Page 137 of Tears for a Broken Sky
Then ten.
One by one, the soldiers began to slump in their chairs. Some twitched. One let out a muffled groan before collapsing face-first into his bowl. Another staggered to his feet, made it two steps, then crumpled to the floor with a heavy thud.
It was eerie—quiet, slow. Like watching a curtain fall after a long, brutal performance.
I moved first.
“You know,” I muttered as we got to work, “you’re a little terrifying sometimes.”
“Naw.” Maddie grinned. “Thanks, buddy.”
We moved fast, hauling the unconscious soldiers out through the side hatch to the lifeboat we’d prepped just in case. One by one, we slid them overboard—not unkindly. We weren’t monsters. The lifeboats would carry them back to shore eventually. They’d wake up pissed. But alive.
Maddie tied off the last lifeboat and gave it a gentle shove. “They’ll wash up on the beach fine,” she said.
I turned toward the helm, eyeing the wheel. “You think you can pilot this thing?”
Maddie gave me a flat look. “Better me than you. How’s your stomach?”
“Fine,” I grumbled.
My stomach swirled unhappily in response.
“Really?” she said flatly.
“If I puke, I’ll aim for your shoes.”
“Nice.” She glared. “Okay, I doubt Elle’s here—but we need to check the whole ship.”
“I’ll go check the prisoners. Maybe one of them knows how to actually sail a boat. If not, we can send them off on a lifeboat too.”
“Your faith in me is awe-inspiring,” Maddie drawled.
“Hey, I know you’re awesome, Mads—but everyone has limits.”
She jabbed a finger at my ribs. “Look who’s talking. Go.”
I nodded. I already knew what I’d find—but I had to be sure.
Room by room—I searched. The brig. The captain’s quarters. Storage. Empty. All of it.
No sign of her.
She wasn’t here.
I met Maddie on the bridge, where she was already setting the course away from the rest of the fleet.
“She’s not on board,” I said, voice low. “They took her somewhere else.”
Maddie didn’t flinch. Just tightened her grip on the wheel.
“Then we find out where.”
I turned to the sea, jaw clenched, wind raking through my hair.
“I’m coming, Elle,” I whispered. “Wherever they’ve taken you—I’ll burn the ocean down to get you back.”
Chapter 34
