Chapter 15
I was floating through the air, boneless, weightless—until something slammed into my side. I heard the crunch of at least one rib, and the agony in my body coalesced into that one spot.
I’d be dead, so it wouldn’t matter soon, but damn, it fucking hurt. I forced my eyes open to get one last look at the dusty purple sky, I watched as the ship went by.
Before I could even process what was happening, I smacked into the water. The sea swallowed me whole, saltwater rushing up my nose and into my mouth. I kicked frantically, trying to get a sense of which way was up, but it was already so dark.
And then—suddenly—Something tightened around my neck. I was being dragged upward.
I surfaced with a series of choked coughs and gasps, my hands flying to my throat, clawing at—what the hell was it? It felt like an octopus tentacle wrapped around my neck.
Falling off a crow’s nest and splatting on the deck to impress a bunch of pirates was a bad way to die. But getting my head pinched off by a sea monster?
A thousand times worse.
I clawed and kicked, furiously fighting through the waves of nauseating pain.
"Stay the fuck still," a low voice snarled in my ear.
I instantly went limp, my body recognizing the voice before my brain did. Captain Hook.
And judging by the way he was kicking his feet, tugging me along, he was actually trying to save me instead of kill me.
I was about to make some attempt to thank him through my aching throat when something in the distance caught my eye.
A bulge in the water.
I swiped at my eyes, clearing away salt and sea, blinking hard to get a better look. No—definitely a bulge. And it was coming our way.
Fast.
"Hook, there’s something?—"
"Quiet, dammit," he snapped. "I’m trying to save you here. The least you can do is keep your trap shut."
"Okay," I croaked. "And I appreciate it—but there’s something following us. And it looks really big."
Hook whipped his head around, knocking his jaw into the side of my skull.
"Fucking hell."
In the distance, I could hear voices hollering.
"READY THE CANNONS!" someone bellowed.
The bulge had closed the distance fast—probably less than twenty yards away now. And gaining.
"Come on, Captain, you’ve got it!"
"CANNONS READY—FIRE!"
The night sky exploded in orange, and a spot just a few yards behind me erupted in a splash of foam and salt water.
A preternatural screech pierced the air.
The bulge grew smaller—then disappeared.
"It wasn’t a direct hit," a vaguely familiar voice called from somewhere nearby. "Hurry!"
I let out a wrenching groan as Hook yanked me, lifting me summarily from the water and into what felt like a dozen waiting arms.
I was pulled onto the deck, landing in a wet, hacking puddle as the crew rushed back to help Hook from the water.
"GO! GO! GO!"
I managed to lift my head just in time to see them drag him aboard?—
And then a thunderous blow rocketed through the ship. It was like we’d been hit by a boulder beneath the surface.
"Fooking hell! It’s a sea serpent. And a big one at that!"
"Good thing we got your legs aboard, Captain," someone teased. "Or we might have had to change your name to Peg."
I opened one eye to see Hook, who stood at the rail, staring down at the sea below.
I let out a sigh.
Then, blackness. Everything disappeared as it dragged me under…
“So he’s a she, then?”
When I woke, the pounding in my head had dulled to a low thrum, and the low voices sounded around me. I forced my eyes open to find myself in the same spot I’d been, still soaking wet, with Trick-Eyed Tom standing over me, along with a dozen other stunned and concerned faces.
"Back away," Hook snarled.
The men obeyed instantly as he dropped to one knee beside me.
"I hope you’re all proud of yourselves," he said, his eyes trailing over me, from my face to the tip of my sopping red boots and back up again. "You sent a fucking female, who’s clearly never spent a day on a ship, up the rigging, past the crow’s nest, for some foolish display of fealty.
I turn a blind eye when you fools do it to each other—you have your free will and chose to be here.
Lucky, she didn’t wind up dead." His lips pursed into a frown. "We’re so close to getting what we’ve worked all these years for and we need her to work with the falcon.
You lot nearly fucked it, and for what? A laugh? "
He turned, scowling down at me, his eyes like an ebony storm.
"Who told you to do that?"
I opened my mouth—then snapped it shut. I shook my head. "No one," I finally managed, surprised that speaking didn’t hurt as much as I’d expected.
Hook let out a bitter laugh, pressing his face close to mine.
"Well, No One should get ten lashes for this little trick," he murmured. "And you should get twenty. Count yourself lucky. I’m too tired from dragging your sorry ass out of the water to administer a beating tonight."
He pushed himself to stand.
"Get cleaned up.” He shot me a glare. “And don’t think this gets you off duty tomorrow."
With that, he stalked off, leaving ominous silence in his wake.
It was Trick-Eyed Tom himself who finally broke it.
He bent over me, reaching out a hand. "I’m sorry," he said with a grimace.
"I’d not have done it if I knew you was a lassie.
But it was mean-spirited, regardless." He let out an incredulous laugh as he shook his head. "I honestly didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to do it. "
"Dumb enough?" a voice called out. "She’s a fucking legend!"
And then, they were singing my praises again.
I reached for Tom’s hand, and this time, he actually helped me up. Again, I waited for the brutal pain to come screaming back, but it never did.
When Tom released me and I looked down, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. The skin was whole. A little red, a little tender, but whole.
"What the hell?" I demanded, snapping my gaze up to meet Tom’s.
"Captain burned a lot of magic on you today shooting you out of the sky with that wind bullet, like you was a fucking pheasant, girly," he said, wiping a hand across his dripping forehead. "Count yourself lucky that he was able to push you hard enough that you landed in the drink instead of on the deck. He wouldn’t do it for most. His soul is black as night, you know.”
"Give her some space now," Xander said, shouldering his way through the circle of men and handing me a massive blanket and a tankard of what looked like ale. He stared down at me, assessing, as he murmured, "Hook saved you, but it was Tom who healed you. He’s a gifted Mend. And despite his foolishness, he’s got a good heart. But tell me, now that we know the truth about you; what’s your real name? "
"Harmony.” I pressed the cold mug to my lips and took a deep, greedy swallow. The cool liquid on my parched throat was heaven. I let out a sigh as I smacked my lips. “My name is Harmony.”
“Well, Harmony…welcome to the crew. Now go dry off and meet us in the card room for drinks. It’s a celebration!”
The men exploded into cheers, and as silly as it was, I couldn’t deny the swell of pride rising inside me.
You’re pleased with yourself because now you can get the answers you need .
But that wasn’t the truth. The truth was, it felt good to be part of something, even if it was a ragtag crew of evil pirates, apparently.
And wasn’t that some shit?