Alina had heard all sorts of stories about Skullduggery Island when she was a child. It was an island shrouded in mist. All respectable sailors' compasses went astray, and only pirates could access the island paradise within. It was said to be protected by the spirits of the only countryman a pirate could have—each other. Even if they often did die by each other's hands.
When Alina grew up, she'd dismissed it as legend, just as much as Morozova's gold and Rusalye.
But a lot of legends were turning out to be more fact than romantic fiction lately.
Alina approached the bow of the ship as they rolled towards the seemingly endless mists. Her eyes were wide with childlike wonder, wisps of her moonbeam-hair whipped free of the braid down her back.
She thought she might sneeze when they passed through. For several moments, they were sailing through black mist, rendered even more opaque by the night. But then it cleared, and sitting in the middle of it was a bright and cheery island on a perfect tropical night. All except for the moon, which was covered by mist.
"Welcome to Skullduggery Island, Starkov." Nikolai announced his presence by clapping her on the shoulder.
"It's just like I dreamed it would be, like in all the stories," she murmured.
She could hear the rowdy bar songs from the portico outside every tavern, lit by torches with flames that seemed to dance in tune. Everywhere you looked, there was a pirate singing, drinking, dancing, or all of the above.
It was the exact sort of thing the Governor Keramsov looked down upon.
It was the exact sort of place that Alina had always wanted to visit.
"We'll be visiting the Crow Club," Nikolai said. "The bar is owned by a member of the Court of Piracy. Six of the Lords have a home here—they run the island, for the most part."
"Of course they do." Alina was noticing how all the legends were intersecting, winding together in the way that only stories could.
"This place was the origin of the Court."
They turned to see Luda approach. Her blue dress swirled around her, despite it being a windless night. Her feet were bare on the deck, and the tips of her hair carried like they were underwater. Her eyes glowed with a brighter blue than before.
Indeed, they could tell that the deity was regaining her strength, the curse that bound her was waning.
"Ah, my lady." Nikolai bowed his head. "You are the patron of our most underhanded court, are you not?"
"More or less." Luda looked upon Skullduggery Island with fondness. "This is where I gave the original Court the blades of the Pirate Lords."
Alina noticed how Nikolai's hand strayed toward the more elegant sword strapped to his hip, the one that had glowed in Rusalye's ice palace.
Hadn't Zoya's blade glowed too?
Nikolai looked to Zoya. "We'll all disembark. Although, I believe my first mate and Mother Ocean's chosen should help with business."
"They should all be gathered in there," Zoya said. Her dark blue eyes were intent on the doorway to the Crow Club. "Our messengers assured me that they will all be waiting. The other ten pirate lords."
Alina looked to Nikolai and Luda. "So how does the Court of Piracy work anyway?"
"The Pirate Lords are those who wield the swords I gifted to my chosen," Luda said. "They elect one among them to be their king."
"An election—democracy?" Alina had only heard the term in textbooks, or in arguments among the college students in the forums and libraries. "I did not realize pirates were so civilized—and innovative!"
"Do we really look like the types to shoulder some bastard with a crown, love?" Nikolai winked—Alina recognized that the irony was only available to a few most trusted crew on the decks at the moment.
"Only the ones they choose to suffer." Alina looked back out to Skullduggery Island.
She was just as surprised as Nikolai was that she'd offered her hand to him, had beckoned him to take it.
To his credit, he knew how to take what he was given.
Nikolai spread his arms wide as the rest of the crew flanked out beside him, Zoya, Alina, and Luda, showering the Crow Club in golden medallions and shining jewels.
"A round on the Volkvolny for the house!" Nikolai grinned. "Your king has returned!"
Other pirates clamored for the gold, but from behind the bar strode a man with a cane and his hair slicked back, his face all angles, and a woman wrapped in gray muslin and daggers, like the face of Death herself.
"King Sturmhond, you bastard," the man snarled, pushing the gold away with his cane. "A little bird said you would be dropping by. You're as annoying as ever."
"And you're still a greasy little crow, Brekker." Nikolai did not seem cowed at all by the intimidating aura the man gave off. He glanced to the woman in gray. "Inej, lovely and dangerous as ever. I'm surprised you didn't greet me with a blade to the throat."
"I convinced Kaz that it wouldn't be necessary." Inej stepped forward, glancing back at the man, Kaz Brekker. "The others are waiting in a parlor upstairs. It would be best not to leave them waiting."
"I suppose not." Kaz's gaze was unblinking—and neither was Nikolai's.
Both men were so different. And yet they radiated the same type of energy. Both powerful men, men who had worked to get that power. They were too alike, too much a mirror of each other.
Nikolai blinked first, and looked away to Alina and the rest of the entourage. "Inej is right. Let's go."
They were led up the stairs to the second floor of the Crow Club, through a door labeled for staff only, carved on the door.
On the second floor, in a room with the most beautiful and artistic maps Alina had ever seen. In the center was a table with fourteen seats. Already, there were eight people sitting around the table. They were clearly from all over their world, all radiating that feeling of power, of being touched by the wild magic of the High Seas.
Luda took the head of the table—which left the remaining seats fo Inej, Kaz, Zoya, Nikolai—and Alina.
She hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Nikolai looked back to her.
"Where's the thirteenth Pirate Lord?" Alina glanced behind her, as if that mysterious person might just emerge from the shadows. But there was no one.
Nikolai smiled, pulling a second sword from his other hip. "I'm looking at her."
Alina considered denying it, refusing it. She didn't deserve it, and yet—
Her eyes fell upon Zoya's, of all people.
To her surprise, Nikolai's right-hand woman nodded, respect in her dark blue eyes.
Alina nodded and accepted the blade, and the final seat in the Court of Piracy.
The meeting had begun.
"So you've come face to face with my brother."
Alina looked to see a young woman with hair like shadows.
"Perhaps—how did you know? Who's your brother?"
"They say maidens who met him and lived to tell the tale escape with hair like moonlight." The Pirate Lord's smile was shark-like.
"The Darkling?" Alina raised her eyebrows, incredulous. "Half-sister—how does that even—"
"Perhaps we can discuss this another time," Luda suggested. "I call upon my Court for one task, one adventure. I must ask you all to sail to World's End, to reunite the Swords of the Court and restore my power so I may free your countrymen from the clutches of my love."
Kaz only raised his eyebrows. "You expect us to be impressed by some goddess showing up after all this time?"
Inej's look was incredulous at her partner's audacity.
"Not just some goddess, the founder of our Court—Mother Ocean." A muscular blond Pirate Lord was looking at Luda with reverence. "Show some respect."
"There is no need, Matthias, to speak on my behalf." Luda's smile and voice were the loving, gentle mother once more. But the light in her eyes reminded Alina of only the most vicious hurricanes, and of what happened in the ice palace.
"I will not force any of you to come to World's End on my behalf," Luda said. "But all of the swords carry the power that bound me and the power that will save me. And if you do not save me, Kaz Brekker, your pirates will continue to be plucked up in a fate worse than death, by my vengeful love. Do you wish for your crows to suffer for your actions?"
"Is that a threat?" Brekker's eyes gleamed with something sinister, something Alina did not like.
"You know it isn't, Kaz Brekker." Luda met his gaze.
"Kaz." Inej's voice was gentle but firm.
Alina couldn't help but have chills run down her spine, the way the two Pirate Lords looked at each other.
There was so much there.
Whatever Inej was communicating to him, without words, he nodded and looked back to Luda.
"We sail at dawn."