An Airship Named Desire (Take to the Skies Book 1) by Katherine McIntyre Page B

scrambled over to the nearest mast, clinging onto it for support. Like a disorienting punch, the cannon hit our ship, and the Desire’s body whipped back and forth. My heart soared into my throat, and for several horrifying seconds, my feet floated in the air while I desperately clung to the mast. Several folks who hadn’t found a sound structure slid from the force to smack against the sides of the ship. The deafening cannon’s roar kept me from hearing the crunch of their bodies. Thanks to Spade and the captain, the ship steadied again.
    They needed the maps to catch Geoff’s stream. I raced towards the helm where our men stood steady—a feat in this turbulence. Jitters ran up and down my legs, but I pushed myself onward to the navigation bay.
    My first thought would have been to fire back on the merchant ship and gun them down, but Morris made a better Captain for a reason. In outmaneuvering them, we’d save our ammunition for when it counted and cut down on the number of casualties. Not for the first time, a fierce pride for my Captain towered in my chest.
    “Bea, how far are we?” Morris hollered from his perch. A crew member rushed by me with rope, ready to tie down our reserve masts.
    “I’ve got Geoff’s work right here,” I said. “He’s getting the rest of it ready.” I took cover under the slats over the helm.
    “A first mate who’s rubbish at navigating?” Morris grinned. “One of these days we’ll teach you, Bea.”
    “You promoted me for my ruthless stubbornness and dog-headed determination, not my tech savvy. Plus, I’m a damn good shot.” From the merchant ship, a spark exploded in the distance.
    “Duck!” Morris roared and we wedged ourselves into the corner of the control bay. Spade clutched the wheel tight, knuckles as chalky as my mother’s best china. Even braced for impact, the cannon’s hit still disoriented us as white exploded before my eyes, and my ears rang with a tinny whistle. My body began sliding, and I groped the wooden frame next to me. Splinters dug into my shaking fingertips while I choked on my own breaths, sitting for several shaky seconds before my world stopped spinning around me.
    “Schiesse, hull’s breached,” Morris spat. “Quick, pass me our trajectory. We need the fastest route out of here.”
    I fumbled for the leather purse at my side. Nothing. Panic seized my veins and coursed through my system. Across the deck, crewmembers raced around, pulling on ropes or tossing buckets of water overboard. Several crouched into whatever corners they found, and some had joined in the gunfire since the behemoth of a merchant ship maintained its parallel position. I inhaled deep, but the breath barely calmed my shattered nerves.
    “Bea, where is it?” Morris repeated. Scanning the perimeter wouldn’t help because we didn’t have that kind of time. The bag must have jostled free after that first cannon shot. With any luck, it’d still be there.
    “Be right back, Captain.” Ignoring the flare of another cannon startup, I dashed headlong and retraced my tracks. Rain and wind muffled the string of curses from Morris. The world slowed around me, along with the surge of rain, and the crew rushing back and forth. Even the cannon heading straight for us lagged to a crawl. The deck careened a sharp left from the force of the shot.
    When my feet gave way, I rebounded and jumped using the impact as leverage towards the mast. Droplets of rain burned in my eyes, so I groped for the wooden structure. The second my numbed fingers touched splinters, I loped my arm around the mast as the ship tilted, ready to carry me past the side.
    A maelstrom of darkened blue and charred clouds swirled over the edge. My limbs seized up at the sight as torrents of fear surged through my shaking body. Below, my leather purse slid with the movement. I pinned the bag down with my foot to keep it from slipping out of my reach again before exhaling a sigh of relief. 
    Our girl, Desire, righted,