Mason stood, holding Ilona's hand tightly in his. He didn't have his sword. Why on earth didn't he have his sword? How would he protect his wife and their unborn child without it?
When they had erected the flag and set up the watch huts, their only plan had been to attract the attention of a ship so they could finally get off the island. No one had ever stopped to consider that a ship might come that they didn't want. One could arrive with pirates worse than they were. Attracting a ship could end up being their downfall.
Mason's heart pounded in his chest as he heard the tune whistled again. As the dark figure moved, he was able to see that the person wasn't alone. There was a trail of at least a dozen others behind it, all cloaked in black and walking towards them with their heads down against the wind and rain.
"Ilona," Mason whispered, "Get behind me."
