Beneath a Burning Sky (The Dawnhawk Trilogy Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

because of it.” Lina actually heard his teeth grinding.
    “So I did,” said Euron. The pirate king sounded tired. “So I did. Reddon was the last of them. Glorious bastard he was. Arr! Remember when we came to it, down on th’ Waterdocks? Said he didn’t know what I be talkin’ about, said he be perfectly loyal. But I saw the gleam in his eye, oh aye. I’d just caught him off guard, was all. What a fight we had!” He shook his head. “Glorious, glorious. Those days be gone, though. An’ with ’em, all the real pirates.” He glared at Fengel. “The only thing that be left is fools like ye.”
    Fengel returned the glare so hard that his monocle popped free to dangle on its chain.
    Euron sighed, turning to face Natasha. “But arr, me daughter! Ye give me hope. How goes the pillagin’? Brought back a fat hold full o’ bloody loot? I know ye haven’t had a decent man to run things since Mordecai died, but even this overdressed popinjay should know how to keep order aboard a ship. And look, ye’ve even found a parrot, like I used to have!” The old pirate eyed it critically. “It do be a bit funny lookin’, though.”
    Natasha flushed crimson. “I’ve been doing fine,” she said, voice flat. On her shoulder, Butterbeak hunched down and puffed out his feathers, seemingly embarrassed.
    Her father laughed aloud, slapping his thigh. “Of course ye have, of course.”
    “She has,” said Fengel, voice flat and cutting, stepping forward to squarely meet the pirate king. “Natasha’s brought the Dawnhawk back to port with a full hold. She’s been in command just as much as I. She’s the one who took our prizes. There have been a few...disruptions of late, but she doesn’t need anyone to run a tight ship. Both our names are feared by those crossing the Atalian Sea—far more than Euron Blackheart .”
    Euron dropped his mug in surprise. “Ye pup! How dare ye? Why, back in my day—”
    “Yes,” said Fengel, “back in your day. But your day is over , you old fart. This is our era”—he gestured at the pirates around the room—“and while we offer you the respect due, it’s we who make Haventown great.”
    Captain Fengel turned on his heel and strode away for the door. Natasha, looking torn, glanced back once at the old pirate on his throne. Then she followed Fengel.
    Lina took one look at Euron’s face and slunk away after them.

Chapter Two
     
    Admiral Wintermourn considered disowning his son.
    It wasn’t really a question of if he would. More a question of how. Official notice of the cessation of hostilities had been delivered this morning by courier ship, ending the long struggle between the Kingdom of Perinault and the Sheikdom of Salomca. The final conflict had occurred in Arquam Bay, ending any chance of enemy naval dominance and birthing a glorious new era for the Kingdom. A grand victory, to be certain, yet his worthless offspring had somehow managed to lose both his command and his life in the process. While he had taken two enemy vessels with him, that was no less than expected of a Wintermourn scion.
    The admiral stood upon the quarterdeck of the Colossus, arms folded behind him as he inspected his vessel for any imperfection. The dreadnought flagship of His Majesty’s Royal Navy, the Colossus had been built for the war and was still almost fresh from the yards at Darrenway. She carried a modern steam engine, paddlewheels, and a full complement of the most advanced guns available. The crew worked under the fading glow of twilight, checking rigging, lighting lanterns, and tying up the sails. His officers moved about calling orders, immaculate in their dress blues and whites. Along the deck rails stood the ship’s company of Bluecoat marines, ranked at attention in their cerulean jackets and round black caps, waiting for any sign of trouble.
    Beyond the Colossus stretched the Atalian Sea, calm, her horizon broken only by the cliffs of the Copper Isles directly to the east, which shone