footsteps racing down the corridor. “She brought this down on us!” a man shouted from outside the door.
“Yes!” another man shouted. “She controlled those rats. She had them kill Frank. She will kill us all if we let her.”
“I did not kill your friend,” Nora called through the door. “Please believe me!”
“Why should we believe her?” one of the men growled.
Nora pulled Nicholas’s trunk as far away from the door as she could. “I will keep you safe,” she promised him. “Do not worry. Mama will keep you safe.”
“Throw her overboard!” someone yelled.
Nora returned to the door and stood waiting for the men.
The key turned in the lock. The door flew open.
A man charged in and grabbed her by the waist. Nora fought wildly, scratching and kicking.
The man swore and hoisted her over one of his shoulders.
“Let me go!” Nora screamed. She twisted back and forth. Trying to break free. “I have to stay with my baby!”
The big man tightened his grip and hauled her out of the room and up some narrow stairs.
He shoved open the door leading to the deck. The wind caught it and tore it from its hinges. Nora screamed.
The rain pelted Nora as the man carried her outside. The wind stung her face. Waves rushed over the railing each time the ship lurched.
Nora could not stop shaking. How could she convince these men she was innocent?
The man stalked toward the railing. “Throw her over! Throw her over!” the other men chanted.
The man slid Nora off his shoulder. Her unsteady feet hit the deck. “Stop the storm!” the man yelled.
Nora staggered in the wind. He grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her tender skin.
“Stop the storm!” he yelled again.
Nora shook her head. “I cannot. You have to let me go back to my baby. Please!”
The sailors howled in fury. They rushed forward and hoisted her into the air.
She struggled as they carried her to the rail. “Stop! I have no magic!” Nora screamed. “I have no power over the storm!”
“Throw her overboard!” someone yelled into the wind.
The men lifted her higher.
They swung her over the railing.
The ocean churned beneath her.
Chapter 8
T he ship lurched.
The men stumbled backward—away from the railing.
They released Nora. She felt herself falling.
Nora landed on the deck. Pain burst through her chest as the air was knocked out of her.
A powerful wave crashed over the railing. Nora heard men scream as the wave pulled them over. Gasping for breath, she struggled to her knees.
I must get to Nicholas. This ship cannot survive this storm. It will sink. It will sink to the bottom of the ocean. I cannot let it take Nicholas with it.
Nora felt the Fear amulet grow warm against her chest. She wrapped her fingers around it.
The bow of the ship lurched into the air. Straight up. Nora grabbed onto some rigging and wrapped it around her hands.
Men slid past her, clawing at the deck. They screamed in terror as they fell into the sea.
The bow plunged back into the water. Nora shook free of the rigging. She crawled to the stairs and tumbled halfway down.
Nora heard the wind scream. Water poured down the stairs. She hauled herself to her feet and braced a hand against the wall to keep her balance.
The amulet began to glow. Its strange blue light helped Nora find her way. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, icy water swirled above her ankles. “Nicholas!” she cried. “I’m coming!”
She struggled down the hallway and threw open the last door. The trunk had not been moved. And she could see Nicholas’s fists waving in the air.
“I am here!” she cried, lunging for the trunk.
A strong hand landed on her shoulder and stopped her.
Nora spun around. No one could keep her from Nicholas. No one.
“You must die!” the sailor yelled.
“No!” Nora shrieked.
She had to save Nicholas. She had to save her baby.
Chapter 9
S he grabbed the man’s shirt.
She felt power rush through her body. She felt strong
“Yes!” another man shouted. “She controlled those rats. She had them kill Frank. She will kill us all if we let her.”
“I did not kill your friend,” Nora called through the door. “Please believe me!”
“Why should we believe her?” one of the men growled.
Nora pulled Nicholas’s trunk as far away from the door as she could. “I will keep you safe,” she promised him. “Do not worry. Mama will keep you safe.”
“Throw her overboard!” someone yelled.
Nora returned to the door and stood waiting for the men.
The key turned in the lock. The door flew open.
A man charged in and grabbed her by the waist. Nora fought wildly, scratching and kicking.
The man swore and hoisted her over one of his shoulders.
“Let me go!” Nora screamed. She twisted back and forth. Trying to break free. “I have to stay with my baby!”
The big man tightened his grip and hauled her out of the room and up some narrow stairs.
He shoved open the door leading to the deck. The wind caught it and tore it from its hinges. Nora screamed.
The rain pelted Nora as the man carried her outside. The wind stung her face. Waves rushed over the railing each time the ship lurched.
Nora could not stop shaking. How could she convince these men she was innocent?
The man stalked toward the railing. “Throw her over! Throw her over!” the other men chanted.
The man slid Nora off his shoulder. Her unsteady feet hit the deck. “Stop the storm!” the man yelled.
Nora staggered in the wind. He grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her tender skin.
“Stop the storm!” he yelled again.
Nora shook her head. “I cannot. You have to let me go back to my baby. Please!”
The sailors howled in fury. They rushed forward and hoisted her into the air.
She struggled as they carried her to the rail. “Stop! I have no magic!” Nora screamed. “I have no power over the storm!”
“Throw her overboard!” someone yelled into the wind.
The men lifted her higher.
They swung her over the railing.
The ocean churned beneath her.
Chapter 8
T he ship lurched.
The men stumbled backward—away from the railing.
They released Nora. She felt herself falling.
Nora landed on the deck. Pain burst through her chest as the air was knocked out of her.
A powerful wave crashed over the railing. Nora heard men scream as the wave pulled them over. Gasping for breath, she struggled to her knees.
I must get to Nicholas. This ship cannot survive this storm. It will sink. It will sink to the bottom of the ocean. I cannot let it take Nicholas with it.
Nora felt the Fear amulet grow warm against her chest. She wrapped her fingers around it.
The bow of the ship lurched into the air. Straight up. Nora grabbed onto some rigging and wrapped it around her hands.
Men slid past her, clawing at the deck. They screamed in terror as they fell into the sea.
The bow plunged back into the water. Nora shook free of the rigging. She crawled to the stairs and tumbled halfway down.
Nora heard the wind scream. Water poured down the stairs. She hauled herself to her feet and braced a hand against the wall to keep her balance.
The amulet began to glow. Its strange blue light helped Nora find her way. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, icy water swirled above her ankles. “Nicholas!” she cried. “I’m coming!”
She struggled down the hallway and threw open the last door. The trunk had not been moved. And she could see Nicholas’s fists waving in the air.
“I am here!” she cried, lunging for the trunk.
A strong hand landed on her shoulder and stopped her.
Nora spun around. No one could keep her from Nicholas. No one.
“You must die!” the sailor yelled.
“No!” Nora shrieked.
She had to save Nicholas. She had to save her baby.
Chapter 9
S he grabbed the man’s shirt.
She felt power rush through her body. She felt strong
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