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  It was a pleasant experience, and I hoped that it helped everyone, not just Evander. Our futures were uncertain, but if we took moments like that to appreciate our lives and each other, it would make the uncertainty bearable.

  The boom of a cannon sounded in the night, jolting me awake and sending Jameson to his feet faster than I could blink. I scrambled off the bed and scurried into my training clothes that were within easy reaching distance. While Jameson pulled his shirt on and grabbed his dagger from the bed, another explosion sounded, followed by the whistle of air, and then a splash as the ball crashed into the sea.

  We raced out the door and were on the deck in mere seconds. Solomon was on the upper deck, looking at the ship while Evander barked orders at the crew. Another cannon fired, and as it splashed into the water beside the ship—close enough that water rained down on us—the order was finally yelled for battle stations.

  I ran up the stairs to the upper deck, with Jameson on my heels, and turned to see a ship behind us. The sails were white, but they flew a pirate’s flag with the skull and crossbones embroidered on it. I had never seen the combination in all of my dealings with pirates over the past several months.

  “Where are the other ships?” Jameson asked, prompting me to glance around, and I noticed we were alone.

  Our armada of ships was nowhere to be found.

  “We decided to split up to check out the next string of islands. Most of the waterways were too narrow for the bigger ships to pass through, so it made sense to separate at the time,” Solomon answered.

  “Can you tell if they are vampires or just everyday pirates that have somehow escaped Prime’s notice?” I asked, staring at the vessel. With all the noise from the crew, I couldn’t make out anything beyond that.

  “There are heartbeats, but not nearly enough to run a ship,” Evander informed us, grabbing the wheel as the crew member left to find his station.

  “How long ago did we separate? Maybe the other ships will hear the cannon fire and come to our aid,” Jameson yelled over the sound of another cannon explosion.

  “That’s what we are hoping for,” Solomon called back, withdrawing his dagger and holding it as the blade glowed a yellow hue in the predawn light. “We separated a couple hours ago, spreading out mainly to cover more ground, but not far enough that we couldn’t offer aid if someone needed it.”

  “We need to evade them as long as possible, buy the others more time to get here,” I urged, grabbing the railing as Evander turned the wheel sharply, narrowly evading another cannon blast.

  “Can we fire back?” I asked once our sails were unfurled to full mast and caught the wind.

  “If we can get the ship turned sideways, or if we can somehow get behind them,” Solomon offered, gazing around into the soft light.

  “If they aren’t under Prime’s thrall, and are indeed pirates, they will bow to Catherine. Terrible luck they came after us instead of one of the other ships,” Evander added, spinning the wheel again and making me stumble.

  “Can we move a cannon to the back of the ship?” Jameson asked, catching me before I could fall.

  “Nowhere to put it,” Evander grunted as he wrestled with the wheel once more.

  “Our best chance is to evade them for as long as possible. If Catherine doesn’t show up, then we’ll have no choice but to turn and fight,” Solomon admitted, his voice tense while his grip on the dagger tightened.

  “Why don’t we just do that now?” I asked, my protective instinct kicking in now that those I cared about on board, and myself, were in danger.

  “Because I’d hate to be on the receiving end of Catherine’s wrath if we fight them and they turn out to be under her,” Evander confessed, glancing at me, and a shiver ran down my spine.

  Catherine was on our side, but there was a ruthlessness about her that made the hair on my nape stand on end. I was grateful for her help and was extremely glad we were allies, because I’d hate to be her enemy. I didn’t think I was her favorite person because of my friendship with Evander, but she could shove it for all I cared. Everyone had the chance to change. It was too bad Evander’s came too late to save their relationship, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t all be friends.

  The ship suddenly rocked violently, sending Jameson against the railing. Pain radiated from my hip as we slammed into the unforgiving wood. My advanced healing would have it back to normal in no time, but it didn’t stop the initial pain.

  “Are we hit?” Jameson hollered, drawing me closer to him, a red tint expanding in his eyes.

  “It grazed us,” Solomon called back, looking over the side to inspect the damage. “A direct hit will do significant damage. Stay ahead of them, Evander.”

  “I’m trying,” he grunted while holding the wheel steady. The veins in his forearms popped out as he strained against the ship.

  Cannon fire split the air much louder than all the other shots, and the blast came through the lower deck, sending shattered pieces of wood in all directions. A large splinter flew toward Evander, lodging itself in the left side of his chest. He crumbled to the deck, blood staining his shirt.

  Jameson surged forward and grabbed the wheel before it could spin out of control, while I crawled to Evander’s side.

  Blood seeped through my fingers, and I hoped the others would arrive before it was too late.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Without pause, Solomon crouched on the other side of Evander and ripped open his shirt, so we could see his wound better. We made quick work of removing the shard from his chest in hopes his healing would kick in, sooner rather than later. Once the bleeding began to slow, Solomon stood up to check the rest of the ship.

  “There.” He pointed off to our right.

  Kneeling up from my spot next to my friend, I spotted a sizeable ship in the distance, gaining speed and headed toward us.

