“ROSLYN!” I whirl at her tiny voice.
Her grin exposes a loose tooth bent slightly out of place. “I’ve got something for you.” She holds up a ring of keys.
“I knew you’d save us,” Wallov says, a father’s pride glinting in his eyes.
How could I have forgotten little Roslyn? Stowed away all this time in her hidey-hole up in the crow’s nest. “How did you get the keys?”
“I had to wait for the girly-looking fellow to fall asleep,” she says apologetically. Riden gives me a look that says, Didn’t I tell you? “It was a good thing his ears were covered the whole time because the keys jangle so.”
“Sneaky little thief,” I exclaim proudly.
She steps in front of her father’s cell. “The next time you’re cross with me, Papa, I want you to remember this moment.” She inserts the key into the lock. “Oh, and Captain?”
“Yes?”
“I want to fight with the crew in six years’ time.” Her voice changes slightly, as though she’s trying for a more adult tone. She could never mask the chirp of a six-year-old girl, but it’s something adorable watching her try.
I raise a brow at her, achieving what I hope is a slightly stern look.
She bites the inside of her cheek, but waits to twist the key.
I look behind her at Wallov, who is trying to keep from laughing.
“Seven,” I say.
“Done,” she says, flicking her wrist. An excited smile nearly splits her face in half.
A gunshot explodes through the mostly quiet brig. Every head turns toward the entrance where Tylon has appeared, a furious scowl spread across his face.
A cloud of smoke overtakes his features for a moment.
My eyes drift down to where he has his pistol extended in front of him.
I follow its line of progress to where Roslyn stands.
Blood spurts wildly from her head.
And she falls.
. . .
A new sense of urgency overtakes me as a pool of blood forms near Roslyn.
I unlock my cell, toss the keys to Riden, and run to her, but Mandsy reaches her first, ripping off a section of her trousers to staunch the bleeding.
But I know how hard it is to survive a head wound. And for one so small.
Trembling fingers reach for her pulse.
It’s still there. How is it still there?
“It skimmed her head, Captain,” Mandsy says. “Knocked her out. There’s a lot of blood, but I could see her skull intact underneath. If I can just get the bleeding under control—”
“Do what you can. I’m going after Tylon.”
I throw myself into the fray, tossing enemy pirates around like they’re rocks. I have metal bars at my disposal, so I ram heads into them in my search for Tylon. I finally catch sight of Wallov through the chaos. He’s got Tylon by the shoulders, and he slams his head into the ground over and over. I don’t know how long Tylon has been dead, but Wallov doesn’t seem to notice anything at all.
I rush to him and pin his arms to his sides.
“Wallov, she’s alive. Calm down.”
It takes a moment for the words to sink in, but then instead of trying to go for Tylon, he’s trying to get away from me. To go to Roslyn. I release him.
