I opened my eyes to see the mast extending high above me, the ivory sail billowing and full, an organized tangle of linesdraping from fabric to wood. The end of the mast didn’t careen through the gray sky like it had yesterday. In fact, it hardly bobbed at all.
Stiff strands of hair fell across my face as I sat up, resting against one of the chests. Around me, the deck was fairly quiet. A few sailors worked, but their pace was relaxed. The captain was at ease behind the wheel.
The only real action to be seen was in the shirtless man lithely swinging his sword like an extension of his body, moving with fluid control between one maneuver and the next. Muscles flexed with every twist and cut, the defined ridges of his arms and torso shifting in a captivating dance. It was as if he and the sea were one in the same—dangerously powerful, effortless in their violence, entirely capable of ending you.
But where the ocean made me nauseous, Harthon tied my stomach in a very different type of knot. Especially when he was missing his tunic. And even more so when his low timbre traveled across the deck.
“You should be watching the horizon, not me.” He didn’t look at me as he spoke.
“I am,” I lied.
“Watching me?” He speared his pretend adversary and dropped his sword. “Well aware.” He faced me, the muscles of his abdomen bulging with each breath.
“I was watching you to learn.”
It was the same excuse I’d used a few weeks ago, when I’d stumbled upon Harthon training in the woods and he’d caught me ogling. The excuse sounded just as weak now as it did then.
Based on his self-assured smirk, he knew it. Closing the space between us, he asked, “And what have you learned?”
“That I’m not as far along in my training as I’d like to be.”
“And you needed to watch me to realize this?” He squatted, bringing all that golden, scarred skin close enough to touch. Hesmelled like man and salt and sweat, a blend that shouldn’t smell as good as it did.
I swept my hair out of my face and rubbed the crust around my mouth. My saliva was rancid from yesterday’s sickness.
“It seems so,” I replied lamely, angling my face away so he wouldn’t smell my breath.
“Then we remedy that.”
The last and only time I’d trained with Harthon, I’d become thoroughly acquainted with the ground. He was an effective teacher, but he was intense.
That intensity was intimidating, but it didn’t scare me away. No, what I feared was handling it while seasick. That, and an audience.
“Your sailors will see how inept I am. I’m supposed to be themagvis.”
“I’m not concerned about the sailors. They’re known for their tall tales. Anyone who believes their stories is a fool.”
Right. So I didn’t need to worry about gossip. Just my pride—and my ass, which would inevitably be covered in bruises. Neither was a good reason to decline his offer, especially with all the unknowns we were about to face.
“Don’t get upset if I accidentally vomit all over you,” I warned. “Though come to think of it, that’s probably a decent offensive tactic.”
The skin around his eyes crinkled. “The seas calmed overnight,” he revealed. “It’s calmer than I’ve seen it in years, actually. If you stop lazing on the floor, you can see.”
“I’mrecovering, not lazing.”
Cautiously, I rose to my feet, half expecting a wave to send me flying. Nothing happened. My stomach chose that moment to gurgle, but it seemed to be more from hunger than illness.
My legs felt shaky as we wandered to the side of the ship, where I was met with waves that were significantly smaller thanyesterday. They were missing all that angry texture, too, not quite smooth, but not wind-whipped.
“The storm must have ended,” I murmured.
“Yesterday wasn’t a storm.” When I looked at Harthon with surprise, he elaborated, “Those were typical conditions. If it was storming, we wouldn’t have set sail.”
For a moment, I questioned how much Harthon really knew about the ocean, because yesterday’s seas weremost definitelystorming.
A soft breeze coasted over my face, pricking my skin with its coolness. I eyed Harthon’s half-naked form. “Aren’t you cold?”
“Training while cold makes you stronger. Builds resilience and focus.”
