Chapter Fifty-Five
ADRIAN
Pandemonium ensued.
Wicked starlight lanced out of Scorpius towards Adrian and Enzo. Enzo growled, unsheathing his sword as it rippled with flames.
‘Kill them,’ Scorpius ordered the crew and, to Adrian’s horror, he saw his men draw their weapons, some reluctantly, some with glee.
‘Adrian,’ Enzo said, turning to the captain. ‘They hurt Elara. Stars save me, I’m going to kill them all.’
Adrian thought he would protest. But as he looked upon his crew, he saw only traitors, all of them—those who had let a good, loyal man like Victor die, had buckled at the first sign of threat.
Any sympathy or understanding had left him the moment Annabel was taken from him.
Now, all he felt was fury. He nodded. ‘If you don’t, I will. ’
Santi unsheathed his sword too, giving a guttural yell as he charged at their own men.
The battle began. Adrian saw Scorpius advance on Enzo out of the corner of his eye. He gritted his teeth as he looked around him.
‘Find Merissa and Leo,’ Enzo bellowed. Adrian’s eyes widened as he saw flames writhing around the king, twisting into hungry beasts that tried to devour Scorpius. The Star, however, had a shield of green starlight that he was using to try to stave off the godly flames.
Adrian nodded, sprinting across the deck.
His men tried to stop him—his own men. Robert, whom he had bandaged and healed after a battle with Svetan pirates, plunged his sword forwards, and Adrian dodged it before slamming the hilt of his weapon into Robert’s head.
Oliver, one of his swabbers, whom he’d known since the boy was twelve, held up a shaking arm and threw a knife at him.
Adrian knocked him to the ground and delivered a swift punch before scrambling up and towards the stairs to the lower deck.
It was quiet below, too quiet.
‘Merissa?’ he shouted. ‘Leo?’
There was a muffled groan and Adrian barged into the galley, where he found Leo slumped. He cursed, rushing forwards to the general who sat bound by the ovens, his lip split and one eye swollen shut.
‘Fucking pirates,’ Leo seethed as Adrian crouched beside him and began to untie the ropes binding him.
Adrian tried to smile at him. ‘Ah, come on, we’re not all like that.’
‘Merissa?’ Leo demanded. So much seemed loaded in the word, so much desperation.
Adrian shook his head. ‘I haven’t found her yet.’
‘Elara?’
Adrian smiled. ‘Just you wait and see.’
Leo got to his feet unsteadily, rubbing his head. ‘Merissa,’ he croaked again, and followed Adrian, stumbling, out of the room.
Adrian scanned the ship, slamming open the door to each room. When he got to a small storage room, where they only really kept towels and bedding, he heard a cry.
Leo flung the door open as Adrian took in the scene.
Three of his men were weeping, clutching Merissa and trying to tear off her gown.
She was trembling, not even moving as she just sobbed and sobbed.
‘Please, love me,’ one of them begged. ‘My heart—it feels like it’s breaking in two.’
‘It’s my magick,’ she said between sobs as she laid eyes on Adrian and Leo. ‘I tried to keep them at bay.’
Leo let out a roar before lightning lanced from his sword, writhing as it wrapped around two of the men.
They began to convulse as they fell to the floor, before Leo’s sword impaled them, their eyes going blank.
Adrian sprang forwards, drowning the other from the inside out as Merissa sagged into Leo’s arms.
‘I’ve got you,’ he murmured into her hair as she utterly broke down. ‘It’s okay, Mer. You’re safe.’
Adrian brushed her shoulder, and she clutched his hand. ‘Thank you,’ she said, embracing him next. Adrian breathed in her rosewater scent, anger and disgust at those men heavy within him.
‘Where’s El?’ she asked as she pulled away.
‘She came back to us,’ Adrian answered. He turned to Leo. ‘I think Merissa should stay here.’
Leo nodded. ‘So do I.’
Adrian pressed a key into her hand—the one to his chamber. ‘Go to my room and lock the door. Don’t open it for anyone unless you hear the word “dragun”.’
Merissa nodded, gripping it. ‘Is there nothing I can do?’
‘Nothing but stay alive,’ Leo said. ‘Or Elara will kill us all.’
Once they’d made sure that Merissa was safely in the room, the two men stalked back towards the upper deck. Leo raised his head, assessing the sounds above. Thank the gods, he seemed more alert.
‘How many of them?’ he asked.
‘All of them,’ Adrian replied hoarsely. ‘All of them have turned.’
‘And Enzo?’
‘Fighting Scorpius.’
Leo blew out a breath. ‘Divide the crew. Get Elara here.’ He flicked his eyes to the pirate. ‘You’ll have to kill them,’ he said, ‘without hesitation. Your own men. Can I trust you to do that?’
Adrian swallowed. ‘Yes,’ he replied.
Leo nodded. ‘They are weak men, Adrian. The kind who harbour envy and let it fester and grow, plotting behind your back. Their betrayal shows who they are, not who you are. An honourable man does not turn at the first sign of danger. Nor does he sacrifice his loved ones to a god who treats him like cattle. You were a good captain to them.’
Emotion welled inside Adrian, and he tried to push it down as he followed Leo up the steps.
When they approached the deck, to Adrian’s surprise, none of his crew had advanced on Enzo. At first, he thought it was out of deference to Scorpius. They all stood by and watched, fidgeting and shifting. But then Adrian realized they were scared of the Lion of Helios and holding back out of fear.
Adrian looked in awe at the destruction Enzo had already wreaked: the singed wood, the wounds that Scorpius was bleeding from, glittering ichor dripping while Enzo had barely a scratch upon him.
But still, the poisonous water-god continued, his own starlight crackling and wreathing as it tried to deflect Enzo’s flames and sword.
Santi stood between the two gods and the crew, creating his own wall of defence, sword high in the air, eyes empty.
When Adrian stepped forwards, Scorpius spared him one glance, which cost him a swift cut to the collarbone. He gritted his teeth in pain.
‘Kill him,’ Scorpius commanded, a grotesque smile spreading on his face.
The crew charged.