Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
THANATOS
All Anastasia had to do was ask me for anything and I could hardly deny her.
Though she was different than the gentle Anastasia I’d met long ago, I could easily see the spirit within.
It shone through her eyes and in her sharp wit.
My dearest and oldest friend had been reborn in this pirate whom I admired.
Ana the Deathless was only one facet of my Anastasia.
This version was her cunning and her bravery shining through.
Anastasia had so many different sides to her, and I loved seeing them, she brought excitement to my immortal life. I found her to be utterly perfect.
“The ship is ahead!” Jack called to her.
Anastasia walked up to the rail in front of the helm and leaned forward.
She placed her hands on it and her knuckles turned white.
The ship was large, with gleaming wood, polished rales, and pristine sails.
The plaque at the back of the ship was smashed, so I couldn’t read it, and there was a giant gaping hole there.
It looked like something took a bite out of the back of the ship.
The wood was splintered down the back and side of the ship.
It was caught up on a particularly jagged set of rocks.
Her eyes widened. “Barr wouldn’t run aground. He’s too good of a pirate for that.”
“He is.” I’d only encountered Captain Barr whilst taking his victims to the Underworld. But in just those encounters, I knew him to be a ruthless captain capable of anything.
“The sirens,” she whispered, and I nodded. She turned to Jack. “Come about. We’re going aboard.”
“Aye, Captain.” He spun the wheel and the ship responded.
“Prepare to board,” she called out, and the crew scurried about obeying her command.
A few moments later, Jack had the ship steadily anchored next to Captain Barr’s wrecked one.
The crew fastened a long plank between Ana’s ship and the other.
Though the water was rough and the ship bobbed wildly, it didn’t stop Ana from marching toward it.
Three of her men went across the plank first, then Jack.
They cautiously drew their swords and crept across the plank.
Ana drew her own. I glanced up at the lifeline hovering above her head.
It was a dark golden color with a hint of red.
That hint of color sent my heart racing.
No, it was too soon. She hadn’t lived long enough.
Was Anastasia always destined to die young?
She was just shy of thirty and had barely lived long enough to warrant being judged in the Underworld.
She needed to be granted access to Elysium.
If I was going to be allowed to see her eternally, that was the only place she could go.
I would’ve taken her whether she was a saint or sinner, but there were rules.
Rules that could not be broken. I’d broken them the first time by taking her soul and another time by placing her in the line for creation so she had a second chance, but I couldn’t do that again.
This was the last time, and I needed Ana to live, to be good, to succeed. Because I needed Ana . . . period.
“Ana, this is not wise,” I tried to warn her. The men that’d gone before her had red lifelines—all but Jack, whose lifeline glowed an oddly bright gold. But the others, their demise was imminent, and I would take them all.
“When is being a pirate ever wise?” She smirked and hopped up on the plank.
With sure steps, she walked across it to the other ship.
The water rocked both ships and the wood creaked.
The other ship was eerily absent of life, and only the sounds of the sea and wind broke the silence.
Her men spread out over the deck, taking their time to creep around.
The deck had two tiers like Ana’s ship. A single set of stairs at the center of the ship went up toward where the wheel was stationed.
A single hole in the deck would lead below.
I watched Ana gaze down it into the blackness.
“There be treasure down there, gents.” She chuckled. When I leaned farther over the hole, I saw the slightest golden glint in the darkness. Ana shoved her sword back into the strap at her hip. “And I think we will be relieving this ship of its heavy burden.”
Her men chuckled and nodded in agreement. Jack walked back toward Ana’s ship and began barking orders. Ana took a step back from the hole, and those sharp eyes took in her surroundings. She ran her hand over the back of her neck and groaned. “Be quick about it.”
The crew worked double time to remove the treasure from the wreck.
With each new load of gold and jewels, her crew grew more excited.
There was enough wealth to make each of the pirates a lord of their own creation.
Once all the treasure was loaded back onto Ana’s ship, she had the crew board and the anchor brought up.
The sun had begun to set, and Jack yawned by her side. “Perhaps we rest here for the night?”
Ana shook her head. “No, we leave. Now.”
She felt the danger coming just as I felt it . . . a pull to this very spot. There would be death. I would perform my duty, and there would be no stopping it. Jack nodded and took up his position behind the wheel. “Aye then.”
The anchor rose from the water and the ship lurched.
Just as Ana let go of a breath, bellows came from the rocks surrounding the ship.
A crew of pirates flood out from the cliffsides, as thought they’d been hiding among the rock just waiting for their moment to attack.
Gunfire echoed off the rocks and bullets ricocheted throughout the ship.
Two of her crew fell to the deck, clutching their chests.
Ana drew her sword in one hand and her pistol in the other.
She took aim and fired at the first man she saw.
She shot true, and the crimson spread over the pirate’s shirt.
But it didn’t matter, they were like ants crawling over the rocks toward the ship.
They climbed up the sides and leapt from tall rocks nearby.
They landed hard on the deck, and the moment they did, fighting broke out all around.
