Cyrus froze. His breathgrew rapid. A wiry form drifted out of the passageway. The stove’s fire lit thecontours of a dark, slender figure. Could Cyrus trust his dull eyes, his foggymind?
“Fibian?”
The sopping wet creaturestepped forward and drew a long, thin blade. Cyrus’ eyes grew wide.
“Sarah…”
The young girl moved towardshim and dropped her knife.
“Cyrus,” she whispered,desperately.
Her grey dress was drenched. Her dripping hair clung to her paleface.
“What have they done?”she asked.
She came to him and cuppedhis swollen cheeks. Her touch was cold but gentle.Tears formed in her grey eyes.
“Oh, Cyrus,” she whispered.
Her hands fell to his bruised ribs.
“You shouldn’t have comeback. They can’t be saved.”
“What- what do you mean?”he asked, confused.
“I tried to warn you,”she continued, “Hoblkalf’s spies were watching. If I hadbeen taken prisoner… It was all I could do to escape in the confusion.”
“You- weren’t a part ofthe mutiny?” Cyrus asked, hesitantly.
Sarah’s face twisted asif slapped.
“How could you think that?”
Cyrus’ mind reeled.
“I’m sorry, I just thought…”
She pulled away and lookedhim long in the eyes. Her lower lip began to tremble. The throbbing pain in hisbody dissipated to a dizzying whirl in his chest. Sarah took his bloody face inher hands. What was happening? Slowly, she leaned in and gently kissed his cutlips. Instinctively, he kissed her back. His body flushed and his senses surged.
Sarah drew away. Cyrusopened his eyes. He saw her stark beautycontrasted against the horrors of their surroundings. An Angel venturing through the depths of hell to rescuehim.
“Sarah, I…”
The deck boards above creaked.Sarah held a slender finger to her lips. Then she grasped her knife. First, she cut Cyrus’ ankles free, then hiswrists. He stumbled into her waiting arms, gripping dearly to the hooks overhead.He grimaced, favoring his side. Sarah’s face creased with concern.
“I’m okay,” he whispered.“We have to find Edward.”
Cyrus leaned against severalshelves for support and started to search the darkened hold. Sarah held hiswaist, trying to keep him from falling. His many wounds ached. He could barelyhold his strength. He stepped barefoot over broken glass, burnt timbers, and strange,blackened instruments. He could not find Edward anywhere. The cabin above, he thought. His heart hammered. Could they evade Greves? How else were they to escape?
Cyrus stumbled over severalcharred cabinets and picked up a short sword. Sarah took a blackened cudgel. Shefollowed him toward the door. Cyrus glaredat her. She had to stay put. It was not safe. Sarah glared back.
“You can barely stand,”she whispered angrily.
She pushed past him andgrasped the door handle. Cyrus gripped her shoulder. She shrugged him off and heldher cudgel to his chin.
“Okay, okay,” he whispered.
Gently, he nudged her asideand opened the door. The hinges creaked ever so slightly. Cyrus’ tender musclesgrew tense. He motioned Sarah to follow and they both crept up the narrow stairs.
They stepped through thefloor of Rorroh’s cabin. The room had become a charredshell of its former self. The table nook was nowa mound of cold embers. The map above had been reduced to ash. The burnt walls still held their blackened shelves,but their jars stood stained, cracked, andshattered. Scorched strips of paneled wood hung in coils from the ceiling.
Cyrus’ cold flesh goose-pimpled.He rose up and peeked out of what remained of the smoke-stained windows. It wasnight, or maybe early morning. The sky in the east was beginning to glow. He spiedGreves addressing another nagen at the stern of the vessel.
“Look for my furs,” Cyruswhispered to Sarah. “They’re where I last saw Edward.”
Both began to search the ruined cabin. The light was dim, butsoon their eyes adjusted. They found onlybroken glass, dried seaweed, and rusted cookpots. Again, Cyrus peered out of the cabin windows. Greves approached. NO! Cyrus ducked down, motioning Sarah tohide. She dived back through the hatchway. Cyrus crawled to a flanking positionbeside the door. His body was beginning to respond, beginning to grow stronger.Thank Kingdom for the infants’ blood, hethought. Greves’ footfalls stopped justbeyond the threshold. The door creaked open.Cyrus’ tender muscles tensed. He felt the heft of the short sword in his right hand.He would wait until Greves was several stepsdown the stairs.
The captain entered thecabin. Cyrus’ eyes fixed on the nagen’s helmet.If he turned even slightly… Greves stepped forward, towards the stairway.Cyrus shifted his weight and the deck boards creaked. The nagen paused. Cyrus’ heart thundered. The captain started to turn. Cyrusrose. Sarah bounded up the stairs like a demon from hell and leaped at the monster. Grevessensed her attack. He thrust out his armored foot and struck her in the chest. Sheflew backward down the stairs.
“SARAH!” Cyrus roared.
He stabbed his short swordbetween the nagen’s helmet and shoulder plate. Greves parried the attack with his armored forearm, then side kicked Cyrus in the ribs. Cyrus crashed through the cabin door, ripping it from its hinges. Thenhe struck the deck and slid across its oily boards. His bruised ribs felt broken.His naked back stung. He fought to stand. His body locked in a fetalcurl. He strained to look up. The second nagenwatched him disinterestedly from the stern. Cyrusspied his clothes strewn across the deck boards,near the starboard rail.
“Edward,” he wheezed.
The demon nagen began to cross the bow. Greves emerged from the cabin and held up his gloved hand. The soldierpaused.
“Tell me where the yetiare,” Grevessaid, his voice coarse and raspy, “and I’llkill the girl quickly.”
Cyrus grew enraged,terrified. His body filled with fire. He rose up off of the deck and squeezed the handle of his blade. Greves had to die, and Cyrus would be the oneto slay him. He took a deep, shaky breath. Then he stiffened his back and side-steppedtowards the captain. He feinted with his lefthand, attempting to draw an attack. Grevesdid not bite, standing as still as stone. Again, Cyrus baited the nagen. Greveswould not move. Cyrus faked, then committed to a throat strike. Greves spun away, clubbing Cyrus in the head witha back-fisted cudgel blow. Cyrus’ balanceleft him. He skated, stumbling across the deck, struggling to
