He flicked out his tongue. “What about me?”
“Why are you in here?”
“Why not?”
I shrugged. “I just thought maybe you’d want to sleep with Marc. He is your captain, after all, and you two know each other. Why are you always wanting to be around me?”
Ramaro curled himself into a ball and shut his eyes. “Don’t you have some sleep to catch up on?”
I snorted, but leaned back on my hands and stared up at the ceiling. My heart grew heavy. “I haven’t heard anything from up there.”
Ramaro’s tail twitched. “Of course you haven’t. Nobody can hear anything through the magic barrier around the attic, or didn’t you wonder why that bubbly woman didn’t go rushing in on us during your storms?”
I bit my lower lip. “Do you think Marc’s alright?”
My companion sighed and lifted his head to look at me. “You worry too much. He’s been through worse things than that.”
I cocked my head to one side and examined my friend. “Like when he got that Draconis Veil?”
His tongue flicked out. “That’s not something you should be asking about.”
That only piqued my interest more, and I leaned toward him. “Why not? What’s so secretive about that magic?”
“It’s not a good idea to have your enemies know about your strengths, so it’s not a good idea to go blabbing about it.”
“So is that why Jaeger didn’t know what was underneath the patch?” I guessed as I thought back to that confrontation. “Does the Admiralty even know that’s what pushes his ship along?”
His tail thwapped against the bed sheets. “They have their suspicions, and that’s the way the captain wants to keep it. Let them do their guessing while he floats rings around them.”
I winced. “He’d still be doing that if I weren’t here.”
“He went after you, knowing the risks,” Ramaro insisted as he sat up. “Just being a pirate is a risk, and messing with the Mercanaries and the Admiralty is part of that risk.” He wrinkled his snout. “Besides, if it didn’t have a risk, it wouldn’t be worth it. No treasure easily gained has ever been worth snatching.”
I studied my friend’s scaly features. “Am I worth it?”
Ramaro cleared his throat. “Yes, well, that fool thinks so, and he’s the captain. What he says is what we obey.”
I dropped backward onto the bed, and the mattress bounced a little under my weight. My eyes stared up at the ceiling, but they didn’t take in any of the sights. I was too busy thinking about all the adventures I’d had since I’d found myself in this strange world. Wondering about my future. Curious and terrified about the people who were searching for me.
And listening for the footsteps out in the hall. Always listening.
I shot up when I heard two sets of feet stroll down the hall. One shuffled more than the other. Ramaro whipped his head toward the door.
I leaped out of bed and across the room, but I was too late to open the door. Marc stood in the doorway, a faint smile on his lips. “You should be asleep.”
I choked on a laugh. “So should you.” I looked him up and down. “You look pale. Did everything go alright?”
He patted his eye patch. “Perfectly, thanks to you.”
Someone cleared their throat behind him, and Eldric stepped into view. “And more than a little bit of my brilliance.”
I smiled at the modest fellow. “Thank you. We really appreciate the help.”
Eldric’s eyes rolled up to Marc. “I wonder.”
Marc half-turned to him and grinned. “I’ll make sure to capture twice the supplies you need next time I go trawling.”
“And see that it doesn’t spoil on your way back,” Eldric added before he turned his attention to me. “But if you’ll excuse me, I’ve had a long night, no thanks to my ungrateful nephew. Goodnight.” He inclined his head and disappeared into one of the rooms down the hall.
