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Declared mutiny.
Betrayal and guilt, anger and grief, all slammed together like a storm, my legs quivering.
“Weknowyour true priorities.” Gage’s attention slid to Croygen with a pointed look. “I probably should feel giddy being in the presence of such a legend. The reason Katrina made every decision she did for centuries. Should I bow to the great Silver Tongue Devil?”
“A parade would have been nice,” Croygen replied dryly.
Gage chuckled, though he was anything but amused. He stepped closer to Croygen, looking him up and down, sizing him up.
“Funny, Kitty-Kat.” Gage stared at him, speaking to me, trying to subtly challenge the man who stood inches above him. A small growl came from Croygen, who didn’t like him using that nickname. “I thought he would be dead by now. I mean, wasn’t that your whole plan. Revenge? Killing the man who murdered your father?” He peered over at me. “Or was that all bullshit too?”
“Things have changed—”
“Yes, they have.” Gage cut me off. Tearing off his hat, he barreled up to me. “See this, Katrina?” He pointed at his half-sawed-off ear. The stump had healed over, but was gnarly and jarring. “This is what you let happen. Your command and decisions led us that night. Polly, Dobbs, and Ruby trusted you, and you got them killed.” He spat. “And now Moses is dead too.”
“What?” I gasped, acid running down the back of my throat. Moses was dead?
“Tortured to death in the middle of the square for all to see,” he fumed. “He kept telling us he believed you were alive and you’d come back for us. Look where it got him. He’s dead.”
I glanced over at Zuri, needing confirmation, wanting to see her response, to comfort her. They had been like brother and sister. First to fight with each other, but first to defend the other to outsiders.
Anger tightened her jaw, seething hatred burning in her gaze. At me.
“I’m sure you can still visit what’s left of his skull hanging on a spike at the palace.” Gage drew my attention back to him.
I wanted to cry, to curl into a ball. Ruby, Dobbs, Polly, and now Moses were all gone. And it all led back to me.
“I’d think you’d blame the man who did it to you.” Croygen gritted through his teeth. “Not turn your back on your captain, who went through hell to get back to you.”
Gage didn’t respond to him, his focus locked on me. For a moment, I saw hurt before he boarded himself up again.
“I realized I was the one who should have been in charge the whole time. To savemycrew.” He shook his head, baring his teeth. Somewhere in my gut, I felt a tug, Croygen calling my name, but I couldn’t break away from Gage, disbelief making everything feel far away. “I should’ve known when evenKilliancouldn’t take your bullshit anymore. He ran far away from you; you were that toxic. You know there was talk of mutiny then. Did you know that? But we all still believed in you. Trusted you would lead us when all you cared about washim.” He flicked his chin to Croygen. “We’re fools no more.”
I couldn’t find the words to speak or fight back. His anger and betrayal knocked me on my ass, but a huge part of me felt I might deserve it. That he was right. I had been so tunnel-visioned on Croygen, to being better, richer, more powerful. Though none of them complained when riches and fame rained down on us because of it.
“I was your trained lap dog for centuries.” Gage got in my face. “Not anymore.”
He stepped back with a smug grin.
“This is nowThe Bloody Hangman.” He swung out his arms over my ship. Batara’s symbol was on it, declaring who it flew under, but now I saw the name below. Something Gage always wanted. To be captain.
“This ismyship. And you aretrespassing.” He stared at me as his voice sang over the deck. “And you know what happens to those who trespass on my ship… wekillthem.”
Chapter 23
Katrina
Gage’s words blasted over the ship like a cannon, knocking everyone into action, crying out for our blood.
Katrina!I heard my name bellow through me as Croygen slammed his elbow into the guard behind him, whipping around and grabbing his gun, shooting him dead in a blink. A shot rang right by my ear, and the man behind me dropped to the ground, snapping me out of my bewildered trance. Croygen pointed a weapon at where he had been. His eyes caught mine for a moment. A thousand words and lifetimes were spoken, a connection saying everything we didn’t have to utter out loud.
Swiping up the discarded gun and sword from the guard, Croygen and I moved together, knowing our odds weren’t great, but we’d go down fighting side-by-side.
Pandemonium roared down in a fury of chaos. The sounds of blades and howls of bullets crooned like a bad opera. Dramatic and shrilling, we pranced over the stage, fighting and killing those in our path.
Stay the fuck alive, Kitten. I felt Croygen growl through me, our movements in sync, our skill keeping us living in a sea of our enemy.
You too, pirate.