  “Just in time,” Jameson mumbled, turning the wheel several times to veer the vessel once more.

  A blast from the attacking ship boomed in the air, and before my mind could process how close it seemed, the world in front of me exploded. We had a direct hit. I had no idea where it was or how bad the damage had been, but once the ringing lifted from my ears, the shouts from below told me it wasn’t good.

  Evander was on his feet, not steady but ready to help. “I’ll head downstairs and see how bad it is.”

  Jameson grasped his shoulder. “You take the wheel and keep watch with Solomon. Let Lavinia and I go while you finish healing.”

  Evander nodded and took over steering the ship once again, as Jameson and I raced down the stairs. We weren’t sure which level had been hit, but we’d figure it out soon enough. Chaos erupted all around us, making it hard to think while our crew sped around the floor, trying to figure out what to do next.

  “Should we split up?” I asked when we arrived on the first level.

  “Not a chance in hell. You’re not leaving my side until these pirates are dealt with.”

  I didn’t argue with him. If I was being honest, I hadn’t actually wanted to separate. I was just trying to find more ways to be helpful in the midst of all the mayhem.

  The second level of the ship was much the same as the first, but as soon as our feet hit the third level, water seeped into my shoes, instantly freezing my toes. Six crew members were waist-deep in the water, trying to seal up the hole that had been punched into the side of the ship, but the pressure of the water kept forcing them back.

  None of them were vampires, and they needed more strength to get the job done. Taking a deep breath and preparing for the temperature, I grasped Jameson’s hand and we began pushing through the water.

  Within seconds, the water was above my waist and my teeth were chattering, but we kept going. We couldn’t afford to lose the ship. We needed to do everything we could to save it, all while hoping Catherine would make her presence known in time to stop our attackers. Though we didn’t truly know that would work, that hope was all we had.

  “We ne
ed more nails,” William called.

  Pushing Jameson forward, so he could help hold the wood they were trying to put up, I moved for the work benches behind me.

  “Where are they?” I yelled over the rushing water. My hands searched the high tabletop in front of me, not yet underwater, but I didn’t feel anything small enough to be a nail and sight was limited in the dim area even with my enhanced abilities.

  “Second drawer on the left.”

  I wasn’t sure who had shouted, but I didn’t look back. My fingers found the knob of the drawer at the same time someone opened the door to the stairs, letting in just enough light for me to see what I was doing. Grabbing a handful of nails and an extra hammer, I pushed my way back through the water to give William the supplies, since he and Jameson had switched spots. As I did, Solomon joined us and held the other side of the wood board while the crew made quick work of sealing the hole.

  Once the larger board was secured, Jameson ordered more to be put up around the edges until we could get in shallow waters and properly fix it from the outside. The water coming in slowed considerably, but we had already taken on too much. I didn’t know a lot about ships, but I knew enough to be certain if we didn’t get to another island within an hour or two, our ship was going to sink, regardless of the hole being covered.

  “Thank you.” William gestured to the three of us.

  “No thanks needed,” I replied. We were a team and needed to do whatever it took to keep the ship running.

  “We need to get back upstairs, though. Do you think you guys can take care of it now?” Solomon asked.

  My heart sank a little as I realized there must have been a reason he came down, leaving Evander on watch by himself. Whatever it was, I hoped it was good news, because we had enough to deal with after the last hit.

  “Yes, sir. We will get things cleaned up as best we can.” William nodded, as did the others around him.

  I could finally see the faces of the crew with him and noticed one of them was Neil, the younger man who had told me about Maggie and Timothy on the ship. I smiled at him, and he waved, but neither of us said anything while Jameson gave them further instructions for cleanup.

  When they all knew what needed to be done, the three of us headed back to the deck.

  “What happened?” I asked as soon as we were on the second level.

  “Catherine is speaking with the other ship. We’re not certain yet, but Evander said that if she wasn’t shooting at them, then everything would probably be fine.”

  A sigh of relief passed through my lips as we continued up the stairs. The chaos had lessened, and most of the crew seemed to be focused on cleaning up the debris and water from the hits we had taken. There had been only two direct ones, but the impacts had been significant.

  “How does everything look below?” Evander asked when we arrived back at the helm. His torn shirt hung off his shoulder, and dried blood crusted around the wound that was no longer visible.

  “Everything is fine for now, but we’ll need shallow waters soon to make full repairs before we venture away from these smaller islands,” Jameson informed him.

  “What do we do now?” I wondered, my gaze focusing in on the two ships that were only a hundred yards away from us.

  I could see Catherine on the opposing ship’s deck. One hand was on her hip, and her other waved a finger in the man’s face. I couldn’t hear from that far away, but in that moment, I certainly wished I could.

  Evander directed our ship closer to the others, keeping it slow and steady to avoid causing any more damage to the vessel. Just when we came within earshot of the others, Catherine rejoined her crew.

  “Follow us,” she called from the deck before disappearing inside.

