“Do what you will, woman,” Draxen says, spitting on the deck.

I hadn’t expected him to face death so nobly. “Your men should be disappointed that you don’t even try to bargain for their lives.”

“If it’s all the same,” one pirate pipes up, “I’d prefer to live.” This from Kearan.

I smile. “Very well. Wallov, Deros, take this pirate to the brig.” Wallov and Deros are the only two men in my crew. They are all muscle, both of them, and they’re handy dealing with prisoners. Particularly large ones like Kearan. But their muscles are not the only things that make them useful. I need at least one man on my ship at all times. Men are the only ones who can hear my song. Or at least be affected by it. When I’m parted from my crew, it’s good to always have a way to contact them quickly when they’re within reach of my song.

“Take this one, too,” I order, pointing to Enwen. “And the captain. Also, you should find an injured man, suffering from two gunshot wounds in the rooms off the main deck. Take him to the ship as well. Mandsy?”

“Aye, Captain?”

“See to him, will you?”

“Of course.”

I order several more to be brought over, a few of the really young ones. It’s harder to allow such youth to be taken from the world so easily. I’ll let them go at the next port, and Kalligan will be none the wiser.

But the others, those who were cruel to me, those who are truly despicable lowlifes, like Ulgin—those I want to see rotting at the bottom of the sea.

“Kill the rest,” I say.

Sorinda is the first to take out her sword. She starts stepping behind the men and slitting their throats one after the other. Killing is practically an art for her. The way she moves is magical.

Everyone hurries to follow orders. The prisoners are taken over to the ship. I arrange for a few of my crew to stay aboard the Night Farer to steer her toward the meeting place. The bodies are dumped overboard, and everyone returns to their positions.

It is only when everything is sorted out that I can return to my own ship. When I finally step onto the deck of the Ava-lee, the taste of freedom hits me. I was never really a prisoner while on the Night Farer, of course, but there’s something truly sweet about being home again.

Chapter 21

I TRAIL MY HANDS along the wooden railing as I walk. It was damaged once during a battle against a ship that tried to desert my father’s fleet. A cannon from my ship tore through the opposing vessel’s mizzenmast, and the whole thing managed to come down onto my ship, tearing through the railing and denting the deck. The crew and I quickly sailed for the island of Butana, where we stole wooden planks from the island’s fine lumberyards. Nearly lost a member of the crew, too. Men with saws and axes chased us away, but even carrying heavy wooden planks, we still all made it out alive. We rebuilt the railing ourselves and replaced the damaged planks in the deck.

Each piece of this ship has a story. Each piece was fought hard for and earned. It makes the whole so much more rewarding, because it took so much effort to put her together.

I love my ship almost as much as I love my crew.

I see the door to my quarters, and I feel a strong pull in that direction, but I ignore it. There will be time to get comfortable later.

“Hiya, Cap’n,” a tiny voice says from above. Roslyn sways down from a rope until her bare feet hit the ground. The wee lass is more stable swinging through the air than she is on flat ground.

I ruffle the girl’s hair as I take in the faces of all my crew, promising myself that there will be time to catch up with everyone later. But there are a few things that must be settled first.

“Niridia,” I say. No matter where I am on the ship, my first mate always manages to hear me. I swear I could whisper to her from down below and she’d hear me from the crow’s nest. It’s a fantastic ability of her own.

“Aye, Captain?” she asks, materializing in front of me.

“How many dead in the skirmish?”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. When there is fighting to be done, good men and women will be lost. And there’s not one on this ship who isn’t willing to die for you.”

“How many?” I repeat.

“Two.”

“Who?”

“Zimah and Mim.”

I close my eyes and picture their faces in my mind. Zimah was one of the three who volunteered to come with me on the journey to get myself kidnapped by Draxen. She was a great tracker and a fine conversationalist. She had all kinds of stories to share about the places she’d been. I loved listening to her. Mim had a good pair of hands on her. Always willing to do what I asked, glad no matter what it was. A mighty fine pirate. I shall miss them both dearly. I hate to think it was because I called for help that the two of them died. I realize every man and woman knows what they sign up for when they join the crew, but still. I hate the constant losses that come with pirating.

“We will light candles for them tonight,” I say.

“Already sent the order to Roslyn.”

“Good.” As captain, I have to push aside losses and focus on what’s best for the crew. I hate that part, too. “We’ll need a new navigator. Someone who can track and knows the lands and waters well.”

Niridia nods.

A crazy thought comes to me. “I know just the man.”

“Man?” Niridia asks. “Didn’t you swear after Ralin that you’d never take on another man for the crew so long as we already had one?”

“Oh, don’t remind me about Ralin. Couldn’t keep his hands off the crew, that one. Despicable creature.”

“He was a bit more bearable once you cut them off.”

“Yes, shame he decided to leave our employ after that. Can’t imagine what that was about.”

Niridia smiles. “Some men don’t have the stomach for being pirates.”

“This one, if he’s willing, should be well cut out for the job. He’s more interested in his drink than in the girls. And he’s so slow, he wouldn’t be able to catch any of the women.”

“Sounds like a fine specimen. How could we turn down such an able-bodied man?”

I laugh. “I missed you, Niridia.”

“Missed you, too, Captain.”

“I need to go belowdecks, but I should be back shortly. Get us going, will you? I want to get to the checkpoint as quickly as possible.”