She groaned while attempting to push herself up into a sitting position, gritting her teeth as pain shot through her torso. She yelled out, falling back against the pillow with a loud curse, gripping her side. It was then she startlingly realized that her binding was no longer holding down her breasts.That couldn’t be right.She grabbed them just to be sure, “Bleeding stars.”
“Bleeding stars is right.” The Captain was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, a single brow raised in interest.
She instantly released her breasts and pulled the bed sheet up to her neck. Well, on the bright side, she wouldn’t have to figure out a way to hide her monthly courses anymore.
“Captain, I can…”
He didn’t give her a chance to continue. “What were you doing standing on the railing in the middle of a battle? Were you trying to get yourself killed?”
She froze, stunned by his first choice of questioning. “No…no, I was trying to help,” she stammered.
“You had no weapon, no protection, no nothing. How exactly were you expecting to help? Did you think that by just standing there waiting to be shot you would miraculously save us all? That it would somehow make the other ship stop firing?” He frowned and stepped into the room, coming closer with each spoken word.
“No! I don’t know…” She wouldn’t in a million years tell him she was a Sorceress and had only been trying to help by using her gifts of water and wind — that she had been the one to invoke the storm and the massive waves of the sea in an attempt to cease the enemy fire.
“It was dimwitted and foolish! This is the exact reason I should have never let you stay aboard this ship. It’s too dangerous. I’ve lost too many men, too much blood has been shed upon the boards of theCursed Soul. Too many lives lost. If something had happened to you… I’ve had enough bloodshed on my hands. If I had known you were a…” He stopped his eyes slowly traveling down the length of her body, and sea and sky help her, she could feel the heat climbing to her cheeks and knew they were bright red with her embarrassment. The shirt she had on suddenly felt far too thin, and the sheet she held over her hanging breasts felt invisible under his piercing gaze. She tucked the bedsheet under her armpits and crossed her arms over her chest to hide them from view.
The Captain sighed heavily and rubbed his weary eyes, his body sagging as if the weight of the entire ocean sat upon his shoulders. He collapsed and took a seat in the chair beside her bed. “Why did you board this ship?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a hand. “Before you say anything, I want to know the truth. There is no use lying.”
She stared at him for a long moment, emotion rising like a burning ember up her throat causing her eyes to water. “I—I had no other choice. I had to get as far away from Aksahri as I could.”
“Why?”
She opened and closed her mouth several times before the tears spilled free and she choked out, “I can’t say.”
The Captain remained calm and said, “Why not?”
“B—because it’s too awful!” she sobbed, bringing the sheet up to dry the ceaseless waterfall of tears spilling down her cheeks.
She blinked to clear her blurry vision and saw the Captain slowly close his eyes and take a deep, steadying breath. He rose, walking to his dresser and revealed a handkerchief tucked into the top drawer. He offered it to her with a weary smile before settling back down into his chair and resting his elbows on his knees, “I’m trying to stay calm here, but you are trying my patience.”
Kamira blew her nose into the handkerchief and watched as his jaw clenched, nostrils flaring.
“If the reason is as awful as you say, then you being on this ship has put the entire crew in danger, do you realize that?” His voice was rising, his movements growing more agitated. “If someone is after you, you need to tell me now so we can prepare for whatever might be coming.”
The tears had finally slowed enough for her to speak more coherently, “I—if I tell you, you’ll want me off the ship and I’ve nowhere else to go.”
The Captain rubbed at his Temples. “Do you think we are the type of men to do that?”
“I don’t know, are you?”
“I promise you,” he said through clenched teeth. “No matter what you say, we won’t throw you off this ship or leave you to fend for yourself. Happy?”
“Shake on it.” She held out a hand, still holding the sheet up to her chin with her other hand.
The Captain grunted and grasped her hand, his rough skin brushing against her palm.
“Now that we have that out of the way, tell me, what did you need to get away from so badly that you went so far as to stow away on a ship full of pirates and disguise yourself as a boy?”
Kamira closed her eyes tight against the fresh set of tears, and with a shaky breath, whispered, “Murder.”
His entire body went as rigid as a statue. Then, ever so slowly, his jaw tensed and his brows drew together. “You murdered someone?”
“Yes,” she squeaked, gulping at the admission.
“Who?” His expression didn’t change. He stared at her with those intense eyes, his brows knitted together into a frown that creased the skin around them.
