There was no way in hell I could let anyone on this ship know I was a fluxweaver.
All my life, there’d been people who wanted to take advantage of me, people who’d used me for my magic, people who’d threaten to turn me into the king’s guard if I didn’t comply withtheir demands, people who’d proven how untrustworthy most people were.
And those people hadn’t been pirates.
I could only imagine how badThe Black Wraith’screw would be.
So no, I couldn’t go around fixing everyone’s fluxstones, no matter how badly I wanted to.
With a sigh, I tried to think of something more pleasant, and of course, Reaper’s face was the first thing to pop into my head.
He truly was a handsome man, and I heard myself sigh at the thought as I made my way to the lower deck. Man, if he knew the thoughts going through my head, he’d probably throw me overboard.
Or maybe he was secretly harboring the same thoughts and he’d kiss me instead.
That, I could totally get behind.
Mm. I bet he tasted so good. I bet he’d feel amazing pressed against me, his hard muscles rubbing against mine, his—
I cut off those thoughts before I wound up with a problem in my pants.
But I couldn’t stop the grin that spread over my face as I thought about his lips on mine.
Not wanting anyone to see what I was sure was a ridiculous expression on my face, I wiped it clear and set off toward the galley.
I could tell when I was close because all the fluxstones Sage used for cooking called to me. Every fluxstone, every rock, on this ship called to my power, and it was getting harder and harder to ignore.
But I couldn’t let anyone see what I was.
I was just a normal person.
I was just Ghost, the stowaway. There was nothing special about me. Nothing at all.
Sage was still in the kitchen, serving up some kind of stew, and when I was handed a bowl, I said, “Thank you.”
Sage nodded. “You’re welcome.” He glanced around, seeing no one else near us, and quickly passed me something wrapped in cloth. “For later. As a thank you.”
My brow furrowed, but I quickly stuffed it in my pocket since he clearly didn’t want anyone else to see. I had no idea what it was, so hopefully, it wouldn’t be gross from sitting there too long. “A thank you for what?”
He shot me a grin. “We all know what you did.”
I stared blankly at the strange man.
He lifted a brow, staring at me like I wasn’t smart enough to get it. “You saved Reaper.”
Shock made my body stiffen momentarily as I took in his earnest expression. It was true that I’d helped Reaper, but I hadn’t realized anyone else had noticed besides the man himself.
“How do you know about that?”
Sage snorted out a short laugh. “Everyone knows. Ariella saw the whole thing, and Hawk-Eyes has been telling tales about your skill with a sword.”
That surprised the hellfire out of me.
He tilted his head to the side. “How’d you learn to fight?”
“I was a blacksmith’s apprentice back home. We tested every single sword we made, and my master taught me how to fight.” I shrugged.
His eyebrows rose. “You’re a blacksmith?”
