Cutlass by Ashley Nixon Read Free Book Online Page B

death. That has been your only goal.”
    “If I wanted to, though, I could hurt you. I could break your heart.”
    It was Larkin’s turn to laugh. “By killing William?”
    “I suppose that all depends on who has your heart,” said Barren. He gazed at her for a moment, and then he smirked, moving away from the fire toward a pallet on the rocky ground. As he prepared his bed, Larkin’s voice rose behind him.
    “Aren’t you going to remove my binds?”
    “No.”
    “How am I to sleep?”
    “How do you normally sleep?”
    “Not tied up.”
    “Surprising. Then this will be a first for you. Good night.”
    Larkin looked at Leaf who still sat at the fire, his legs drawn up. He smirked and then blew on the fire, and all went dark.
    ***
    Any other time, Barren would be able to sleep easily on the cold floor of the cave, but not tonight. Tonight, the rocks dug into his back, the blanket was too thin, and every small noise put him on edge. He expected two things to happen: either they would be discovered, or Larkin would try to flee. So far, Larkin was quietly leaning against the wall of the cave. In the darkness, he couldn’t tell if she was sleeping, though she shifted a lot, probably trying to find a comfortable position. He laughed to himself a little. This girl had probably never slept on the floor in her life. She was used to feather beds, warmth, and linens.
    It was then Barren finally heard it—an explosion erupted, and a cracking sound filled the air as a cannon ripped into the Cliffs. Barren shot to his feet.
    “Everyone up!” he yelled in the darkness, though it was probably unnecessary considering the terrible sound the cannon had made. “Get to the ship!”
    The crew followed quickly. They were all calm and very thorough, making sure to gather as much food, artillery, and whatever other belongings they needed before heading out of the cave. They had prepared for this.
    Barren hurried to pull on his sword belt and boots, then headed for Larkin. He pulled her to her feet, and she stumbled and fell, hitting the rocky ground. Barren helped her up gently, despite the chaos surrounding them.
    Outside, the night was cool and misty, the air smelled of smoke, metal and dust. Barren led Larkin through the mud and water as the sounds of war riddled the air.
    “If they were trying to save you, this wasn’t the way to do it. This will only get you killed.” Barren’s voice was steady and serious. He was angry. This was exactly the opposite of what he expected William to do. Not only would this attack drive them farther from Maris, it left Barren no opportunity to take Larkin back to Maris if he wanted to.
    Keeping his hand on Larkin’s back, he led her toward the ship. He wondered what she was feeling at this moment—did this attack come as a surprise to her as well? If she was afraid, she was good at hiding it.
    As they boarded the ship, a cannon ball crashed into the cave that had been their refuge, a deafening crack shattering the air. A section of the Cliffs collapsed; pieces of rock broke apart and fell into the ocean, causing water to rise up and accost the air.
    Barren moved Larkin to the center of the ship and left her there as he and the others prepared to sail. Barren knew his men were skilled at working under pressure, and the ship was moving in no time: anchor lifted, sails drawn, weapons prepared, just in case things went south. After part of the Cliff’s collapsed, the firing stopped momentarily—whoever was attacking them was waiting for them to flee.
     Leaf peered through the curtain of darkness, searching for the source of the cannons.
    “Who are they?”
    “I can’t tell,” the Elf’s brows came together. “The ship bears no mark of Maris, nor that of a pirate.”
    Barren was silent. He turned to look at their old refuge. What was once a massive wall of rock in the center of the Orient was now a pile of rubble.
    “Did they not think about this?” asked Leaf. “They could have killed