AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He kept turning hard and calling out instructions, using the wind to their advantage and never taking the glow out of his sight. When it was above them, he locked the wheel in place and let Marko take over. Isaiah’s heart jumped when the glow started moving…then, accelerating as if Ruby was unable to control herself anymore.
“Nets!”
The nets were thrown out. Mattresses were dragged to the deck. The men jumped back as the glow shot over the net and slammed into one of the mattresses, scattering feathers everywhere. Isaiah dove in, brushing feathers aside and reaching out for the two figures who were—
“We made it!” Ruby gasped, trying to breathe amid a feather stuck in her mouth. Nicola plucked it off, body quivering brutally, then threw herself at Isaiah.
He caught her and didn’t let go, absorbing the feel of unbroken bones, wild heartbeat, and warm, firm skin. She was alive. She didn’t die on him. The rest of the men helped Ruby off of the mattress and brushed more feathers away from her before she waved them off.
“I’m okay,” she protested. “I’m not helpless. Jeez.”
“She’s not,” Nicola agreed, looking visibly excited for someone who had been at risk of drowning. So did Ruby, their pulsating energy baffling the men.
“Ye could have gotten yerself killed,” Marko bit out. “Drowned at sea. Decapitated by sea creatures. Taken by merman folks.”
“We didn’t,” Nicola replied easily, still clinging to him.
“Ye could have gotten shot if they spotted ye. Or maimed with a cannon.”
“We didn’t,” Ruby repeated, eyes wide and grinning like a madman. Then she pointed.
One by one, all heads turned to peer at the ocean, trying to determine what was happening. Maddox startled while the others murmured in confusion. Then Moon narrowed his gaze and gasped.
“Look.”
There was another glow not coming from the ship just to their left. Dumbfounded, Isaiah took in the smug women.
“You threw magic at the other ship.”
“I threw a signal that only nearby ships can spot,” Ruby confirmed. “Nicola asked me to. She also talked me through my panic because flying in the sky is apparentlynotmy thing and something I would gladly not do again.”
As if in agreement, her knees wobbled and she had to grab Moon for support. The women's excitement spread over the rest of the crew until they were bursting at the seams, including Isaiah, who felt so much pride for the woman in his arms. But Nicola also served as a reminder that it wasn’t over yet, not with Ven still alive and neither of their goals fulfilled yet. Still, he let his crew heap their praises on the witch. When it died down, he cleared his throat.
“We have a signal. But you heard what Ruby said: it’s for nearby ships, meaning we have to keep them close. We also have to plan better, considering how we failed the last few times. Fellas, it’s time to brainstorm. We have two vampires and a witch by our side, but we are not invincible. Are you ready to beat the pirate lord with all that you have?”
The agreement voiced by the men was electric. Isaiah let that feeling flourish, too, understanding they needed all the motivation they could get. They were complete, a crew glued together by circumstance.
And this time, they were going to make it.
Moonlight spread over the ship, leaving Ruby busy cloaking them and Moon retreating to his quarters with the excuse that his stomach wasn’t quite up to it. That was enough to keep Maddox preoccupied, too, as he worried over the boy and used himself as a shield for the other crew members at the same time. Still, they planned, discarding some ideas and sharpening the rest, then set it aside when they knew they needed Ruby free.
“She’s sleeping,” Nicola announced sometime later when she entered his cabin. “Believe it or not, she fell asleep with her magic still on. We are still cloaked and Marko’s keeping an eye on the other ship.”
“I believe it. That woman’s a wonder.”
“Is she?”
He looked up from his drink at her amused voice and noted the deep, gaunt marks under her eyes. His jaw clenched, but he kept his voice light at her approach.
“She is. Cute, too. A tiny package that holds a punch. Are you sure Maddox isn’t into that?”
“He’s protective, but they are insisting on friendship and mutual benefits. Not sex-related, it seems…why? Are you interested?”
He took her hand, tugging her close. She resisted slightly, curious.
“She’s also sweet,” he said. “You don’t meet a lot of witches like those anymore. There’s still the crazy side, though, which fits with the lot of us pirates. She fits in. Perfect for our team.”
“Normally I would focus on faults, but she’s delightfully badass in my books. That woman deserves all the happiness in the world. And some vengeance.”
