Three of my crewwomen rushed to the cathead where the anchor hung from the projecting beam. They unfastened the bindings and allowed it to swing down, dangling by a short rope. With a turn of the crank, they dropped it to the sea bottom, and The Freedom jerked back.

While the rest of my crew braced wide legs, gripping each other, the rails, or whatever else they found in reach to steady themselves, I marched to Krinny’s side. Anger fueled my steps.

“Why are you following him? Are you out of your mind? We are dead in the water. Why would you anchor us?” Not that we could out sail the sirens anyway. They were faster than sharks or sailfish—the swiftest sea creatures alive. But Krinny had conspired with Rylander’s commands, and it was obvious she trusted his plan. But why?

“Have faith, Lou,” Krinny responded. Her eyes landed on the deck where my feet were planted but they never lifted to meet my eyes. What was she hiding? Krinny never avoided my stare.

Have faith? I’d rather not. “Captain Rylander, get down here now!”

Rylander swung down from the shroud to the main deck and strode to my side. “What? I’m preparing for battle.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “You have a plan that involves my crew, and you chose not to share it with me? Worse than that, you convinced my first mate to follow your pompous arse.”

He snarled at me. “You weren’t talking to me these last two days.”

Indeed, we hadn’t said a single word since our argument in his cabin after Yemma swam off. But then that meant neither he nor my crew communicated their plans with me. Why would they deliberately leave me out? What were they hiding?

“You still could have told me. Someone could have told me,” I spat, throwing my hands into the air.

“You could have asked.” He shrugged.

I ground my teeth, struggling to stay calm. “Fine. What’s your strategy?”

“I’m waiting for the sirens’ first move.” His eyes trained on the water, where the sirens circled the ship like sharks before a feeding frenzy. I estimated a shiver of at least five hundred strong.

“Your masterful plan is to wait and see what they do?” I smacked my own forehead. Either Rylander had lost his mind, or I had. “I can tell you now. They’ll rip each board off this ship, sink us, then peel the skin from our bodies and eat our hearts.” My shaky hands clutched my leather vest, straining the muscles in my forearms.

Rylander nodded.