Reckless Paradise [a descendants story]

Chapter Seven | The Innocents

The next night, Quinn was on watch at the same time, again with Saoirse. They were about halfway through the watch when Quinn heard a splash from the other side of the ship, the side facing the water. She looked over at Saoirse to make sure she had heard it as well, but she had already rushed over and was peering over the side.

Suddenly, Saoirse jumped back as an arrow flew up from the side.

"We're under attack!" she bellowed as the first figure clambered over the railing of the ship.

Saoirse's sword was out in a flash, but so was theirs. In the meagre light from the ship's lanterns, Quinn could hardly see who it was.

More figures came over the sides and still no one had come from the forecastle. Quinn was frozen in place, her sword and dagger still in her belt.

Saoirse had a moment to glance back at her. "Quinn!" she shouted. "We're under attack!"

There was no panic in her eyes, not even fear. They glinted with the same excitement Quinn had seen in Blake's eyes and Jukes's eyes. And somehow, that was what unfroze her and set her sprinting down the steps. There were figures all over the deck. They had swords and daggers and other blades that glinted in the low light.

Quinn pulled out her dagger, but she knew she was no match for these people. They had trained their whole lives, and she had had one day of training in total.

But she did not have to fight them. She just had to get to the forecastle.

So, Quinn ran, not at the attackers, but straight across the deck to the front of the ship. They had not been expecting that move, so she got about halfway before there was someone in my way.

They lunged forward with their sword – a real sword – and she managed to duck out of the way, almost stumbling. She ducked around a particularly big guy with a mace-looking weapon and tumbled down the steps into the sailor's quarters.

"We're under attack!" she hollered, stumbling into as many hammocks as she could see in the darkness. There were thumps and groans as people woke, but they were almost immediately awake. Before a single attacker got down the stairs, there were crewmembers there to meet them.

Once she was sure everyone was awake, Quinn steeled herself and ran up the steps behind the others. The main deck was utter chaos. Metal clashed. People yelled. Bodies tumbled and bumped into each other. She hesitated at the top of the steps and was pushed out of the way by the person behind her.

Quinn recognized faces in the mess. Saoirse, her hair flying behind her. Cai's brother, whose name she had forgotten, his mouth open in a yell. Looking up, Quinn saw a girl, no older than fifteen, up in the rigging, ready to strike from above.

A blade swung at her from out of nowhere and she stumbled back into the wall. The blade embedded itself in the wood of the steps and its wielder tried to pull it out. She recognized him as the son of Frollo. It was the Innocents.

Seeing that he was distracted, Quinn stomped on his foot and then plowed her shoulder into him as hard as she could. He stumbled backwards and before she could go for him, Sheela was there. She wielded a broadsword that looked extremely heavy. She lunged at him and he backed up, using his momentum against him, she kicked him in the chest, and he fell against the railing. He stood there for a moment before losing his balance and falling overboard.

There was a loud splash and Sheela turned to Quinn. "Go get Jax."

"But –"

"You're no use here yet," Sheela snapped. "That's an order."

Quinn nodded and quickly made her way to the gangplank, dodging blades and people as well as she could. An elbow sent her tumbling to the ground and she ended up half-crawling most of the way.