As soon as we reach the closest ship, Halla and I position ourselves along one side. I search for a way to pull myself up and spot a rope hanging over the edge of the deck.
Quietly, I pull myself up and reach back for Halla. Toren lifts her to me, and I haul her the rest of the way. I turn to her and whisper, “Now what?”
My gaze sweeps the deck for any sign that we’ve been spotted. However, all the pirates are lined up at the opposite railing, their attention focused on the city as they aim their cannons and fire in succession.
The explosions are much louder now that we’re close, and I want nothing more than to cover my ears against the onslaught, but we must press on.
“We need to get that”—she points at a lantern hanging beside the door to the hold—“and throw it on those.” She gestures to several barrels on deck. “It will cause the gunpowder to ignite and destroy the ship.”
I lean over the edge of the deck and relay this to my brother. “Spread the word to our people. We must destroy their vessels before they dock or all may be lost.”
Toren nods then slips beneath the water. Despite all the chaos that surrounds us, I notice the flash of tails in the water. My chest swells with pride. My people have answered my call and come to help the people of Solwyck once more.
“I’ll get the lantern,” I tell Halla.
Before she can argue, I drag myself across the deck. The coarse wood rubs against my scales. Splinters dig into my flesh, but I ignore the stinging sensation as I keep one eye trained on the pirates and the other on my goal.
When I reach the hold, the lantern is so high, I must stretch to reach it. As soon as my hand touches the handle, the door opens. My heart stops then begins hammering as I come face to face with one of the pirates.
His jaw drops, revealing a mouth missing its teeth. He releases a shaking breath, the foul stench wrinkling my nose and making my eyes swim. I take advantage of his shock and slam his head against the door. He collapses to the deck in a crumpled heap.
I gather the lantern then drop back to the wooden deck, dragging myself toward Halla.
A loud noise draws my attention, and I twist onto my back in time to see a pirate lunging at me with a knife. Unable to dodge quickly enough, I cry out when he sinks the blade deep into my side.
Blinding pain rips through me, searing my veins like fire. The pirate pulls another blade, readying to attack, but I grip the handle firmly in my side. Gritting my teeth, I pull it from my body, and plunge it deep into his chest.
I watch with cold satisfaction as the light fades from his eyes. A glance at his companions tells me no one witnessed the fight.
Blood pours from my wound, but I force myself to push past the pain. Halla needs me. I have to focus.
Quickly, I make my way back to her, wincing inwardly against the agony of each movement. Warm blood pools beneath me, my hand slipping on the red liquid by the time I reach her.
She touches my face. “How badly are you injured?”
“I’m fine,” I lie, brushing off her concern. “What do we need to do with this?”
She takes the lantern from my hand. “I’m going to throw this on the powder. We must swim away as fast as we can before it explodes. All right?”
I nod. She counts to three and tosses the lantern at the barrels. The glass shatters and a fiery ball of flame bursts outward. Fire licks across the wooden planks of the deck, creeping up the barrels.
Panic constricts my chest as I grab Halla’s waist and push us both over the edge of the ship, dropping into the sea. The saltwater stings my wound, but I bite back my pain as we swim away. More Mer flee with us. The screams of the pirates drown out all other sounds as they realize their ships are on fire.
“Put it out! We have to—”
A deafening boom splits the air, and I spin in the water, shielding Halla from the blast of heat as the ship explodes, raining down fire and debris. Another ship soon follows, exploding in a brilliant display of smoke and fire along the harbor.
My vision blurs as I struggle to stay conscious. Halla’s voice barely penetrates the fog, the sound distant even though she is in my arms.
“Errik?” My brother grabs me, pulling me to him. “You’re bleeding!”
Halla brushes the hair back from my face as I float limply in the water, my gaze fixed on the sky overhead.
I take her hand, squeezing with the last of my strength. “You are my heart, Halla. I love you.”
Closing my eyes, I fall away into darkness.
