DOGS. Legacy Saga II

69

Marina didn't leave Morris' until the next day.

The new day was breaking when the cabin door opened and she showed at the doorway, exhausted, overwhelmed by pain and fear.

Maxó, De Neill and Jean were already up, sitting by the mizzenmast, wide awake. The three of them stood up when they saw her.

"I..." she muttered.

"Take a break, pearl. I'll watch over Morris," said Maxó firmly, stepping closer to the door.

"I'll bring you a bite," said Jean, and headed down the aft hatch.

De Neill waved her over. "Come out, pearl. You can use some fresh air."

Marina took a couple of steps outside, looking around with dazed eyes. "Why are you awake so early? What's that noise?"

"Wounded to tend to, a ship to repair."

She rubbed her face and approached De Neill, allowing Maxó to go into the cabin. "Are we sailing for Santo Domingo?"

De Neill motioned for them to walk forward down the gangway. "Aye, but we're going slow. With the damages after the two battles and the headwind, it may take us over a week."

"The Victory?"

De Neill pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Back there, on our starboard. She's weatherly, but the Spanish frigate is heavy to tow."

They strolled in no hurry to the bows. Marina breathed as deep as she could, allowing the cool wind smelling of salt clear her head. They stopped at the larboard bow. She folded her arms on the gunwale and closed her eyes, as the comforting sensation her ship always made her feel wrapped around her. She needed it, even though nothing could really comfort her. She opened up her eyes and gazed at the northern horizon.

"If Morris dies, I'm going to burn every bloody church in the Caribbean and slain every damn priest I come across," she grunted.

De Neill chuckled. "My mate Maxó said the same when the Inquisition took you in Maracaibo, pearl. You need to find something more original to say." She frowned at him. "And that of raining blood and fire on the Spanish colonies was L'Olonnais' line."

"Up yours," she growled, turning to the sea again. "I won't spare them this time. They'll get the punishment they deserve."

"And how many dead will take you to remember that nothing can bring back what you've lost?"

"Sacre Dieu! When did you turn into such a sissy?"

De Neill chuckled again. "You taught us revenge is useless, pearl. It only blackens your heart and eats you up inside." He rested on the gunwale like her and sighed. "If this is our boy's hour, it'll be up to you to be as happy as you possibly can, to make up for all the happiness he'll miss."

Marina covered her mouth, her eyes welling yet once more. "I don't want him to die, De Neill," she mumbled, suffocating a cry. "We're all going to die someday. But Morris doesn't deserve to die like this, broken by the torture those beasts inflicted on him."

The pirate didn't answer. There were no honest words to comfort her, and a white lie would be an insult. So he just pressed her shoulder without a word.

They went back aft when they say Jean coming out of the hatch.

He brought tea and a generous slice of apple pie for Marina. "Sorry it took me a while, pearl. Pierre isn't up yet. But I knew he'd baked this for you yesterday, and waited the whole day to give it to you."

That pursed the girl's lips in a weary smile. She headed back to the cabin and paused, her eyes northwest of the Phantom.

"What's with that ship?" she asked.