A Pirate's Agony (Legends of the Soaring Phoenix Book 3) by M.L. Guida Page B

her and shook his head. She stopped and pressed her back to the wall. He wasn’t alone.
    “Did you think someone was coming to rescue you?”
    Dubois. What was he doing down here?
    As if to answer the question, Dubois said, “You killed my best friend. I’ve dreamed of this moment.”
    “I thought I was da Maîtresses’ prize.”
    Sweat trickled down Violet’s back. Her feet refused to move, and her legs trembled so badly she was afraid Dubois would hear her knocking knees. Why was Amadi so calm? Dubois was known to castrate male slaves and do worse to females.
    “She’ll find another. You’re nothing special.”
    She had to do something. She put the planks and rope down on the stairs. Dubois had wrapped a rope around Amadi’s neck, and he yanked, forcing Amadi to expose his throat. With his busted knee and bound hands, he couldn’t move. He had said he was hard to kill. Why did men think they were invulnerable? But he hadn’t lied. No time to dwell.
    She thought about calling for Dubois and telling him Celeste wanted to see him. But if she lied, Dubois would know. He might be evil, but he wasn’t dumb. A distraction. She blew out each of the lanterns, and darkness blanketed the stairwell.
    “Who’s there?” Dubois demanded.
    She bent down and picked up one of the planks. Terror pierced her tense muscles. Stay strong.
    “I said, who’s there?” Dubois’s agitated voice made her stay glued to the floor.
    Footsteps crunched the pebbles on the stone floor, and a moving lantern cast Dubois’s shadow onto the back wall. 
    She bit her lip, not sure she could do this. Her heart rolled around like a smashing boulder. She crouched on her knees, knowing Dubois would have the pistol at arm’s length. He was a foot taller than she, so she estimated if she knelt and he fired, he’d miss. But she could be wrong, dead wrong. 
    She hugged the wall.
    His shadow crept closer and closer and closer. He turned the corner. With all her might, she swung and smashed the board into his knees. He yelled, then fired the pistol. Sulfur and smoke burned her eyes. Buckshot grazed her shoulder, and she winced.
    Dubois fell forward. The lantern crashed onto the floor. She smashed the wood over his head. He lay still. What had she done? Had she killed a man over a slave she barely knew?
    Cries came in from the house. She raced over to the wall and unlocked Amadi’s manacles, her hands shaking.
    “What have you done, poppet?”
    “He would have killed you. Or you’d wished you’d be dead. Stay here.”
    He rubbed his wrists and shook his head. “Where are you goin’?”
    “To keep you safe.”
    “You’re dat confident I’ll take your offer?”
    Violet sagged. How was she going to convince him to take her? But she couldn’t worry about that now.
    Excited voices were upstairs. Violet opened the door as quietly as she could. When it creaked, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. No one was in the kitchen, but she could hear voices. 
    “Did that come from inside the house?” Cook’s tired but startled voice was the closest. 
    Celeste stepped into the kitchen, wearing a white frilly robe, her black hair cascading down her back. She held a pistol in her hand. Violet was too terrified to move.   
    “Search the grounds,” Celeste ordered. “And the house.”
    Violet shut the door and hurried down into the chambers. She gathered all of the planks and rope and moved them to the far corner of the room, along with the bucket of water, her bag, and the rags. Amadi stood on one leg, leaning against the wall. His face was taut, and his cheek twitched. He was obviously in pain.
    “What’s going on up there?”
    “They’re searching the house.”
    “Will they come down here?”
    Her heart skipped a beat at his question. “I hope not.”
    She grabbed Dubois’ ankles and proceeded to drag him across the floor toward the jail cell. Agony plummeted through her. Sweat poured down her back, and her muscles screamed. ’Twas