“Bitch!” he cried. “Get her!”
The other men surged forward, and I knew I couldn’t beat those odds. As with Warren’s attack, I refused to make it simple for them. If they expected a woman to be easy prey, they’d soon learn otherwise. I dropped to the ground as they reached me, causing them to run into one another. I wiggled away as best I could, stabbing one man in the calf. I had the sense to yank the knife out and scurry away as he fell yelping to the ground. I scrambled to my feet and ran—but was quickly stopped. A hand grabbed my hair and jerked me backward. I fell down, slamming the side of my head against the dirt road.
“Don’t injure her!” yelled their leader. “We need her intact.”
“She’s got two months at sea to heal,” countered the man nearest me. He tried to grab me, but a wild swing of the blade kept him at bay. His companions were moving in, and one finally managed to knock the knife out of my hand. Surrounded, I finally slowed down and accepted defeat—for now. They had to get me back to Cape Triumph and onto a ship. Plenty of time to escape.
Sensing their victory, the men came to a standstill and awaited their next order. That moment of silence was suddenly filled with the pounding of more hooves. Everyone turned to stare down the road—everyone except me. I used their distraction to slip through two men and grab my knife.
But when the riders came into view, even I was taken aback. A man and a woman slowed before us. They both rode white horses and wore black masks across their eyes. The man nearest me gasped.
“Pirates!”
“Tom Shortsleeves!”
“And Lady Aviel,” said another. He spoke the name like that of a demon, ironic since she bore the name of one of the six glorious angels.
Aiana’s words came back to me: All stories have a seed of truth.
Legends come to life. I hadn’t really believed the stories. So many rumors flew around Cape Triumph, and this had seemed particularly outlandish. But if these intimidating figures weren’t really two of Cape Triumph’s most notorious pirates, their impressions were so good that it didn’t matter. They matched the descriptions I’d heard numerous times at parties and, of course, from Mira, their biggest fan. Tom’s sleeves were, in fact, short, and I could just make out the peacock feather in his hat. A mane of golden hair fell down Aviel’s back, over a cape stitched with stylized stars. The two of them drew swords at the same time, their movements practiced and efficient.
“You have something we want,” said Tom or whoever he really was. “Leave Lady Witmore with us, and go.”
Two of the men immediately began retreating, their faces full of fear. The gang’s leader faced the riders down. “She and her reward belong to us. Get out of here before we— Ahh!”
Tom charged forward, slamming the pommel of his sword into the leader’s head. Aviel moved just as quickly and went after another of the men. They might be outnumbered, but the horses gave them an advantage since all of the other men had dismounted. The fear the twosome inspired was equally effective. Some of the raiders were trying to get away, and the one I’d injured in the leg was having trouble moving at all.
I took it all in as I hesitated on what to do. With the gang in disarray, I could easily join in with my knife and be effective. But as I watched Tom and Aviel swing their swords fiercely, I decided I didn’t want to take my chances with this unknown element. It was time to run.
I climbed back on Beth. With all the commotion, she was much more willing to carry me. We set off at a medium trot—not as fast as I’d like, but enough to get me away. My plan was to put some distance between me and the fray, then get off and take my chances with the woods. It would mean abandoning Beth and the painting, but this was the time for hard choices.
I didn’t get nearly as far as I’d hoped. In fact, I’d barely gotten started when Tom and Aviel overtook me and blocked the road ahead. I brought Beth to a halt and stared at these new threats. I tried not to get caught up in the mystique of their fearsome reputations, but it was hard not to.
“You don’t need to worry about those men anymore,” said Tom, almost cheerfully.
“Dead?” I asked.
“Maybe,” said Aviel. “Or they ran.” She sounded like she had a Belsian accent. Tom’s was solidly colonial.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. I wasn’t going with them, and I’m not going with you.” The boldness came automatically, even though there’d be little I could do against them. I’d revert to my plan to find a future escape.
“We don’t want to take you away,” Tom replied. “Wherever you’re going, we’ll help you get there safely. We’re your escorts for the night.”
I couldn’t see their expressions in the darkness, but he sounded in earnest. “Why? What do you want?”