, ducking into emptier paths and watching the rest of his crew, who were disguised as sellers, show their practiced, subtle gestures to indicate that they were safe and there wasn’t an army on them. Marko put up two fingers at one point, and Isaiah easily spotted the two followers—pirates, thank goodness. They arrived in an empty parking space designed to look like a fancier deck with rows of warehouses behind. Isaiah pretended to hesitate.
“If you want, we can just stay out here so you won’t think I’m trying to jump you—”
“Inside the warehouse is fine. But you go first.”
“Sure.”
Isaiah stepped in, then paused when it was Moon he spotted dangling from a rope and sprinting toward him.
“You are not supposed to be here,” Isaiah hissed.
“He didn’t make it.”
“What?”
“Maddox didn’t make it to his designated spot. We couldn’t find him. We need to leave.”
And there went the end of his plan, spoiled before it could bear fruit. Refusing to give up just like that, he took out his sword and dragged Moon with him, then pushed the boy in between some crates. Moon opened his mouth, then closed it at Isaiah’s warning glare.
“Don’t say a word. Don’t come out unless they see you. Swing with all you have.”
“Isaiah?”
“In here,” Isaiah called out, backtracking to the front of the warehouse. He switched his knife from its holder to his pocket, composure back in place as he grinned at Ven’s approaching figure and tried not to ponder where the half-vampire was. Ven looked around. “See? Enough light and not enough hiding space. It’s the perfect venue for us to talk.”
“Okay. Then talk.”
“Sure. It’s all silly, I tell you, but since you think there’s something there, I will gladly reveal what Elmer said as a sign of my commitment to the truce.”
His knife was out before either of them could blink, driving into the man’s chest. But a clanging sound rang in the air as Ven’s body blocked it.
“Huh. Metal arm. Who would have thought?”
“Shoulder,” Ven corrected and jumped back. Isaiah did the same. The two circled each other as he perused which part was flesh under the man’s shirt. A cold sensation settled over him when Ven stopped moving completely. Only the man’s gaze followed Isaiah.
“Are you scared to fight me?” he goaded. “Or are you just that confident that you and your two cronies would beat me easily? I can take three at the same time, you know.”
“You talk too much,” Ven shot back. “And I don’t need to fight.”
The coldness gave way to a darker sensation when the two figures shadowing them appeared—and three more stepped in. They formed a line in front of Isaiah, faces expressionless and eyes cold.
In the center of the line was a severely wounded Maddox, tied from head to toe, with a sword sticking in his belly and another held over his neck.
