Mysterious Skies Above (Vows of Vengeance #2)

1. The Captain

Chapter one

The Captain

Rose

The captains of the Mysterious Deep are not born like other men. The sea takes them, shapes them, and fills their hearts with silence and salt. For in waters where monsters feed, only those half-mad with wonder or grief dare command.

-An excerpt from The Mysterious Deep: A Comprehensive Understanding

Morning mist clung to the ocean like it couldn’t bear to be parted from its love.

I didn’t have the heart to tell it that the afternoon breeze would soon come to force them apart.

So was the way of the sea, cruel and relentless in its mercurial depths.

The best anyone could do was to survive her.

Any hope of conquering the abyss below was a mourner’s song.

“Prepare to be boarded!” Val’s voice cut across the hazy morning like a knife.

Hooks carefully thrown over the sea latched onto the Queen’s Promise and lodged into the thick wood that held her together.

Shame it wouldn't last much longer. Heavy wooden planks were laid between our ships, and two by two, the crew of the Sea Wraith made their way onto her unfortunate victim. I’d chalk it up to bad timing, but it was much more than that.

Time to see what we won.

My steps are even, sure of themselves. Half a year spent at sea molded me from seasickness to whatever this was. Once, I might have looked down from these planks and seen only the distance to the sea beneath. Now it wasn’t worth the effort it took.

“They laid over like pups eager for belly scratches, Captain.” Val grinned.

I peered at her through the mask tied to my face, shadows surrounding her long blond braid and illuminating the scar that sat over her eye.

“You are having too much fun,” I told her.

“And you aren’t having enough, it’s called compensation,” she said.

I snorted at my quartermaster, who came alive with even the hint of a fight. It was a shame for her that no one had put up a decent one in over a month. I almost felt bad for her.

“Her captain?” I asked.

Val’s smile turned down in what could only be described as a pout, though it didn’t suit her scarred face.

“You used to be fun,” she said, tossing her pistol in the air and catching it. “Captain Seward.”

Excellent, this would make what came next significantly easier.

I walked the deck of the Queen’s Promise and surveyed the mass of men confined at her center, hands bound behind their backs. They all tracked my movements as if there weren’t pistols and swords pointed at them in every direction. No, their eyes were all for me.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the thrill that ran from the tips of my toes straight to my heart.

The heels of my boots clicked, and with the sea still waking from its evening slumber, they were the only sound except for the breathing of the living.

The British flag flew high above us, settled against a pink-tinged blue sky.

The red and blue of King George I’s flag in direct contrast to the one that flew adjacent.

I took the opportunity to survey the black flag that hung over the Wraith.

Green and blue scales that rose and fell with the sea serpent’s body.

Wide webbed fins dropped off its belly while two large tendrils retreated from the back of its head.

Perfectly painted and a realistic representation of our Koinu.

A bellow erupted from the sea, and the Queen’s Promise shifted with the waves that rolled beneath.

Show off.

Captain Seward was a stocky sort of man. His sideburns thick and bushy, while his beady eyes reminded me of a snake. Maybe that was just because I knew what sort of man lived behind them.

When those sickly green eyes fell over me, he straightened his shoulders and held himself a little taller. Was it bravery or stupidity?

“You must be the demon I’ve heard about,” he spat the words onto the wood below. “I thought you would be taller.”

I held out my arms.

“I’d say I was sorry to disappoint, but that would be a lie.” I tilted my head to the side. “How long were you in charge of the Queen’s Promise before you lost her?”

His tailored emerald green coat trimmed with gold was offensive in every way.

It needled at my chest, and the urge to take the sword at my side and cut it off was loud in my mind.

Cheeks turned the color of roses as he clenched his hands at his side.

A shame Inu relieved him of his weapons, it might have been more of a challenge.

I pulled out the sword at my side, enjoying the sound of the metal unsheathing like a song in the morning air. Mostly, I enjoyed the way the captain’s throat bobbed in front of me.

“Tell me, Captain Seward, what have you heard about me?” I asked, running my finger over the cool steel.

“I don’t take orders from women,” he snarled.

With no warning, Inu appeared like the wraith she was behind him and kicked his knees in which resulted in exactly one grunting captain landing with a thump onto the deck.

He barely kept his face from making contact.

