“Oh, wow,” Sebastian said as he finished reading.After a moment, he gently pulled the scarf from around his neck and unbuttoned his coat.“That’s lovely.I don’t even need this anymore.”
He laid the coat on the seat across from Kieran, who felt blood rush into his cheeks.“It…worked?”
“Assuming you were hoping to mimic the feeling you described here?I’d say so.”Sebastian handed the notebook back.“I like your writing style.”
Kieran felt a genuine rush of warmth at that.Ash had always been a bit critical of his poetry, so it was nice to get a compliment on his prose.Maybe I should have been focusing on that all along.
“Thanks.”Kieran tucked a gold-blond curl behind his ear.“What brings you out here so early anyway?”
Sebastian bit back a smile.“Promise not to panic?”
“Why would I—?”
Just then, Sebastian withdrew something silver from his belt, casually flipping it around his fingers with a grace Kieran hadn’t seen before.After a moment, Sebastian held his arm up, hand bent back near his ear, and launched the object into the air with a flick of his wrist.
As it hit one of the ship’s nearby supply crates with a cleanthwack,Kieran realized what it was: a small silver knife.Without thinking, he let out a squeak.Seaweed too was spooked enough by the sound that she hopped off Kieran’s shoulders and ran off before disappearing through the door.Honestly, he didn’t blame her.
“Is—is that a knife?”he asked, pointing to it, knowing full well that it was.
“Indeed.”Sebastian went to the crate he’d thrown it at.With his coat off, he was left in short sleeves, and Kieran could see his defined muscles clench as he pried the knife free.Oh, goodness.Then Sebastian turned and closed the distance between himself and Kieran.For a second, Kieran’s heart rate picked up before Sebastian held the knife out to him hilt-first.
“It’s one of my throwing knives,” he said, watching as Kieran’s eyes traced the curve of the blade.“It’s an old hobby.Sometimes I practice to clear my head.”
Kieran swallowed the lump in his throat.“Your hobby isthrowing knives?”
Sebastian shrugged.“One of them, yes.My father was a bit paranoid about self-defense.I’ve never thrown oneatsomeone, mind you.Just unsuspecting crates and trees and whatnot.”
Kieran wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn he saw Sebastian flutter his fingers as he said it.Hadn’t he done that before as well, on the deck after he stayed to chat with Lila?Was it a nervous habit?
“I could show you how,” Sebastian said, nodding to the crates, “if you like.”
Kieran weighed the knife in his hand.He’d never considered learning that type of skill.Not that anyone had ever offered to teach him; all the self-defense or combat skills he’d seen were magic-based, like Briar’s ledrith.It was—among witches—the more socially acceptable thing to do.Using a weapon felt taboo.
Maybe I’m being too judgmental,Kieran thought.Briar has ledrith; Sebastian has knives.It’s not like he’s going to throw one at my throat because I can’t pass him the salt fast enough at the dinner table.
Before he could think himself in circles too much, Kieran met Sebastian’s gaze and said, “Sure, why not?”
Sebastian huffed out a laugh.“Color me surprised.I didn’t take you as the sort to try something like this.”
Kieran shrugged.“I’m trying to be a little more…spontaneous these days.”
“Well, who am I to argue, then?”Sebastian gestured for Kieran to follow him.“Come on.We’ll start a little closer.Make things easier.”
Kieran bit his lip but followed, briefly glancing over his shoulder in case any other crew members were around.Briar wasn’tlikely to give him any grief for something like this, but he could see Delilah and the adults doing so.The knife felt heavy in his hand.
He swallowed that feeling.I have got to stop worrying so much about this sort of thing.
Sebastian stopped about eight feet from the crates.He pivoted and said, “Copy my stance.It’s not all that different from how you throw darts, ultimately.Are you left- or right-handed?”
“Left.”
“Perfect—so put your weight on your left leg and put your right foot in front of you…”
Sebastian kept talking about proper stance and throwing technique, but Kieran found that, despite himself, he was far more distracted watching the way Sebastian grew more animated as he spoke.Seeing the way his eyes lit up and hearing his voice rise in the moment was…strangely gratifying.As if Kieran was finally peeling back a layer to see what was underneath Sebastian’s even-keeled demeanor.
“Understand?”Sebastian asked, snapping Kieran back into focus.
“Oh, um—yeah.Got it.”Kieran tried to remember what Sebastian had just said about holding the knife.Apparently, this one was handle-heavy, so he needed to hold the blade to throw it.He held his arm aloft as Sebastian had shown him, glancing at him to make sure he’d done it correctly.
