“It would,” he agreed, leaning forward. “But wouldn’t it be beautiful in the moment?”
I tried to wear a steely mask, and probably failed. “I like to think farther ahead than that.”
“So do I.” He slid his boot closer, still leaning over the invisible line that halved the cabin. “But you know me. Even my schemes have schemes.”
Except I didn’t know him. Not really. And raiding the ship I was traveling on, then hypnotizing me into a marriage, wasn’t exactly romantic.
“Jax,” I began, wary, “what happened to the old captain of this ship, and its crew?”
He didn’t flinch as he answered, “Dead or sent off in a lifeboat with some water and supplies. With the small gods of Prevaria’s help, some of them might’ve made it to shore.”
“You really are a heartless brigand,” I said, my voice almost hushed.
“A heartless man wouldn’t have given them water. Or a boat.” He straightened. “Maybe in another life, I would’ve kissed you just now. And maybe you would’ve let me.”
“I might’ve,” I admitted. “Sometimes I mistake you for a person.”
He clasped at his chest, as if wounded. But a half grin crept onto his face. “Good night, Sofie,” he said—a puzzling sentence, since it was barely past lunchtime.
But true to his word, he did not return that night. I dined alone, and was awakened not by Jax’s dragons-blasted early rising, but by Jovus.
“Time to go ashore, madam,” the boy said, still not calling me by my title, but at least improving. “We’ve reached Starfall. The captain’s waiting for you on deck.”
It was time to learn what an isle of pirates was like—and how they felt about Dewspell’s fairy godmothers.
Chapter ten
Sofie
“Don’tgetanyideasabout swimming for it, pet,” Jax called out as I joined him on deck. Looking none the worse for all the rum, he paused for effect with one boot on the ship’s rail.
“Why’s that?” I shouted back over a gust of warm wind.
“For historical reasons, the Council of Pirates chums the bay before the gathering each year, to help prevent any surprises from our more lawful counterparts.”
I snorted. “Don’t tempt me to push you in.”
“Alas, I am too lean and full of tough muscle for the sharks to enjoy.” His grin made my fingers curl into a fist. “You, however, are nice and plump and tender in select places—the perfect meal.”
“You’d better not be looking at my select places!” I snapped, immediately flushing red as I heard how foolish the words sounded. Curse him—curse himthriceover, if that’s what itwould take! I wasn’t one of his “countless paramours” in myriad ports. I’d had a stern talking to with myself last night, after almost falling for his rum-soaked charms.
I wasn’t going to be fooled by him again.
“Admit it, you’d be hurt if I hadn’t noticed,” Jax practically crooned.
And with that, he leapt over the railing, leaving me struggling to compose myself.
Not even the masters at Dewspell could have dreamt up a more perfect opponent for me. Jax was the ideal nemesis, able to get under my skin with such ease.
To calm myself, I thought of what Master Aynia would say. In fact, I could almost hear her voice:Yes, he gets beneath your skin, but why are you letting him?
And as I returned to the captain’s cabin for a few more blessedly Jax-free minutes, I, too, wondered what the answer was to that question.
I stepped up to the rail ofBlue Moon,knuckles whitening as I wrapped my fingers around it. The rowboat that ferried the first few members of the crew was returning.
“Ready, beachmaid?” the Lady de Gorm asked me with a wolfish grin, adjusting the ruffled cravat at her neck and the lapels of her gold-embroidered, long-tailed blue coat.
“For what?” my eyes were on the flecks of red and yellow on the other end of the shallow bay, wondering what they were.