  When we passed by the ship that had shot at us, I wanted nothing more than to jump across and punch every single one of them in their faces, but getting ours to dock was more important now that they weren’t shooting at us. There was also the small consolation that none of the crew from their vessel was on deck anymore, telling me Catherine had laid into them, and they were likely off sulking under deck.

  “Where do you think we’re heading?” Solomon asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to go check on the rest of the crew. I haven’t seen Alice or Henry, and I want to make sure there were no other injuries.” Holding Jameson’s hand, I reached up to give him a kiss. “I’ll be back before we reach the dock.”

  “Call for me if you need any help.”

  I nodded while walking away but hoped I wouldn’t have any reason. If I needed help, then that meant some of the crew was injured, and we couldn’t afford to lose any of them so close to facing Prime.

  Walking around the top deck first, I took notice of the damage caused from the shards of wood that had flown everywhere during the hits. The few crew members I passed didn’t seem to have any injuries, so I continued on my way. After my circle around the top was complete, I headed downstairs, getting more nervous by the moment that I hadn’t found Alice or Henry.

  When I entered the galley, two hunters were sitting at the table while another was pulling splinters from their arms and neck.

  “Everyone all right?” I asked, making sure their injuries were only superficial.

  “They’ll be sore for a day, but nothing worth seeing a doc for,” Peter answered as he dropped another shard onto the table.

  “Have you seen anyone else who’s hurt? Or Alice and Henry?”

  He shook his head. “Nobody else has been through here since the fighting stopped.”

  His attention went back to the task before him, and I slipped out of the galley, wanting to let him finish without distraction. My chest rumbled in frustration that Peter hadn’t seen my friends, either. Since they hadn’t been with us below trying to fix the hole, on deck, or in the galley, I decided to visit their quarters.

  When I arrived at their door, I noticed it was cracked open, and crying could be heard. I burst through to find Alice lying on her side with Henry above her.

  “What happened?” The words felt like needles against my throat as I took in Alice’s ashen face and the blood on the bed.

  “We were downstairs when the second hit came. I wanted to get a few tools to patch the holes from the first hit, because some of the railing had been broken, and I didn’t want anyone falling off during the mayhem. When the cannonball came through the wall, one of the side planks hit Alice on her side, piercing her skin, and likely breaking a rib or two.”

  Kneeling down beside her, I brushed the tears from her face. “I’m so sorry, Alice. We’re arriving at another island soon. Hopefully, they’ll have a doctor who can take a look at you. Please don’t cry. We’ll have you better in no time.” Her injuries weren’t as bad as I thought they were when I first entered. It seemed to be mostly bruising on her side.

  She glanced up at Henry. “I have to tell her.”

  “Tell me what?” I looked between the two of them as Henry shook his head.

  “This morning, I told Henry I thought I was with child. I’m not crying because it hurts, but in fear I’ve lost the baby.”

  Tears pricked at my eyes for my friend, but I did my best to remain strong. She didn’t need my sorrow on top of her own. “You are officially done with this war. You and Henry will stay on the next island, and we will come back for you after we succeed. If your little one is half as strong as you are, then I know everything will be fine as long as we keep you safe.”

  A small laugh left her lips. “You’re worse than he is. At least he said I could stay on the ship.”

  “We’ll talk about it later, after you’ve seen a doctor.” I squeezed her hand. “What can I get you right now?”

  “Just come get us when we get to the dock, and I’ll carry Alice off the ship,” Henry answered for her.

  “That I can do. I’ll be back soon.”

  Leaving the room, I raced as fast as I could to the deck. I needed to know as soon as possible how much longer until we arr
ived. Every second Alice went without help, the greater the danger for her baby. I knew from talk around town—before it had been overrun with vampires—that there wouldn’t be much a doctor could do, but we would still do everything we could for her.

  Jameson was just coming down the stairs when I slammed into him. “Oh, sorry.” I righted myself as he steadied me with his strong hands.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Alice is hurt, and she needs a doctor as soon as possible. How much longer until we arrive?”

  “I was just coming to tell you we were almost at dock. Where is she? I can help Henry bring her up.”

  “Jameson, she’s pregnant.”

  His face faltered, knowing what that meant without me having to say it. Alice was family, and we would do everything we could to make sure she and her unborn child were taken care of, even if it changed our plans.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Several hours later, Alice had been thoroughly inspected by a doctor on the island. He examined her bruises and determined that she didn’t appear to have any broken ribs, which was good for the baby, but they were severely bruised.

  There were no promises the baby was unharmed, but as long as there was no cramping or bleeding, he suspected both mom and baby would be just fine. When those words left his lips, a collective sigh of relief went around the room. However, Alice was on strict orders to stay in bed with little movement for the next few weeks.

  Jameson and I slipped out, leaving Alice and Henry to finish with the doctor.

  We made our way toward the ship in search of Solomon and Catherine, who were done inspecting the damage to our vessel. They were in the captain’s cabin along with another person I didn’t know, but I recognized him as the captain of the ship that had attacked us. In one swift movement that seemed effortless, Jameson stepped in front of me while simultaneously drawing his dagger. The menacing growl that sounded from his chest was a clear warning.