“Look what youmade me do. Wasted a perfectly good bottle of rum.” She paused tocluck her tongue. “Where the Hell do you think you’re takingmy pet?”
The sound ofher voice awoke something deep inside, something dark and angry,but also a memory. A reminder of the wound, still not fully healed,that she’d left on my body. Gus and Finn drew their swords and Islipped my dagger out with my free hand, shifting my body tosomewhat shield Henry.
“He’s not yourpet, Maria,” I called out. “I told you before. Henry ismine. I’m just here to take him back.”
Maria Cobhamstepped down onto the sand, her clunky leather boot bucklesjingling with every brazen step she took toward us. Soon, she wasclose enough for the light of thefire to catch her face, highlighting the stark contrast of blackcurls against her pallor skin. Big, brown eyes glared into mine,like an evil doppelganger staring at me from a mirror’s reflection.I hadn’t paid enough attention last time, to really see how ourresemblance was far too uncanny. Sure, there were slightdifferences; her hair was wilder, her face worn from years ofpiracy. But Maria Cobham was like a sick and twisted version ofmyself. No wonder everyone thought I was her.
“Oh, is thatso?” she quipped and jutted her jaw back and forth like a crackaddict would. “Tell her, pet. Tell her how you wanted to come withme. Tell her how you begged me to take you.”
My eyes shotto Henry and, even though he couldn’t see the hint betrayal on myface, I could see the torment on his. “No, Dianna, I swear, itwasn’t as she says.”
“You evil,bitch!” Gus held his sword out and lunged toward the villainess,but she stepped back and pulled out a pistol, aiming straight forhim.
“Tellher, pet,” Maria insisted and, when Henry didn’t obey, she clickedthe hammer and held it in place.
“Alright!” heyelled at her.
“Henry?” Ispoke with sadness and disbelief. “It’s not true, is it? Why wouldyou give yourself back to her like that?”
“He did it tosave me, Dianna,” Gus called over from a few feet away. “He offeredhimself willingly if she let me live that night in the forest. Shetied me up, so I wouldn’t follow.”
I lookedat Maria, eyes narrowed. But itall made sense now. The Cobhams were notorious throughout historyfor never leaving a soul behind. And I know Henry would never havegone down without a fight. Withoutdying first.
“You’re scum,”I spat at her.
The mouth ofthe pistol then turned and aimed at me and Maria’s face twisted into a sick grin. “If I’mscum then so are you, blood-kin.” My heart beat wildly as she tooka step closer. “It’s too bad poor Henry can’t see it when I bleedthe life from your body. Just one little flick of a finger andbang, you’re gone.” I could see the workings of a planforming in her mind. “Maybe I should take you with us, wait untilmy pet’s eyes open. He shouldn’t miss it. I could even take back myjacket, you thief.”
Just then, herhusband Eric jumped down from the front porch and sidled up next toher. He was a tall man, just a few inches more than she with astern, expressionless face. She looked over her shoulder at him andsmiled. “Looks like we’re going to have some company on our trip,after all.”
But, toeveryone’s shock, when Maria Cobham returned her gaze to on us, herhusband hauled back and laid a blow to her head with a chunk ofdriftwood. Her pistol went off andshot far in the distance. The sound deafening to my ears. I stared in disbelief as her bodywent limp and folded over, falling to the sand.
“What thebloody Christ?” Finn sputtered.
Eric droppedthe piece of wood, his face deadpan as he glanced at us and heaveda deep sigh. “Get out of here while you can.”
We wavered,unsure.
“Go!” hescreamed at us.
We turned andbolted across the beach, through the forest, heading back the waywe came. Neither of us spoke, the rhythm of our labored breaths theonly sound to be heard aside from the crisp cracking of the forestfloor beneath our steady feet. We halted, briefly, a few times fora very weak Henry to catch his breath, but we soon found ourselveson the Northern beach of Kelly’s Island and piled into the littlerowboat we came in.
Henry sat onthe floor in the middle and I slipped in, propping his body up inmy arms. I noticed that he’d gone limp, what little energy he’d hadleft behind in a mixture of adrenaline across the forest. He passedout and I held him tightly, looking up at the stars and thanking the heavens that I was able todo it. That I had the strength and persistence to save him. I beganto cry as the adrenaline seeped from my body, uncontrollable uglysobs of happiness as Gus and Finn frantically rowed us back to ournew home aboard The Queen.
ChapterThirteen
After we tiredly hauled Henry’s wilted body up theside of our ship and scrambled aboard, Lottie came scurrying out tomeet us.
“You’re back!”she exclaimed. I tried to ignore the sense of utter surprise dippedin her voice. She glanced down at Henry’s massive body sprawled outon the deck’s floor and took in the state of his injuries. “My God,you did it.”
“Barely,” Itold her. “But, yes, we did it. Can you get me some cleancloth and a pan of warm soapywater?”
“Of course,”Lottie replied but hesitated. “Are you guys alright?” I noticed hereyes flicker to Gus. “Are any of you hurt?”
“Nay,” Finngrunted and stuck out his chest proudly. “Our fearless leader hereled us right to him, didn’t think twice about bargin’ right intoMaria Cobham’s hideout.”
I rolled myeyes but couldn’t help the tiny smile that found its way to my lipsas I turned and bent down next to Henry. “Help me get him in myquarters.”
We carriedHenry inside, over to my bed, and he still didn’t wake. I began toworry that his injuries, as gruesome as they appeared, were
