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Nemo raised a fist. “Damn, you stole my glory, Fire Breath. But I’m so happy.”
“Are you crazy?” I snapped. “We’re next.”
“If we are,” said Nemo, taking my hand in his, “this was the perfect vengeance. And the best way to go out.”
Why was he so happy that we were about to die? That was just twisted. There was nothing pleasant about being crushed to death in a dragon’s jaws. Panic clawed at my throat. I held on to Fin for dear life.
More caped men poured out of the trees. Some jumped onto the backs of wagons, picking at the locks with little bits of metal. Others surrounded the pirates, who plucked their swords from their scabbards. Metal clashed as swords beat together, spitting sparks that illuminated the night. Pirates shrieked and groaned as swords plunged into their bellies. Bodies slumped to the ground.
“Don’t let them get away,” shouted the dragon rider.
The beast responded, chasing the fleeing pirates through the forest.
I flinched at every bone-snapping sound that emanated from its great jaws.
“Oh, thank you,” said an elf, grabbing one of the caped men in a hug.
“Don’t thank me,” he growled. “Just get out.”
The caped crusaders were freeing us. But why? Who were they?
Another of them approached our wagon with his sword raised. He smashed the hilt on the lock on the door, and it broke into pieces and thumped to the ground. The iron door creaked as he yanked it open for us.
“Gill,” said the caped man in a husky voice. “That you?”
The man took off his hood, revealing a face and neck scarred from too many battles. I supposed he was handsome in a rough way. His dark-brown eyes were the color of the soil of the forest. He had a square face framed by heavy, brooding brows. Slightly crooked lips lifted in a smirk. Dark stubble coated his chin and jaw. The more I examined him, the more I came to admire him.
“Blade,” said Gill, grabbing the man’s offered hand. “Shit. You’re the last person I’d expect to run into here.”
Blade? What kind of name was that? Who was this mysterious stranger who had come to our rescue?
Gill sat on the edge of the wagon and slid off. When he hit the ground, he groaned, the sound telling me his joints were sore and weak, a side effect of his scales drying out. No doubt he was probably experiencing a headache, dizziness, and aching muscles, too. Humans suffered the same symptoms when dehydrated, but merfolk felt them ten times as hard because we lived in water.
“Getting a bit old, are you, my friend?” Blade nicked Gill on the shoulder with a fist. “Bit too slow? That how you got caught?”
“They took my sister.” Gill’s words were coated with enough venom to kill the collector. “We were investigating her disappearance.”
Blade frowned and put his hand on Gill’s shoulder. “Sorry to hear that, my friend.”
Fin climbed down slowly, clearly weak and shaky. “Come, Princess,” he said, ever the gentleman, offering me a hand.
“No, you’re exhausted,” I said, climbing down myself.
No one ever helped me navigate anything back home, and that wasn’t about to change now. I wasn’t a baby anymore. Nor was I a helpless princess. I could take care of myself. Even though the thought of being lost in this strange world both excited and terrified me at the same time.
“Wait,” Fin said to Nemo. “Let me help you.”
He took one of the giant’s hand, and I took the other, and we worked together, gently easing him onto the earthy ground.
Nemo had lost a bit of blood. The combination of that and the dehydration seemed to have zapped him of most of his energy, and he leaned against the cage for support.
My gaze panned to the handsome rescuer. “Who do I have to thank for saving us?”
“Apologies, Your Highness,” said Gill.
His sarcastic tone earned him a slap on the back of the head from Nemo.
“This is Blade,” Gill went on. “Trust me. You don’t want to know him. Shadow Assassins aren’t known for their integrity.”
