He swallowed hard as Bane inclined his head to Thorn. “I would say thank you, but I know how much you despise gratitude.”
Thorn snorted a prim dismissal at Bane. “Told you I’d get him back.”
“And I trusted you would. Arsling you might be, but you were ever good to your word.”
“That a compliment?”
Bane scoffed. “Never. Just a statement of fact.”
Smirking, Thorn rolled his eyes as Bane’s wife, Mara, joined them on deck. As a Deruvian—and Vine’s sister—she was born from a race of wood sylphs and was the very enchanted ship they sailed upon. Yet unlike Vine, she wasn’t possessed of their Wintering disease that had stolen her sister’s soul and sanity. She was still a protector for Man, and held her soul intact. Her Deruvian vows were sacred to her, as was the safety of every person she housed inside her hull.
And just as Kalder’s brother had been bonded to the ground,Mara was part of the ship itself and knew everything that happened aboard it. Every piece of wood was tied to her in much the same way the ground had been melded to Muerig. She could sense every swipe of the ocean water or step of foot against the planks. They were all part of her body and being.
With the palest golden-brown hair that was liberally laced with strands of pure ice white, she was lithe and angelic—more graceful and beautiful than any woman Kalder had ever seen.
Except for one who was conspicuously missing at the moment.
Mara moved to stand next to Bane while Thorn scanned their crew with a warning grimace. “And with that, I should warn you that the Carian Gate fell open completely a short bit ago. The entire Sarim Council, including Michael and Gabriel, are holding the battle line with their armies as best they can, but…”
“All hell’s breaking loose?”
Bane and Thorn both passed a droll stare at Will for his unsolicited comment that caused half the crew to groan out loud over the bad jest.
Bartholomew Meers, or Blackheart Bart as most knew him, shoved Will forward. “You’re ever a daft wanker with ill timing. Read the room, man. Toss him overboard for you, Captain? Do us all a service?”
“Maybe later. We might could use the entertainment.”
Unamused, Kalder froze as he felt a presence behind him similar to warm sunshine brushing over his naked skin. It was hot and tantalizing.
And it left him breathless.
Knowing instinctively that it was Cameron, he turned to seeher in the shadows of the hatch. Tears glistened in a pair of pale sea-colored eyes that widened with disbelief. With her arms braced on each side of the doorframe to steady herself on the rocking ship, and her breathing labored, she chewed at the bottom of her lip. A habit of nervousness he found absolutely charming.
Still dressed in the breeches and tunic of a boy, she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him and he’d gut anyone who said otherwise. Especially when she launched herself forward at a dead run across the deck for him.
Her laughter rang out like a song.
Catching her in his arms, he was completely unprepared for the ferocity of her assault. She wrapped herself around him and cradled his entire body with hers. Never had anyone greeted him with such reckless abandon and enthusiasm. And he’d never thought to have a homecoming like this from a woman of such fine and upstanding character and nature. Usually, people were only this happy to see him go.
Kalder couldn’t breathe as the almond scent of her skin hit him hard and he fisted his hand in the silken chestnut strands of her hair. “Take it you missed me, lass?”
Cameron wanted to beat him for that question. But she was too grateful to have him back to taint it, even if he did deserve it for baiting her so. “How could I miss anyone as thoughtless as you?” she teased. “You’re a feckless beast. Worthless from your first breath to your last!”
He flashed a charming grin at her. “’Deed, as is evidenced by your reluctance to loosen that Herculean death grip you’ve got about me throat.”
Cameron felt her cheeks stinging as she realized how right he was. Her arms ached from the tightness of her grasp. “Only because every time I let you out of me sight, Mr. Dupree, you get into all manner of trouble.”
Reluctantly, she released him and stepped back to stare up into those eyes that defied her ability to name their stormy pewteresque color. And how could she have forgotten just how handsome he was? Or tall?
Or how incredibly massive and refined for a bloke!
Only Captain Bane was larger in size.
Even bruised, Kalder was still the most handsome creature she’d ever seen in the flesh. And the sight of him there before her left her breathless and hot in a way that really should be illegal, and probably was in most colonies. In truth, she hated how much he affected her, and he wasn’t even trying. That was the worst part of it all. She had none to blame for her untoward thoughts but herself.
And if her heart didn’t quit pounding, it would soon beat a hole from her chest and be skiddling along the deck at their feet. The sound of a gruff male clearing his throat interrupted her appreciation of Kalder’s finer assets. Too late, she remembered that her older brother was now on board their ship, sailing with the crew.
And staring angrily at them in a state of obvious distemper over her overt ogling. Never mind the overt groping.
