It was whimsical, something not for this world.
I stood upon my chair, almost overbalancing as the stuffed leather rolled like the sea beneath me. Let it be sea. Let it all be real.
Brandishing my fierce weapon at the ceiling, I cried, “Challenge me, anyone who dares. The last thing you ever feel will be the sting of Ruiner’s blade as it pierces your heart.”
My family would have been appalled. Astra would have yanked me from the chair herself. But Beast uncurled from his corner and stepped forward. He had no elegance as he walked upright, almost as little balance as I possessed on the soft cushion.
And in his hand—
His own wooden sword.
Though he could hardly grip it as his five fingers were tipped in awkward claws.
Still he raised it.
“Ah, a challenger!” I pointed my blade at his heart, even though he was still halfway across the room. “State your name, knave.”
This time he gave me a real snarl as mischief sparkled in his eyes. “Aye, Orla, I challenge. I am Andre Wolf. Ye killed my crew and sank mySea Witch,and today I’ll have my revenge.” His growling voice was perfectly suited to the skulking pirate.
My jaw hung open.
I’d never heard him string so many words at once.
“Ha!” I pressed one foot to the arm of the chair, which served as the banister of my grand galleon. “Thieves and cutthroats, the lot of them, good for only a watery grave. Attempt your revenge if you dare, and I’ll sink you just the same.”
He took a gentle swing at me, which I blocked with ferocity. I did have limited skills in swords, thanks to a brief education from Rob before Mother discovered the lessons and forbade them.
“You’ll have to do better than that, Andre!” I jumped to the ground.
Beast stared at me for a moment, wide-eyed, and then his smile was back. He took another swing, committed this time. He was at least seven feet tall, and I was barely five and a half, but his slouch brought him closer to my level, and his grip was clumsier than mine. I almost knocked the sword from his hand just by deflecting his swing.
“I slaved for years for that ship,” he snarled.
“You mean you stole it, pirate.”
“Aye, I stole it. But Islavedfor that theft.”
I laughed and took a light jab at his side. He stumbled out of the way, crashing into the table beside my chair. It overturned, legs flying into the air like an unbalanced toddler.
“Destroying my cannons now!” I cried, outraged. “I’ll not stand for that!”
He deflected my overhand strike, then delivered one of his own, which I was a little slow to match. The wooden sword smacked me in the shoulder, and I let out a sound that was mostly laughter with a little pain.
“I’m sorry. Are you—” He started to lower his sword, and I grinned triumphantly.
“Lowering your defenses, just as I planned!”
I leapt onto the chair once again and delivered him a devastating shoulder smack in return, though I had to reach awkwardly for it. Based on his expression, the hit may as well have been the fluttering of a bird’s wing. Not only that, but in my overreach, I stumbled. When I tried to catch myself, my foot slipped against the chair’s arm and I toppled.
I let out a yelp, dropping my sword, flailing to catch myself before I hit the floor—
But Beast caught me first.
He’d dropped his own sword to catch me with both arms. He had to hunker to keep his balance, but he succeeded where I’d failed. I clung to his suit jacket with both hands as my mind tried to account for the hard landing that hadn’t come.
He said my name twice before I looked up. His face was inches from mine, and much more terrifying up close, like staring into the waiting jaws of a predator.
But it was the vise of his arms around me that scared me most.
