Wretched Recruit: Pirate Academy, #1

By Holly Hook

Nar has spent her seventeen years as an orphan slave with an unwanted power: she has the touch of death. And if discovered, the nobles will execute her.

When an escape attempt goes awry, Captain Kallen Shoskan, the son of the pirate king, kidnaps her. Now she's at Islanda Nylar, to train for a life of sailing and plundering.

That wasn't the plan, and Nar never planned to be a pirate, least of all one who can kill with one touch. And what's worse? The handsome, but loathsome Kallen is her trainer, a rival is plotting against her, and a savage captain is determined to choose her for his crew. 

Once again, Nar must plot her escape. But Kallen isn't making it easy...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Holly Hook
• Release date: Jun 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201864811

Holly Hook

Holly Hook is the author of the five-book Destroyers Series, which is the prequel to the Deathwind Trilogy. She began writing at a very young age and published her first book for Kindle, Tempest, in September of 2011. Since then, Tempest (#1 Destroyers Series) has seen thousands of downloads and four sequels. The Deathwind Trilogy is a spin-off of the Destroyers Series, with three books planned.The author is currently working on the Timeless Trilogy, another YA fantasy series with a hint of science fiction, and has written a few short stories. She grew up with a fascination with natural disasters and weather, especially storms. She enjoys writing stories with a strong female lead and exploring concepts that have never been done before. Reading teen fiction and young adult books is another one of her biggest interests. She lives in Michigan with her two cats and an assortment of other pets.If you would like to subscribe to her mailing list for a free book, be sure to check out her blog at www.hollyannehook.wordpress.com and hit the big "subscribe" button or just go to the sign up page here: http://wordpress.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8696a40cb388cfc9f1421d292&id=2e2b7ac94dOther Titles By Holly Hook Include:Tempest (#1 Destroyers Series)Inferno (#2 Destroyers Series)Outbreak (#3 Destroyers Series)Frostbite (#4 Destroyers Series)Ancient (#5 Destroyers Series)The Destroyers Omnibus (All Five Books in One Bundle)Torn (#2 Deathwind Trilogy) Available Now2:20 (#1 Timeless Trilogy) Coming Soon in April of 201511:39 (#2 Timeless Trilogy) Coming Soon in April of 2015After These Messages (A Young Adult Comedy)Walls (A Teen Paranormal Short Story)Going Home (A Science Fiction Short Story)The Youngest Prince (A Short Story in the anthology Out of the Green)

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Could this day get any worse?

Getting manhandled and sold to yet another pompous noble was just the start of this lovely adventure. So was being loaded onto the Pommo to sail ten days to another island and spice plantation.

Now the slave ship was officially under attack by pirates.

I stiffened as gunshots and shouts rang from above decks, where the slave merchants and their crew were no doubt having a bad day.

But now I was dealing with the repercussions of poisoning Lord Beckass’s entire spice crop with bad fertilizer. Great. I’d been hoping to force the noble into freeing us all, since his finances had already taken a hit after a rash of poor seasons, but he sold us instead despite being unable to buy safe passage. Wonderful. Maybe he suspected we’d sabotaged his crops with poisoned fertilizer and wanted revenge, because from what I’d heard, he had made little from the sales even after stiffing the pirate king.

Another round of gunshots went off.

Men shouted.

The jerk had paid to put us in danger. I’d underestimated the fat moron. We’d made it just three days from Islanda Neblar, where I had spent my whole life.

Beezi, I said, facing my friend who sat beside me. Get ready.

Beezi, two years younger than me at fifteen, widened her dark gray eyes. I could hear her question. Nar, what are we going to do? I looked down at the manacles that held my legs together with a chain, and at my plain brown skirt.

The thing was, I didn’t know what to do. My heart pounded. I took a breath and surveyed the slave deck. The long room just held buckets, straw, and nothing else. The other poor souls on the ship, a row of older men and women I’d never spoken with much, ducked their heads low as the commotion continued above. Two women cried. No one spoke. No one gagged. At least we hadn’t been belowdecks long enough for too much stench to build. We wouldn’t die in complete filth, at least.

No, Nar.

I had to think.

Beezi was like a sister to me, and I had to take care of her. And that meant staying alive.

Another gunshot went off, and a crewman screamed at the top of the stairwell. The lanterns swung. No one had made it down yet.

But movement caught my eye. The pirate ship outside the porthole moved forward, revealing the dark, terrifying barrel of a cannon. The pirates had them out and would fire. And if we stayed here—

Okay. Now I had a plan.

