Page 73 of Blood of Dragons

He grabbed on to the rung of the rope ladder and looked out over the sea, the water a brilliant blue in the sunshine. “Oh, I do.”

Months later, we were attacked on the open sea.

Captain Blackstorm stood at the wheel, looking at the ships in the distance. “We’ve got company, lads. All hands on deck.”

Squid unlocked the armory below and handed out swords to everyone, even the prisoners. He gave me one, a rusty blade that had seen better days. I tested it around my wrist, feeling the blade slice through the air, an action I hadn’t done in years.

The cannons started to fire across the sea.

“Aim for the sails!” Captain Blackstorm called as he cranked the wheel, trying to turn the ship to get the best angle for the cannons.

The cannons continued to fire.

All I could do was stand there and watch them navigate through the water toward us. I should be scared about sinking to the bottom of the ocean in open water, but the pace of my heart didn’t increase at all. I’d fought in a battle and lost everything, and now I had nothing left to lose in this one.

We shot down the sails of a few ships, but several made it through, attacking the other ships in our fleet. One of them came directly for us, their black flag fluttering in the wind. They came right up against the hull, and their sailors swung from ropes directly onto our ship.

“We’ve been boarded!” Captain Blackstorm called.

I hadn’t raised a sword in years, but my training and years of experience returned like they’d never left. I thought I was a fisherman, but at my core, I would always be a soldier. I attacked the first one and sliced my sword across his stomach before I headbutted him. Then I moved to the next, taking two guys at once, overpowering both because they were sailors, not fighters like I was.

“Back to the cannons!” Captain Blackstorm said. “Talon’s got it.”

The crew returned to the cannons to continue their assault, and I single-handedly took out the intruders who tried to rush the ship, kicking them overboard or slitting their throats. When they were all gone, I sprinted across the deck and leaped across the water onto the opposite ship, rolling across the deck until my back slammed into the other side.

“We’ve got company!” one of the men yelled.

I got to my feet and blocked the sword aimed at my neck before I punched him hard in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him. The distraction was enough to kick him back and handle the next guy who came at me. Sailors didn’t wear armor, so this was the easiest battle I’d ever fought, taking out men in a single hit rather than a dozen.

The captain was the last one on the ship, and he left the wheel and ran down the stairs toward me, his sword gripped in his hand, evil in his eyes. “You think you can take my ship?—”

I threw my blade at him—and impaled him right in the stomach.

The words died in his mouth, and he buckled to his knees. With wide eyes, he looked down at the fatal wound then collapsed forward, blood oozing on the deck along with the others.

Once the captain was dead, the battle ceased shortly afterward, the remaining ships turning into the wind to speed away. One of our ships had taken damage, but the hull was salvageable.

Captain Blackstorm swung onto the ship and came to my side, surveying the ship that now belonged to us. “Squid, take a look at the supplies below. Tom, prepare the ship to set sail.” He came up to me then looked me in the eye. “Decent in the blade…quite the understatement.”

“They wore no armor.”

“So, you’re a soldier.”

I hesitated. “I was…once upon a time.”

“I’d say more than a soldier, with moves like that.” His stare pierced my face, asking for more without actually asking the questions.

But I didn’t share. I would never be ready to share.

“You’re the commander of this ship now, Talon. I’ll give you a crew, and we’ll set sail.”

I didn’t thank him for the opportunity, even though I probably should. It was hard for me to feel anything, let alone gratitude or praise.

“What will you name her?”

“What?”

“The ship.” He tapped his boot against the deck. “Every ship needs a name. Preferably a woman’s name—since a woman’s blessing is good luck. So, what will it be?”