The Atlantic had learned to fear one name.
Eva Thorne.
Some called her the Sea Witch. Others whispered the title Queen of the Hunter Shark. Spanish captains cursed her over rum-stained maps. Dutch merchants paid extra escorts whenever their ships crossed the trade routes she hunted.
In only two years, the girl who had once scrubbed pirate decks had become something far more dangerous.
A legend.
The Hunter Shark cut through the dark waters like a blade beneath the moon.
Its black sails were patched from dozens of battles, but they moved with lethal precision. Cannons lined the deck like sleeping monsters, their metal mouths still warm from the last raid.
Gold filled the cargo hold.
Silver coins.
Jewels.
Spices.
Weapons.
Eva had taken them all from Spanish and Dutch ships that had once ruled the Atlantic trade routes.
Now those routes belonged to her.
She stood at the bow, boots planted firmly against the wooden rail as cold wind whipped her long coat behind her. The ocean stretched endlessly around them, dark and violent under a rising storm.
Jack Hunter leaned against a cannon nearby, watching her with an amused expression.
“You’ve made a lot of enemies,” he said.
Eva didn’t turn.
“That’s the price of winning.”
Jack chuckled softly.
“You enjoy this too much.”
“Do I?”
“Your reputation grows every week.”
He nodded toward the horizon.
“Spanish fleets hunting you. Dutch merchants praying you sink.”
Jack’s grin sharpened.
“And half the pirate captains in the Atlantic wondering if they should follow you or kill you.”
Eva finally looked at him.
Her eyes were colder now than when she had first boarded his ship.
“Let them wonder.”
Behind them, Sebastian Black stepped onto the deck.
He carried several charts beneath his arm, his expression thoughtful.
“The Spanish fleet moved again,” he said.
Eva accepted the map he handed her.
Red ink marked several locations.
“They’re spreading,” she said.
“Yes,” Sebastian replied.
“They want to trap you.”
Jack snorted.
“Let them try.”
But Sebastian’s voice remained serious.
“They’re learning.”
Eva studied the map silently.
The Spanish commander had been hunting her for months.
Ships burned.
Cargo stolen.
Men humiliated by a pirate captain who had once been a dock rat.
The Spanish crown wanted revenge.
And tonight—
The trap finally closed.
A lookout suddenly shouted from the mast.
“Ships!”
Everyone looked up.
“How many?” Jack called.
The reply came quickly.
“Five!”
Jack frowned.
“Merchant convoy?”
The lookout hesitated.
“…Pirate flags.”
The deck fell silent.
Eva’s eyes narrowed.
“Which captains?”
The lookout squinted through the spyglass.
“Black Tide… Red Vulture… Iron Wolf…”
Jack’s smile disappeared.
Those were his old allies.
Old pirate captains who had once sailed under his command.
Eva slowly folded the map.
“They’re here for me.”
Jack didn’t deny it.
His former crew had never forgiven him for giving up control of the Hunter Shark.
To them, Eva was an outsider.
A woman.
A usurper.
Sebastian stepped closer.
“There’s more.”
Eva looked at him.
He pointed to the horizon behind them.
Lantern lights appeared through the mist.
Rows of them.
Too many to count.
Jack cursed under his breath.
“Spanish fleet.”
The realization hit the crew like thunder.
They were surrounded.
Pirate ships in front.
Spanish warships behind.
The Atlantic wind howled louder as waves slammed against the hull.
A perfect trap.
Eva’s expression remained calm.
“How many Spanish ships?”
Sebastian studied the lights.
“At least eight.”
Jack laughed bitterly.
“Well.”
He cracked his knuckles.
“That’s inconvenient.”
Across the deck, Olivia stepped forward.
Her elegant coat fluttered dramatically in the storm wind.
She had joined Eva months earlier—beautiful, intelligent, and fiercely loyal.
Or so Eva had believed.
Olivia’s lips curved slightly.
“What a tragedy,” she said softly.
Eva’s gaze shifted to her.
“Yes.”
The tone was… wrong.
Something cold stirred in Eva’s chest.
Then Sebastian spoke quietly.
“Our cannons are ready.”
Jack nodded.
“Good.”
Sebastian’s expression darkened.
“No.”
Jack frowned.
“What?”
“The powder stores.”
Sebastian’s voice was tight.
“They’re ruined.”
The crew erupted in confusion.
“Ruined?”
“How?”
Sebastian held up a small bag.
The gunpowder inside had turned damp and useless.
“Someone poured seawater into the storage barrels.”
The silence that followed felt deadly.
Sabotage.
Eva’s gaze moved slowly across the deck.
Crew members.
Weapons.
Faces.
Then she looked at Olivia.
Olivia smiled.
Softly.