Lilette gasped in horror as tacky blood squelched beneath her bare feet. How many other survivors had they “rescued” only to murder?
The other four witches were screaming and begging as a guardian pulled out a knife and stalked toward them. Lilette pinched her eyes shut and turned away as one of their cries was abruptly cut off.
Merlay and Brine headed below decks, most of the guardians following. The ones who remained were either guarding the prisoners or had hidden themselves on deck, their weapons trained on the captive sailors maneuvering the ship toward the next batch of survivors.
Han was struggling, fighting. He wasn’t any closer to free, but he was distracting the guards from killing them.
And then Jolin climbed from below decks, Galon beside her. The two of them rushed toward Lilette.
“What are they doing?” Merlay’s shout could be heard from below. “Get her back here!”
Her friend had betrayed her. Lilette rose up, her anger cresting. She threw herself back and kicked, but Jolin dodged her and slammed into one of the guardians holding Han, just enough to knock him loose.
Galon tossed Han a sword and stabbed the other guardian holding him. Han caught the sword, whirling about so fast Lilette couldn’t follow his movements. The two of them cut through the guardians holding them. Pescal scrambled away from Lilette just as Han grabbed an extra sword.
Galon and Han turned to face the guardians constraining the crew. A dozen against two. Pescal exchanged an amused glance with another guardian and they started forward. But then one of the sailors tackled him. As if it was the cue they were waiting for, the rest of the sailors jumped into the fight. One of them even managed to batten the hatch and trap the rest of the guardians below.
Jolin produced a thin knife and cut Lilette’s and Han’s gags, then rushed for the hull, her small knife frantically working at the ropes holding a small dingy to the side. “Help me,” she cried.
Lilette wanted to kill her instead, but there wasn’t time. The three of them scrabbled and pulled until the ropes slithered and the boat crashed into the waves.
The guardians busted free. They streamed from below, quickly overpowering the sailors.
“Han! Let’s go!” Lilette shouted. Galon cried out. A guardian had broken through, slicing his arm. Galon stumbled back. The guardian cocked his arm for the killing strike.
One of Han’s swords snaked out, deflecting the stroke. The movement cost Han. His right flank was open. Pescal sank his sword into Han’s side.
“Han!” Lilette started toward him, but Jolin grabbed her and hauled her toward the railing.
“Go!” Han growled as he countered with a blow to Pescal’s thigh.
When Lilette hesitated, Jolin tightened her hold. “They won’t break away until we’re safe.”
Han’s blades twisted about him like a whirlwind. Nassa had already jumped into the water and was pulling herself into the drifting boat.
Doranna wasn’t far behind. “Come on!”
Gritting her teeth, Lilette leapt off the side, her legs and arms windmilling as she fell. She crashed into the water hard, slamming into more flotsam. Pain, old and new, flared inside her. She pulled herself out of the water, pushing flotsam out of her way as she swam to the boat. She pulled herself in and turned back.
His swords crossed, Galon forced a guardian back. Then Galon jumped.
With the scrape of steel, Han twisted Pescal’s swords to the side and head butted him. Pescal stumbled back and Han’s sword whipped forward, stabbing him in the throat.
Mouth open in shock, Pescal gripped the sword, blood welling between his fingers. Han threw himself back. Pescal grabbed something at his waist. Even as he tipped forward, he threw a knife.
Lilette didn’t see where the knife landed. Han hit the water hard. The boat had drifted from the ship, so she snatched an oar. “Help me.” They brought it closer. “Han!”
Merlay appeared at the railing. “Stop them!” Other guardians jumped in after them.
Galon climbed into the boat and went to the stern, his swords at the ready. Holding the oar like a club, Lilette scanned the water for Han. He would come up. He would.
And then he did. She barely recognized his face, it was so dark. With both swords clamped in his teeth and red surrounding him, he swam for the boat and pulled himself inside. Lilette saw blood streaming from his body and panicked. He barely spared her a glance.
Doranna snatched the oar from Lilette. She and Jolin started frantically rowing. More guardians were coming through the water. Han and Galon hacked at them as soon as they came within range. The rest of them stomped on their hands as they gripped the boat.
Lilette’s gaze swung to the ship as it turned toward them. Nassa kicked one of the guardians in the face. “You have to bring that ship down—now.”