Mia held her breath, pressing herself into the cold shadow of the wall like a stone.
The sound of her heartbeat drummed in her ears.
The evidence was conclusive. They were the Church's witch hunters.
'Mission complete!' Mia inwardly rejoiced.
The next step was to get the message out.
That was a whole case of Moonlight Sugar! Ninety-eight percent purity!
The craving for the delicacy overrode all else. Mia crouched low and, under the cover of the clamor and the night, retraced her steps.
She needed to get back to Barbossa's room. That was her temporary safe house.
Candlelight still flickered in the fourth-floor room.
Barbossa was snoring like thunder, accompanied by sounds of "BAA, BAA."
Mia slipped nimbly over the windowsill. Inside, the pirate captain was sound asleep, cuddling a black-hoofed mountain goat, a contented smile even gracing his lips.
The goat seemed used to it, its eyes half-closed as it occasionally chewed.
