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Crap.
I started climbing the rope ladder up one of the masts.
“You’ve got nowhere to hide, Curse Keeper,” Ukinim slurred.
Movement at the side of the dock caught my attention, and the torrential downpour slowed to a sprinkle. “You are thebiggestpain in the ass,” Collin shouted, climbing over the edge of the dock.
“Collin?”
Ukinim turned toward him. “Son of the land.”
Collin stood on the wooden platform, cocking his head to the side. “You and Ellie have more in common than you think.” He took a step closer to the ship. “You both hate Okeus. Just let her go.”
“Let her go?” Ukinim lowered his head and turned his good eye toward Collin. “Okeus stole what was most precious to me. My humanity,” he growled. “And now I will take what’s most precious to him.”
“Goddamn it, Ukinim. Okeus will never let you get away with this,” Collin spit. “It’s not worth it. Just let her go.”
“Never.”
Ilena rammed her body into the mast and the rope ladder shook. My foot slipped from its rung, and I clung to the ladder as the mast shook again and began to tilt over the dock.
“Ellie!” Collin shouted.
Ukinim laughed, swinging his claws, but I jerked out of the way and skittered back down the pole, reaching for a rope ladder attached to another mast. Grabbing hold of it, I crouched on the wood beam and leaped for the nearby pole, sliding and fighting for purchase as my legs became tangled in the ropes. At least I was back over the ship.
My relief was short-lived. Ilena hit the new mast and I screamed as my hands slipped; my legs still entwined in the ropes. I now dangled upside down over the deck, just barely out of Ilena’s grasp.
“Ukinim.” Collin sounded desperate. “Let her go or I’ll be forced to destroy you.”
The badger swung his head around, his red eye glowing even brighter. “All the spirits know you aren’t a threat. That’s why they leave you alone. For now. If you do this, you will be as much of a target as she is.”
“Listen to me!” Collin shouted in frustration. “Don’t you see that if you kill her, Okeus will hunt you to the ends of the earth to make you pay?”
Ilena laughed. “Don’t you think he knows that? He doesn’t care.”
Collin shot me a worried glance as I pulled myself up and fumbled to free my legs from the lines.
Ukinim slinked over the bridge onto the boat and laughed. “I’m going to send you straight to Popogusso, Curse Keeper.”
“Don’t waste your time,” I said, finally freeing myself. “My manitou belongs to Ahone now.”
Ilena rammed the mast and the wood cracked, the pole leaning over the front end of the ship. I struggled to keep my hold.
The clouds rolled and lightning struck the lighthouse on the other side of the bay, the building erupting into flames.
“Ellie!” Collin shouted. “Start your words of protection.”
“No! If I send them away, they’ll just come back.”
“Trust me.”
Two words, so simple but so elusive. I would have given anything to trust Collin, but he’d proven himself untrustworthy time and again. Still, he’d always gone out of his way to protect me. I knew he’d do it this time too. Wasn’t that why he was here?
Collin took a running leap onto the ship.
Ukinim’s feet gripped the pole, and he started inching up toward me.
I lifted my hand, but it was too late. Even if I started my words of protection, Ukinim would get me before I could stop him.
