Prologue
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My emerald eyes locked on his fierce storm-blue eyes. I felt the sweat drip down my forehead as I swung my sword up. He deflected it and spun around, aiming low for my legs. I jumped and avoided his sword. I took a step back and took advantage of my small form by vaulting across the deck of fighting pirates up the bowsprit of the hull. He followed me and with agestic moves he landed before me with a wicked grin.
“Leaving the party so soon?”
“No, just bringing the party to you!”
I threw my dagger at the ropes on the main mast and the sail fell down heavily on his body, giving me enough time to run to the Captain’s quarters and slam the door shut. I didn’t stay to watch him wriggle out from under the mast and make his way across the deck as I ran to hide in the secret cabinet in the wall. I slipped my sword back in its sheath, opened the secret portion of the wall, and shut it behind me.
I held my breath as I watched between a crack in the boards as the Pirate King broke into the room. He knew just as much as I, that once he bested me the fight was over. I could hear my crew in the battle on the deck of my ship and my chest puffed in pride at the valiant attempt we were making to protect our own. But deep down I knew we were only delaying our deaths or capture. This man, the Pirate King, was known for taking crewmen and burning their ships.
“There’s no need to hide. We were just getting to know each other! Of course, I know all about you . . . and who you really are,” he taunted as he searched the room. My heart pounded so loud I thought he could hear it in the quiet room. The gunshots and sword clashes outside were faint to the rapid beating of my heart.
“You’re not just a young female captain. You have a secret past that I’m willing to bet you haven’t told your crew, have you?”
He slammed the door open with a loud snap that made me jump.
“Found you!”
I jumped out and struck him in the thigh with my dagger. He yelped and fell down on the ground. I quickly leaped over him and rushed out of the room. I heard him curse under his breath right before a cannon from his ship fired on mine, and I heard the wood splinter on the bow of the ship.
Yells and cries erupted throughout the ship as we began tilting forward; the ship was taking in too much water to stay afloat.
“Captain! Behind you!”
I whipped around in time to dodge a swing of an enemy pirate’s sword. I unsheathed my sword and spun around for momentum as I struck my sword through his stomach. He groaned and collapsed on the deck.
“Thanks, Jay!” I called back to my first mate. I threw my last dagger at one of the three pirates fighting Jay and continued to fight anyone in close range of my sword. The ship groaned and cargo and cannons began to splash in the sea. If we didn’t get off this ship soon, we were going to drown.
“Jay!” I screamed over the confusion. He turned to me to show he was listening. “Get our men on the stern of the ship! Try to delay the sinking for as long as possible! I’ll get the –”
With an angry roar, the Pirate King came out of the Captain’s cabin, his furious eyes burning into mine from several yards away. “– Pirate King,” I swallowed.
I rolled my shoulders and wrists and swung my sword around to warm-up my arms and braced myself for the fight with one of the most feared men of the seven seas. Thankfully, Jay was ordering the men to run to the stern of the ship to delay the sinking. But all of our efforts would soon be in vain.
“You’re going to pay for that,” the Pirate King vowed as he grew closer. I stood my ground. On his thigh where I stabbed him a hastily wrapped bandage which was already bleeding through. Unfortunately for me, he barely seemed to notice it as he turned his eyes to me.
“So I take it you’re not happy about the next level of the party?” I smiled crookedly; masking my fear.
His eyes flashed with hate as he took his position and unsheathed his sword. “Glad to see at least one of my opponents have their wits with them,” his knuckles turned white around his sword hilt. “Most never last nearly as long.”
I sighed and allowed him to make the first move. He swung, I deflected. I swung, he dodged it. His injury seemed to make no difference or slow him down. Our blades clashed together above our heads when the second cannon fired and a fire began to widely spread over the deck. I looked him in the eyes and prepared myself for death.
