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SQUINTING IN THE BRIGHT light, Caelina raised her hands to shield her eyes as she was led out of the darkened hold.
The refreshing spray of cool water and the fresh salty air swirled over her skin. The sea and skies were blue as far as the eye could see; save a glimpse of the island they’d just departed still on the horizon. If not for the clamps on her wrist and her impending death, it would have been such a nice day.
Stellan was already across the deck, approaching the door to Neris’s quarters. Despite his dark glare, eyebrows furrowed deeply in dissent, he didn’t try to struggle away. He was likely worried for Caelina’s safety if he resisted.
Foy’s grip was tight on her arm as he led her across the boat.
Caelina chewed on her lip as she watched his cutlass sword swinging from the hilt on his belt on his other side as he walked alongside her. If she managed to grab hold of it, she might be able to use it to break apart her wrist clamps and wake her magic.
The main deck of the boat they were passing was crawling with beefy, grimy pirates, some hauling supplies, some busy with the sails and rigs. Caelina grimaced at their sheer number. Stellan alone could probably not take them on all by himself.
But except for the brief curious glances up and down her, most of the pirates were too preoccupied to pay her mind. It was probably fortunate that Neris considered Caelina weak and helpless, directing only Foy to escort her out—something that perhaps Caelina could use to her advantage.
She cleared her throat and regarded Foy with what she hoped was an innocent, congenial look. “Um...so, do you like being a pirate?” She already wanted to kick herself in the head. She was terrible at small talk, even worse at flirting.
Foy grimaced. “What?”
Caelina swallowed hard. He wasn’t buying it? Could he even hear her over the roar of the wind and the sea?
Her eyes lit up upon spotting a gap near the railing and she pulled hard, dragging the two of them closer to it. “Wow, the ocean is so vast and big!” Loading as much awe as she could in her voice, she stepped around Foy so that she was at his sword-hand side. “I bet you don’t even get scared out here, do you?”
Foy stared at her like she had barnacles on her face. “What?”
But he caught her furtive glance down at his cutlass, catching on a lot quicker than she’d hoped.
Screw it.
Holding her breath, Caelina lunged to grab the sword but Foy reacted fast. He spun her around, his arms clamping around to contain her even as she tried to kick away.
“No—!” Almost as a reflex, Caelina snapped her hands up, whacking his face over her shoulder with her metal clamps. There was a sharp crack.
Wailing in pain, Foy clutched at his broken nose, dropping her and teetering on his stance. With all her strength and a grunt of effort, Caelina pushed him over the rail.
Their ruckus, not to mention Foy’s outcry of disbelief as he plummeted off the boat, caught the attention of the other nearby pirates on the main deck.
“OY!”
“Man overboard!”
“Hey, you—!”
One of them lunged to grab Caelina. Whirling around with a yelp, she scrambled upstairs to the helm.
The helmsman’s eyes lit up upon catching sight of her. But before he could make a move, Caelina charged toward him with a mad cry to push him back against and up and over the railing, making another splash in the ocean.
“Captain!” Someone bellowed out.
Caelina’s eyes widened when Neris spun around, finally alerting to the commotion.
As soon as Stellan’s eyes clamped on Caelina, standing safely at the helm, his face filled with relief. But Neris exploded in fury. She let out an ear-splitting, hysterical shriek.
“GET HER!”
Two ruffians clomped up the stairs reaching the helm to detain Caelina. She backed up in dread, panting as her brain churned. She tugged at the clamps on her wrist again in a futile effort and groaned in distress. Glancing back up at the vicious pirates snaking toward her, her chest heaved in panic.
What could she do? What could she actually do?
The next thing she heard was Neris’s bloodcurdling scream. Somehow, Stellan had already worked his wrist clamps to his front. He hoisted Neris up in his arms before throwing her overboard with another loud splash.
With the two pirates distracted by this, Caelina leaped forward, springing off her hands against the floor into a swift cartwheel kick, knocking out one pirate. Then with a full twisting layout, she delivered a solid wallop right across the other pirate’s face. With a pained howl, the pirate staggered back, losing his balance over the railing to fall into the water.
“Caelina!”
Her gaze snapped up toward his deep, booming voice.
From across the ship, Stellan was swinging through the air on a rope. His intense gaze not leaving hers for a moment, he landed on the elevated deck before her with a thud.
Her entire body tingling with the thrill, the tension, and anticipation, Caelina rushed forward at the same time that he met her halfway. Head bent, Stellan crushed his lips against hers, tugging her close.
Caelina gasped at the urgency of his kiss.
Stellan pushed his tongue inside her mouth, and fire exploded within her, an even greater need building in her core.
But he broke off with a small wince, his voice low, husky, rough. “S-Sorry, I couldn’t wait.”
Panting as hard as he was, Caelina almost laughed. “Me neither.”
“Will you fight beside me?” His eyebrows rose at his prompt.
Caelina’s smile widened as she straightened out her dress. “Gladly.”
They both turned to face the ship full of rioting ruffians who were eager to avenge their fallen captain.
Caelina braced her back against his. “Are we really going to do this?”
A cocky smile formed on Stellan’s face once more. “We’re the strongest warrior and mage in all of the Fae lands. This will be easy.”
The pirates charged on in their skirmish, aggressive yells with kicks and punches, metal clashing, and even more splashes in the water. But without their captain, the disorganized lot of pirates were significantly less than effective to overwhelm Caelina and Stellan’s spirited teamwork.
Plus, Stellan hadn’t exaggerated when he said he could still fight well even with his hands bound together. His handsome face was tight, his eyebrows drawn in grave tenacity, his lips pursed, and his jaw set as he gracefully fought and defeated every pirate that ran his way.
Caelina had to shake herself from simply watching.
“Heads up!” She ran toward him.
Catching her gaze, Stellan held out his hands for her. She anchored onto his strong arms while the rest of her flew up sideways, her feet tracking up onto and across the forecastle deck wall before landing a couple of swift kicks at two pirates behind them.
Breathless, Caelina shot Stellan a triumphant glance, and even as he lunged to grab the next grimy pirate in a stranglehold, Stellan beamed at her.
Caelina was dashing away to regain the higher ground back on the rear deck when a loud clank grabbed her attention. Something skated across the wooden floor near Stellan’s feet.
Her eyes almost popped out of her head as she spotted it.
Ax!
Stellan’s eyes had lit up as well. “Caelina!” He ran toward her, picking up the heavy weapon on the way, already rearing his arm back to wield it.
Partly wincing, Caelina held out her wrists as Stellan heaved the ax down with impressive accuracy. The clamps on her wrists broke apart with a loud, satisfying crack.
As soon as her hands were unbound, Caelina’s stormy blue eyes blazed in ferocity and purpose. She threw her shoulders back, clasping her palms together so suddenly, the torrential force of her magic coming alive was a thunderclap of crackling energy surging across the length of the ship and a considerable radius of the surrounding seas.
Caelina snapped her arms down and a sharp, targeted gust of wind tossed all the pirates into the air, off the boat, and into the drink.
Blustery gale still whirling around her form, Caelina pounded her fists together. A low, slow rumble progressed into a straining groan as the entirety of the ship blew out in a colossal eruption, propelling chunks of splintered wood across the foamy white peaks of the choppy ocean while the rest of the demolished boat capsized, swallowed in the wild, blue waters.
The enormity of Caelina’s display of power left barely any trace of the devastation.
Except for the escape dingy.
* * *
