Battles and Secrets (Queen of Piracy Duology #2)

Chapter 38: The most precious treasure

My kids were so grown up that I felt old. It seemed like yesterday that I'd accepted my mom into the family... Why does the time go by so quickly? Looking through my spyglass, I found the next vessel to plunder. It was a big merchant ship with an absurd amount of cargo. Miguel and I loved to plunder those... Don't judge us! It was fun. Besides, my crew and I would get all the booty because Giacomo and Nuria no longer sailed with us. We reunited at Rosa's every year, but we preferred to loot separately. My heart pounded as we approached the vessel. Since it was far, it'd take a while to get close enough. Meanwhile, Luna was at the main deck with Isabel and Stefan. She laughed while Willem rolled his eyes. Tess made some moves with her sword, but Luna blocked them all. If you think dealing with babies is hard, try to take care of teenagers... It's crazy! I leaned against the mainmast while observing my kids and Willem. I squinted because of the bright sun.

"Pay attention to my movements," Luna dodged Tess' harmless blow and blocked the next. "What did I forget?"

Isabel raised her hand, "You didn't protect your waist?"

"Correct, Izzy! During a duel, we must never let our waists vulnerable," my eldest raised a brow. "What else our parents always say?"

Willem narrowed his eyes, "That you shouldn't dress like a lady of the night?"

Why does my cousin's kid act like an old man?

I huffed... How could Maartje's son be so grumpy? Only God knew why he loved to provoke Luna. I shook my head in denial, wondering when Willem would quit that attitude. Laurens and Maartje talked on a corner, apparently unaffected by Willem's behavior.

"What's a lady of the night?" Stefan frowned. "Is this related to our fighting lessons?"

My eldest smiled mischievously, "Annoying guys like Will have no friends, so they hire these ladies to keep them company."

Maartje's son crossed his arms, "Shut up!"

"Only if you stop talking about my pants," Luna ground her teeth. "They're just torn until the knee, so don't exaggerate!"

"Lulu is right!" Tess wrinkled her nose. "Quit being such a prude!"

"Before I was rudely interrupted, I asked what else was incorrect with my strategy," my eldest turned to the twins. "Anyone knows?"

Stefan raised his brows, "You were too close to Tess?"

"Precisely! If you don't keep a safe distance from the enemy, it'll be harder to defend yourself," Luna smiled widely while hugging the twins. "I have the best students ever!"

Miguel chewed on his lip while approaching Luna. Isabel and Stefan giggled as my eldest tickled their bellies... Yeah, they got along surprisingly well. Tess laughed, apparently having fun. Willem shook his head in denial as if observing immature children.

My husband sighed, "Luna, what did I tell you about teaching the twins?"

"I'm sixteen already. You can trust me," my oldest daughter put her cutlass back in her weapon belt. "Besides, Izzy and Stefan turn nine today, so isn't it time for them to learn?"

Miguel glanced away briefly, "For now, you and Tess cannot give them lessons."

Tess knit her brows, "Father, please! They were so excited about it..."

I took a step closer, "Listen to your dad, girls. The twins are too young. No more fighting classes."

Luna and Tess huffed. Willem chuckled, seemingly happy with their misery. I looked through my spyglass and grinned. We were close enough to our new target... I could feel the smell of gold! My eyes gleamed as I had an idea.