Ainsley
“Over our dead bodies.” I seethed, flinging lightning magic toward Gretta.
She shielded and pivoted to protect herself from Jo’s gust of wind at the same time. A few more thuds sounded upon the deck, and I glanced up. A fourth ship had been there, unbeknownst to us. And Gretta’s men were jumping from it, landing upon ours, swords at the ready.
“That can be arranged quite easily, darling.” Gretta’s response was filled with laughter.
I withdrew my cutlass to wield my lightning through it as a conduit, as Killian had suggested, what now felt like ages ago.
The shouting behind me picked up, as did the cannon fire. The Phantom Saber veered left and wobbled several times, and then lurched right.
“I see you’ve found some new friends, Ainsley dear,” Gretta purred. “You are outnumbered, and a quick surrender would ensure that many of their lives are spared.”
“Liar,” I shouted as I brought my cutlass over my head, spinning into a stab at Gretta’s side, while she fought off Evelyn’s advances as well.
She blocked me but was thrown back by Jo’s wind. The momentum didn’t last long as Gretta was aided by two of her men. One grabbed Jo, who drew a dagger from her boot and fought him off of her, making quick work of him. The other came for me, and I was caught up in a deadly battle with someone twice my size.
I spotted Killian braced against the railing, and Jackson shouting as he wielded his own sword.
What hope did we have?
We were outnumbered. Would Gretta leave them be if I went with her willingly? That was assuming it was only me she wanted.
Our ship jolted, harder than only a steering maneuver. The shouting increased as another airship snapped into existence, practically on top of the Phantom Saber.
Silverthorne.
My birth father’s figure whirled down a rope that had been hoisted over the edge of the magically appearing ship, and his battle cry was loud enough to give everyone pause, even if only for a mere moment.
“Let’s see what you’ve got now.” His cry rang out as he clashed with a group of Gretta’s men that Jackson had been battling.
A sword whizzed by my face as my own opponent sought to take me off guard. However, one additional thud and a cry from behind him revealed Hattie, withdrawing a blade from his back.
“Hello, Ainsley,” she said with a wary smile.
“Perfect. Now you’re all in one place. Hello, Hattie, darling,” Gretta chanted from behind us.
Hattie immediately stepped in front of me. I could hear Silverthorne’s voice in the distance, shouting orders at Rees about Gretta’s airships.
A horrific groaning noise sounded along with cannon fire, and the ship that had been nearby was snapped in half, plummeting into the ocean below us.
I whipped my head back as a man rushed Hattie while she was studying Gretta.
“No!” I screamed, driving my blade in his gut as his face contorted in pain and surprise. Almost instantly, his body fell to the deck in a heap.
“Little Ainsley has been practicing, I see?” Gretta’s voice was mocking and devious. She shifted her blade from hand to hand tauntingly, her purple mechanical eye zooming in on me for the briefest of moments. “Come on, Hattie, show your daughter what you’re made of.”
“You vile creature. You will pay for all that you've done to help Sebastian,” Hattie said as she moved toward Gretta.
I rushed forward as well, only to be brought up short by two other men. They were a nonstop barrage, coming from the additional vessels and swinging from ropes. Grunting, I fought the men before me with every bit of strength I had. They battled me back to the stairs of the ship, and as I sliced a gash across one of their belly’s, a gust of wind sent the other toppling over the edge of the railing.
Jo saluted me and continued wielding her magic, as she fought hand to hand in an elegant dance of movements.
Glancing up to see Gretta and Hattie still battling it out, I ran in their direction. One more man stood before me. I sneered as I saw the final obstacle I would have to overcome before I could join Hattie in the fight against Gretta. My magic seemed to capture my excitement, and it flowed down my arm into my cutlass.
I couldn’t help the wicked smile that tugged at my lips at the man in front of me, whose eyes widened as the blade sang with the sound of infused magic. He lunged, and my cutlass sent electricity sailing straight through him, stunning him as I slashed once more. His blade stopped me, but not before it had lodged in his gut. The force of it sent my sword flying across the deck, however, my attacker toppled before me.
I pivoted, searching for my cutlass.