“Tell him, Sage! Back me up!” Ariella’s voice rang through the galley with all the subtlety of a cannon blast.
I rolled my eyes then glanced, once again, out to the main dining area where Kaspar sat with Willy, eating breakfast. His head tilted up at the commotion, our eyes meeting briefly. He thought I was ridiculous, poking my head out every few seconds, but the goofy grin he flashed me this time was an additional reward that only encouraged me.
Sage stirred a massive pot of porridge, his expression neutral as always. “It’s true, Reaper. Most of us would stand with you. It’s mainly Butcher’s lot that wouldn’t.”
“Not you too,” I groaned, leaning against the counter. “I thought at leastyou’dbe sensible.”
Sage shrugged, continuing his methodical stirring. “I’m just stating facts. The crew respects you.”
Over the past few days, Ariella had taken any opportunity to ambush me with her ambitions of mutiny. A mutiny led byme. A mutiny I wanted no part in.
I didn’t escape one tyrant just to become another.
Ariella crossed her arms. “We’d finally have a proper captain in charge. Fair. Just.”
Captain.Years ago, it was all I ever wanted. Even now, some small part of my brain latched onto the word, unfurling like wings long kept folded. The familiar rush of ambition, of purpose—then the immediate crash as reality clipped those wings.
“How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want to be captain of a fucking pirate ship, Ariella!”
“Well, it’s not all about what you want, is it?”
Sage glanced between us, brandishing his spoon as if he might need to intervene.
To reduce the tension bubbling inside of me, I stepped into the doorway again. The moment Kaspar spotted me, he threw his hands up in exasperation, his lips forming a silent,‘Really?’before returning to his conversation with Willy.
Heat crept up my neck as I turned back to find Sage’s eyebrows drawn together, his assessing gaze piercing me.
Damn it. I was getting sloppy. I needed to be more careful.
“What?” I growled, trying to recover some semblance of my Reaper persona.
Sage’s mouth twitched. “Nothing.” He lifted the massive pot from the stove. “For what it’s worth, Reaper, I’ve always thought you’d make a damn sight better captain than that imbecile we’re currently cursed with.”
I dragged a hand down my face.
“Hawk-Eyes, Moonie, Sparrow, Stitches,” Ariella counted off on her fingers, eyes bright with excitement. “They’re all ready to move on your order.”
“Stitches?!She’s a bloody old woman, for crying out loud!”
“Oi!”
I whirled around to find Stitches herself barging through the galley door, arms akimbo and face thunderous. Before I could react, she delivered a light slap to my cheek.
“Watch your mouth, or I won’t be whipping up any more of that salve for you anytime soon.” She jabbed a finger into my chest. “I’m as fit as a fiddle!”
I raised an eyebrow. “Fit enough to take Butcher’s men in a fight?”
“In my sleep!” she said cheerily, helping herself to a large bowl of gruel. “You don’t worry about us, Reaper. We all chose this life, didn’t we? Every soul aboard this vessel knew what they were signing up for when they stepped onto a pirate ship. Risk comes with the territory.” She slurped a spoonful, then pointed it at me. “Some of us are just tired of taking unnecessary risks because our captain’s an incompetent buffoon with an ego bigger than his ridiculous hat.”
Sage coughed into his fist, poorly disguising a laugh.
“Besides,” Stitches continued, “I’ve patched up enough wounds on this ship to know exactly where to stab for maximum effect and minimal bleeding.” She winked and shuffled toward the door. “Just think about it, Reaper. That’s all we’re asking.”
Stitches left as swiftly as she’d entered. All of a sudden, the weight of the crew’s expectations pressed down on me, and I slumped against the counter, exhaustion washing over me before the day had even started.
Ariella moved to follow her, but I caught her arm, dragging her in close.
“Remember, don’t let Ghost out of your sight,” I whispered.