I seized Beezi’s arm. She flicked her dirty, golden hair out of her face and stood.

We need to go, I whispered as mutters of fear rose around me.

She nodded, flicking her gaze to the cannon. At least no one had chained us to the wall. Lord Beckass hadn’t been able to pay for the iron. Not that we could get past the guards.

Until now.

Are we going to make it? Her voice sounded small.

We’ve got to try. This could be our chance.

No one guarded us now.

All hands were on deck—literally.

Beezi nodded as life filled her hazel eyes. Hope swelled into my chest. I’d never had the real chance to escape until now. The crew and merchants had bigger problems than a slave rebellion.

But the doors are closed, she said.

Slugs.

She was right.

My heart pounded as I eyed the pair of trapdoors at the top of the steps. We’d have to wait for them to open. And then I had to do this without showing my abilities.

Because if that came to light, any surviving nobles or crewmen would kill us.

And the pirates—

I wouldn’t think about that.

A deafening bang sounded through the ship, and it lurched as boards and splinters rained down the stairwell. People screamed. Another cannon had fired through the ship. The lanterns swayed overhead, and a barrel rolled across the floor to where two women stood up, leg irons clanking. Men shouted. Everyone stood, fully alert.

Sunlight poured down the stairwell. The cannonball had ripped through the top of the ship, and now the fighting above came to life. Or death. One man screamed as a pistol went off. The stench of powder wafted down the steps.

Not anymore, I said.

The other slaves shouted at each other, ignoring us.

What do we do?

They’ll kill us.

We should wait here.

A million arguments swirled around us. People were wasting time.

Another cannon could rip us both apart in less than a second.

If we ran, Beezi and I might make it to the ship’s boat. I knew how to lower one. I had helped pack shipments of spices many times before for Lord Beckass.

We could slip away.

I seized Beezi’s wrist. Come—

More gunshots went off, and then shouts rang out that sent chills down my spine. And then a blue-uniformed crew member—a burly, potbellied guard who watched the slave quarters with a disgusting, power-hungry gleam in his eye—backpedaled down the steps, stepping over the busted trapdoor. He fired one shot from his pistol with a blast of smoke before reaching the bottom.

Take that! he shouted, drunk on power. He had taken off his blue jacket and fought in his sweat-stained undershirt. I had nicknamed him the Exalted One as soon as we set sail.

Then the Exalted One looked back at us, wrinkling his dark mustache.

Move, and we will dangle you off the edge for the rest of the journey!

People silenced. Chains stopped clanking, and then the crewman stuffed another paper tube of powder into his flintlock pistol and raised his gun to fire. Shadows danced at the top of the steps, fighting.

Beezi seized my arm as I let go of hers.

I looked at her.

And I understood.

My deathly magic.

I had no witnesses who would sell me out if this saved us all. The pirates would take the blame.

You idiot, I shouted at the Exalted One as he waited to fire.

Sweat beaded on the Exalted One’s temples as he ignored me.

You! I snapped.

Another cannon fired, and planks ripped to shreds somewhere above. More men screamed and silenced, and I knew the crew of the Pommo had taken a critical blow.

Now.

More of the slaves screamed and broke into sobs.

Our best chances were above decks, before this ship sank.

I lunged at the guard.

Only one thing made my deathly magic awaken.

I needed to be in danger.

Beezi released me as I grabbed his arm.

Give me that, I said, reaching for his weapon.

Exalted One looked at me, eyes wide and unbelieving, as the other captives gasped.

I would die for this.

Only, I wouldn’t.

Worthless wench, he snapped, raising a meaty hand to backhand me. No, he would not waste his shot on a skinny girl.

He should have.

Maintaining my grasp, I let the icy tingles thrum under my skin.

Danger.

Death.

I would give it to him.

With an outward breath, I sent death zapping through Exalted One’s body, and his pupils dilated as he stared down at me, suddenly dead.

He opened his hand to drop his pistol.

I caught the heavy weapon before it could fall and go off.

Then I let go.

Exalted One slumped to the floor, and the other slaves gasped.

Beezi, however, made no sound. I had saved her with this before.

Silence fell through the slave quarters, and as the shots, shouts, and metallic clangs continued above, everyone turned to stare at the girl who had unleashed a rare, and very feared magic, on the guard.

Magic was a gift from the gods, except in my case.

Deathly magic was the only type that got you killed for having it.

