I can’t see Silver anywhere, so I reckon he’s still perched up on the balcony, watching everything like a hawk. But then, just as I turn back to the bar, I sense a shift in the air. The tavern’s usual hum quiets for a beat, and I notice the subtle parting of bodies in my peripheral vision. A ripple, as if the sea itself were making way for something—no, someone.
I don’t need to look to know it’s him.
“Here you are,” Silverbeard says, his voice low and carrying the weight of authority, as he steps up beside me.
“Here I am,” I reply, my eyes fixed on the bustling crowd, avoiding his gaze. His heavy form settles onto the stool next to me, and he signals the tavern keeper for some grog.
“If you didn’t want us to talk, you should have hidden better.”
“Who said I was hiding?”
“Your quick retreat says more than your words, lass. Thought I taught you to face storms head-on, not run from ’em. Cowards turn tail; we don’t.”
I grit my teeth, settling deeper into my seat. “You’re no storm, old man. More like a stubborn squall. Annoying enough to make me think twice about my heading, but still nothing I can’t handle.”
He raises an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Aye, them squalls save lives when you’re dying of thirst.”
I give a bitter laugh. “Maybe. But too much rain and you drown.”
Silverbeard’s grog arrives, and he takes a long swig, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “It’s youth talking through you,” he mutters, his voice still carrying a trace of annoyance. But then, surprisingly, his tone softens. “We’ve had our differences, you and me, but we’re family. And in the end, family looks out for each other. That’s all I do.”
The words hit me, twisting something tight in my chest, but I won’t let him see it. I can’t deny we are family. I have thought of him as my father for a very long time. Still, the anger is still in me, and I listen to it like a fool.
“We share no blood. I’m just a kid you took pity on.”
There, I said it.
He doesn’t budge, though.
“Family’s family, blood or not.”
My heart squeezes in my chest again. Fuck.
“If you’re saying all that just to squeeze out of me who the boy is, it won’t work. There’s no boy.”
Silverbeard studies me for a long, tense moment, his eyes flicking across my face, searching for a crack in my defenses.
Ahh, okay… So that’s the reason for the sweet words.The knot in my ribcage loosens a little.
“If there were a boy,” he says, voice low, “I wouldn’t be angry. I’d just want to meet the man who’s earned your protection.”
I scoff, leaning back in my chair. “There’s no boy. And even if there were, I can handle my own battles, Silver. I don’t need your sword hanging over anyone’s head.”
“Alright, no boy then,” he concedes, taking another swig of his grog. “But, if there were, and if he ever hurt you, I’d make sure he learned what happens when you cross a Serpent.”
I chuckle despite myself. “Did you even hear me? I don’t need your worry. I can handle my own battles, Silver.”
“Aye, I know you can.” His voice carries a mix of pride and frustration. “But we’re a crew. We watch each other’s backs.”
I nod slowly, knowing this ain’t the end of the matter. Silverbeard smooths his beard with rough fingers, takes a deep breath, and straightens his spine, furrowing his brows and smacking his lips. He does all this very fast, like he’s restless and unable to stay still.
“I just need to know… Is it anyone from the Marauders? ‘Cause heavens forbid, if it is, then…”
Of course, he won’t let it drop. The Marauders.Zayan.
“There’s no boy,” I repeat, standing up. I feel the urge to storm out of the tavern again, but something in his gaze roots me in place.
“Everything I do, I do to protect you, girl,” he says. “This world ain’t kind, and the sea’s even harsher. I’ve seen what it does to those who think they’re invincible, and you’ve got the same look in your eye as they did.”
