I didn’t question why, like an obedient lap dog, I held out my arm and bit back the thank you that built in my throat when I was free.
I picked up the fork and, with a control I didn’t think I still possessed, I stabbed at a piece of meat dripping in gravy and brought it to my mouth. God, I didn’t recall flavors like this ever being real. The meat was tender and fell apart in my dry mouth while the taste of garlic and salt rolled over me like its own sort of ecstasy.
“I’m glad you approve,” Edmonds said.
Statements didn’t require answers.
Every bite was another piece of myself placed back together. Stale bread and murky water didn’t make for meals, but this– even Billy would have appreciated it.
Before I realized what I’d done, my stomach ached with pressure as I stared at the empty bowl. I shouldn’t have eaten all of it. I would be more likely to be sick than keep it all down.
Edmonds produced a cup of crystal clear water and handed it to me. Part of me didn’t want to wash away the flavors so I would remember when he inevitably put me back in my cage, but the promise of clean water was too much for a mere mortal.
I took it and swallowed in one gulp, not daring to give him the chance to change his mind. When my thoughts inevitably grew murky once more, I would try to hold onto this feeling. Of being full and not desperate for a drop of water.
I wondered if Edmonds would have done it if he knew it mattered as much as it did.
When I raised my eyes to him again, his smile told me everything I needed to know.
“There’s no honor in bringing down a bear without claws,” Edmonds said.
He held himself perfectly straight, careful not to touch anything more than he had to as he sat across from me. Lines at the side of his eyes and mouth said he knew how to smile, but what could make a man made of steel smile was a mystery to me.
“And what is it you want from me, Captain?” My voice was dry, hoarse.
I couldn’t recall the last few days, maybe even a week. Either way, dissuse was evident in the strangulation of my vocal cords. I may be fractured, but I knew one man did not give another something that didn’t come without a price.
I’d only ever known one man who did.
And I didn’t do it for nothing, did I? That bread brought you to me, and I’ve never been sorry for it.
I blinked, clearing away the phantom voice.
Billy was dead. The bullet from my pistol lodged in his forehead. He was dead, laid to rest at the bottom of the sea that he spent his life loving.
Dead.
“Besides a worthy opponent?” Edmonds said, shrugging. “I thought I might regale you with a theory I’ve been considering.”
I met his eyes, not caring what he saw underneath. “How diverting.”
The corner of his mouth turned up.
“It’s a shame you chose piracy. I think I would have enjoyed having you as a colleague more than a foe,” he said.
I held out my hand, “There’s always time.”
Edmonds' smile faded, and I realized it had been the wrong thing to say. Normally, I was better about reading people. Given my own mind wasn’t safe, it made sense I struggled to read him.It only made whatever came next more dangerous. It wasn’t just my sanity and life; it was Oscar’s. Until Inu came for him, he was at this man’s mercy, and the less broken she found him, the better.
“As I said earlier, it’s interesting the Bailey family is doing so well. Not just well, but thriving. You might not be aware of this, but North Star Line lost three ships in two months. Sunk to the bottom of the sea. I’ve often thought about the day we met. What would it be like now if I had seen through your promise to provide information for the lives of your crew?”
“I held my end of the bargain,” I rasped.
Edmonds raised his eyebrows, “I believe that’s true, but I should have foreseen that your crew would impede your efforts.”
“P.S.:I looted the last eleven years of your spoils since you weren’t using them. See you soon, Rose.”
“Now, isn’t it strange that there are rumors that lord Bailey is starting a new shipping line. With money he by all accounts should not have, with still enough that Oliver Bailey can afford to send bribery money for his brother to receive special treatment while imprisoned.”