I had no time to swear them to silence. I eyed the men and women gathered near the back of the quarters, all still wearing their leg manacles. The fighting above continued. What are you standing there for? Run. Escape. This is the chance!

The pistol already had powder in it. Good. My magic would take time to regenerate, and until then—

Come on, Nar! Beezi shouted, reaching for my hand.

I had no time to take it. My words sent a stampede to the busted steps. The two of us bolted up as well, leaping over what remained of the fallen trapdoor and trying not to trip. My manacles allowed me to run, but not quickly.

Sound, light, and smoke filled the world as we reached the top deck. The white sail of the Pommo snapped in the wind, and the cannons had shot down the front mast, which leaned over the bow. Men fought everywhere. Slavers. Pirates. They stabbed at each other as gunshots popped and smoke rose. I glimpsed black and blue sails beside the Pommo. A flapping flag with the pattern of a wave. The symbol of the Sea Goddess.

The pirate ship.

The Pommo’s crew mostly lay dead, strewn across the deck, which now had a cannon gouge along the surface. Blood leaked everywhere, staining the boards crimson, and the crew in their blue jackets pulled together, trying to hold back the haggard, bearded pirates that closed in on them from all sides. Cutlasses swung as the crew tried in vain to hold back the invaders, of which there must be two dozen here alone.

I took a breath. The blood of the death goddess ran through my veins. I could handle this, but Beezi couldn’t. Her eyes widened at the sight.

I tightened my grasp on my pistol and forced my mind to work.

The ship’s boat.

It was on the forecastle, which was behind us.

This way, I shouted, shoving Beezi so she faced away from the carnage.

The other captives surged onto the deck and scattered. Others paused. They had to fend for themselves.

I handled just the two of us.

A gunshot went off behind us as we ran through a dissipating cloud of smoke and up the steps to the forecastle. Two ship’s boats hung at the ready, and I realized three things.

I’d need help to lower one into the water.

Then, we’d have to jump into the ocean and board.

And worst of all, ten more pirates, decked out in patched hats and bandannas, had tied five more crew members to the mainmast.

I uttered a curse and stopped. Even if my magic still worked right now, I could only take out one person at a time.

Nar, Beezi whispered. We can’t go that way. She looked at me as we stood on the last step, and then at my pistol.

I had to do something.

Back, I told her as the ten pirates, who looked about to slit the throats of their prisoners, laid eyes on us. One wrinkled his dirty beard, and another went to lift his eye patch, revealing an intact eyeball. Yes, really. All were men. There weren’t many female pirates, and that boded badly in our case.

Screams rose behind us, and I knew that going back was no longer an option.

So, we froze there on the first step.

Slugs. Now what?

You. A young pirate, clean-shaven, stepped forward and trained his ocean blue eyes on us. They were abnormally bright, like those of the nobles. Great. He likely had the blood of the gods, too.

My magic wouldn’t work on him, then.

But a pistol might.

I lifted it. We just need to get through!

The young pirate, better dressed than them all in a blue jacket, black trousers, and shiny boots, stopped and held up his hands as the crewmen jeered.

Whoa, the young man said with a strained smile. There’s no need for that.

You’re right. We just need one boat. Put us off, I said.

Then the pirates laughed, despite me aiming at their leader. Was he the captain? He was too young, about my age.

He took a bold step towards me and Beezi, puffing out his chest.

Do you want to get shot? I asked, shaking.

Then he grinned. You don’t know how to handle that.

Fury rose in my chest. He and his nine crewmates stood between me and a life of freedom, a life I might not get another chance to seize.

I narrowed my eyes. I’ll pull the trigger if you do not move. I would not let Beezi go through any trauma again.

Pirates lifted their cutlasses, ready to strike. We had a stalemate. I could only shoot one person, and the rest would slice me to pieces before my magic returned.

The young man held up a hand. Stand down and await my order. I’ll handle this. He had a smooth voice that belonged on a stage, not on a ship of dirty rats. The young pirate stopped, unfazed that I had a pistol pointed at his heart. If you kill me, my crew will do the same to you and your other escapees.

I gulped. He knew I couldn’t do it.

Who are you? I asked, trying to think on the side. The captain of that ship? Perhaps my words could save us.

Behind me, the fighting slowed. And I knew that the crew of the Pommo had surrendered, or worse. But I had no sympathy for slavers. Chains clanked as the other captives remained on the main deck, cornered.