Ana didn’t hesitate to leap into the battle.
She swung her sword, protecting herself and her crew.
Her movements were effortless as she danced across the deck.
Then I spotted him, Captain Barr climbing onto the deck like the snake he was.
His clothing was that of a normal pirate, not his usual opulent clothing.
It’d been a trap this whole time. Ana’s crew had done all the work, and now Captain Barr would reap the benefits.
He drew a dagger from his belt and took aim at Ana.
She was too busy fighting her way through a swath of his men to notice him.
He took aim and threw the dagger right at her chest.
It soared end over end right toward her chest. I couldn’t bear it, not this time. “NO!”
I disappeared into my power and ghosted to her.
When the blade was an inch from striking her chest, I caught it.
Her eyes widened and she glanced around, noting that the other pirates could not see me.
She spun and swung her sword, knocking the dagger from my hand to not draw attention to us. “Are you in this with me?”
The line above her head was a dark crimson, but I would fight her fate for as long as I could. “For as long as I can.”
A pirate ran at her from behind. I stepped around her and kicked my leg out, tripping the man and sending him flying over the rail.
Captain Barr marched across the deck straight toward her, knocking everyone out of his way.
She glanced my way, but then focused on him. “Captain Barr, you’ve lost your ship.”
“Aye, and I plan on having yours. Thank ye kindly for moving our treasure for us.”
“Thank you for collecting it for us.” She wagged her eyebrows at him.
He pulled his sword and stood before her. “I’ll be collecting your heads now.”
“Come on then.” She waved him forward.
He struck out so fast. The blow was strong and knocked her sword lower.
But Ana had anticipated this and ducked to the side.
Barr stumbled forward, catching himself on the rail behind her.
Ana turned and swung for him, the blow aimed straight for his chest. He staggered back and threw his sword up.
Ana advanced on him and jabbed her sword forward, stabbing it into his arm.
Barr bellowed and swung his sword toward her.
Ana blocked the blows but staggered back from him.
He was so much larger than her, with bulging muscles and rage plain on his face.
He let go of all technique and swung out repeatedly, clearly trying to beat her into submission.
But Ana was fast, blocking his blow with her own sword while moving across the deck.
He swung and she dodged. He chased her from one end of the boat to the other, growing winded as Ana’s cheeks went pink with excitement.
She cackled. “Looking tired, Barr.”
“Die, wench.” He stabbed at her, and she twirled away from him and stopped.
Jack breathlessly moved to her side while the other members of her crew began to move to her other side. There were fewer of them. They were sweat-slicked and bloody, but they’d subdued what remained of his crew.
Ana spread her arms wide. “I’m not dying today.”
The red lifeline above her head said otherwise. When she slid her glance to me, I gave her a tight-lipped smile.
Jack held his sword up. “Let’s take his head.”
Her crew roared their approval, and Barr’s eyes went wide. He took one look at her and turned for the rail. The crew ran forward, trying to catch him, but he leapt over the rail and into the rushing waters below. Ana gazed toward me. “Is he dead?”
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
She gave me a stiff nod, then her eyes went wide, and she took a step back. The attack had taken its toll on her crew. While they defeated what was left of Barr’s men they’d paid the price. Ana stared at the souls that she’d lost all lined up beside me.
Jack caught her shoulders and shook her. “We did it! We did it, Captain!”
The rest of the crew cheered and began congratulating each other. Ana stepped toward me and lowered her voice. “But you stopped the sirens. Must you take them? Can they not have another chance?”
“I gave you time to complete your mission. But when the fates cut their lifelines there is nothing that can be done.” The crew was in their ghostly forms like a pale, foggy mist. They didn’t move or speak to her.
They were beyond Ana now. They were in my world, and I would take them where they belonged.
I shook my head. “The fates have spoken and I must obey. This is how it must be.”
“Damn the fates.” She pressed her lips into a hard line. “They’re good men. They deserve to live, to celebrate with this treasure.”
The ship lurched forward. The living members of the crew that were left had golden lifelines over their heads . . . all but Ana. “You cannot damn the fates or they will damn you, Anastasia.”
She opened her mouth to correct me, but I cut her off. “Ana.”
“Please.” Her voice was small. “They could have just a little more time.”
“No.” I wanted to give her time with her crew, but it wasn’t possible, not when I’d already broken the rule for her. I could not break the rules for anyone else. “We must go.”
Ana didn’t move. She just stared at me as I spread my arms wide and covered the souls with my sparking blue and black magic.
Slowly, one by one, they disappeared. All the while, the living danced to their victory and celebrated.
Pirates walked the line between life and death constantly.
They all knew they’d likely die young and although they’d lost some of their brethren they chose to celebrate their victory.
But Ana didn’t smile or celebrate. She caught my eye and never looked away as my power washed over me and she slowly faded from my view.
The last thing I saw before I left her to her return trip was that dark thread above her head.
“Soon,” I whispered, and her lips parted into a little O-shape