At mid-day Haven came into sight of a smoking merchant ship. Drake’s ship shot volley after volley of cannon balls. Most missed their target. The merchant ship fired back with less result.
Kraken watched from the crow through his spyglass. “Maybe we should hold off. See how this plays out.”
“Maybe you spoke to soon,” Kor said pointing.
Drake’s ship had broke off, and was setting sail for Haven.
“General courters,” Kraken called down. “Bry take the crow.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Kraken passed Bry on his way down. He went to Cousin at the bow. He ran a hand down her back and rested it on her hip. He pulled her to him. “What do you see?”
“Nothing new really. The merch is pulling away as fast as they can. Drake is under half crew from our fight before. I don’t see any wielders on his ship.” Cousin shrugged.
“What is it?”
“I think there is still a connection from before. From the Drake Puppet.”
“What type of danger is there? He was used by Protector, right?”
Cousin shifted. “I don’t like it. It feels wrong.”
Kraken kissed her head. “Would it make you feel better to go over there and rip the link out of Drake?”
“Yes.”
“Then on your word, my love.” Kraken met Cousin’s eyes and opened himself with the full extent of his love to her. Their mingled energies washed over Haven.
The crew cheered.
“Just leave a few for the rest of us.”
Cousin floated up, kissed his cheek, and flew to Drake’s ship. She landed with the weight of a cannon ball. Men ran at her and she pushed them away with a flick of her wrist.
Jones Bone jumped in front of her with his bird cage. “Pretty bird,” he screamed and swung the cage.
Cousin caught his hand, took the cage and hit him with it. She dropped the cage with a tiny Jones Bone squawking inside.
Drake stood ridged his mouth opened. “So good of you to come,” said a male voice full of disdain. “So good of you to leave Haven.”
Cousin spun to look. A great bubble of shifting black encircled Haven. She lept into the sky and opened her perception. The bubble was nothing. She could feel Kraken and the rest, but nothing of the black bubble.
Cousin stretched herself open trying to get a grip on her family. Then she was struck with a crushing force. She grappled with the invaders fighting to keep the part of Kraken that lived within her. Cousin screamed fury while another part of her watched from a cold calm place.
Haven was gone. The ocean rushed in to fill the deep bowl shape left by the bubble’s absence.
Cousin struck out and the force against her crumbled. Somewhere in her mind she knew the force had been a claiming attempt by the Masters. Would they try to claim Kraken?
An arrow struck her arm. She ripped it out and flew back to Drake’s ship. The men she walked by froze, statues of flesh.
Cousin walked up to Drake. “Speak.”
A soundless laugh came from Drake’s open mouth. “Come to us.”
Drake collapsed. Moments stood still.
Cousin struggled with herself. She knew better than to rush off. She needed to learn her enemy.
Drake stirred. He climbed to his feet, a hand to his head.
“Headache?” Cousin said.
Drake jumped back and drew his sword. “How did you get here? What did you do?”
Cousin titled her head to the side. She looked into Drake and her gorge rose. The man was more than depraved. Still the connection she sought was elusive. “The Al’Ri Masters used you to take Haven and her crew. I will have them back.”
Drake laughed so hard he stumbled and dropped his sword. He held onto the wheel of support. Tears ran from his eyes leaving muddy trails on his grimy face. “You’ll . . . Nothing!” he managed to say between fits of laughter.
Cousin took his voice.
Drake stood straight, wide eyed.
“You will only make a sound in answer to my questions. If you make me take what I want from your mind, I will leave you mute and crippled for as long as your life may be.” Cousin’s voice was flat.
Drake blinked, sneered, then nodded.
“The link, do you feel it?”
“Never did.”
Cousin moved faster than sight and ripped off Drake’s right hand. “If you lie again, I will take a body part for each falsehood.”
Drake screamed silence while blood and shattered bone and dangling tissues trailed from his mangled wrist.
“Answer.”
“Yes.” Drake choked out. “Yes. I can feel it. Like a hole behind my eyes.”
Cousin walked around him.
Drake turned to keep her in front.
Cousin abruptly turned and walked away. The pirates on Drake’s ship came back to normal. Some ran from her. Others stood and watched her walk by. A few attacked. Those few died turned inside out, a bubbling, globby mess.
Cousin picked up Jones Bone in his cage. The tiny Jones cursed and brandished his sword. Cousin turned the cage over and over while she unraveled how it worked. Jones Bone fell and bounced, fell and bounced. Cousin dropped the cage and walked to the bulwark.
She looked out over the ocean to where Haven had sat. The charms she kept for her family were still. No danger at present. Haven was a shadow in her mind. The ship whispered in the recesses of her consciousness. Finding them would not be the hard part.
A net laced with spell cast silver fell over Cousin. The binding spell gripped and writhed over her body. She did not fight the net. Her focus was still on the spot where Haven had been.
Drake grabbed her by her hair and jerked her back. “I’m immune to Al’Ri magic,” he whispered, his breath a fog of rot around Cousin’s face. “Now you’ll see what real pirates are.”
An explosion of wood and rigging and flesh flew around Cousin. The ocean rained up and boiled down. When all settled, Cousin floated in place.
Drake held onto the net with all he had. He worked to get his feet hooked into it.
Cousin dissolved the net and let Drake fall into the debris of his ship. She felt the approach of deep ocean predators, and left Drake to his fate. Settling onto the waves, she changing her mass, and started walking.
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