Alone

•17•

Lilah

     Spencer's friends didn't seem all that bad honestly. Both of them played guitar, and both had amazing aim. Will with pistols and Emily, daggers. It seemed that they never missed their targets. I just hoped I'd never end up the target.

    Though something felt off. As off as a day on a pirate ship could I guess. And I was right in thinking something would go wrong. Because it would.

    As I always I was awake by dawn, a book sitting open on the edge of my bed. Getting up, I tied my hair back. That's when I heard the yelling. I pulled my boots on quickly and ran up to the deck. What I saw was something I never thought I would see aboard this ship. Emily and Will were both being held by men I hadn't seen before, and Spencer was pinned to the deck by a man who had his boot pressed against his throat. His sword pointed at Spencer's heart. I shrunk down behind a barrel before they could see me, biting my tongue and watching.

    "You have a choice Salmon. Either you come with us, or I kill everyone aboard this ship." A smirk flickered across the mans face as he looked to the men holding Emily and Will, who pressed their blades harder against their throats, a line of red dripping from her throat. "And you can watch." I didn't know where Ella was, I just hoped she was safe.  

    A look crossed Spencer's face that I never thought I'd see from him. Defeat. And.. fear. His sword laid just out of arms reach. He was weaponless, defenseless. "Fine. I'll go with you. Just let my crew go. They will play no part in this Cairn." 

    "Very well. Let them go." Cairn looked to the men that had been holding  Will and Emily, them only letting go of Will.

    "Hmm this ones rather nice. I'd like to keep her." He brushed a hand against her face, effectively making her jerk her head away, the blade digging deeper into her skin.

    "Gale. Let her go."  Cairn shot a glare in his direction. "Now."

    Gale growled quietly but moved the blade away from her throat, shoving her at Will.

    Emily stumbled, Will stretching his arms out to catch her. 

    Cairn gripped Spencer's hair, dragging him to his feet and tying his hands behind his back. Gagging and blindfolding him after. "We got what we came for. Now let's go." He grabbed Spencer by the back of the neck and dragged him towards the railing. The red-haired Captain didn't even get a chance to get his footing before he was pulled over the edge of the ship. Gale and the other men following them. 

    I only stepped out of my hiding place when I knew they were gone, my hands shaking slightly. 

    Emily glanced at me and got up, grabbing my shoulders slightly. "Are you alright?" 

    I nodded and lightly grabbed her wrist. "I'm fine. You're bleeding." I pulled a rag out of my pocket, wiping some of the blood off her neck.

    She pushed my hand away. "Spencer-"

    "Is smart. He'll be alright." Will wrapped an arm around her gently. "He'll find a way out." 

    I glanced between them and saw a ship sailing away. No doubt the ship Spencer had been taken to. I stepped around them and picked up Spencer's sword, sliding it into my belt for the time being before picking up his hat. I don't know why I cared so much, but I did know I was going to go after him.

    "You're not going alone." Ella walked up next to me, rubbing at her jaw. "I'm going with you." She glanced at me. "I know you were thinking it so don't deny it."

    Emily appeared on my other side. "You really think we're letting you go on a suicide mission alone?" She grinned, slipping her daggers into their sheaths.

    "Well, this isn't how I thought my day would go but, I guess we're going on a rescue mission." Will wrapped an arm around Emily's shoulders. "Spencer's gonna kill us for risking our lives for him but."

    I chuckled slightly. "We need a plan then. We go in without one and chances are we're all dead." 

    "Wow, you're confident in our abilities." Ella snorted. 

Spencer

    I bit down hard on my lip as the whip cracked against my back, leaving a stinging feeling in it's wake. My hands were shackled to a beam above my head and my shirt hung loosely from my arms, the back of it ripped open. After a moment I'd realized they'd stopped and one thought filled my head. I hadn't seen Lilah on deck and surely she would've heard the commotion even if she had been sleeping. I prayed Cairn and his crew hadn't found her, or worse, brought her with them to the ship. I moved to try and stand, wincing at the movement from my back. 

    Eventually I think I passed out, either from the pain or from exhaustion. 

...

    I woke up to hearing new voices on the deck above my head. Voices I recognized. Will and Emily. I didn't have to ask myself why they were here, I knew easily. Damn them for being loyal. They were going to get themselves killed or locked up with me. I hung my head slightly and sighed. If they got out of here, I didn't care what happened to me. 

    "Spencer." I heard my name in a whisper. The owner of the voice is what made more panic settle in. Lilah.

    "Lilah- get out of here before they catch you." I twisted enough to look at her, watching as she pulled a pin from her hair.

    "We're not leaving without you." She shook her head, picking the locks on the shackles.

    "Lilah please- go-"

    "Spencer, you're not talking us out of this." Ella cut in, managing to catch me as I sagged forward.

    "You two need to go- they'll catch you." I braced my hands on Ella's shoulders, balancing myself before letting go. 

    "And leave you behind? Not a chance." Lilah shoved the now bent pin into her pocket. "Now go, Emily and Will follow in a minute." 

    There was no point in arguing so I let Ella sneak me out to the dinghy, pulling coils of rope and such over me so I was hidden.

Emily

    Once Lilah gave me a subtle nod from her spot, hidden behind a barrel, I nudged Will with my foot. 

    "Unfortunately that isn't going to work for us." Will drew his pistols at the same moment I pulled out my daggers. "We'll be going now."

    "Drop your weapons." My gaze shot to Cairn, my eyes widening at the sight. He had his sword at Lilah's throat, a dagger poised at her ribs. "Or blondie here dies." 

    I glanced at Will, seeing that he had one of his pistols aimed at Cairn's head. "Let her go. Unless you'd like to find out how good of a shot I am."  

    Cairn smirked and didn't move. Then I heard the gunshot. Will had shot him square in the forehead. But not before Cairn had stabbed Lilah and pulled the dagger back out. 

    Lilah was curled on her side, her hands pressed against the wound as Cairn lay dead at her feet. I moved without thinking, slipping my daggers into the sheaths and picking her up, trying not to hurt her more.

    "Go. I'll follow you in a minute." Will still had both pistols out, aiming them at anyone who came near us.

    "I'm not leaving you-"

    "Em, I'll be there in a minute I swear." I knew there was no point in arguing so I brought Lilah onto the small boat, her blood soaking into my own clothes. Will was there a moment later and Spencer sat up, immediately moving towards me. Towards Lilah. He pulled what was left of his shirt off and pressed it against her side as her eyes fluttered shut, her chest barely rising.