Valek ducked and spun, hooking his heel behind Jibben’s left boot. But the man’s stance was as solid as a tree trunk. Jibben swiped down at Valek’s head. Valek rolled to the right and regained his feet. Okay, time for Plan B.
Jibben pressed his advantage, keeping his longer blade in motion like a pendulum on a clock. Valek backed away until he neared the edge of the dock. Timing it just right, Valek stepped forward and parried Jibben’s swinging weapon with his broadsword. The man’s curved blade slid right along Valek’s, and its tip stabbed right into his abdomen.
Valek gasped as pain ringed his waist.
“Your fancy moves won’t save you here.” Jibben twisted his wrist.
Before Jibben could disembowel him, Valek jabbed his sword into Jibben’s thigh. The man growled, shuffling back.
“At least I know enough to disarm my opponent first, then claim victory.” Valek rubbed the fingers of his free hand along the cut on his stomach. Despite the searing burn, the injury wasn’t deep. Relief energized him.
Now that Valek had an idea of what that curved blade could do, he changed the line of his attack from head-on to an angled approach. Jibben was strong like Ari, but also surprisingly quick. Not as quick as Janco, but only a few could make that claim.
This time, when Valek parried Jibben’s sword, he deflected the blade down. The tip of the curved sword missed him and Valek was able to cut into Jibben’s arm. When he blocked Jibben’s blade, knocking it high, Valek nicked the man’s thick leg. Each near miss increased Jibben’s frustration, causing him to make small but critical mistakes. Blood soon soaked the brute’s sleeves and pants. The man swayed.
Valek tried his takedown again, spinning and hooking his heel. Jibben landed with an oomph and Valek pricked him with a dart filled with sleeping potion. When the brute relaxed, Valek stood and surveyed the scene.
Most of the soldiers held their own, but a few struggled with their opponents. Valek helped those in need as they advanced inland. The sun rose and the trees cast long shadows. He engaged in a couple fights that ended in a few moves. Jibben should have trained his crew better. Weaving in and out of the other matches, Valek pricked the pirates with darts.
The last pirate fell not long after the sun’s arrival. Endre searched the buildings, while Mikus compiled a list of the stolen goods they found. Two other soldiers interviewed the young teens, who had been smart enough to keep away from the fighting.
Annika pointed to Valek’s shirt. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s nothing.”
She pulled a first-aid kit from her pack. “Sit.”
He recognized that tone. It meant business. He sat on the steps leading up to the door of one of the island’s cottages. All the structures but one had been built atop tall pylons, probably in case the island was swamped with water. It would take a fierce storm for the tide to reach the living areas of the buildings.
Annika inspected his wound and decided it needed to be sealed. She pulled his shirt off before he could stop her. If she noticed his still-healing heart-shaped scar, she didn’t say a word. Instead, she concentrated on her task by cleaning the cut and applying Rand’s glue.
To distract himself from the pain, he studied the structures the pirates had built. Arranged in a circle around a giant fire pit, the one-story cottages appeared to be for housing and storage. One oversize building had a ramp leading up to the first floor—probably for the livestock. All the surfaces had been painted with gray, green and brown paint in a camouflage pattern that blended in with the surroundings. The color combination would probably work during all seasons. Further proof that Jibben was no fool.
The island’s trees had been cleared farther out to make room for the crops. Small green shoots poked through the newly plowed dirt.
Valek spotted Endre and waved him over for a report.
“We defeated all the pirates, sir,” he said. “The kids have corroborated Zohav’s story. There’s another ship docked on the back side of the island. It’s the Sea Serpent.”
Ah, the other one that had been lost at sea. “Secure the criminals in the Starfish’s hold. And get the names of all the survivors. We’ll match them to the manifest and ensure none of the pirates are pretending to be a victim. And find Zethan—he’s Zohav’s brother and should be among the teens.”
“Yes, sir. We also found a few older teens locked in a jail, but we couldn’t find a key and the lock is...complex.”
“Once Annika is done, I’ll open it. Have the soldiers load the stolen goods onto the other ship. Also find a crew for both ships. We’ll set sail as soon as possible.”
“Yes, sir.”
By the time Annika finished, the cut throbbed. “Thanks,” he said, donning his ripped shirt.
“What should I do now?” she asked.
“Check the others. Make sure no one else is wounded.”