A Mutiny in Time (Infinity Ring #1)

But he remembered the lesson of the American Revolution. In battle against an organized enemy, chaos could be effective. And the mutineers definitely hadn’t been expecting this.

“Come with me,” Eyeball said to Dak. “You and I are going for the big man himself. Columbus needs our help.”

Sera stepped up beside them. “I’m coming, too.”

Then Riq. “Don’t forget me.”

“All right. Just don’t chicken out when the heads start flyin’,” Eyeball said through a rumbling chuckle. “Come!”

Dak and the others followed as Eyeball ran forward, his stocky legs pumping as he jumped over ropes and buckets to charge toward the upper deck where the Amancio brothers were trying to break into the captain’s quarters. Salvador wielded an axe, and one-third of the door was already shredded into splinters. A light rain had begun to fall from the dark sky, causing the lanterns that hung from masts and rafters to sputter and hiss. Dak could tell that the ship was bouncing more, too, and that the moon and stars had completely disappeared above them. The ship was heading straight into a storm.

The captain’s cabin was on a raised deck that had a short flight of stairs on each side. At the bottom of each of them stood guards loyal to the Amancios, fighting off anyone and everyone who tried to gain access to the platform. Raul had just fired his musket at someone and was busily reloading, shoving a long metal rod down the barrel.

“No matter what happens,” Eyeball said as they approached, “at least the world will know that those turncoat Amancios did in fact mutiny. Even if they win over this blasted ship, they’ve lost in the long run. Their heads’ll be on pikes if they ever dare go back to Spain.”

It hit Dak that they’d already made a difference by being there. They’d revealed the plot, and that alone could change how history evolved in the coming decades. But they couldn’t leave anything to chance — they had to make sure the SQ didn’t reach the New World. They had to.

The four of them rounded a large mast, and the platform of the captain’s quarters loomed above them. Dak looked up to see that Raul had finished his preparation of the musket and was now aiming it directly at Eyeball.

“Watch out!” Dak shouted as he leapt to his left and knocked the man onto the deck, just as the short jolt of the gun’s explosion ripped through the air. Dak heard the iron ball smash into the wood of the mast behind them.

“You’ll all die for this!” Raul yelled. “All of you!”

Dak checked that Sera and Riq had found cover. He scampered to his feet and helped Eyeball get up as well.

“Thanks, lad,” the man said. His lone eye gleamed with rage. “I’ll fight to the death for you. Let’s get those no-good brothers.”

Dak nodded, a fire burning inside him — a courage he’d never felt before in his life. “One each, right?”

“Aye. One each. You go left, I’ll go right.”

Dak wasted no more time talking about it. He turned and ran for the steps on the left side. A couple of Riffraff had ganged up on the guards at the bottom, swords ringing as they struck one another, the sailors slowly losing their ground. Sera and Riq joined Dak, and they slipped past the fight and bounded up the stairs.

Salvador was just pulling his axe back for another blow on the door when it suddenly burst open, shreds of wood flying everywhere, and Christopher Columbus came charging out with a sword. Eyeball was on the far side, by the other steps, trying to fight his way through a pair of guards. Raul had been preparing his musket for firing again but gave up, tossing it over the railing and pulling a knife from his belt. Dak went for him, screaming as he charged, raising his scimitar even though he had no real idea how to use the thing.

Raul stabbed at him when he approached but Dak swung his weapon downward, smacking the blade. It flew out of the man’s grip and clanged against the hard wood of the deck. Dak felt a rush of pride, but Raul immediately came in with his other hand, squeezed into a fist, and punched Dak in the cheek. Pain exploded through his head, completely stunning him. Lights flashed before his eyes. He dropped his weapon and started falling, but someone caught him, pulled him back onto his feet.

It was Sera. He knew it even though he couldn’t see her. Her arms were hooked under his, supporting him until he got his wits back. Riq had tackled Raul in the meantime, but the man pushed him off as Dak looked on. Riq smacked against the railing and let out a small cry. Dak put his weight back on his feet and Sera let go, stepping forward to stand beside him. Together they took in what was going on all around them.