Once Theris has his weapon reloaded, he turns back to Vordan as though there was no interruption. Niffon and Cromis are much more alert, hardly taking the time to blink as they watch Riden and me.
“That was your brilliant plan?” I ask. No one seems to care that we’re talking now. Riden’s injured past the point of usefulness, and I’m locked up. We’re hardly a threat.
“Yes,” he says, swallowing a moan. “But it needs some refining.”
Before I can ask what he means by that, he’s crawling back toward the buckets, dragging his injured leg behind him.
Everyone halts what they’re doing and stares at him.
“Look at that,” Cromis says.
“Doesn’t give up,” Niffon adds.
“Riden, stop!” I finally find my voice, but he seems to have lost his senses entirely. Doesn’t he realize they’ll kill him? At the very least he’s going to get shot again.
He ignores me, pulling himself onward. He’s almost reached the buckets.
I hear the pistol cock back. Theris takes aim and fires.
Riden gasps before his body collapses, his head falling right into the bucket.
Niffon hauls him out and tosses him back toward me.
Riden’s eyes are closed. He’s not breathing. I search all along his body, trying to find where the shot struck him. Finally, I see another blood-soaked hole. Theris got him in the same leg, this time below the knee. It looks like the second shot missed the bone, streaking clean through the muscle on the side of his calf.
“Boy’s got a death wish,” Theris says.
“Should we kill him, Captain?” Cromis asks.
“Yes, kill him.”
Niffon and Cromis stand. I fight furiously against the bars, willing them to bend. I don’t want to watch Riden die. I don’t want—
Riden lifts his head. I try to touch him, but he’s just out of my arm’s reach.
He smiles.
Cocky, little— Wait. Something’s off. His face. His cheeks are too round. He looks like he might heave.
But when he opens his mouth, it is not vomit that comes spewing out. No, it’s seawater. He shoots it out into my waiting hand.
“No!” Theris shouts, but it’s too late. He can’t reach for his wax faster than I can sing.
I pull Theris, Cromis, and Niffon under immediately. Where is the key? I demand of them. Theris instantly pulls the large bit of twisted metal from his pocket.
I give him an illusion. It’s completely dark. He can’t see a thing except for the lit match in his hands. He needs to light the candle if he wants to erase the darkness, if he wants to feel safe and calm. I am the candle, and the key to my cage is the match.
I wince as Theris knocks over the second bucket of seawater in his haste to reach me. Had I paid closer attention, I could have swerved him around it, but right now I’m going for speed rather than accuracy. The water soaks quickly into the ground. It will be long gone by the time I make it out of here. I’ve only got what Riden managed to get to me. I’d better make it count.
As Theris approaches, I send Cromis and Niffon to keep Vordan busy. I can only enchant three at a time. Vordan quickly stuffs the wax back in his ears before fighting for his life, one against two.
Riden’s breaths are short and quick from where he lies on the ground. I wrench the key from Theris and send him to fight Vordan as well while I unlock the cage.
Vordan, deciding he can’t possibly best three men at a time, turns around and runs for it.
I demand a pistol from Cromis, who is the nearest with a loaded gun. He rushes over, pulls the weapon from his side, and offers it to me. As I hold the pistol out in front of me, I slow my breathing and take aim at Vordan’s back. Right where the heart rests under his skin. It’s difficult because I now have to make the ball dodge Theris and Niffon.
Get out of the way! I order the two of them. As soon as they both leap aside, I fire.
The shot rings out and Vordan falls.
Riden coughs. “That was impressive, but you were wrong. I’m still the better shot.”
I toss the gun aside and turn to him. I’m unable to say a word to him because I have to keep the other three occupied with my voice, but I still shake my head at his ridiculous claim.
He asks, “Can we go now? I’m sort of bleeding over here.”
I shake my head once again, this time with determination. Oh no. I’m not finished with these three yet.
I quickly reach Vordan’s body. Once I do, I pluck the paper detailing out my abilities from his greedy paws and tear it to shreds. Then I wrestle the map encased in glass from his pocket and place it within my own.
With that done, I take the sword from his side and turn toward the remaining three men. I have no qualms about slaughtering them while they’re helpless. They were prepared to do the same thing to me.
But then another thought strikes me. What about Vordan’s map?
I turn back toward his body and search him thoroughly.
The power of my voice is running out, but the map has to be right in front of me. I can’t stop now. If I gave both maps to my father at the same time … I can only imagine how pleased he’d be.
I pull off Vordan’s breeches and shake them out, praying to the stars that a slip of paper will fall out of them.
“What are you doing?” Riden asks weakly from far behind me.
My guess is he knows what I’m doing but is startled by the manner in which I’m doing it. I haven’t the time to search Vordan carefully, and I don’t see why anyone would feel the need to. I hope wild animals feast on his rotting flesh.
When I don’t find the map on him, I kick his limp body.
Bastard must have it on his ship.
That’s when the last of my song leaves me.
With Vordan’s sword in my hand, I turn toward the three men who have regained their wits.
“This should be fun,” I say.
Chapter 19
THREE SWORDS SLIDE FROM their sheaths. I pounce onto the closest man, Niffon. He deflects the blow as Cromis tries to get behind me. I jump to the side so I have both of them clearly in my sights.
“Keep her busy,” Theris says. “I’m going for the rest of the crew. Don’t let her get away.”
“Stay,” I tell him. I thrust at Niffon while sliding under a slash from Cromis. “I’ll have all three of you face-first in the sand in no time.”
He doesn’t delay, rushing off along the shore in the direction Vordan’s ship must be anchored.
Fine, then. I’ll deal with him next time we meet.