She shot the balls of light forward, and I grabbed the torch from Bastian, slipping to the other side of the crates to help funnel it. The shadow hissed and lunged forward. It barreled toward Bastian, and I sucked in a breath at its speed. He lunged for it and grasped onto its arm.
“Do you have it?” I yelled.
He grunted and fell to the ground, wrestling the shadow.
“It’s strong,” he said. “Bloody hell.”
I ran to Goji and handed her the torch, then approached Bastian and his shadow. He pinned it to the ground, but the shadow squirmed under him.
“Keep your hold on it,” I said.
“Easier said than done...” Bastian said as the shadow swiped at him, a fresh scratch on his neck.
My hand went to the scratch on my face that I’d gotten just yesterday from a shadow. It still hurt. Bastian flipped the shadow over, his weight bearing down on it as it hissed and flailed.
I snatched its foot and dug the thread and needle from my pocket. The ship lurched under us, making me lose my balance—and my grasp on the shadow.
“What was that?” I asked.
“Nothing good,” Goji said. “I’ll go check it out. You two hurry.”
She fluttered away, and I grasped onto the shadow’s foot again, stretching it against Bastian’s boot. “The sole is so thick,” I muttered.
Bastian jerked as the shadow punched him. “That’s going to leave a mark. Tell me, will you still love me if I’m missing a limb?”
I ignored him, pushing the needle through the shadow and into Bastian’s boot.
The ship creaked and rumbled, and my head snapped up. “What is going on out there?”
“Just worry about what’s going on in here.” Bastian let out a groan as the shadow lifted its knee into his groin. “I might not be able to give you children anymore,” he gasped out. “I hope that’s not a problem.”
I focused my attention back on his boot, now prodding the needle through the sole and attaching the shadow as quickly as I could.
Bastian’s foot wrenched out of my grasp as the shadow darted toward the ceiling, lifting Bastian upside down. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he yelled.
The ship rocked to its side, and I flew with it, my body slamming against the wall with a crack.
“Are you alright?” Bastian said, all concern for himself fleeing. “I knew this was a bad idea. You should’ve never worried about getting my shadow back.”
I gritted my teeth and shoved out my hand, water unfurling from my palm and shooting toward Bastian. It roped around his ankle and pulled him to the ground, the shadow having no choice but to follow.
Bastian grunted as he attempted to grasp onto his flailing shadow and get it under control. “You know, I wouldn’t object to you using that little trick to tie me up in other situations.”
He strained, pulling the shadow down and once again pinning it to the ground as I slowly came to a stand, wincing at the pain in my back and ignoring the pirate.
“We have to hurry. Something is happening outside, and it isn’t good.”
Two figures burst into the space through the closed doors on the other ends, which were now sideways after the ship had been rocked to its side.
I raised my hands, ready to shoot my water magic at whoever stood there.
“What is going on?” Mia asked, stepping forward.
I finished sewing the shadow to Bastian, who stood and grabbed the lapels of his coat, tugging and adjusting them.
“Do you have your shadows?” I asked as wood splintered, flying toward us. Bastian tackled me to the ground, the sharp pieces shooting over our heads.
“Can’t have you getting impaled after I finally got my shadow back,” he murmured into my ear. “I’m still very interested in the ways you can use water to?—”