With as much dignity as he could muster, he righted himself, but the truth was, he was kneeling before a woman.

Must have hurt more than the fall.

“You will show the Captain the respect she is due or learn what it is to meet death in the belly of the serpent,” Inu hissed.

Her long black hair was sleek and made of silk beneath her wide-brimmed hat, shielding her eyes from the rest of the world.

Despite her delicate frame, it was a mistake to underestimate her.

I’d have to tell her she was a bit overzealous later, but every day we didn’t dock in London Harbor was another year off her life.

It was evident in the way she clenched her jaw and the intensity of her dark eyes.

A sentiment I shared.

Her one visible eye met mine, and I felt the accusation like a bullet to my gut.

When will it be enough?

Soon.

I lifted my sword and let it rest against the captain’s throat before sliding it up his cheek and beneath the emerald and gold hat he didn’t deserve.

I lifted it with the tip of my sword before sliding it off and placing it on my head.

It was too big and drooped slightly to the side, but I liked to think the effect was the same.

“You used to captain Ruby’s Revel, correct?” I asked.

Ah, there it was. The flick of his eyes that searched my crew and then me, looking for answers he would never find.

“I–I did–how–” he began, but I brushed my sword to the tip of his nose, cutting off his words.

“Funny that you should have been given command of a ship twice her size. I would bet it was a reward of some kind,” I said, squatting down, so we were eye level.

“My allegiance is to North Star Line, not whichever lord controls it,” he said.

I made a tsking sound and wiggled my sword against his nose.

“You know, that just reeks of a lack of conviction, doesn’t it, Val?” I said.

I could practically hear her smile behind me.

“Sure does, Captain.”

A light breeze caught the ends of my hair, and I sniffed, taking in the salty sea air. One day, it would become a memory. A day that couldn’t come soon enough.

“You preach loyalty, but the moment your captain heads for the noose, you steal his ship and his crew,” Captain Seward ground out.

A sharp breath from behind me brought a smile to my face.

“You shouldn’t have said that.” Val clicked her tongue.

“No, he shouldn’t have,” I said. “But I am so glad you did.”

Vengeance was never my specialty. I could hold a grudge as well as the next person, but this–this fire in my veins that whipped and lashed–desperate to create pain was new.

For four months, I nurtured it, feeding it with the blood of men like the one before me. After all, I had learned from the best.

I stood and circled Seward, tracing a soft crimson line around his neck as I went. It wasn’t enough, but it was a start.

“I see my message has not been received. Looks like I’ll have to try harder.” I hummed.

The fact that there were over a hundred souls on the two connected ships didn’t occur to me. It was only Captain George Seward and me now. By the time I came back around him, his face was leached of color. His chest rose and fell faster than it had before.

Good. We were getting somewhere.

I returned and knelt before him, placing the tip of my sword over his right thigh.

“I need you to take a message back for me,” I said.

He nodded almost imperceptibly, his blood slowly dripping from the shallow cut I’d made.

I applied slight pressure to my sword, and he winced in answer.

“Eyes on me, Captain,” I said. “Good. You are going to return to London and tell Captain Edmonds that if he hangs my captain, I will ask my friend out there to sink every ship bearing that flag,” I said, pointing up, so we were nothing but clear.

For emphasis, Koinu released a loud bellow that reverberated throughout the still morning air. I didn’t have the slightest idea how he knew to do it at that moment, but I learned months ago not to question anything that aided in leaving a lasting impression.

“When you are through with that, you will tell your boss that as long as he insists on sending out ships, whether it be trade or tour, I will continue to sink them.” I rotated my sword, pushing into his flesh. “Do you understand?”

He nodded, sweat pouring down his round face.

“Remind me what you are going to do again?” I said, tilting my ear to him.

His mouth worked, closing and opening. That wouldn’t do at all.

I pressed my sword harder, feeling the moment hard skin gave way with a sickening squelch, a dark stain gathering over his black pants.

“I confess I am not very patient. If you are struggling, I am sure one of your friends down below could deliver my messages.”

His eyes widened, and he spoke. “I’m to tell Captain Edmonds that if he hangs Sebastian Flynn, you will sink every ship under the British flag.”

I pushed harder, and tears welled up.

“And I am to tell Lord Allan that if he continues his business, you will sink them!”