AISLIN | I

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The moment my feet hit the floor, electricity spread through me, and a mischievous smile grew on my face.

I charged forward, toward the oncoming surge of pirate; sword in my left hand and dagger in my right. They wore tattered pants and pullover cotton shirts, all frayed at the edges. The woman closest to me sported the black outline of an anchor on the side of her windpipe. Her self-satisfied smirk revealed a gold tooth at the corner of her smile. Her voluminous chocolate-brown curls caught in the sea breeze as she stormed toward me.

Our swords met with clang as we closed the distance between us. Every blow she delivered was countered by my sword and dagger, but I could not gain the upper hand. Either the Glameelians had improved their training program or I was getting rusty.

"You're sluggish this evening. Are you truly the legend they say you are or is it all the work of myth writers and storytellers, Aislin." She crooned as we reached a stalemate.

"Maybe you'd have a snowflake's chance in the underworld if you'd stop gabbing and focus on your technique and instincts." I bantered back as I quickly switched my sword from my left hand to my right. I began to shift from defensive to offensive. Every blow was delivered with more and more power. Slowly my opponent began to lose ground. As I pushed her back, we got closer and closer to the core of the fray and found ourselves in the middle of a 30 man brawl.

As I dodged and blocked blows from all directions, slashing left and right as I moved, I felt my back collide with something hard as stone and solid as a mountain. I glanced over my shoulder and saw a dark cheekbone that could only belong to Evander. Our eyes met for an instant and I felt him tense behind me. We both knew we were safer with the other to watch out backs than on our no matter how often we crossed swords.

We were surrounded. Our soldiers and crew were all occupied with battles of their own. We were outnumbered three to one in favor of the pirates. Each member of our crew was engaged with at least one pirate, some two, but Evander and I were faced with the rest. I knew we could defeat them, but only if we could put aside our differences and work together. I reached behind me and found his arm. I locked my elbow around his.

"Spin me," I ordered.

"Do what? Now is not exactly the time or place for a waltz." he spat back.

"I told you to never make me repeat myself." I rumbled and met his look of utter disdain with a glare that could melt ice. He did as he was told and I hoisted my feet off the ground. I kicked at our enemies as I whirled around in circles. As they fell outward around us Evander stopped turning and set me lightly back on my feet as Leland's head came into view at the top of the stairs.

I released Evander's arm from my grip and picked my way through the fallen pirates. Around me, the rest of the crew was making steady headway against the rest of the enemy forces. Weaving my way between individual battles, blocking stray blows, I marched to Leland.

"I told you to keep Grey out of harm's way. Why are you defying orders?" I demanded as I approached him.

"You may be my commanding officer, but I am a soldier, a commander, and I earned those titles. I'm more useful up here. Grey will be fine." Leland protested.

"You're of no use to me or your men if you're dead because you're too sick to be aware of your surroundings." I countered as I swatted an incoming arrow away from his shoulder with my dagger. "August!" I bellowed.

"I see it!" he called back and with a swoosh and a cry of alarm the sniper fell from the mast of the pirate ship and into the sea below with a loud splash.

I put my hands on Leland's shoulders and turned him around and pushed him back toward the stairwell. "Go below decks where you can keep your head and your pride. I'd hate to lose a good man because he was distracted by a little tummy-ache." I taunted. I turned to survey the battlegrounds as Leland reluctantly started back down the stairs.