Free Blackjack Wayward (The Blackjack Series) by Ben Bequer

and hat, and a pair of huge hand cannons were tucked in at his waist. His arms were strong and muscular, straining against the jacket’s material.
    His companion on the ropes also came down on the forecastle, landing beside Morloki on the gunwale.

    “My name is Brutalis, and I was there when you destroyed the Mist Army.”
    “Really?” I said.
    The crewmen around us settled down at talk of that day.
    Brutalis nodded. “I’d like to know where you found that big monster thing.”
    “It was in that lake,” I answered. “I just pissed it off and sent it in your direction.”
    Morloki laughed, “I was too smart to join those worthless bastards.”
    “We ruled this place,” his smaller companion said.
    “And now you tie down the yard arms,” Darmelia said, drawing some muted laughter from the crew. But it was clear that as much as Morloki was a jokester, Brutalis was morose and serious, and the laughter died down quickly.
    “If there’s any hard feelings left over....” I started, wondering if I was going to have to kill the monkey boy, or his larger friend. Or both.
    Brutalis laughed, revealing an ape-like mouth with four nasty canines.
    “We lost, you won. That battle was already fought. And I lived,” he added, “So I proved smarter than you that day.”
    “That’s a good point” I said, hoping I wouldn’t have to worry about any retribution.
    “No time for love-making, you sour, drunken bastards,” Skeetrix roared as he drew his weapon and pointed it at the approaching burning ship. “There’s bloody work left to do.”
    As if on cue, the whole crew began to chant and roar, and to slam the hilts of their weapons on the gunwales of the ship. It was a terrible sound, a hundred pirates raging in unison, shouting the same word over and over again as we came closer and closer to our prey. I had been the victim of the horrible thrum not even a day before and found it interesting that I joined their harmony so easily.
    “Death!”



Chapter Four

    I could feel the blood rush through my body, feel the expectation of a coming fight. The weight of Drovani’s gift felt heavy along my waist, and my palms grew slick as I clenched my fists. I knew I could unleash my strength in this place. My enemies were tougher and would butcher me if I let them, so it was kill or be killed. The prospect made my heart race. It was a test, a question whose only answer was blood. There was something different this time, though: with no Apogee to pass judgment, I could really let go and swing for the fences.
    More and more crew gathered forward, since we were going to ram our bow into their stern and board there. Zann, Skeetrix, Darmelia, Brutalis, and Morloki were the heavy hitters, but here and there were a few wicked-looking fellows, and I was glad to have them on my side. For a moment, I had a mental flashback of my former group, the Impossibles, with Cool Hand, Haha, Influx even Dr. Zundergrub, based on the rough bunch that surrounded me. One in particular stood out. His features were swathed with cloth much like an Egyptian mummy, though woven into the fabric were pieces of coppery armor in the arms, legs, and face. How he could see through the face mask, I don’t know, but he wielded two swords, much like mine, and had the dangerous feeling of a coiled cobra about to strike. He caught me staring and nodded.
    Darmelia slapped me on my shoulder, drawing my attention forward as we approached the Vershani ship at an alarming rate. The enemy ship was foundering, listing thirty degrees to port and reeling to starboard, while losing altitude nose-first in a reeling spin. Below was an endless abyss, so we had plenty of time, but boarding a ship that was falling away from us like that was madness. Dal’naeth, pilot of the Lady’s Nightmare, was insane for trying to match the Vershani ship’s death throes, as insane as Captain Nicatrix for giving the order, because the chance of hitting the enemy ship dead-on and not killing