A Pirate's Agony (Legends of the Soaring Phoenix Book 3) (15 page)

The fallen pirate sat up, a red trail leaking down the middle of his chest and onto the deck of the ship. He jumped to his feet and Hannah blinked. She shook her head to free it from the fogging effects of the smoke. Had she just seen him jump or had he floated off the deck?

The fiend or pirate or monster--whatever ’twas lunged for John. 

“John, watch out,” Hannah yelled, but a cannon blast blocked out her voice.

The bald man seized John's neck and jerked him backwards, lifting him off his feet. John stabbed the man in the thigh, but the fiend held on to John, snatching a fistful of John’s hair, and yanked, stretching, exposing his neck. The fiend opened his mouth wide, biting into John’s throat with his sharp teeth. A squirting stream of crimson splattered onto the wet deck.

The other pirate knocked John’s sword out of his flailing hand, but with his other hand, John fired his pistol, hitting the man in the chest. The man snarled and seized John’s wrist. He tore into the flesh with his teeth, knocking the pistol out of John’s hand. John struggled, his free hand pushed on the bald man's chin, but to Hannah’s horror, John’s eyes closed and his hand fell limp to his side.

Sally screamed and ran for the stern.

“Sally,” Hannah tried to grab her frightened maid, but failed. Something whisked over Hannah’s head. Long coats billowing behind them, two pirates descended onto Sally. One landed in front of her and put his hands on his narrow hips. He tossed his dark head back and laughed. Sally whipped around only to be caught short by another broad shouldered blond pirate, who grabbed her. Her hat fell to her side and her long blonde tresses fell loose.

“Ah, a woman,” he sneered. “Is your last name Knight?”

Sally shrieked as he yanked her close to chest. “Answer me, bitch,” he snarled.

Hannah gripped the belaying pin tighter in her hand. She took a step closer and opened her mouth to point out the bastard’s mistake, but a strong hand covered her lips and grabbed her waist. She stomped on a foot, slammed the wooden pin down on a thigh and received a muffled curse. She knew the voice and shrank.

Her father hissed, “Stupid girl,—’tis me. Stop struggling. Don’t say a word. They’re hunting us. They want to take us to their leader Zu something.”

She stiffened. Why would anyone be hunting them? Who is this Zu person?

“Let me go,” Sally pounded her fists on the pirate’s chest. “No, I’m Sally. Please leave me alone. Release me.”

“Then die,” he said and bent his head down. Her small hands pushed on the man’s chest.

The other pirate caught Hannah’s eye, an evil smile spreading across his face. He nodded in her direction and marched toward them. He opened his mouth. Moonlight glittered off rows of shark’s teeth. Hunger reflected in those eyes. Death rushed toward them.

Her father pushed her to the side and aimed his pistol at him. She raised the pin, her hand trembling.

“Run,” a male voice ordered.

Behind them, Spencer aimed the long gun and fired. The cannonball soared through the air and collided into the dark hair pirate, knocking him into the water.

Spencer’s terrified yell grabbed Hannah’s attention. She turned. Two pirates had dragged him to the ground. One bit into his neck, while the other fed on his arm.

“Help me,” Spencer moaned, his eyes pleading.

Hannah inhaled deeply, air filling her lungs. She swallowed hard. The power swelled inside her as she stared at the long gun. She lifted one hand and aimed it at the gun while the other clutched the pin. The same flutter pounded in her chest, her fingers tingled. A white light swirled around the long gun, inching it around and aiming at the pirate sucking on Spencer’s arm. 

Her father grabbed her arm. “Hold your breath.”

“What? No, please...”

Her father dragged her to the railing and tossed her over. Arms and legs kicking, she plunged into the churning black water. Salt burned her eyes. Cold gripped her and her clothes pulled her down. She gulped more and more and more seawater. 

She kicked her legs hard and skimmed her arms back and forth over the churning surface, trying to keep her head above the water. She grabbed a piece of wreckage and clung to its splintered surface.

Bits of burning wood fell into the water. The fiery ship cast an eerie glow onto the water. Hannah and her father swam into the shadow of the hull. Death shrieks from the crew tore at her heart, and she bit back a sob.

What had Father done? She could have saved Spencer. Spencer had risked his life to save them. He was her friend and didn’t deserve to die.

Her fingers clutched the wood. She wanted to help and her father stopped her. Why? Didn’t he care about his crew? 

Her father swam toward her, gripping a piece of drifting wood. Glaring at him, she spat out seawater. “Why didn’t you let me save him?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Because you’d have failed.”

She turned away and swallowed hard, tears filling in her eyes. The familiar hollow pain in her chest sucked away her breath. Her father’s lack of faith in her cut her deep. He bragged about her two older sisters, Theresa and Jessica, about their marriages, their God fearing life, but when it came to her, he never uttered one word of praise. “But...,” she stammered.

“Are you daft girl? The pirates were searching for us. They knew our name.”

Her teeth chattered. “How did they know our names?”

“I have no idea,” he grumbled.

Bubbles formed near the bowline, and Hannah held her breath. A dark head peered out of the water. But how could it be? Spencer had shot him and he'd fallen overboard. The bastard should be dead. 

The man tossed his head back, his wet hair slapping behind him. As he flew into the air, he transformed into a large bat. The size of a muskrat, he had webbed wings, smooth pointed ears and a flattened and pushed up snout.  He spun around and around, screeching. He flew high into the air and circled the glowing moon. 

Hannah covered her mouth and bit her palm, and lost her grip on the drifting wood and slipped into the cold ocean. Sucking in water, her lungs burned. She kicked her feet and burst out of the water. Spitting out the sea, she reached for the driftwood and scanned the sky.

The flying bat pirate descended onto the ship. Terrified screams echoed as the marauders tossed dead crew men over the side. Bodies fell, slapping water and pushing Hannah around. Tears slipped down her cheeks. Her lips trembled. She should have held onto the mast and repaired it, giving them a chance to maneuver the ship, instead of giving into her fear. 

More bats circled the ship. Flames rose high, illuminating the ocean. Any minute the bastards would spot her and her father.

A cannonball hit the second mast and it broke into two. A piece of the mast rushed toward her father.

“Father,” she yelled.

He glanced up and tried to swim, but the mast hit him with a solid thump. A splatter of blood smearing on his right temple, he slumped over the piece of wood.

Something bumped into her leg under the water. She hung onto her piece of floating wood, afraid to move as a gray fin glided across the water and edged close to a dead crewman.
Sharks.
Either way, she had condemned herself and her father to a gruesome death.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

A Pirate’s Agony:  © 2015 M.L. Guida

Cover design © Kim Killion (Hot Damn Designs)

All rights reserved. Where such permission is sufficient, the author grants right to strip any DRM which may be applied to this work.

Issued 2015