There is nothing worse for a pirate than dying on dry land. Except, maybe, swinging two feet above it.
When their captain is imprisoned, facing the gallows, the men and women of the Lady Lesya's crew will try everything to break him out--even if it...
Alexandra's went from shut tight to goggled, and she let out a short whimper. It sounded like a combination of fear and surprise and pain, something despicable to her own ears. Her body twitched, but after a few years living on ships, it had learned-from several minor but throbbing head injuries-to protect itself from waking up too violently.
Despite the darkness, she could easily tell that the cabin was not hers. The bed she was lying on was much more comfortable than the small, rudimentary bunk she usually slept in. Her nose gave her the answer: covering an otherwise strong smell of stale tobacco, the distinctive fragrance of a woman's perfume floating in the air was the only clue she needed to recognize Etienne's cabin.
Alexandra attempted to sit up, but as soon as her head left the fluffy pillow, the back of her skull exploded with pain. She couldn't even shout, stunned by the shock. Her hands pressed against her temples as if it would prevent her brain from leaking out her ears. Where there should have been long, fine hair, there was only rough cotton. She groped around her face, her forehead, the top of it and the back, and managed to conjure a mental image. The bandages going round her skull were keeping a cold compress in place, preventing an already huge lump from growing out of control. The events from the previous night rushed back, filling her mind with nasty predatory smiles and a revolting fear.
Luckily, the flow of memories was interrupted when the door burst open. Morning light flooded the cabin, forcing Alexandra to close her eyes. Too late, though. A residual picture of Etienne's massive desk-buried under all kinds of maps and scrolls, an ancient globe, and a golden sextant-was now printed white on black inside her tightly shut eyelids. She heard footsteps cross the low-ceilinged room, and a young man gasp when the heavy curtains were pulled open.
"So zis iz Cap's quarter? Wow, it's 'uge!"
Alexandra blinked, trying to adjust her vision. She discovered a blurry Flow exploring the room as if he might find a treasure chest behind a shelf. A blurry Jade walked back to close the door.
"What the hell is happening here?" growled Alexandra.
Jade looked strangely unconcerned. "Oh, you're awake! How's the head?"
Before she could answer, Flow appeared two inches from her face. "Alexandra! What 'appened to you, ma'am? You look terrible, ma'am! Oh, and you 'ave to come wiz me! It's Cap! He 'az been arrested!"
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
