Page 19 of Of Vows and War: Special Edition
Chaos was threatening to ruin this singular chance to save Asher, and my own distraction nearly allowed the Sun before me to slice open my neck. I jumped out of the way with barely a moment to spare, and I decided that swallowing my pride was the only option.
“Captain!” I shouted. Harligold glared at me from where she was bent over the dying siren, her face red with fury.
“Do not speak to her!” I ignored the blonde’s screamed order, opting to wrap her in vines that seemed to suck more power out of me than normal.
“I have a fae Healer with me. Promise me your sword and I shall have him help your siren. The gold I showed you before is yours too. I ask only for your aid.” Before she could respond to my plea, I willed vines around all five of her crew members, fortifying them with small hurricanes that swirled violently around each female.
Perdita Harligold stared on in astonishment, as if she had not expected such power from me. But she possessed Moon magic, which meant she was a demon who had been raised to fear me. I knew what it was to be that arrogant, had fought against the part of me who thought myself better than all for the last hundred years. Her hands shook against the wound that poured black blood from the siren’s stomach, eyes scanning my Trusted. Ranbir stepped forward, his thin form drowning in the black leathers that once fit him perfectly. My heart ached as he approached the two females upon the deck. He deserved so much more than he had been given.
“I will not hurt you. Please, let me heal her,” he whispered, the softness of his paired hand movements finally breaking the captain. She withdrew her hands, backing away from thebleeding siren and keeping her deep brown eyes on me. Ranbir made quick work of closing the wound, letting out a quiet gasp of pain when his hands touched her blood.
Reality hit me then. Siren blood was black, just like Wrath’s was. Like the fetch’s was. Stella save me, sirens were creatures of the God of Death and Creation too. The siren let out a deep breath, her eyes shooting open. As quickly as I could, I willed vines and water to hold her still, hoping that I would not have to hold it all for long. The captain flinched, a fire blazing in her gaze as it slowly returned to me.
“Would you allow me to heal your hands as well, Captain?” Ranbir, so giving and kind, stretched his fingers towards Harligold. For a moment I truly thought she would accept, but instead of placing her hands in Ranbir’s, she took a dagger and stabbed it into Ranbir’s palm. He screamed in agony as she ripped it out, and then she disappeared beneath a cloud of shadows.
Not a moment later, I heard Henry’s grunt. Turning, I found him near the bulwark of the ship, Captain Harligold’s bloody dagger against his throat and a storm of shadows swarming them both. A single drop of blood dripped from his neck where her blade pressed too hard into his skin, and my vision went the same deep shade of red.
Cyprus and Damon rushed to Ranbir, Noe and Lian opting to flank me on either side. I walked towards the captain with furious steps, the rage from this last week coming to a head. Henry remained still and silent, watching me come to him with knowing eyes. I would sooner kill them all than let him get hurt.
“Your choices are fewer now, Captain. Let my brother go, or watch as your entire crew slowly dies,” I growled.
Noe and Lian separated, wrangling the pirates into a pile to my left as they writhed and fought against my power. My determination seemed to only grow as I tightened their binds.Water sloshed against the deck in time with their screams, but Lian quickly turned their shouts into silent gasps as she stole their air from their lungs. Noe summoned a whip made of shadows, twirling it in her hands and staring at Harligold. For her part, the captain stared on, her dagger still firmly pressed to Henry’s neck.
“I promise you this, Harligold, they will all die long before you can harm him. In fact, how long do they have, Ranbir?” My head turned towards Ranbir, who had been clutching his now-healed hand.
“One minute at most,” he hissed, anger coating his voice in venom as he signed to her. “But I can make it seconds.”
“Did you hear that, Captain? Seconds.” I shrugged, smiling as I spun to face her once more. War waged within her, those once sure hands shaking even more now and her magic nearly covering both of their bodies entirely in darkness. Then, thankfully, she let her dagger fall, willing her shadows to fade. Henry seemed ready to pounce, but I shook my head and motioned for him to come to me. “Release them, Lian.”
Henry glared once more at the captain before coming to my side. In that moment, I did not care about what the pirates thought. I grabbed Henry and pulled him into me, patting his back three times and breathing in the truth that he was alive. My family would not grow any smaller.
The pirate crew gathered slowly around their captain, surrounding her like a shield just as my Trusted did. We stared head on at each other, eyes locked and abilities at the ready. Nicola’s letter had demanded I trust them and pay for their trust in return. Perhaps that was still possible.
“I do not wish you harm, Captain. All I seek is an alliance that will benefit us both—and a world that will see us all thrive.” Minus her looting and murderous ways, but she did not need to know that now. “Help me, and I shall help you.”
Holding out my hand, I once more willed the sacks of gold to appear. When the shadows dissipated, I tossed the gold her way. She caught it deftly, glaring at me before opening them. A gasp of surprise left the lips of the blonde who seemed to never leave the captain’s left side.
Come on, take the fucking gold.
Perdita Harligold looked up at me once more, a sense of unease on her face. That was all I needed.
“I am told that the death of a pink-haired pirate captain named O’Malley Harligold might further entice you. My love—my Asher—did most of the work, honestly,” I admitted, watching as the blonde signed along with my words. “But after she had shoved his own severed cock down his throat and gouged his eyes out, it was I who removed his ugly head from his shoulders. He threatened her, so I ended him.”
If Nicola was wrong, then the future she had foreseen was but a gust of wind, gone before it had time to cool the stifling air.
Captain Harligold—along with the rest of her crew—seemed to freeze, their mouths agape. What felt like a year passed by in silence, the sound of everyone’s collective breathing making my hairs stand on edge. But then, as if a decision had been shoved into her, the captain lurched forward with hands racing through signs. My eyes darted from her to the blonde beside her, nerves skyrocketing as I hoped for what seemed like the only future that would see Asher free. Prayed for it.
“She…she says to leave your brother and the small one with the big teeth.” Lian growled, a low noise that was paired with the sound of her dagger being unsheathed from her thigh. I held up a hand, stilling her so we could hear the rest of what the pirates had to say. Clearing her throat, the blonde continued. “We will—gods damn us all—we will help you. But we desire more gold and wish for a legal privateer license. And we want your Healer to look over our Captain.”
“Does she wish to speak?” Ranbir asked softly, though there was still fury in his tone. I did not blame him. What an exhausting year it had been for us all, but Ranbir especially. “I am not sure I can correct such a defect.”
“No, you idiot. She does not wish to speak. Our captain is perfect as she is. There is no defect. You will be wise to shut your foolish mouth.” The captain watched the interaction with a smirk, as if she somehow knew what was being said and enjoyed watching her crew member scold Ranbir. Then, she too held up her hand and stilled the female, just as I had Lian. “Fine. But he is on my list,” the blonde said as she signed. “Captain Harligold has had pain in her throat for the last year. She would like to have that fixed, along with her hands.”
Turning, I looked back at Ranbir. He sighed before nodding and walking towards the captain and her crew of what were clearly deranged females. Asher would like them.
“What is the plan exactly? How will they help us get Ash back?” Noe asked from my side.
“You cannot possibly be considering leaving me with them? They are clearly barbaric lunatics,” Lian added in a harsh whisper. Henry nodded and crossed his arms, sparing a glare for the group as Ranbir touched the Captain’s throat.
