Oracle (Book 5) by Ben Cassidy Read Free Book Online

trapped under a fallen piece of yard and a stretch of billowing sail.
    Kendril rolled his eyes, then ran over to the man. “Are you hurt?”
    Marley shook his head. “No, not bad. It caught the side of the railing. It’s just got my right leg pinned. I can’t—”
    “Never mind,” Kendril said with irritation. He grabbed at the yard, heaving on it with all his might. “Come on, Marley, push for Eru’s sake!”
    The older man grunted, his arms braced against the yardarm from the other side.
    The two of them worked for a few long seconds, huffing and straining at the heavy beam together.
    It inched off Marley’s trapped foot.
    He yanked his leg out, cursing and rubbing his ankle.
    Kendril let the broken yardarm fall with a crash to the deck below. He glanced down at Marley’s leg. “It’s not broken?”
    “No, Mr. Kendril, it ain’t, Eru be praised—”
    From above in the darkness came the terrifying wail of the monstrous creature.
    More shouts and screams came from the waterfront side of the town.
    Marley’s face turned white as a sheet. “Save us! It’s coming back around…”
    Kendril grunted, wiping sweat and soot from his face. “I’m counting on it. Quick, Marley, where’s the ship’s arms locker?”
    Marley stared at him like a man in a fog. “The…what?””
    “Guns, Marley, I need guns !” Kendril slapped his empty pistol holster for emphasis. “Now lead the way, quick. The whole cursed ship is on fire.” He grabbed the frightened man and dragged him to his feet.
    The howling cry echoed from the black sky above once again.
    Marley shrank back, whimpering in terror. “You can’t be thinking…thinking to fight it?”
    “No,” said Kendril curtly. “I’m going to kill it.” He shoved Marley roughly down the steps.
    Below decks the smoke swirled and choked the narrow passageway. The fire, spreading with alarming rapidity, licked and crackled at the end of the corridor.
    Marley’s eyes grew wide. “When that reaches the powder—” He turned to head back up the stairs.
    Kendril snatched him roughly by the shoulder and pushed him back into the corridor. “Then we’d better hurry , right Marley?” His voice was a low growl.
    Marley nodded, his eyes still on the fire. “Right.” He glanced to the left, a door leading into a cabin. “In here.”
    The two blundered through the dark and smoke into the room.
    From outside came the roar of a cannon. Several shouts echoed across the water.
    “Eru save us,” Marley breathed. “That thing will kill everyone in New Marlin.”
    “Not if I can help it, it won’t.” Kendril snatched the wooden doors on a large locker set into one wall. His face twisted into a snarl. “ Locked .” He swung back around to Marley. “Quick, the keys.”
    Marley stared in fear at the smoke pouring in through the cabin door. “Uh, there. The desk.”
    Kendril slammed the drawer open, fished around for a moment, then came out with a key. He turned and started to fiddle with the locker doors.
    Several more gunshots echoed outside, sounding clear across the open waters of the bay.
    “You can’t stop this thing,” Marley said.
    “Shut up,” Kendril warned. He threw open the doors to the arms locker. Immediately his face burst into a wolfish grin. “Didn’t think I’d see these again.” He grabbed out his two flintlock dueling pistols, and shoved them back into his belt.
    Marley edged to the door. “The fire’s spreading….”
    Kendril ignored him. He removed two short swords, and buckled them on. “Here, catch.” He tossed a musket to Marley.
    Surprised, Marley barely caught the musket in time. “I…can’t shoot one of these.”
    “Time to learn,” Kendril said briskly. He scowled into the open arms locker, snatching cartridge packets. “What I really wish I had is my long rifle. It’s not going to help much to—” He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening. “Hello, beautiful. Where have you been all my life?”
    Despite his growing