Pirates’ Rules
Chapter forty-two
Pirates’ Rules
Finn stepped into the sunlight with his wife and disguised his worry with a smirk. The crew was congregated around the mainmast in the middle of the deck. Kaiden’s booming voice carried across the length of the ship.
“If you are not a fighter, make your way down to the galley before the ship closes in.”
Cora stepped away from the group.
“Wait,” Lucianna called as she and Finn approached. “Do you have another smoke pouch?”
The alchemist nodded and pulled one off the leather belt around her waist that held various amber bottles and canvas sacks. She passed it to Lucianna. Castien eyed it warily.
“I do not know that it is wise to fight in the smoke. Not all of us have the experience to navigate it,” he said.
“I do not intend to use it on our ship,” Lucianna replied while fastening the loop on the pouch to her belt opposite her collection of daggers.
“If it proves beneficial, I will cross over to their ship and set it off. They will think a fire has begun, and it could cause enough of a distraction to aid us,” she explained.
Finn tensed at the thought of her leaving their ship. He met Castien’s gaze, imploring for him to deny her.
“Let us use that as a last resort,” Castien suggested.
Lucianna shrugged. “Very well.”
Finn breathed a little easier. Though his wife was a capable warrior, she had demonstrated an affinity for danger that made anxiety cling to his chest like a wet shirt.
Lucianna saw herself as a weapon to be used, not a person to be protected.
Until she learned otherwise, he would have to hem her in.
Without her knowing. Because if she found out, she would be furious.
Cora cleared her throat, fingers twisting the cap of one of the bottles on her hip.
“May I go now?”
“Yes,” the captain grunted. “But know that if we are overcome, there is a chance they’ll wish to take you as prisoner.”
The alchemist chewed on her bottom lip. Petals watched her with a furrowed brow.
“I have a poison I can drink,” she said quietly.
Kaiden nodded. “Good. It’s better to die than be a prisoner on a pirate ship.”
Finn glanced at Wren, who looked like she wanted to say something to comfort the woman, but what could be said? The captain was right. There was no comfort now, only a battle to win.
“All right, for the rest of you, mark my words: they will not hesitate to run you through. There is no honor amongst pirates, only greed and bloodshed. Mercy is a luxury we do not possess.” Kaiden looked down at Kelwin. “How far out are they, boy?”
Kelwin stepped away from the group and lifted his eyeglass.
“They are moving faster than anticipated. No doubt they spotted us. Now that we have anchored down to wait . . . an hour,” the quartermaster answered.
Kaiden ran a hand over his beard.
“Be ready. When they get close enough, Kelwin will shoot at them. But just like the vermi, they’re resilient buggers. And they’ll swarm at first chance.”
Finn nodded. He felt the familiar rise of adrenaline that accompanied battle.
His fingertips floated down to his scabbard and touched the hilt of his sword, then his spare dagger on the opposite side.
It had been years since he faced a fight without his favorite dagger, but it now hung from his wife’s hip.
He did not mind, though. Not if it helped keep her alive.
He looked toward Wren and Cas. Castien was inspecting the various weapons kept on Wren’s person.
“You are set on fighting?” he asked her. “I cannot convince you to go below deck with Cora?”
Wren framed his face with her hands and smiled softly.
“I will not sit down there drenched in fear, not when I know how to fight. You trained me. I am capable of surviving.”
Castien placed his hands on her wrists and squeezed.
“All right, but I want you at my side. In my sight,” he directed, his voice hoarse.
That dreadful worry swirled within Finn’s chest again. Wren was not his wife, but she was like a sister to him. Castien, a brother. He did not want to lose someone he loved. Not again.
“I won’t leave you,” Wren promised, then pulled Castien to her for a tender kiss.
Finn caught Lucianna watching them with a somber expression.
The weight of what was about to occur settled over him.
It felt as though the blood was already staining his hands.
He needed a distraction, and from the look she was wearing, so did his wife.
He nudged her side. She startled and looked up at him.
