legend!”
“Not the good kind, though.” Sapphira turned uneasily to her tutor. “What’s he doing here?”
Unfortunately, the moment the words left her lips, she realized she already knew the answer…and her blood ran cold.
No…it can’t be. The orb?!
But hadn’t Pro-Pom warned her what would happen? “That thing cannot stay here. It’s too dangerous. It’ll lure every would-be tyrant in the Seven Seas…”
Jones certainly qualified. He had a crew of half-shark mutants recruited from among the souls of drowned sailors he was cursed to collect. They said his cannons could shoot Greek fire on underwater foes, while he kept normal gunpowder for enemies above the surface.
He had full range of all the Seven Seas due to his function, and he was not the sort anyone wanted for an enemy.
Her heart began thumping. She suddenly felt queasy. Turning away in shock, she barely heard her tutor mumbling, “I don’t see too much damage down there. Maybe Captain Jones is just trying to get everyone’s attention.”
“Well, he’s certainly succeeded at that,” Lil said. “Don’t worry, Wallace. He’s trouble, all right, but whatever he wants, I’m sure it’s got nothing to do with us.”
Sapphira knew better.
Her stomach was in knots as she watched a squadron of palace mer-guards hurrying out to counter Jones’s infamous forces and keep order in the frightened city. She was relieved not to see Tyndaris among them; as the chief royal bodyguard, he must stay next to Father.
All the while, the pirate’s monstrous half-shark crewmates came pouring out of his ghastly ship, leaping over the sides of the dire vessel and swimming toward the palace.
Sapphira hid her terror as she finally found her voice. “Stay here,” she ordered. “I need to find out what’s going on.”
“I’m coming with you!”
“No! Stay back, Liliana! It’s too dangerous.”
Lil scowled. “I’m not afraid!”
“Stay,” Sapphira ordered, brooking no disobedience. Then she left their classroom with Professor Pomodori hurrying along beside her. “Has he ever come here before?”
“It’s been decades since he called at the palace.”
“Liliana, I said stay back!” Sapphira suddenly shouted, noticing her little sister following her from the corner of her eye.
“You can’t tell me what to do!” the little princess shouted, swimming right behind them.
“His crew will give you nightmares!”
“I’m not a baby! I want to see Papa.” Lil folded her arms across her chest with a full-on stubborn-princess glare.
Sapphira rolled her eyes and hurried on. In short order, she arrived at the throne room.
“Your Highness!” Standing next to her father, Tyndaris looked over and glared when he saw her. “You shouldn’t be here!”
Both were in the midst of giving orders: the king to his advisers, the commander to his soldiers.
“What’s all this about?” Sapphira demanded, ignoring the order, and praying she was wrong—that there was some other explanation.
“It seems we have a visitor,” King Nereus growled.
“Professor, please take the princesses away. For Your Highnesses’ own safety, you girls return to your quarters,” said Tyndaris.
“Take her somewhere safe,” Sapphira objected, “but this is something I’ll need to deal with someday when I am queen. It won’t do, hiding from it.”
Tyndaris cast her father an imploring glance. “Sire?”
The king looked over at his daughters and hesitated.
Before he could give an answer about whether or not Sapphira could stay, the shark men arrived and blocked the exits from the throne room.
Oh, they were hideous, she thought. A mockery of the beautiful merfolk. Originally wicked sailors who had drowned at sea, they had managed to stave off eternal damnation by agreeing to crew for Davy Jones.
But they then became as cursed as their captain. He was doomed to gather drowned souls of bad men forever, while they became monstrous blends with the arms, legs, and
“Not the good kind, though.” Sapphira turned uneasily to her tutor. “What’s he doing here?”
Unfortunately, the moment the words left her lips, she realized she already knew the answer…and her blood ran cold.
No…it can’t be. The orb?!
But hadn’t Pro-Pom warned her what would happen? “That thing cannot stay here. It’s too dangerous. It’ll lure every would-be tyrant in the Seven Seas…”
Jones certainly qualified. He had a crew of half-shark mutants recruited from among the souls of drowned sailors he was cursed to collect. They said his cannons could shoot Greek fire on underwater foes, while he kept normal gunpowder for enemies above the surface.
He had full range of all the Seven Seas due to his function, and he was not the sort anyone wanted for an enemy.
Her heart began thumping. She suddenly felt queasy. Turning away in shock, she barely heard her tutor mumbling, “I don’t see too much damage down there. Maybe Captain Jones is just trying to get everyone’s attention.”
“Well, he’s certainly succeeded at that,” Lil said. “Don’t worry, Wallace. He’s trouble, all right, but whatever he wants, I’m sure it’s got nothing to do with us.”
Sapphira knew better.
Her stomach was in knots as she watched a squadron of palace mer-guards hurrying out to counter Jones’s infamous forces and keep order in the frightened city. She was relieved not to see Tyndaris among them; as the chief royal bodyguard, he must stay next to Father.
All the while, the pirate’s monstrous half-shark crewmates came pouring out of his ghastly ship, leaping over the sides of the dire vessel and swimming toward the palace.
Sapphira hid her terror as she finally found her voice. “Stay here,” she ordered. “I need to find out what’s going on.”
“I’m coming with you!”
“No! Stay back, Liliana! It’s too dangerous.”
Lil scowled. “I’m not afraid!”
“Stay,” Sapphira ordered, brooking no disobedience. Then she left their classroom with Professor Pomodori hurrying along beside her. “Has he ever come here before?”
“It’s been decades since he called at the palace.”
“Liliana, I said stay back!” Sapphira suddenly shouted, noticing her little sister following her from the corner of her eye.
“You can’t tell me what to do!” the little princess shouted, swimming right behind them.
“His crew will give you nightmares!”
“I’m not a baby! I want to see Papa.” Lil folded her arms across her chest with a full-on stubborn-princess glare.
Sapphira rolled her eyes and hurried on. In short order, she arrived at the throne room.
“Your Highness!” Standing next to her father, Tyndaris looked over and glared when he saw her. “You shouldn’t be here!”
Both were in the midst of giving orders: the king to his advisers, the commander to his soldiers.
“What’s all this about?” Sapphira demanded, ignoring the order, and praying she was wrong—that there was some other explanation.
“It seems we have a visitor,” King Nereus growled.
“Professor, please take the princesses away. For Your Highnesses’ own safety, you girls return to your quarters,” said Tyndaris.
“Take her somewhere safe,” Sapphira objected, “but this is something I’ll need to deal with someday when I am queen. It won’t do, hiding from it.”
Tyndaris cast her father an imploring glance. “Sire?”
The king looked over at his daughters and hesitated.
Before he could give an answer about whether or not Sapphira could stay, the shark men arrived and blocked the exits from the throne room.
Oh, they were hideous, she thought. A mockery of the beautiful merfolk. Originally wicked sailors who had drowned at sea, they had managed to stave off eternal damnation by agreeing to crew for Davy Jones.
But they then became as cursed as their captain. He was doomed to gather drowned souls of bad men forever, while they became monstrous blends with the arms, legs, and
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