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"You’re mistaken, Louis," Ghost rasped "Hollow I ht of the gun in his hand, the poisonous reassurance of the silver, but he had formed an alliance with Ghost and would not break it Despite the monstrous brutality of the creature, some part of Jack could not help but admire his survival after his brother’s betrayal, and wish for Ghost to have his vengeance And with Death Nilsson and his men on the way, Jack’s fate was intertwined with Ghost’s
"Did you find anything?" Jack asked
"Maurilio and Vukovich found plenty of weapons in the crew’s quarters," Ghost said "Nothing truly useful Blades, but no silver" He nodded toward the weapons Louis and Jack noielded "I see neither of you is empty-handed"
"We’ll have tohis belt and threading it through the slit on the scabbard "If that means I becohed, but the huaze upon Jack
"Louis likes you, Mr London," Ghost said "For some reason he ascribes to you extraordinary abilities Don’t let his faith in you ht jeopardize our pact"
"You don’t have to worry about me," Jack replied
"Of course not," Ghost said "You won’t kill unless your hand is forced, isn’t that right?"
"That’s right"
"I’d alh he wished for nothing more than to tear Jack apart "But not to worry You’ll be forced soon enough A baptism of blood for you today"
Jack didn’t like the sound of that Ghost had wanted to infect Jack with his curse--turn him into a olf and part of the pack--and perhaps that was still his plan
"I have no interest in being anointed," Jack said "Only in being alive when the storm clears, whole and human And if my hands are stained olf blood when it’s done, it’ll wash off easily enough"
"Because my kind are less than human?" Ghost asked, ready to debate the point
They fell silent With Louis looking on, one hand on the hilt of his newly acquired sword, Jack and Ghost stared at each other for long seconds The tension was interrupted by heavy footfalls pounding along the gangway outside
"I’ve lost interest in talking philosophy with monsters," Jack said
Before Ghost could reply, Tree burst into the roonation etched upon his features
"They’re co!"
The storm had worsened The Charon swayed violently, the creak of wood and er of death
"There!" Maurilio shouted as Jack, Ghost, and Louis ran onto the deck There were four wolves in each of the three boats, and Death Nilsson’s pack was rowing hard for their ship As expected, the gunpowder explosion had brought them in a hurry
On board the Charon, the five beasts re knives and machetes, and a pair of rifles Jack held on to his pistol, the secret of its silver aes between himself and Louis Once the ene blades and close-quarters murder, and they would earn either victory or death But for now they wanted to harry Death and his pack as much as possible To that end, Tree and Vukovich, the best an to take shots at the boats as they ca waves rocking theet, but at least two of Death’s pack caught bullets
The wounds would be little ht slow the Jack held his pistol, waiting for the boats to draw nearer, knowing the limits of the weapon and his own aim His bullets would do far more than slow the wolves down But only if he made the shots count
"Where is the witch?" Ghost asked, taking up position next to Jack at the railing
Jack was relieved to see no sign of Sabine on Death’s boats Somewhere on the island, or in the waters offshore, she waited for him, and she would do whatever ithin her power to help
"They didn’t find her," he replied
Tree and Vukovich kept shooting as Death’s creed the three boats closer The veil of rain confused Jack’s view of the boats, but he flinched as a bullet punched through the skull of one of the men on the rearmost boat The pirate tu water The rest of Death’s pack continued on with barely a glance toward the place where the pirate had just subed Jack wondered if the sea ould drown before he could heal, but a moment later he saw a monstrous head coe, clawed hand grabbed the back of the boat
A flash of lightning seared the sky, so bright it drove hi Arcs of fire splintered the air around the ship, and thunder crashed in the heavens, rolling away on the storm
"This is her?" Ghost deetting a tighter grip on his gun
Louis shouted for hi Jack ran to join hi on the side of the ship The three s upon the swells, and the wolf-s they intended to do to her
"Sabine," Jack breathed
Maurilio had joined therabbed one of Sabine’s wrists and lifted her over the railing Jack reached for her, the deck rolling underfoot, the rain soaking theht never see her again, and now, though Death’s pack was , he needed to touch her, embrace her, just to assure himself that she was truly here and unharaze flickered past Jack’s shoulder
Ghost caught Jack froun and it slid across the deck in the rain He scraun, snatched it, and turned to see Ghost grab a fistful of Sabine’s hair and hoist her off the deck The captain held her up, screa was lost to the wind His features had begun to contort, fangs stretching hisand fur sprouting Sabine’s feet dangled beneath her and she kicked, batted at his grip, clawed at his arht use, Jack feared she would not have the time or focus to defend herself