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WHEN AGATHA AWAKENED from her restless slumber, the men hauled her from her cabin and tied her to one of the masts on the main deck, the thick rope digging into her waist and her neck.
Olgaren accusingly pointed at her. "Anything to say before we hang you?" Arabella rolled her eyes are how hostile men could get when a woman threatened their dominance. Arabella stood beside Dracula, her arms crossed over her chest.
Even though all the evidence that Dracula placed pointed at Agatha, Yuri still defended her. "For God's sake, you saw her, she could barely lift her head!"
Olgaren stepped up to Yuri. "Captain, with respect, stay out of it," Arabella furrowed her brow at his rude words. "You kept the murderer safe on this ship!" He finished his point, his metal hook hand gently digging into Yuri's chest.
Sacha stepped up from the other side of Arabella. "But look at her! How could she have the strength to kill those men?"
"Looks can be deceiving, Dr Sharma," Dracula stated, staring up at Agatha.
"It can't be her. Could she have taken Abramoff? Portmann? Look at her!" Yuri shouted at Olgaren.
"It doesn't matter how she looks, she did it!" Olgaren declared. Arabella rolled her eyes, shifting her weight to her other foot. "What are you rolling your eyes at?" Olgaren pointed his hand at Arabella with a scoff.
"It's just exhausting how dense you are," Arabella sneered back. Dracula pulled her back with a warning look. "You don't know she killed anyone! For all we know, she could be severely hurt. How do we know that is another's blood?" Olgaren scoffed, turning away from the woman. Dracula's grip around her forearm tightened, his glare digging into the side of her head.
"Gentlemen and ladies, please," Dracula's voice soothed out. "Let us not allow this situation to turn ugly."
"It's a lynching! How much uglier can it get?" Agatha shouted from above the rest of the passengers.
"Why do you protect her?" Adisa asked Yuri, pointing to Agatha.
"I got a commission... with certain stipulations."
"From a man named?" Dracula questioned, already knowing the answer.
"Balaur, perhaps?" Arabella finished.
"Yes," Yuri hesitated. "He said his new wife was very sick, she needed to travel to England for treatment, and he paid handsomely for the Demeter to take her."
Agatha groaned in pain. "I am not Mr Balaur's bride!"
Arabella huffed under her breath. "Damn she isn't," Her whisper reached up to Dracula's ear, and his grip tightened - yet this didn't resemble a warning, but instead a kind and soothing gesture.
