The Mermaids Madness

water.
    Morveren caught Stub’s tail. He turned and bit her hand between the thumb and forefinger. She yelled as she ripped him from her skin. Stub continued to claw her arm as she drew back and threw the cat toward the mast.
    Danielle pushed herself up, but there was no way she would get there in time.
    Captain Hephyra stepped around the mast to snatch the cat from the air. Bringing Stub to her chest, she said, “I don’t appreciate guests attacking my crew.”
    Danielle finally freed her sword and raised it overhead, stumbling toward Morveren. She saw the mermaid flinch back, arms raised to protect her head.
    Danielle hesitated. With Snow hurt, killing Morveren would likely mean letting Beatrice die as well. In that moment of doubt, Morveren opened her mouth to sing.
    Talia was faster. She fell on Morveren, driving her shoulder into the mermaid’s chest. Morveren pushed her back, and Talia snapped an elbow to her jaw. She grabbed Morveren’s thumb and twisted, eliciting a shriek of pain as she drove Morveren face first into the deck.
    Danielle heard bone snap as Morveren fought to break free of Talia’s hold. She swung one of her tails into Talia’s side, knocking her down. But even as Morveren tried to crawl away, Talia rolled over and kicked her in the stomach. A second kick caught her in the bridge of the nose. Morveren’s head snapped back, and she slumped to the deck.
    “Did you kill her?” Danielle asked.
    “Not yet.”
    “We still need her.” Danielle used her sword to cut a strip from her discarded blanket. “Gag and bind her, but don’t kill her.”
    “What about kicking her a couple more times?” Talia yanked Morveren onto her stomach, then shoved the gag into her mouth. “We should make sure the other one doesn’t get any ideas either.”
    “I don’t think Lannadae would—” Danielle bit her lip. She hadn’t thought Morveren would turn on them either. For all of Lannadae’s fear, she cared about her sister and her grandmother both. Danielle wanted to trust her, but mistakes could get people killed. “Go ahead.”
    Talia ran toward the cabin, pausing only to snatch a thrown spear from the air and hurl it back toward its owner. She grabbed the cabin door and tugged. When the door wouldn’t budge, she stepped back and kicked it.
    “Do you mind?” Hephyra demanded, still holding Stub. “She’s not getting out of that door unless I want her to. I’ve swollen it shut, and the wood’s thick enough to muffle her if she tries to sing.”
    “What about Snow?” Talia asked. “She’s in there too.”
    “Your mermaid friend isn’t about to hurt Snow. She’s huddled against the door, bawling like a jilted lover. Nothing happens on this ship without me knowing. Now get out of my way and let me defend my ship.”
    Cannons and crossbows began to fire again as the crew shook off Morveren’s song. Their weapons had little effect on the undine, most of whom were too close to the ship. The cannons couldn’t be pointed straight down, and the water slowed the crossbow bolts.
    “Work the nets!” Hephyra was already hauling one of the lines strung through the yardarm, pulling a net up along the starboard bow. Three undine flopped within the net. Two managed to flip free, though the second took a crossbow bolt to the arm. Three more men fired, killing the last undine before he could escape. “Get to the bow and drag the nets beneath the keel. Otherwise they’ll crack the ship like a nut and drown us all.”
    Danielle watched over the rail as a wounded undine retreated. Another cannon fired, and the water erupted directly in front of the undine. He floated to the surface, stunned.
    “There are too many,” said Talia. “We can’t stop them from up here, even with the nets.”
    Talia was right. The crew knew it too. Danielle spotted James standing in the forecastle, crossbow cocked as he searched for a target. There was no longer any fear in his expression, only grim determination.
    The ship shook as another kelpie rammed the side. Two more cannons fired, and the kelpie’s cry of pain made Danielle cringe.
    “Talia, grab Captain Hephyra and come with me.” Danielle ran toward the ladder to the lower decks. She blinked as she passed into the darkness. Down here, the cannons sounded like thunder, and the motion of the ship was even more disorienting. Fighting a wave of queasiness, Danielle made her way deeper, toward the magazine where the powder was stored. There were no lanterns