I grimaced when I realized I’d also have to steal food on this trip, and I couldn’t let anyone see me. How in hellfire I was going to do that, I didn’t know. When I was looking through the hold, I didn’t see much in the way of food I could eat without cooking first.
There was likely a pantry and storage somewhere near the galley with more food and seasonings and things to cook with. But I wouldn’t be able to cook anything down here without risking a fire, which meant I’d have to sneak up to the lower deck… where all the aeronauts would be spending most of their time when they weren’t working.
Phoenix tails, this was gonna be bad.
I couldn’t worry about that right now. I’d figure it out. Somehow.
After I positioned the crate just right so no one could see me, but I had a small hole where I could see the ladder, I sat, pulled my knees to my chest, and wrapped my arms around them.
As I waited, the gravity of the situation hit me, and I had to bite back my tears.
Those guards had destroyed my life in only a few minutes.
They ripped me away, and now I’d never be able to go back.
My heart hurt thinking about Kayla and Cody. My sister was going to be terrified when she heard what happened. Not scared for herself and her son, but for me, and I wouldn’t be there to comfort her. And Cody… goddesses, he was going to be so upset.I’d been a part of his life every day since the day he was born, and now, those guards had taken that away from us.
All I wanted to do was go home and hug them both.
Ethan had better step up and help her and Cody through this.
I had no doubt that my sister could take care of herself and her kid, but the three of us were all each other had, and leaving them behind was like leaving a piece of myself.
What if I never saw them again?
The tears came, and all I could do was try to keep it quiet. I buried my face in my hands and took deep breaths, blowing them out slowly to calm myself. I couldn’t lose control. Not when a single sound could get me thrown off and handed straight over to the king’s guards.
Before I could fall too far into my panicked depression, footsteps banged loudly above me, and fear overrode my sadness. My heart beat erratically, my palms sweated, and I couldn’t stop myself from biting my lip and banging my knees together.
Something thudded loudly, shaking the whole ship, and everyone who was already on board laughed, teasing someone who’d either fallen or dropped something. The noise of the ship grew louder and louder as the crew came back, and my anxiety over being caught helped distract me from the grief of leaving behind the only life I’d ever known.
I was sure over the next few days or weeks, I’d have plenty of time to cry over everything. Right now, I needed to keep my nerves at bay so I didn’t give myself away before we were in the air.
A loud voice said, “We better find a big, packed ship soon. We haven’t had any good loot in weeks.”
I blinked at that.Loot? What the hell did he mean by loot?
A second voice answered, “Shut your mouth, Cannonball Patty. Cap’n will find us a nice merchant ship to take down soon.”
Cannonball Patty? Take down?
“Butcher’s right,” a third voice said. “Viper will do us right.”
Viper?
I blinked as the name registered, bringing back memories of articles I’d read in the paper.
My heart froze in my chest. Viper.Viper?
Holy dragon fire. Cannonball Patty and Butcher were bad enough, but the name Viper sealed the deal. Everyone in the entire kingdom would recognize that name. Hell, everyone in every kingdom would.
This wasn’t a merchant ship calledThe White Swan. That was just a ploy.
This was Captain ‘Viper’ Van Jagger’sBlack Wraith.
Oh goddesses,The Black Wraithwas the most notorious and dangerous pirate airship in all the kingdoms.
I’d stowed away on a motherfucking pirate ship.
