The Return of the Whalefleet (Darkstar Book 2) by Benedict Patrick

Author:Benedict Patrick [Patrick, Benedict]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-03-22T00:00:00+00:00

Jedda had not been sensible.

Min burst into her room and found Jedda and Loom sitting at the Eshak board, lost in their game.

“Jedda!” Min marched over, feeling the heat rising in her face. “You didn’t think you might be in danger?”

Jedda looked at Min, blinked twice, frowned, then looked back at the board. “Well, Loom’s putting a bit of pressure on the harbourmaster’s flank, but nothing I can’t—”

Min swept her arm across the Eshak board, knocking all the pieces to the ground. Jedda and Loom jumped to their feet, fists clenched. Jedda shot Min a stare that promised murder.

“We’re under attack, Jedda,” Min said, as steadily as she could manage, instead of screaming like she wanted to. “You’ve been too engrossed in your game to notice. It’s Brightest; he wants to give Loom to his attackers.”

Jedda broke from her rigid stance, stepped around the table, and put her hand on Loom’s arm. “Why would he do that? No, Min. No – it can’t happen.”

Min nodded, doing her best not to roll her eyes. “Agreed. That’s why we neutralise him now, then play games later.”

They heard a loud crash from the corridor. Loom tilted his head at Min.

“It’s Brightest. He’s brought some company with him.” Min drew her sabre, just as the Flagonknight blasted the door to kindling.

“Behind me, now!” Min shouted. In the officers’ salons she had shared over the years, Min had heard many a tale of ship’s artificers who were masters of combat, mowing down their enemies with intricately crafted weapons of destruction. Jedda was not that type of artificer. She tumbled under the nearest table, pulling Loom down with her. Apparently, the Whalefleet survivor was no warrior either.

The huge glass giant pulled away the hardened dirt frame around the door, widening it in order to fit through.

The last time Min had faced one of these creatures, she had lasted mere seconds, and that was with both eyes and two good legs, but she was Loom’s only protection now. She knew she had no chance.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Minjun”, Brightest said, stepping into the corridor behind the Flagonknight, his weathered features distorted by its transparent frame. He had been old when they landed on Stickle, but over the past few hours he seemed to have aged another decade.

I’m not a big fan of the idea either, she thought, but kept it to herself. Brightest had betrayed her, and she wasn’t about to palaver with him now. “I thought we were friends, Brightest.”

The statement caught the old man off guard, and he hesitated, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“If that’s still true, you should trust me, Minjun. You want to do the right thing, but you also want to stay alive. I’m trying to tell you, this time you can’t do both. And I want you to stay alive, Minjun, I really do. So hand the Whalefleet survivor over. Let me be the one to get my hands dirty.”

Min faltered only for a moment. She was used

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