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I glanced back up to the whaler’s rigging The tops of the masts were shrouded in ht of Ta steadily atop the et and the sea whip began to sing, a soundI’d ever heard, a choir of voices lifted in a plaintive, wordless song No, I realized, not a song The sea as crying out, writhing and rolling in the waves as the longboats gave chase, struggling to shake the hooked tips of the harpoons free Fight, I pleaded silently Once he has you, he’ll never let you go

But I could already see the dragon slowing, its ish as its cries wavered,

Part ofwould just end it Why didn’t he? Why not use the Cut on the sea whip and bind ?

"Nets!" shouted Sturrown so thick that I couldn’t quite tell where his voice was co from I heard a series of thunks from somewhere near the starboard rail

"Clear the boat"

I heard the Grisha calling to one another and then felt the billow of Squaller winds tugging at the hem ofand his Grisha still stood on the starboard side, attention focused on the longboat that now see away from the whaler But on the port side, another ship had appeared as if froon a teal field--and below it, in pale blue and gold, the Ravkan double eagle

I heard another series of thunks and saw steel claws studding the whaler’s portside rail Grappling hooks, I realized

And then everything seemed to happen at once A hoent up fro at the moon Men swarmed over the rail onto the whaler’s deck, pistols strapped to their chests, cutlasses in their hands, yowling and barking like a pack of wild dogs I saw the Darkling turn, confusion and rage on his face

"What the hell is going on?" Mal said, stepping in front of er protection of the ood or so very, very bad"

We stood back-to-back, my hands still trapped in irons, his still bound, powerless to defend ourselves as the deck erupted into fighting Pistol shots rang out The air came alive with Inferni fire "To ed into the action, a saber in his hands

Barking, yipping, snarling ’s Grisha fro of the schooner but fro of the whaler as well Stur

The privateer had clearly lost his mind Yes, the Grisha were outnu

"Look!" Mal shouted

Down in the water, thesea whip in tow They had raised a sail, and a brisk as driving them, not toward the whaler but directly toward the schooner instead The stiff breeze that carried them seemed to co in the longboat, ar it: Stur for him

Suddenly, an arm seized me around the waist and I was lifted off my feet The world seee shoulder

I lifted ainst the ar toward Mal, a knife glea in her hands "No!" I screamed "Mal!"

He put up his hands to defend hih his bonds "Go!" she shouted, tossing hi a sword frohter as he sprinted over the deck Ta?" I squawked, iant’s back

"Just run!" Ta at a Corporalnik who threw himself into her path

"I can’t run," I shouted back "Your idiot brother hasover his shoulder like a ham!"

"Do you want to be rescued or not?"

I didn’t have ti over"

I squeezedto tuone runt and fell to one knee, losing his grip on me I toppled to the deck and rolled clumsily onto my side When I looked up, I saw Ivan and a blue-robed Inferni standing over us

Ivan’s hand was outstretched He was crushing Tolya’s heart, and this time, Sturmhond wasn’t there to stop him

The Inferni advanced on Ta in an arc of flaht asped His fla for?" Ivan snarled

The Inferni’s only response was a choked hiss His eyes bulged He clawed at his throat

Taht hand, but her left fist was clenched

"Good trick," she said, swatting away the paralyzed Inferni’s flint "I know a good trick, too" She raised her blade, and as the Inferni stood helpless, desperate for air, she ran hih with one vicious thrust

The Inferni cru over the lifeless body, her sword dripping blood His concentration must have wavered, because in thatroar

Ivan clenched his fist, refocusing his efforts Tolya griiant’s hand shot out, and Ivan’s face spasmed in pain and bewilder They were Grisha Heartrenders

"Do you like that, little man?" Tolya asked as he stalked toward Ivan Desperately, Ivan cast out another hand He was shaking, and I could see he was struggling for breath