Chapter Six

We did not defeat the Tiger's Claw before we set foot upon it. Nothing usual about it. Fucking Hulfrin are barbaric fighters and surprisingly good sailors. They had amazing balance and were skilled with swords and claws. Just like us. But on average, they weighed a good eighty pounds more than a Neraky. And they used that weight to their advantage.

A Hulfrin snarled at me, baring his sharp teeth, and swung his curved sword at my belly.

Spinning out of the way, I met his sword with mine. The collision sent a vibration up my arm that nearly made me drop my weapon. The bastard followed his sword swing with a slash of his claws and caught my shoulder. I grunted and fell back further. I knew he was driving me across the deck, away from the rest of the crew and the Lu-Ken, but I had no choice. To either side of me were more Hulfrin sailors, their sleek golden fur striped with black and white, and their horns tipped with golden barbs that glinted in the sunlight. That wasn't a common adornment for Hulfrin. These guys had prepared for battle.

A roar echoed, the captain urging his men on. I glanced up to see the man on the quarterdeck, body hunched forward, mane whipping in the breeze, and chest bare. When he straightened, I got a good look at the magnitude of muscles that even fur couldn't hide. His pectorals were things of beauty, tipped with dark nipples that seemed as dangerous as the rest of him. Yup, even his fucking nipples looked deadly.

I spun again, avoiding my opponent while searching for a way past him. I could tell where this was going. Already, some of the crew of the Lu-Ken had snatched crates off the deck and tossed them over to our ship. We only did that when we were losing. Sort of take-what-you-can-and-run thing. Make the most out of the loss. But I couldn't grab anything. I was too busy fighting for my life.

Then I heard it. The sharp blast of the horn. It's signaled our retreat. Get back to the ship now or get left behind. We didn't like leaving men behind, but when it became a choice of that or the whole ship going down, we did it. I just never thought I'd be the one left.

I dashed for the side of the ship.

The Hulfrin bashed into me, chuckling wickedly. "Going somewhere, boy?"

The ropes attached to the grappling hooks were being cut. I had seconds. I leapt, going straight for the Hulfrin in a desperate bid for freedom. It almost worked too. His green eyes went wide, and he automatically ducked. But as I sailed over him, he reached up and snatched me out of the air. A moment later, I slammed onto the deck. As I gasped, the Lu-Ken's main mast came into view—a dark line against the blue sky. Sails snapped, and the mast moved away.

They left me.

Hulfrin snarled at the railing, watching the pirates escape. In horror, I watched Herru, one of my friends, get lifted above a Hulfrin's head and torn apart, his head slashed and snapped from his body. His body was tossed at the retreating Lu-Ken. Then his head.

Oh, fuck.

I looked up at the grinning Hulfrin and tossed aside my sword. Surrender was my only chance.

"Captain!" the man called without taking his eyes off me. "I've got a live one."

"Keep him that way!" the Captain shouted. "We need him to help us find his friends."

"Yes, Captain!" The Hulfrin grabbed me by my shirt and hauled me to my feet. "It's your lucky day, Neraky. You get to spend some time with the Captain. You're going to have a nice, intimate chat."

As I stared into the Hulfrin's green eyes, the oddest sensation hit me. Not fear, but regret. I should have stayed with the King Vaxarion. And not just because it meant I would have been safe. There was a knot in my belly that had been growing larger and larger the further away I'd gotten from him. All I could think about was getting back into Vaxarion's arms. Yes, even then, while faced with tortures I couldn't imagine. Or rather, didn't want to imagine.