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A grizzled man with a scarred face appears on the other side. His ax swings at Smee with a speed that belies his bulk. She parries, but the ax comes again, and she hits the deck, rolling before the curved blade can stab into the place she just laid. I surge forward, my blade a blur as I drive him back into the rope lining the outer edge of the deck. Before I can deliver a deadly blow, he stumbles and careens into the deep, disappearing beneath the black waves.
Smee gets to her feet, dusting off her shirt like it will dislodge the blood staining it, then adjusts her headband and picks up her discarded sword.
“Keep your eyes peeled. There have to be a couple dozen below deck.” I stride down the companionway steps until I hit the next level.
A dimly lit room comes into view, a passageway on each of the four walls. Fixed tables and benches fill the space, littered with flipped and discarded trays. Whoever was eating left in a hurry. Reaching the nearest table, I grab the edge of a plate and pull it closer.
“The food is still hot,” a muffled voice says to my right. Nelvin—the most experienced swordsman on this crew—leans against one of the tables, trying to stuff an entire bread roll into his mouth. “In case you were wondering.”
Is it odd that I can understand the gibberish he speaks? No. In fact, I’ve become rather used to it. No matter how wealthy the man gets, he always eats like a pig. It’s no more unusual than the rabbit’s foot he’s rubbing between his fingers. He never takes it off. Not even to bathe.
Twisting my neck, I arch an eyebrow at him. “Can you leave the food alone?”
“Well, someone’s gotta eat it.”
“That someone doesn’t have to be you,” Smee says, poking him in the ribs with the tip of her sword.
Nelvin rolls his eyes, grabbing another roll off a tray and shoving it into the pocket of his harem pants. “Fine. I’ll eat them later, but I call dibs on all the ones without a nibble.” Brushing his long blond hair behind his pointed ears, he makes eye contact with the others, like he knows they’ll try to steal them, anyway.
“Let’s split up. Groups of two. If you find the cargo hold, you know what you’re looking for. If you get it, you head back to the ship. Don’t linger.” I pluck a green bean out of Nelvin’s hand and eat it, enjoying the way he frowns at me. “You’re with Smee. I need to know you won’t eat your way to the bottom of the ship.”
His silver eyes fall flat, but the moment Smee moves between us, his demeanor changes. His gaze turns hungry, and his smile is all teeth, widening even more when he catches a glimpse of her chest. I think it’s safe to say he’s admiring his handiwork.
“Eye-fuck my sister again and I’ll feed you to the fish,” I growl, shaking my head when he snaps to attention.
As the group pairs up, I pull Zephyr with me. He’s shit with a sword, but beyond skilled with a needle and one of the best healers on the Jolly Roger. As an elemental, like me, he can control the air, but his ability is nowhere near strong enough to be a weapon. It can’t even fill the sails when the winds die due to him being part orc.
The magic in his blood is diluted, but it doesn’t stop him from becoming useful in other ways. He can stitch you up in seconds, and when we need to send messages long distance or to the rest of the crew on heists like this, he can whisper it and the wind will carry it where it needs to go.
He follows me into one of the passages and down the stairs to the floor below. It’s a berthing, where the crewmen that serve on the ship sleep. Much like the mess hall above, it’s empty and hauntingly silent, which does nothing for the anxiety knotting in my gut.
The doors on both ends are open, but otherwise, everything looks as it should. I motion for Zephyr to help check the bunks, ripping open the curtains to the three-tiered racks of beds. Not a single soul is present.
Using my gift, I search the darkness, letting it bend to my will to reveal the secrets hidden within it, but the room is empty. I sense heartbeats present on other floors, likely my crew, but none on this one. It’s as if the ship has been abandoned. The vessel creaks as it lolls with the waves.
Grabbing Zephyr, we go deeper, continuing down to the lowest level of the ship. The companionway ends at a door. Locked, but not by magic. Touching the tip of my finger to the keyhole, a trail of smoke-like darkness forms around it, threading inside until the lock pins click open.
Turning the circular handle, I crank until the hatch releases and the hinges whine. Every hair on my body seems to stand on end, and I lift my wrist to get a better look, furrowing my brow. A sulfuric scent leaching into the air, burning its way down my windpipe.
“Something isn’t right.” No sooner do I get the words out, power gushes through the opening. It slams into me as the darkness swarms around my body and I’m thrown back. I hit the bulkhead and a ringing explodes through my ears, but my shadows soften the blow.
The force was so strong, so unexpected. It takes me a moment to register the pain that sweeps over me, making every muscle in my body scream. I gasp for breath, clutching at my chest. A burning sensation settles deep as if a bolt of energy burrowed into my sternum.
Lifting my gaze, I find two robed figures. Though most of their faces are obscured, I can see their wicked smiles, along with their blackened teeth and gums.
Fucking witches... It’s a trap, just as I’d feared, but there’s no way I’m turning back now.
“Zephyr!” I call, hearing a groan to my left. Forcing my neck to turn, I see a lump of green flesh on the stairwell move. As my eyes focus, the twisted dark horns that arc over the shape of his head come into view. He pushes up, holding a hand over the gash in his head.
He’s breathing and moving. That’s a good sign.
The figures step forward, spreading their fingers as they chant in a language I don’t understand. My sword lay on the floor near the hatch door, but I’m far from unarmed.
The air vibrates with their sickly magic as I push up to my feet and I summon my own. Thick black tendrils of smoke roll around my skin, the edges of my being blurring with the pulsating darkness. It coils around my arms and power thrums through my veins. With a flick of my wrist, the shadows dart forward. They collide with the figures, wrapping and constricting around them, depriving them of air and draining the life from their forms. Their skin pales and cracks form along the surface until the figures explode into charred embers and gray ashes.
Zephyr limps closer, his eyes widening as he takes in what’s happened. “Are you alright?”
“I should be asking you that,” I say, nodding at the gash on his head.
