Alex blinked. He didn’t dare speak with the blade against his mouth. All he could do now that he’d gotten over the shock of seeing Eagala was curse himself for not making sure she was dead. But how did she get from her ship to this one if she, like all Warblerans, couldn’t swim?
Out of the corner of his eye, one of the tenders floated into view, and Alex had his answer. His stomach twisted. Maybe somebody on land would look this way. Was he visible to land? With his back turned to them, he wasn’t sure. Certainly Simber would notice if he was anywhere nearby. But who knew where Simber could be, collecting pirate bodies from all over Quill.
Slowly Alex moved his left hand a fraction of an inch at a time, closer to the hilt of his sword. Eagala had apparently begun talking to him, as she was spitting in his face. Alex tuned in.
“. . . my count, you have eighty-seven of my people on your island. You will have your creature bring them to me now—all of them, including your friends who caused me so much trouble. But the one I want the most is the child who shattered my raven curse. If you return them all, including that one, I may let you live.”
Had Eagala seen the twins? Did she know who they were? Alex was furious, but he knew he couldn’t show it. There was no way he’d let Fifer anywhere near Eagala, or any of the Warblerans who had fought for Artimé. He’d never give them up.
Eagala leaned forward, putting her face directly in front of his. Alex leaned back, but was immediately punished for it by First Mate Twitch, who stuck the point of his sword into Alex’s neck and flicked it away, leaving a cut. Eagala’s sword slid across Alex’s lips and left blood trickling from the bottom one. Sweat mingled with the cuts and stung him. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. His hand was still inches away from his sword.
After a long moment of Queen Eagala staring into Alex’s eyes and Alex trying not to flinch, she finally pulled her sword away from his face. Slowly and deliberately she withdrew a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the blade clean of his blood. “Tell your creature to fetch my people.”
Alex could barely breathe. He closed his eyes, and when Twitch returned his sword’s blade to Alex’s neck and pressed down, Alex lifted his chin. “Spike,” he said.
“Yes, the Alex?” said Spike.
Alex swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing over Twitch’s blade. His mind whirred. “Did you hear what the queen said?”
“Yes.”
“I’m in some pretty big trouble here,” said Alex, his voice quivering, “so let’s do what we need to do to get me out of it, then.”
“Are you sure you want that, the Alex?” asked Spike.
“I’m sure,” Alex said, trying to sound very unsure.
Spike hesitated. “All right. I will go . . . right . . . now.”
Alex’s eyes widened at the way Spike responded. He held deathly still as Spike shot away from the ship, and then, after a moment of suspended silence, something slammed hard against the hull, and Alex’s world began shaking and rocking uncontrollably. The sword pierced Alex’s neck a second time before the pirates lost their balance and their grip on him.
Alex pulled from their grasp. He shoved the female pirate into Queen Eagala, sending them both sprawling and tangling in a pile of ropes, and he unsheathed his sword, lifting it up and swinging wildly. He caught Twitch off balance as the ship rolled and bounced, and flipped the pirate to the deck. Twitch kicked Alex’s sword into the air and got back up, but the ship lurched again, throwing them both down. Alex’s sword clattered nearby, and Twitch kicked it away again, out of reach.
Alex had no time to search for a component. He slammed his fist into Twitch’s face as the other pirate returned, slicing Alex across the shoulder, just missing his neck thanks to the rocking boat. Alex lit into her and knocked her sword overboard as Eagala came running at him. Alex sidestepped her and grabbed for her sword, wresting it from her and ripping off two of her fingernails in the process, making her scream out in pain.
Alex threw the disgusting fingernails to the deck and ran at Twitch, who was struggling to get to his feet. Alex didn’t flinch. He stabbed the sword into Twitch’s stomach and ran him through. Twitch wavered on his knees, then clattered to the deck. Alex tugged at the sword, trying to pull it out, but it was stuck fast. He whirled about, looking frantically for his own sword, and dodged the other pirate, who was running at him. He shoved her into Queen Eagala again, and when she came rebounding back, he grabbed the pirate by the jacket and ran her to the railing, her fingers digging at his eyes and throat. With all his might he lifted her up and threw her over the side of the ship into the water.
Queen Eagala regained her footing and grabbed Alex’s sword from the deck. When Alex turned to fight her, she slammed the sword down hard on Alex’s already injured left shoulder. The pain sparked and burned through Alex, and he cried out as his left arm flopped uselessly to his side. He kicked Queen Eagala’s hands with all his might, sending the sword flying into the air.