Winds of Fate [Books IV - VI]

Chapter 160: By Blood

"I will burn you all, you—bastardos!"

The corpses snicker between themselves. Caterina huffs; both she and Fernandez cuffed above their heads with rusty shackles in the cold, dark bilges of a different ship. To her right, the captain sighs. She clenches her jaw. Truly, she should have dragged her daughter out when she had a chance. These captains are useless.

Just like George!

"Grrrah!" Caterina yanks down her shackles, kicks the hull. A string of expletives fill the sullen air, but all around them are made of magic. The battle is equal, and they have no true incentive. "No, no!" She screams. "Leave her alone! Leave Elena alone!"

But the lackeys only turn away and leave, their own captain away... possibly hurting her daughter, taking over that damned ship.

"Elena..." Caterina weeps, voice hoarse, broken. She cannot surrender, not with the magic at her disposal. "We can't stay here." She turns to the captain. "I'll be damned to stay here!"

Fernandez sadly glances her way, and his brows furl as he thinks. After a long pause, he finally evades, "I'm sorry, Señora, I—"

Caterina seethes. What do I do?! Oh... oh... what do I do... Her heart sinks deep. The only one who knew magic was her own mother. The very thing her father loathed. The very thing she later blamed for their broken family. Fire, indeed, she could use all her anger into wrath.

But nothing more.

Nothing that could help her dear daughter now.

"I think I can do... something..." Fernandez suddenly blurts. "But, this is not a gurantee."

"Anything."

"You must burn me."

Caterina gawps. "What?!"

"It's the only thing I could think of," Fernandez says, eyeing the lackeys laughing at the end of the hall. "This is already a dead body. It can't die another horrible death."

She clenches her hands to fists. That is true. "Then... where are your men, do you know?"

"Probably around here too—"

"And if I burn this ship—"

They both stop.

Fernandez smiles. "Ah, sí." He looks at the weathered, worm-ridden hull and beams. "Great thinking."

Marineros. Caterina rolls her eyes. "I have to admit, your willingness to self-immolate inspired it." She glances at the shackles above her head and sighs. "Are you certain everyone else will be alright?"

"Not really, to be honest." Fernandez grimaces. "But it's our last card. Leonor needs you, more than she'll need me or the men."

Por Dios, Espiritu Santo. Her heart twists painfully, something she has not felt in all the years in the afterlife. "Bueno." Caterina nods. "Let's do it."

~*~

Inside the Dutchman's hold, Capitán Marques has cradled the young girl in the dark: she stopped bleeding, thanks to those tight layers of rags binding her, but she has barely breathed as well. Her soft hand in his bony grasp, only the warmth tells him that she is still alive, fighting. And yet, even that fight is dwindling... for her fingertips have begun to turn to ice. "Fritzl—" He tries to call, but cannot, for the First Mate is at the head of this barricade they made, countless of the damned crew, protecting their current captain to avoid the reign of a tyrannical one.