The room tilts. My whole world tilts with it.
“Quiet, Gypsy,” Silverbeard growls, pushing Zayan forward.
But the whole scene feels wrong. My father would never touch a Marauder like that, not without reason. And Zayan?He’d never let another pirate lay hands on him, especially not Silverbeard, without putting up a fight.
“What did he tell you?” I snap at my father, my voice a low, dangerous hiss. We haven’t even scratched the surface yet, and I’m already on the edge of losing it.
Cali moves closer, resting a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t,” she says quietly. “Don’t make a scene, girl.”
She’s right. Skullcove thrives on whispers, and I don’t need to hand the tavern something juicier to chew on. But I shrug her off, my eyes locked on Zayan, fury raging inside me. He doesn’t even flinch. His jaw tightens, and for a second, I think he’s about to speak. Instead, he keeps his lips sealed.
That’s all I get. Silence. Nothing.
The dagger in my thigh sheath feels like it’s calling to me. Without a second thought, I draw it and hurl it at him, fast and hard. He doesn’t even blink. Too bad it only grazes his cheek and buries itself in the wall behind him.
“Rumors are already flying,” I snarl, my voice raw. “No harm in finishing it here and now.”
“Oh, there’s harm, alright.” Cali’s grip tightens. “One you should’ve thought about before you fucked a Marauder.”
Her words hit like a slap. I tense, ready to lash out—at her, at him, at anyone. But I don’t. Somehow, I manage to control it, heart hammering, fists clenched until my knuckles crack.
Yeah, I fucked a Marauder. I crossed the line. But this isn’t about that. This is about something far more important than sex.
“You don’t understand,” I mutter. “This isn’t just about me and him.”
Zayan knew exactly how much the compass means to me. And still, he decided to twist the knife in my back, in more ways than one. I don’t know what for, but I intend to find out.
I step forward, my second blade already drawn before I realize it, and bring the tip to his throat. His eyes rise to meet mine,those same mossy green depths I stared into at the beach merely quarters ago.
His lips curl into that maddening smirk again, but this time, there’s something different in his eyes. Challenge, yes, but also something darker. Something he wants me to see, something he’s daring me to figure out. But I’m too angry to care. Too angry to think past the blade pressed against his skin.
“You that eager to kill me, huh?” His voice is low, barely a murmur, as his throat shifts against the edge of my blade.
He sounds amused, like we’re sharing some twisted joke. I hear it, but it doesn’t reach me. Cali’s grip tightens on my shoulder again, her voice a distant hiss, warning me to stop, to pull back. But it’s only when Silverbeard grabs my wrist, that I finally blink, the red haze lifting just enough to realize what I’m about to do. What I’mreallyabout to do.
“Enough, Gypsy,” he growls, yanking me away. “Do you want to start a war?!”
Cali mutters under her breath, cursing as she signals to Sizzle. He rises from his table, stomps over and starts shouting for people to clear out. I hesitate, the dagger still tight in my grip. I won’t turn a blade on my own father.
War. No, I don’t want that. But…
Silverbeard’s grip tightens again. “Answer me!”
“Captain, the people…” Cali glances around. The more reason one gives people to doubt them, the weaker their power becomes. This spectacle is not good for anyone, not Serpents, not Marauders. Not even the reputation of the mighty Silverbeard alone.
My father doesn’t seem to be fazed by it, though. Not right now, at least. His grip on my wrist pulses as he forces my hand down.
“Let them talk,” he replies, his eyes piercing my soul. “You won’t be stopping any of it anymore. Too fucking late for that. Now, answer me, girl.”
I grind my teeth, throat tight. “No. I don’t want a war.”
The words taste like acid. Yet, they ring out all the same.
Silverbeard nods once, but his gaze doesn’t soften. “Good,” he grunts, releasing my wrist. “Then act like it.”
I swallow hard. My hand trembles, still clutching the dagger, but I sheath it, forcing myself to step back.
“Not long ago, you threatened to kill him as a spectacle for the whole village,” I point out, a new wave of betrayal washing over me.