The young man nodded. "Very observant. I am, in fact, the captain of this ship. Now, if you would kindly and gently place that pistol down, you and this girl will live to see another day."

You’re polite for a pirate.

He grinned. It was the kind that made me want to slap someone, preferably the grinner. Ah. A compliment. I receive plenty from the female species, so you will have to try a bit harder to earn my thanks.

He was stalling. And so was I.

We needed that boat.

How about I lower my weapon, and you allow us to access the ship’s boats? I’ll accept that offer. Put us off, and we’ll go from there.

You have not lowered your weapon.

I lowered the gun an inch. Better?

He held out his hand and motioned to the ground. You must be an imbecile.

Nar, do it, Beezi whispered.

I need your word that you will release us, I said. Anger shoved away my fear.

When you lower your weapon, I will tell my crew to stand aside, he said. Now. First, lower your arm so that you are not pointing that at my chest. Second, bend your knees to lower yourself. And third, loosen your grasp around the pistol. I cannot make these instructions simpler.

Is that a promise? Swear.

He hesitated for a few seconds, which I didn’t like.

The other pirates, all of which were older than their dear leader, waited.

And below us, pirates barked orders to round up prisoners.

I swear. He rocked on the heels of his boots. Do that, and I will order my men to stand aside.

Do it, Beezi repeated, peering down the steps to where the pirates corralled the slaves. We. Need. To. Go.

She was observant. I trusted her.

Attitude or not, I had to take the captain’s offer.

I set my pistol on the deck.

He nodded. Excellent. I am a man of my word. You may—

Captain, another pirate, a man older than him but just as clean, said as he raced up the other set of forecastle stairs.

The captain snapped his ocean gaze to the pirate, who stopped and motioned to the slaves below.

Yes, Bork?

One slave just offered valuable info, he puffed. One of the other slaves might be valuable. It’s a girl with black hair that has a greenish sheen to it. She killed a guard below decks. And he told me she has deathly magic.

I whirled on the pirate, cursing my unusual hair color.

No one else on the ship fit the description.

Beezi clamped her hand on my shoulder, as if I would get pulled away from her. My throat went dry.

The captain looked straight at me, and I knew that my day had gotten worse after all.

We would not escape.

We will see if that slave is right, or merely grasping. Take these two below decks for now and stand aside. No fun with either. No harming either, he shouted. We have jobs to do.

And the pirates behind him smiled as they surged forward.

We had nowhere to run. They took our arms with rough grasps and callused hands, and the stench of bad breath, beer, and body odor overtook my senses.

Beezi screamed and tried to kick, but the manacles stopped her from doing much.

I kicked as well. I eyed the weapon lying on the deck, and then I glared daggers into the captain who stood by the tied prisoners, nodding with satisfaction.

You are not a man of your word, I shouted as the men dragged me down the steps.

Liar, he said with an infuriating calm. I told my men to stand aside, as I promised.

CHAPTER TWO

Maybe I had one thing going for me, and that was the fact that a dark-haired, skinny girl in a brown dress drew little attention. No one expected someone like me to do anything drastic, and as the two pirates who had my arms dragged me across a plank, side-stepping across the gulf that opened between the Pommo and the ship that belonged to the Smug One.

And at least the captain had ordered his men not to touch or hurt us.

I tried not to get dizzy at the gulf that opened between the ships as the pirates made me side-step across the board that connected the two ships. Water sloshed down below, and they maintained their grasp on me as if I’d jump. Did they really think I was going to do that in iron manacles?

You know, I said, thoughts going back to my unassuming appearance. I can walk on my own. I don’t need your help. I dug my bare feet into the plank, slowing our pace. If I acted like a mouse, they’d suspect me of being a lion in disguise.

Keep going, whore, a gray-haired pirate growled. I already hated him with a passion.

Having just enough attitude had kept the suspicion off me throughout my life, ever since my deathly magic showed itself when I was—

I wouldn’t think about that.

Beezi crossed behind me, and so were the other captives, and I had to make this work for her sake. And keep us together.

I had to make that other slave who had revealed my forbidden magic look like he was desperate to save his own skin. Slaves did that well. Only Beezi and I were an island drifting in that selfish world. We watched out for each other.

Stick with the plot. The pirates might believe that I was just a nobody they could sell at the next port. That would be better than—

I stepped onto the deck of the pirate ship, and the flag with the goddess Sosa’s wave symbol flapped overhead as if laughing. The sun made my hair hot and sweat gathered under my clothes. Behind me, the Smug One gave orders,