“Are the queen of the isles. In charge.” Elaina grinned and took a step forward. Blu backed up and bumped against one of his crew. The pirate was looking from his captain to his queen, his expression intense.
“Attack us now and they’ll know. The whole of the isles will know,” Elaina said. “You’ll be hunted everywhere you run. No safe port in the known world will harbour you. Or you can stand down, take your traitorous captain into custody, and live in the kingdom we’ve just created. No repercussions for your crimes.”
“On your word?” said the big, long-haired pirate. She was negotiating with him now, Blu all but forgotten.
Elaina nodded. “As queen.”
“Wait,” Blu squealed. He lunged forwards with his sword, only to be dragged back by the man behind him.
The big pirate kicked Blu in the back of his knee, sending the bastard to the deck, and tore the sword from his hand. “This here is a mutiny,” he growled. “Don’t reckon you’re fit to lead no more, Cap’n.”
Blu screamed in fury and frustration, thrashing about, but more of his own crew moved forwards to restrain him. Elaina’s crew had started to pick up their weapons. There was still a nervous tension aboard the ship.
“I’ll fucking kill you for this, El,” Blu shouted.
“Shut it, Captain,” said the pirate holding Blu’s sword. He raised his arm to strike.
“Don’t kill him,” Elaina said quickly, rushing forwards and getting in the way before the pirate could swing.
“Fuck you, bitch,” Blu snapped. He tried to surge back to his feet, but his crew held him fast.
Elaina carefully reached up and took the sword from the big pirate’s hand. “Don’t kill him,” she repeated. “You kill him, and there ain’t nothing that will save you from our da. We hand him over to Tanner.”
The pirate looked far from convinced, but he nodded.
Blu laughed. “You do that, El. Hand me over to Da. I’ll be back on my ship in a day, and I’ll string the fucking lot of ya.”
Elaina’s brother thrashed about some more, but he was being held down by three of his own men and they held him fast. Eventually he stopped struggling and contented himself with spitting in Elaina’s direction.
“Alfer, show them to the brig,” Elaina said. “Throw the whore-faced dung pile in and bring me the key. Make sure he’s guarded too.”
As Alfer led the crew holding Blu below decks, Elaina faced the big pirate.
“You the first mate?” she said. There were a lot of Ocean Deep’s crew still aboard Starry Dawn, and even with her own crew armed once again, a fight would end badly for them. He nodded slowly, staring down at her.
“You can read?” Elaina said. “Letters and charts?”
“Aye.”
“What’s your name?”
“Mobep.” Judging by his skin colour and accent, he was from deep in the southern Wilds.
Elaina grinned and held out a hand. “Congratulations, mate. You just made captain. Ocean Deep is yours.”
Chapter 71 - The Phoenix
Keelin hung from the rigging of his ship as she sailed up next to the King’s Justice. Though, he had to admit, The Phoenix wasn’t so much sailing as she was limping. She was taking on water, missing both rigging and sail in places, and the wheel kept getting stuck. There would be nothing for it but to beach her for a while once they were safely back at New Sev’relain.
As soon as they were close enough Keelin wrapped a rope around his hand and swung across onto the deck of the King’s Justice. He needed to know why the navy forces had surrendered, and Tanner Black was sitting aboard the answer. A few moments later, Deun Burn landed nearby. The skull-faced Riverlander had been a pain in the arse ever since he’d come aboard Keelin’s ship, demanding to share in the command of The Phoenix and shouting orders to his men in the harsh language only the Riverlanders knew. Unfortunately, Deun and his crew were also the only reason Keelin and his own were still alive. They’d fought side by side and back to back against superior numbers, and while Keelin doubted he would ever like the Riverlander, he was starting to respect him.
“Stillwater.” Tanner Black’s voice rang out deep and loud. “Just the man I was looking for.”
Tanner was sitting on the poopdeck railing overlooking the quarterdeck, with a pipe in hand and the most unlikely company Keelin had expected to see.
“Socialising with traitors now, are we?” Keelin said as he drew close.
Tanner laughed. “Still better company than Riverlanders.”
Deun Burn hissed a couple of words and drew his sword. Keelin held up a hand to stop him. “Let it go,” he said quietly, and Deun sighed deeply. They were all exhausted.
“Good to see ya again, mate,” Daimen Poole said with a grin around a pipe of his own. “Fast friends, me and Tanner these days. Plenty in common.”
Tanner growled, and Daimen stopped short of patting the man’s arm.
“Such as?” Keelin joined the two at the railing and looked down over the quarterdeck.
There was a fat man tied to the mast, sagging against his ropes, and a large number of sailors and soldiers wearing the colours of the Five Kingdoms being menaced by Tanner’s crew. There were more soldiers being lowered to the water in a dinghy with no oars.
“A mutual disdain for Drake Morrass,” Tanner said, with a dark glance in Keelin’s direction.
“I’m still wondering why he’s even alive,” Keelin said, thumbing towards Daimen. “Shouldn’t he at least be down there, tied to the mast?”
“What? With the admiral?” Poole laughed.
“Wasn’t talking to you,” Keelin said.
“See how quickly my good friends turn on me?”
“You turned on us.” Keelin was a bare drop away from gutting the man.
“No, mate. I sacrificed myself, my ship, and my crew for you. Then I find out it was all for a lie. Drake started this war. Made a deal with that young pup of a king from the Five Kingdoms. He gave them Black Sands and was supposed to give them the rest of us too. Looks like he changed his mind though, figured he could use the war to unite us. Worked too. The bastard.”
Keelin looked to Tanner, who was staring back at him. He read the question in Keelin’s eyes and nodded once.
“Fuck,” Keelin said, climbing over the railing and sitting down next to Tanner. “Played us all like strings on a harp.”
“And what a melody he played,” Tanner said.
“Anyone find themselves in the least bit surprised, though?” Daimen said.
Keelin shook his head. He’d been suspicious of Drake from the start, but the man had a charisma about him and it had sucked Keelin in and muddled him up until he found himself believing all of Morrass’ shit. Worse than just believing it, he’d convinced others to believe it.
“Do we have proof?” he said.
“Do we need it?” Deun Burn hissed.
Tanner shrugged his big shoulders. “Got charts. Should match up with Drake’s.”
Keelin shook his head. “Fortune went down.”
“Eh?” Tanner said. “When?”
“Before the battle even started. Black flames. Reckon someone smashed the jar of Everfire.”
“With any luck the greasy rope-licker went down with his ship,” Daimen said with a laugh.
“If not, we’ve got him.” Tanner pointed with his pipe to the man tied to the mast. “Admiral of this here navy fleet. Confirmed everything Poole says.”
“That’s how you got them to surrender.” Keelin laughed. “I’d thought the fight could still have gone either way. Seemed odd they’d just turn tail and run.”
Tanner nodded. “Poole convinced the man to lay down arms.”
“At the point of a sword?”
Poole shrugged. “Best way to negotiate, I’ve always found.”