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Book: The DeCadia Code (The DeCadia Series Book 1) by Apryl Baker, Jonathan Yanez
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Authors: Apryl Baker, Jonathan Yanez
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than a few herself.
The room was dark and Val stopped to let her eyes adjust to the inky blackness. She hadn’t survived a shipwreck only to end up dead from stumbling around in the dark. After a moment, she could start to make out shapes and she saw Tobias across the room standing in front of either a wall or a door. She couldn’t tell from where she stood.
“Get yerself moving, girl,” the old man barked. “Time’s a wastin’ and we need to get out before that fire gets here.”
That got Val going. Tobias had a definite note of authority in his voice that made her feet move even as she frowned. No one had been able to give her orders for years. This old man still had the bite of a captain’s voice, though. He must have captained a vessel at one point. Slave masters couldn’t do what Tobias just had. His voice would have gotten the most seasoned royal Navy captain hopping and jumping to do his bidding. Just who was Tobias really?
Not having time to ponder, Val all but ran after Tobias’s swiftly moving form. She knew he was injured; in spite of this, the man was on the move and it was all she could do to keep up as he led her down narrow, dark passageways. Val could only pray they were heading away from the fire. She could hear it popping and snapping, feel the heat scorch her skin through the walls on either side of her, and smell the smoke beginning to curl around their feet. She picked up speed and ran for her life.
Chapter 7
Lukas Swift stood. His dark blue eyes narrowed as he stared at the Royal Navy vessel, his crew quickly overpowering what was left of the sailors on board. The Navy had not expected a full pirate crew to overtake them. Stupid. Always be on the lookout for what was behind as well as in front and around. Valeria had taught him that. His eyes hunted the surrounding forest, his hackles rising with every moment. He did not want to tangle with the inhabitants of this island; still he had to find Valeria. She had probably already cussed him enough to set his ears on fire for an eternity.
It couldn’t have been helped. The Navy was out in full force and he’d had to skirt around them, which cost two days, and it took him another day to even catch sight of the merchant trader his captain was aboard. By the time Lukas saw The Apollo , it’d been engaged with the pirates while the Navy ship fired on the pirates in an attempt to save the merchant ship. It had been over and done with by the time he’d caught them. He’d put The Emerald Queen down on the beach and then moved inland to survey the damage.
The sense of being watched started as soon as he and the men were about a hundred yards into the tree line. The men, to their credit, hadn’t become jumpy. They’d taken a quick look around and then continued. They were intent upon rescuing their captain. She treated them like family, and so to them, that’s what she was and they weren’t leaving her. Once they’d started to board the ship, it had been easier than Lukas originally estimated. It was the long-range rifles that secured the easy victory. Valeria had secured one for each man on board some time ago. When the sailors on board the Navy vessel saw what was aimed at them, most surrendered. They’d only had to tussle with a few. No casualties at last report. The Captain would be pleased. She hated casualties amongst the Navy. Lukas didn’t know why, considering they’d execute her if they caught her. Made no sense to him.
Valeria in general made no sense to him, but he’d follow her into the bowels of the underworld itself. Who would get herself hauled in as a slave and hope the right merchant captain bought her? Foolish nonsense is what he called it, but she had more luck than anyone he’d ever seen. It’s as though she willed what she wanted to have happen and it did. He only hoped she’d survived the crash or wasn’t badly injured. That blasted woman. She was going to put him in an early grave yet.
“All secured,”
The room was dark and Val stopped to let her eyes adjust to the inky blackness. She hadn’t survived a shipwreck only to end up dead from stumbling around in the dark. After a moment, she could start to make out shapes and she saw Tobias across the room standing in front of either a wall or a door. She couldn’t tell from where she stood.
“Get yerself moving, girl,” the old man barked. “Time’s a wastin’ and we need to get out before that fire gets here.”
That got Val going. Tobias had a definite note of authority in his voice that made her feet move even as she frowned. No one had been able to give her orders for years. This old man still had the bite of a captain’s voice, though. He must have captained a vessel at one point. Slave masters couldn’t do what Tobias just had. His voice would have gotten the most seasoned royal Navy captain hopping and jumping to do his bidding. Just who was Tobias really?
Not having time to ponder, Val all but ran after Tobias’s swiftly moving form. She knew he was injured; in spite of this, the man was on the move and it was all she could do to keep up as he led her down narrow, dark passageways. Val could only pray they were heading away from the fire. She could hear it popping and snapping, feel the heat scorch her skin through the walls on either side of her, and smell the smoke beginning to curl around their feet. She picked up speed and ran for her life.
Chapter 7
Lukas Swift stood. His dark blue eyes narrowed as he stared at the Royal Navy vessel, his crew quickly overpowering what was left of the sailors on board. The Navy had not expected a full pirate crew to overtake them. Stupid. Always be on the lookout for what was behind as well as in front and around. Valeria had taught him that. His eyes hunted the surrounding forest, his hackles rising with every moment. He did not want to tangle with the inhabitants of this island; still he had to find Valeria. She had probably already cussed him enough to set his ears on fire for an eternity.
It couldn’t have been helped. The Navy was out in full force and he’d had to skirt around them, which cost two days, and it took him another day to even catch sight of the merchant trader his captain was aboard. By the time Lukas saw The Apollo , it’d been engaged with the pirates while the Navy ship fired on the pirates in an attempt to save the merchant ship. It had been over and done with by the time he’d caught them. He’d put The Emerald Queen down on the beach and then moved inland to survey the damage.
The sense of being watched started as soon as he and the men were about a hundred yards into the tree line. The men, to their credit, hadn’t become jumpy. They’d taken a quick look around and then continued. They were intent upon rescuing their captain. She treated them like family, and so to them, that’s what she was and they weren’t leaving her. Once they’d started to board the ship, it had been easier than Lukas originally estimated. It was the long-range rifles that secured the easy victory. Valeria had secured one for each man on board some time ago. When the sailors on board the Navy vessel saw what was aimed at them, most surrendered. They’d only had to tussle with a few. No casualties at last report. The Captain would be pleased. She hated casualties amongst the Navy. Lukas didn’t know why, considering they’d execute her if they caught her. Made no sense to him.
Valeria in general made no sense to him, but he’d follow her into the bowels of the underworld itself. Who would get herself hauled in as a slave and hope the right merchant captain bought her? Foolish nonsense is what he called it, but she had more luck than anyone he’d ever seen. It’s as though she willed what she wanted to have happen and it did. He only hoped she’d survived the crash or wasn’t badly injured. That blasted woman. She was going to put him in an early grave yet.
“All secured,”
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