Empress of the Sea|✔️

Chapter 29

***

"Isn't this fantastic?" muttered Aeryn as she dashed across the deck of the White Crow. She might've craved for an assault on her ship, but she didn't wish such an event to take place.

"This is why I tell you to not mention words you don't want to happen," called Erel before pursuing her with her long strides.

"This is not the time."

Aeryn reached to the ship's wheel as her crew clambered out of their lodges and common room. They each asked questions, but she neglected all of them and made orders instead. "Get ready for hard-sail. We can't risk entering a dispute. Jules, take care of Brooks."

Aeryn scanned the crowd that had assembled in front of her. Then she stole a peek at the adversary's ship. It couldn't be much larger than her own ship, but what bothered was the fashion of the vessel. The evil ship with looks resembling the Black Egret, but worse.

Much worse.

The worn-down ship could only mean that the sailors had the experience. Experience Aeryn and her team didn't have.

"Where are the triplets?"

Reyna threw her hands in the air, her brothers behind her. "We're here, Captain."

"Alright. Hold them off while the rest of us concentrate on getting out of here."

A chorus of agreement rumbled from the crowd, all of them rushing to their posts to complete their tasks. None of them showed any symptoms of worry, even if the situation terrified them. They must be. They had insufficient knowledge and skills with naval battle, but they were the finest at travelling at high speeds.

Another cannon came flying, but it didn't strike the craft.

They were toying with them.

Then appeared the owl. The evil ship released it, and it flew, thumping its wings against the air.

But the closer it came, the more it paralleled a hawk.

It shed a letter on the deck before yielding to its ship.

Aeryn reached to take it, but it was Erel who got her hands on it first.

"Deliver Poseidon's daughter to us..." Erel whispered, reading off the page. "They want me." Erel faced Aeryn, pressing her half-black, half-red hair between her palm and forehead.

"No."

Erel opened her mouth to speak, but Aeryn's glare and clenched fists held her words in her mind. Knowing she wouldn't be able to change her mind, Erel dropped the paper into the water.

"Just relax with Jules and do nothing that would make me mad," Aeryn said before returning to the wheel. She rotated it, twisting the ship away from the enemy.

The crew dropped the sails, tugging at cables and ropes, yelling orders at each other. Then half of them ran below deck to set up the hard-sail.

Within a minute, the White Crow had begun its escape.

"Keep them busy," Aeryn ordered, pointing at the triplets.

The triplets nodded and started firing cannons at the enemy ship. Reyna, River, and Ryker kept it up for less than half a minute. Each of them only sent a single cannon flying.

"Why did you quit?"

"Captain," said Reyna. "They're retreating."

Aeryn jumped onto the main deck, raising a brow. "What do you mean--"