Mara scowled at them. “I don’t understand.”
Du wiped at the tears on her cheeks, then offered her a crooked grin. “I’m such a cantankerous bastard, they refused to keep me. Apparently, my face is not nearly as sweet as yours.”
Thorn scoffed. “Not entirely true. When I signed Devyl on, it was with one understanding.”
“You were never to be harmed, Mara.” Devyl brushed the hair back from her face.
“Aye.” Thorn sobered. “He gave his soul to unbind your lives and by doing that and then sacrificing his life so that you could live again.…”
Du held up his wrist for her to see that his Deadman’s Cross was gone. “I bought my freedom.”
Thorn nodded and smiled. “He made his sacrifice. His slate is wiped completely clean. And rather than flee and start his mortal life anew, he chose to stay on with his crew and to wait and see what you wanted to do with your freedom.”
Gasping, she ran her fingers over his arm where his brand had been. “You’re free?”
“Aye, thanks to you.”
Thorn and Elf gave them the cabin.
Aghast, Mara stared up at him. “And Vine?”
“Dead. I killed her. We’re on Santiago’s ship and—”
She interrupted his words with a kiss. And then another. “I will make our ship again with my body as soon as I’m strong enough.”
Devyl nipped her lips, then brushed his nose against hers. “Our?”
Laughing, she nodded. “Aye, Captain Bane. You don’t think I’m about to let you sail without me, do you?”
“You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.”
His eyes turning even darker, he reached for the laces on her gown.
Mara’s breath caught as he gave her a kiss so hot it scorched her. His hunger was absolute and it matched her own. More than that, it inflamed hers. She still couldn’t believe this was real.
That she was back from the dead and that he was here in her arms.
“What were you thinking when you switched places with me?”
“That you had no business there.” His tongue teased her earlobe, sending chills over her as he laid her back against the bunk. “And that I couldn’t live knowing you had died because of me.”
“You are a fool, Dón-Dueli.”
He pulled back to flash his dimples at her. “Aye, but only for you.”
That was true. Her breath caught as he swept her gown off her body and the cool air hit her skin. Desperate to feel his flesh against hers, she pulled his shirt over his head. And leaned against him so that she could savor his embrace. “We’ve much to do, you know.”
“True.” He nipped her chin with his teeth while he held her gently in his arms and cradled her body with his. “Santiago has signed on to be our backup until we see this finished.”
“And Thorn agreed?”
“Free will. Agreeing’s got nothing to do with it. He can’t stop him.”
She shook her head at the poor pirate who had no idea what he and his crew were in for. “What else have I missed?”
A boyish grin played along the edges of his lips while he drew small circles around her breasts and nibbled the outline of her jaw. “Much bickering. A lot of soul-searching as we tried to put Sallie’s soul back in its bottle and Strixa decided to stay on with us as well.”