“How about another bargain, little thief? Whoever kills the most pirates, wins.”
A smirk pulled at her lips, though she appeared to fight it given the circumstances.
“What are your terms?”
“Tell me when,” he said, knowing she would understand his reference to their conversation about her wanting to kiss him.
Lucianna rolled her eyes.
“All right, if you win, I’ll tell you.”
“Though it is unlikely, what will you ask if you win?” he questioned.
“I thought you liked surprises,” she teased.
Finn chuckled. “I do. I suppose it will stay a secret, given you’re bound to lose.”
Lucianna shook her head, but there was a smile playing on her lips.
They fell silent again. Finn paced about the ship, uneasy to the point of restlessness.
Soon, the enemy ship was close enough to make out details with the naked eye.
Kelwin climbed into the crow’s nest to ready his bow.
The captain checked various knots, then reached into a compartment hidden in the floorboards and retrieved a long sword.
Castien locked the door to the captain’s quarters.
The dreadful silence remained. Finn had to break it, lest he go mad before the enemy ship arrived. He rejoined his wife and pasted on a playful grin.
“Now, don’t mistake me for a pirate in this hat and kill me,” he jested. “I think that would break our vows, which you said you’d keep.”
A mischievous look twinkled in Lucianna’s hazel irises right before she reached up and snatched the hat off his head. She placed it on her own. It was slightly too big for her, and she had to tip it back to be able to look at him properly.
“There, problem solved,” she retorted. “Now I won’t kill you on accident.”
“Are you going to steal everything I own?” he asked with dramatized exasperation.
She smiled. “If it bothers you so, feel free to attempt to steal it back.”
He narrowed his eyes at her wording.
“Attempt, hm?”
Her lips parted to respond, but she was cut off by the whistle of Kelwin’s arrow through the sky. A man’s scream pierced the air, sending a chill down Finn’s spine. He drew his sword. Next to him, his wife spun hers in an arc the way she had when they sparred.
Kelwin loosed arrows one after another as the ship drew closer.
Outraged cries overwhelmed the sound of the waves.
Finn pulled Lucianna behind the mast as arrows rained from the sky.
A gangplank dropped onto the wall of the ship.
Then another. Finn gritted his teeth and rushed toward the incoming attackers.
Men in filthy clothes carrying curved swords ran down the gangplank while arrows arced over them.
They were all at least ten years Finn’s senior, and they appeared weathered from years of drinking and indulgence.
A few women were in the mix, but not many.
Finn drove his sword through his first opponent with marked ease.
Though the Maralyn was outnumbered, perhaps their skill would make up for it.
Metal clashed and waves crashed. It was a cacophony of noise, far different than the symphony that had occurred when sparring against his wife.
He parried an attack, then looked for his wife in the chaos.
She was battling a pirate twice her size and doing a fine job of it, for the man was already bleeding profusely.
Finn ducked as a cutlass swooped toward his head.
He couldn’t afford to get distracted, even if he could stand back and watch Lucianna fight all day.
So long as he knew she would be safe in the end.
Finn slashed at his opponent, his blade catching the man’s arm.
Blood soaked the dingy white shirt. The man swung with more force, but lacked tact and precision.
A quick assessment of the battle at hand confirmed in Finn’s mind that they by far outmatched their enemy in skill.
Another glance revealed that Lucianna was up against two enemies at once. Finn dodged and parried his current attacker, walking backward and forcing the man to follow him.
“Need some help?” Finn called over his shoulder as he neared Lucianna.
“Does it look like I need your help?” she growled as she fought.
The man following Finn tripped over one of his fallen crewmates. Finn took the opportunity to end his life.
“Two,” Finn said before spinning around to aid Lucianna, much to her clear annoyance.
“Don’t you dare—” She was cut off by Finn killing one of the pirates.
He smiled. “Three.”
She made a sound of outrage and finished off her opponent. When she turned to glare at him, he took back his hat.
“You stole my kill!”
Finn dropped the hat back on his head with a grin. “You stole my hat.”