On Board {A Solangelo Pirate AU}

17: Neeks, My Man, Free Your Boyfriend Please

NPOV

My friends were already overwhelmed, and we had barely even begun yet. I stabbed a woman in the leg before she could fire her musket at Hazel, then I threw her weapon into the sea. I couldn't see Gabe anywhere, only his crew and the fighting and the blood.

Annabeth fell to the ground to my right and I jumped into her fight to defend her. She clutched her gut. Percy was at her side in an instant, letting her lean on him so they could fight together. I left them to find Gabe. I had a horrible roiling feeling in my gut, but I refused to let it deter my focus.

An enemy crew mate tried to stab me, but I stuck my sword through the handle of his own, cutting his fingers to the bone and successfully flinging the sword across the deck. Then I was moving again, defending my friends when necessary.

The Stolls had run out of those pepper explosives they'd used in the last battle, but they'd broken a crate and were using planks of wood to swing wildly at their opponents. It seemed sufficient to keep people away from them.

Gabe was looking on at the scene without a scratch. He stood on a crate, unchallenged. No one had tried to fight him; we'd all had our own miniature battles to keep us busy. But someone had to take Gabe. It looked like it was going to have to be me. Shit.

His eyes slid over to me without even a hint of fear in them. "I haven't seen the blondie fighting. You haven't taught him how to wield a sword?"

I ignored him and raised my sword in a stance that I hoped looked more threatening than terrified. "Get off of our ship, Gabriel. This is not yours to take."

"It was always mine, di Angelo. If you lower your sword and make this easy for me, I might not force your crew to watch your death. Deal?"

I kept my arm steady. I had to try. I would definitely lose, but I had to try. It was captain against captain. Unfortunately, it was also cruel and experienced versus soft and new. I didn't have a chance.

He looked mildly inconvenienced. He drew his own sword. "Fine. I can use your death as an example for the others, I suppose." He lunged, and I deflected his sword away from my heart. He was on the offensive from the very start, and I was stuck just responding to all of his attacks. One of these times, I would slip up.

Parry, block, parry, block. I was losing ground, and his constant attacks forward were gaining it. The back of my boot hit the side of the boat. I was cornered. I tried moving sideways, but his sword was there in an instant, scraping my throat. I dropped my sword. He looked bored. I gasped for breath and tried to shove him off of me. He grabbed my wrists and held them in the air, and then pointed his sword at the soft spot beneath my chin.

"Step up onto the side of the boat, di Angelo."

Bianca, on the side of the boat. Side and leg bleeding, tears sitting on her cheeks. He shoved her over with a comment about which would get her first—asphyxiation, blood loss, or the sharks attracted to her wounds. She fell into the water, and I was left behind—

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't fucking breathe.

I was in no place to argue with him. I stepped up onto the side of the boat. He had a sick grin on his face now. He'd been looking forward to this. He'd been planning this.

"This is the spot that she stood. I still wonder which got her first. Personally, I place my bet on the sharks. I've heard horror stories of their lightning speeds and knives for teeth. It would've been a painful death, but hey. It's what she knew would happen for trying to escape."

Air wouldn't come. I was done. These were my final moments. I couldn't remember my final words. Had they been to Will? No—I'd spoken to Gabriel after that. God damn it. My last words were to the guy that killed me.