She pushed past him and the line of armed sailors to address them with her hands fastened to her hips, the dangling net swaying at her back. My second in command had even less patience for fools than I did.

“Answer her,” I commanded. “You’re putting us all at risk with this madness.”

Rylander rounded on me, his face red and pinched in a sudden show of fury. Questioning the commander of a ship had consequences, a trip to the brig, no doubt. Not that Lianna or I cared. I stared him down, unafraid, until Lianna’s soft gasp chilled my blood. I sucked in a breath, afraid to move a muscle. The sound. Too guttural… a wet gurgle. The world slowed as I rotated. My eyes widened as my breath hitched. The siren’s claw slid from Lianna’s slit throat, the creamy arm retracting into the wire and net from whence it came.

“No,” I cried out, as blood and milky poison bubbled at the gash. “No!” my broken voice wailed over the siren’s victorious laughter.

Masculine arms stopped my lurching run to my friend. Lianna clutched her throat, but dark red ichor pooled between her fingers, spilling onto her chest.

“Help her. Do something!” I fought to get out of the crewman’s hold.

Another set of arms secured me tighter. Somewhere behind me, Dara cried, each sob punctuated by Krinny’s soothing words. Lianna’s knees thumped against the deck.

“Dagger,” Rylander demanded, extending a hand to one of his cohorts. I thought I heard the beginnings of panic in his voice.

Smitter handed him a bronze blade. He hacked unceremoniously at the silver-tailed siren’s arm, and the appendage fell to the deck with a hollow thump. She screamed and writhed, her heartbeat spewing blood over the deck, while her lover wailed and stroked her hair.

Two men rushed to Lianna’s side.

“Let me go,” I demanded, fighting to join them.

“Release Captain Lou,” Rylander commanded. Wearing an unreadable expression, he turned to me and murmured, “Go hold your friend as she takes her last breath.”

I fell at Lianna’s side, my knees slipping in the crimson puddles of her blood. I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from the suspended net. With shaky hands, I placed her head in my lap. A knot formed in my throat, growing in size with each jerk of her body in my arms. Tears spilled from her pleading eyes as her hands slumped to her sides, fingers falling away from the horrendous gash. Her chest rose feebly as I brushed wheat-colored strands from her cheek with my hand. Her mouth opened slowly, gasping for air, only to choke on her own fluids.

I bent to whisper in Lianna’s ear. “Go now, child of the sea. Your service is done. Thank you for your years of loyalty.” I pulled back and cupped her face. “I will avenge your death.”