Page 77 of Vengeance of the Pirate Queen

“I came to talk, not fight,” Threydan says. “Last chance.”

“Restrain him!” comes Dynkinar’s shout as she runs to join the throng. “Don’t let him—”

But it’s too late. Threydan has pulled the spear all the way through. Now he has a weapon. He hurls it at the man who had been shouting at him to halt. It strikes him clean through the heart. He’s dead before he even hits the ground.

Threydan’s hand curls into a fist, and the dead man rises once more, his eyes now the same peacock blue, the color so vibrant, I can see it even from this distance. He turns on his own men, swinging a fist at his closest companion. Then he pulls the spear from his heart and uses it to jab at his friends. As they fall, more bodies rise with blue eyes.

Shit.

He really can raise the dead. If Threydan finishes what he started on me, will I become like that? A mindless undead puppet for him to control?

Threydan looks purposefully in my direction and makes a shooing motion with his hands.

Only then does it dawn on me.

He’shelpingme escape. He’s the distraction so we can make it free.

This is so wrong, but I do the only thing I can.

I shove Kearan’s arm off me and sprint for the trees. Kearan catches up with me in no time. He runs as though the very devil is on his heels, though he doesn’t overtake me. His longer strides match mine through the woods. Snow-covered branches whip my face, but our tracks are lost to the mostly needle-covered floor.

I’m not entirely sure which direction we’re running. I cannot orient myself, but Kearan seems to know where we’re headed, so I let him lead.

My muscles are still exhausted and sore from the last two days’ adventures, and I don’t last as long as I should on the run. My hands go to my knees, and I heave in breaths of air.

Kearan says, “You’re actually alive? How?”

And then the next thing I know, he’s gripping me in the fiercest bear hug.

I have not been touched like this since I was very small.

Not since my father would grasp me to him before throwing me atop his shoulders, walking me to the library, where he would read me a story before bed.

Kearan releases me abruptly, as though just realizing what he’s doing. Or perhaps it was my rigid posture that got through to him.

“I’m so sorry,” he says. “I’m so relieved you’re okay.” He clasps his hands behind his back, as though to keep them out of my sight lest I get any ideas about cutting them off. “Buthoware you okay? I was so sure you were dead.”

“It would have been preferable to what I experienced,” I say.

“I was awake the whole time. They didn’t knock me out as they did you. I’m too heavy to carry. They made me walk. They sailed you out on that ship, dumped you over the side bound to that iron weight. I thrashed and fought with all my strength, but it wasn’t enough. I watched the water as we sailed away. I hoped you’d regain consciousness and manage to free yourself. I waited for you to surface. Minutes and minutes passed, and still you didn’t.”

His voice cracks on the end, and I look up.

I take in his injuries once more. The dried blood on his clothing and caked to his hands. He got himself beaten while trying to saveme. He cried over me.

Captain, stop flattering yourself.

The reminder of those words has me stopping that line of thought immediately.

“I made it,” I say. “I’m alive. You don’t need to worry. Apparently I’m harder to kill now.”

“Because he’s changed you?” he asks.

“I guess.”

“He helped us escape back there, didn’t he?”

“Yes.”