Heir of the Gods

Ch. 52: Worse than Death

Cassia didn't struggle as the pirates hauled her off the Sorian ship, across a narrow plank onto the Brunian one. There was no point, and would likely end with her being dropped or tossed into the ocean, left to drown. Askari was another story.

The Sorian flailed and bucked, screaming obscenities and trying to claw at the men holding him. He struggled so much he nearly knocked one of his captors off the plank. Eventually, one of the pirates snarled something and the hilt of a sword was brought down on the back of Askari's skull.

There was a nasty crack and Askari went limp, his eyes rolling back in his head. Cassia craned her head back, trying to keep her eyes on the Sorian. But then her foot slipped, her leg shooting down toward the water. Her hands clawed around the arm of the Brunian holding her, a strangled scream gurgling past her lips.

For a moment, she stared down at the foaming, churning cauldron below, her chest heaving with quick, harsh breaths. The pirate holding her jerked her back up and bundled her the rest of the way across the gap between ships.

Once on deck, the pirate shoved her away from him. Cassia flew forward, throwing her hands out at the last minute to break her fall. The impact reverberated up her arms, the scrape of wood beneath her palms drawing blood. Instinct tried to push her back to her feet, but a heavy hand fell on her shoulder and the blade of an axe scratched along the side of her neck.

Cassia slowly lowered herself to her knees, sitting back on her heels. She didn't allow herself to so much as flinch when Askari was thrown down beside her. Blood seeped from a cut along the top of his skull where he'd been struck, but he stirred groggily. At least she knew he was alive.

One by one, the surviving crew from the merchant ship were lined up along the main deck and flung to their knees. The pirates prowled along behind them, threatening any who dared to so much as twitch a finger.

More shouting rose and Cassia glanced cautiously over her shoulder. The pirates were beginning to cut away the lines keeping the ships anchored together, pulling the planks away from the railing. Using long, hooked poles, the pirates began to push the Sorian merchant ship away. Smoke was beginning to billow in earnest from the caravel's decks.

As Cassia watched, glass from the portholes began to explode outward, flames licking over the vulnerable wood. She turned her head back, fear forcing bile into her throat. It took every drop of court-trained poise she possessed to keep her face blank and indifferent. The only thing she allowed was to twist her fingers together in her lap and bite the inside of her cheek.

Movement beside her drew her attention downward. Askari was moving, pushing himself up to his knees. His eyes were hazy as he looked at her, and he reached up, exploring the wound on the back of his head. His fingers came away slicked with blood, matching the stain on his sweat-soaked shirt.

There was a bustle of movement as the pirates began guiding their ship away from the Sorian caravel. The fires had spread, roaring in her ears and creating a wind that whipped her short hair across her face. Smoke filled her nose, making her cough.

A boot shoved against the small of her back, making her sprawl forward. Something was snarled at her, but Cassia couldn't understand it. It wasn't among the limited vocabulary Etain had managed to teach her, nor could she find any root in her knowledge of Mortanian, a sister language to Brunian.

Surprise lit in a tiny part of her mind when Askari grabbed her elbow and pulled her back up. He lifted his hand against the man who had kicked her, snapping something in Brunian. Out of instinct, Cassia braced herself to be struck again. When nothing came, she turned to the side to find a bearded pirate scowling fiercely at Askari.