A tingle up Anne's spine forced her up from her chair. A dozen thoughts flashed through her mind as to what would cause the crew to leave the ship behind, but she was powerless to know now.
Her instinct guided her where knowledge could not. "Something's not right," she muttered. "Prepare for battle!"
Confused at first, the men drew their weapons and those not manning the cannons grouped up with Anne. Anne drew her own cutlass and headed towards shore.
William ordered the men to form up, making a line two strong. The high from yesterday's victory turned into a sour note as the crew realized what may be happening.
Anne pulled out her spyglass and watched as the longboats hit the shore, and the crew aboard them jumped off in a sprint towards the field in front of the town. Christina and Jack were there, both had weapons drawn, lips curled back in a snarl like some animal ready to kill. Tala, a real animal, was keeping pace with Christina.
It was their eyes that gave Anne another shiver. Their eyes were hollow. They had been put under a trance by their enemy sometime in the night.
"They're under a trance," Anne shouted to the crew around her. She stepped forward and turned around to face them, so all eyes were on her. "But we can break it. We know it works. Try your best not to harm them, but don't let yourself be killed either." The crew objected, confusion and denial overtaking reason. Anne held up her hand. "This is no time for debate. Prepare yourselves." She went back to her place in the line before she had to field any other objections. "Bring some of the men off the cannons, we'll need all the hands we can get," she said to William. William nodded and left to issue orders to the crew manning the cannons.
Anne turned around as she took a few deep breaths and faced down her crewmates on the way to kill them. The entranced crew's rapid pace set a cloud of dust behind them.
William and some of the other crew returned to join the battle. "Spread out! Start moving," Anne shouted. "Split them up so you don't get overwhelmed."
Anne moved forward to meet Christina, and the other crewmates did as she commanded. As the targets spread out, the entranced crewmates followed suit, slowing their pace to attack.
"Tala," Anne heard Christina say as she came closer, "tuer!"
The wolf quickened her pace and lunged at Anne. Anne didn't want to harm the beast and rolled out of the way. She put herself at an angle away from Christina and Tala so she could face both, though not flawlessly.
Anne could hear the battle all around her, chaotic and discordant. Blades and bodies clashed as dust from upturned earth filled the still air around them. She could see William trying to get close enough to Jack, but he and another crewmate were on the attack and keeping him at bay. Pukuh was similarly having a challenging time, not only dealing with having only one hand and not being able to break the trance but also having to hold back so as not to harm his fellow crewmates. Nassir had joined in the battle, but he was inexperienced and kept his distance to distract rather than attack.
Christina lunged at Anne, slamming down with her right-hand dagger. Anne blocked with her forearm. The force rippled through her bones. Christina was using all her strength, her mental limits gone with the veil to the subconscious pulled open. If Anne wasn't careful, Christina could break Anne's arm or her own.
Anne yanked her hand over and clutched Christina's right forearm tight. Christina swung low with her other dagger. Anne dropped her cutlass and caught her opponent's wrist. Just as Anne was about to twist and disarm her friend, Tala charged at Anne's side. Anne bent her and Christina's bodies, blocking and pushing Tala back.
Between stopping Christina from attacking and keeping Tala at bay, Anne couldn't end the trance. They were locked in a dance, and none of the crew were nearby to help her.
"Tala, arrêter!" Anne's command didn't work. The wolf only obeyed Christina and Edward.
Christina looked crazed and feral, nothing like the sweet girl with the mild temper she knew. Her eyes, though looking straight at Anne, didn't carry the same recognition of a sane person. Silver Eyes had somehow put his talons in her and made her think her friends were her enemies, but Anne knew they could break the trance. There simply hadn't been time to turn them into the state the islanders were in. Alexandre had said it would have taken months to get them to that state. If only Anne could find an opening to break the spell…
Movement at the town's wall drew her eye. The gate had opened, and more of Silver Eyes' men were exiting and heading towards the battle.
Dad dammit! We don't have the manpower for this right now. Anne dodged another strike from Tala and kept her hold on Christina by a hair. "William!" she called.
William, just managing to sort out Jack, turned to her call and started running.
"No!" she yelled. "The cannons, the cannons!"
William looked over at the cannons and then noticed the men approaching by foot. He began shouting orders and pointing towards the cannons as he moved that way. Several of the crew and even some newly conscious crewmates joined in to gather muskets and man the cannons.
"Christina!" Anne shouted. It was taking all her strength to hold on to the young woman. "It's me. It's Anne. I know you're in there. Wake up!"
Christina's eyes changed, coming into focus. She stopped moving, stopped resisting. She appeared confused but still distant,
