Read Online The Guardians of Island X by Rachelle Delaney - Free Book Online
Authors: Rachelle Delaney
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other. Then back at the King’s Men. Captain Wallace slowly lowered his arms.
For a few moments the men in blue didn’t move. Scarlet took deep breaths to slow her whomping heart and the voice in her head—her own this time—screaming, “How did they get here? What does this mean?”
Slowly, the King’s Men began to move closer. One raised a hand to the pirates, who looked at one another and shrugged. Captain Wallace waved back.
“Hullo!” one of the King’s Men called.
“Halloo!” Captain Wallace replied.
The King’s Men stopped a few yards away from the pirates. No one seemed to be able to think of anything to say.
“This is so awkward,” Jem whispered.
But Scarlet was barely watching the exchange; her eyes were glued on the newcomers. From their shoulders down they looked like twins, with identical blue trousersand identical coats with brass buttons. The one farther away had more little medals hanging over his heart and golden tassels on his shoulders—clearly higher in rank than the other. Their faces were different, though. The one nearer to the shrub had pasty, pockmarked skin and brownish-green eyes. The one farther away had a more stern face, with a sharp jaw and eyes the color of the sea after a storm.
Scarlet gasped, then slapped her hand over her mouth.
Outside the shrub, the pirates and King’s Men all paused at the sound and looked around. Seeing nothing, they resumed staring awkwardly at one another.
Jem looked at Scarlet quizzically. “What?” he mouthed.
She shook her head, squeezed her eyes shut, and then looked out on the scene again.
Nothing had changed. The
Dark Ranger
pirates still faced the King’s Men.
And the King’s Man farthest from her was still Admiral John McCray.
Scarlet’s father.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jem wondered if Scarlet might be sick. She’d looked rather green since they’d witnessed the pirates meeting the King’s Men. Not that he blamed her. Having the pirates on Island X with clues about the treasure was bad enough. Throw in some blue and brass, and there was real trouble. Now they had to fend off two groups of much larger, much stronger enemies.
But still, he hadn’t expected her to react the way she did, all flustered and unable to concentrate. After their long run home (made longer by the fact that he’d steered them in the wrong direction—twice), Jem had to remind her to tell the others about this new danger. She’d been ready to go sit with the aras all evening.
“Right. Good call, Fitz.” Scarlet looked sheepish. “Could you round up the crew? Let them know it’s important.”
Thinking that “important” was the understatement of the century, Jem jogged off, shaking his head.
“The
who
?” Ronagh screeched at the news.
“King’s Men
and
pirates?” Emmett paled.
“Double trouble,” Smitty moaned.
“What’re the King’s Men doing here?” asked Gil.
Scarlet raised her hands, palms up. “Who knows? Maybe they’ve pillaged all the other islands and now have to face the ones that always scared them off.”
“D’yathink they know about the treasure?” Liam asked.
“They do now,” said Jem. “One of the pirates saw an ara drop a ruby today, and those stupid swabs were hollering about it when the King’s Men came into the clearing.”
“Triple trouble,” Smitty groaned.
“What’re we going to do now?” asked Edwin.
All heads turned back to Scarlet, who was staring at the trees, lost in thought. When she noticed their eyes on her, she shook her head and cleared her throat. “Right. Yes. I agree.”
“With what, Cap’n?” asked Tim.
Scarlet seemed distraught. “Look…I need time to think. Right now there’s something…” She rubbed her temples. “Maybe an ant colony this time?”
“Ant colony?” Tim said, looking bewildered.
“I’ve got to go.” Scarlet stood. “But I want everyone to think hard about this. We’ve got to make a plan.” She turned away, then turned back. “Oh, and let’s
For a few moments the men in blue didn’t move. Scarlet took deep breaths to slow her whomping heart and the voice in her head—her own this time—screaming, “How did they get here? What does this mean?”
Slowly, the King’s Men began to move closer. One raised a hand to the pirates, who looked at one another and shrugged. Captain Wallace waved back.
“Hullo!” one of the King’s Men called.
“Halloo!” Captain Wallace replied.
The King’s Men stopped a few yards away from the pirates. No one seemed to be able to think of anything to say.
“This is so awkward,” Jem whispered.
But Scarlet was barely watching the exchange; her eyes were glued on the newcomers. From their shoulders down they looked like twins, with identical blue trousersand identical coats with brass buttons. The one farther away had more little medals hanging over his heart and golden tassels on his shoulders—clearly higher in rank than the other. Their faces were different, though. The one nearer to the shrub had pasty, pockmarked skin and brownish-green eyes. The one farther away had a more stern face, with a sharp jaw and eyes the color of the sea after a storm.
Scarlet gasped, then slapped her hand over her mouth.
Outside the shrub, the pirates and King’s Men all paused at the sound and looked around. Seeing nothing, they resumed staring awkwardly at one another.
Jem looked at Scarlet quizzically. “What?” he mouthed.
She shook her head, squeezed her eyes shut, and then looked out on the scene again.
Nothing had changed. The
Dark Ranger
pirates still faced the King’s Men.
And the King’s Man farthest from her was still Admiral John McCray.
Scarlet’s father.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jem wondered if Scarlet might be sick. She’d looked rather green since they’d witnessed the pirates meeting the King’s Men. Not that he blamed her. Having the pirates on Island X with clues about the treasure was bad enough. Throw in some blue and brass, and there was real trouble. Now they had to fend off two groups of much larger, much stronger enemies.
But still, he hadn’t expected her to react the way she did, all flustered and unable to concentrate. After their long run home (made longer by the fact that he’d steered them in the wrong direction—twice), Jem had to remind her to tell the others about this new danger. She’d been ready to go sit with the aras all evening.
“Right. Good call, Fitz.” Scarlet looked sheepish. “Could you round up the crew? Let them know it’s important.”
Thinking that “important” was the understatement of the century, Jem jogged off, shaking his head.
“The
who
?” Ronagh screeched at the news.
“King’s Men
and
pirates?” Emmett paled.
“Double trouble,” Smitty moaned.
“What’re the King’s Men doing here?” asked Gil.
Scarlet raised her hands, palms up. “Who knows? Maybe they’ve pillaged all the other islands and now have to face the ones that always scared them off.”
“D’yathink they know about the treasure?” Liam asked.
“They do now,” said Jem. “One of the pirates saw an ara drop a ruby today, and those stupid swabs were hollering about it when the King’s Men came into the clearing.”
“Triple trouble,” Smitty groaned.
“What’re we going to do now?” asked Edwin.
All heads turned back to Scarlet, who was staring at the trees, lost in thought. When she noticed their eyes on her, she shook her head and cleared her throat. “Right. Yes. I agree.”
“With what, Cap’n?” asked Tim.
Scarlet seemed distraught. “Look…I need time to think. Right now there’s something…” She rubbed her temples. “Maybe an ant colony this time?”
“Ant colony?” Tim said, looking bewildered.
“I’ve got to go.” Scarlet stood. “But I want everyone to think hard about this. We’ve got to make a plan.” She turned away, then turned back. “Oh, and let’s
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