A few chuckles from the onlookers has Reid’s hand reaching for his weapon again.
“Ah ah, look at me, Reid.Look at me.”
There’s something about her voice that all but compels me to turn her way, to watch the deathly serious look on her face.
“You will leave the galley now. Your weapon will stay in its sheath. She’d only take it from you anyways.”
The room is still, silent, except the cheery sounds of Otto clanging dishes beyond the galley doors.
Reid’s jaw flicks as he grinds his teeth, weighing his options. He spits. “To the sea with all of ya.” Then he stalks past, the scuff of his boots loud on the steps.
Soraya pulls me to a crate table, clutching one of my hands with both of hers. “Are you okay?”
“Never better,” I say warily. I want to admit I admire her ferocity. She’d commanded the room without a single weapon in hand. Even now, as the room begins to mill about, others watch her with amusement or curiosity. They like her. But I find it hard to say anything at all.
There’s so much concern in her eyes I can’t help but feelawkward about its misplacement.
The night is clear.
Despite my distaste for the water, there’s something about the way it reflects the stars. WhereThe Gilded Hartglides, the sky ripples, as if we sail on an ocean of light instead of vast, untamed darkness.
Soraya strums a lute and sings on the starboard bow. A few of the more adventurous crew members dance, while Bear passes around some sweet concoction he insisted we finish off, since the fruit was spoiling. I haven’t seen Rune, but I haven’t seen much of anyone, having taken up a perch on the bones of the foremast.
From above, it’s easier to see how the crew forms into little cliques. Reid stays to one side, only approached by a few others, and always briefly. Soraya commands a fair amount of attention. Bear sits beside her as she sings something hauntingly beautiful, occasionally joining in harmony. Tavi and Elio are tucked in a half-shadow. They don’t look at each other, but their pinkies are covertly entwined on the deck floor between them. Maybe the fae isn’t all hard edges after all.
The drink flows, like everyone is eager to have a good time before we face the first island. I don’t blame them. Most have volunteered to join us on the first island, and as much as I want to believe I know what to expect, the riddle may not be as straightforward as it seems. At the very least, we’ll face creatures none too happy to have us invading their home. Ican’t help but think it would be easier if I went alone. In and out. ButCaptainRune would never allow it, and I can’t risk them leaving me if they change their minds.
A couple hours later, my legs and hands are numb from hanging on the ropes, and a fight breaks out on deck—a man hunches over, holding a bloody nose, while a woman advances on him again, shoving him onto his ass.
Rune’s voice comes from above and to the right. “That’s it! Time to pack it in! If you’re not on the night crew, your hammocks are waiting!”
How had I not realised he was up here? The groans from below make me laugh softly, and that’s when I spot him, on the upper frame, sitting how I am now. It’s dark, but I swear I see him smile back before the expression is smoothed away.
Nearly everyone is tucked below by the time I climb down. Maybe I can find a corner, or ask Bear if I can sleep in the galley. With the quail. Either way, I wouldn’t get much sleep without at least a knife in my hand. I wouldn’t put it past Reid or any of those who agree with him to try and get rid of their little pirate problem while I sleep.
A few of the night crew watch as I hesitate, but a solid weight lands behind me, and their attention turns to Rune.
“You’re going the wrong way,” he says.
My stomach swirls with anticipation, but I’m not sure which kind. “Where should I be going?”
He jerks his chin towards the steps to his room. I can feel more eyes fall on us as we move, but Rune either doesn’t notice or doesn’t acknowledge their curiosity.
I follow, already uncomfortable with the amount of eyes watching, and force my tone into lightness. “The noble bounty hunter wants to share a room with the wet dog?”
His keys clink as he wiggles one into the lock. I reach for my necklace but smooth my hand back down, another pang going through me as I remember that it isn’t there. “I’ve had to deal with worse,” he says, and pushes the door open, gesturing for me to go in first. When it's closed behind him, he speaks again. “Soraya said you and Reid had a chat.”
The bed is unruffled, like he smoothed the proof of my presence away. His desk is neater now, the correspondence conspicuously missing. I don’t bother overexplaining what happened. “Seems I’ve got a fan club.”
Unceremoniously, he drags the giant chair in front of the door, the sound of wood on wood likely clear on the far side of the ship. A folded blanket already lays draped over the back. “You and I both.” He flashes a grin. “I’d love to say I trust everyone aboard, but I can’t risk losing access to the riddles. So the two of you will have to wait a while before taking turns stabbing each other in your sleep.”
The jab doesn’t land, and even though I know I should be wary—in the night, in the flickering lamp light, everything about him seems softer. His eyes trace over my face. He can’t know how raw it makes me feel. How intimate it is, after so long hiding beneath my hood. Despite my fame, few knew my face.
Instead of taking the chair or moving to the bed, he steps towards me, and a traitorous thrill races to my chest. The room is already filled with the scent of him—citrus and salt—and it’s all I can do to lift my chin to look up as he gets closer, rather than let my attention fall away. It’s less how he looks, and more his presence. The intentional, almost predatory way he stalks towards me shorts out any train of reasonable thought, making the animal in me rear her head.
“You’ll take the bed,” he says, reaching past me to pull down the sheets.
“I—” I turn to assess the spot, as if I’ll find reason to argue with him.
