He was seconds away from driving that blade through her chest without so much as batting an eye.
“Say one more fucking word, Levitte,” Syoran growled, his rage threatening to flood my ship. “And your innards will coat the deck.”
“I’m not sure how much yourcaptainwould appreciate the mess. You know, considering you have no problem riding his?—”
“Enough.”The single word came from me with enough bite to silence the ensuing chaos, the world seeming to hold its breath beneath my command. “Bothof you.”
Waves slapped against the ship, lapping up the stillness myunexpected engagement had stirred. The ocean lulled, as if I’d directed my order at its untamed nature and not the violence that was seconds away from unfolding. Its sudden halt suggested even Ellira had sensed my vexation, calming her essence to ensure I did not unfold further than I already had—further than my nightmarish recollection had guided me.
Pushing myself up on shaking arms, I shrugged off any attempt to help me. As I stood, ignoring the tug of my stitches, my gaze shifted between Syoran and Rohen, their expressions conveying two distinctly different things.
Syoran’s face held a poise that was almost infuriating in its composure. His jaw was steady, his lips neither pursed nor loose, and his eyes—dark, discerning pools—watched me with the restraint of someone who had weathered storms greater than my sudden flare. There was no judgment, only the gravity of a man who bore respect like a mantle.
He did not need to speak for his presence to remind everyone he stood not as an adversary, but as a grounded stone against which tempests broke. Where, on the other hand, opposition had taken its time carving Rohen.
As I held her vibrant stare, her mouth twitched with the same defiance she never masked. Where Syoran’s gaze was steady, Rohen’s burned with a fire that seemed eager to consume me whole: unrelenting and unrepentant. Leaning forward, she tested the patience, her silence becoming a weapon sharpened by the contempt etched into every line of her face.
She was the embodiment of resistance, a storm that begged to be unleashed, and I wanted nothing more than to stir her waters until self-restraint became something she could no longer maintain. I wished to be the reason she slipped and came undone, drowning in the very nuances she attempted to use as lures.
While she enthralled me for reasons I couldn’t seem to place, my loathing far outweighed my intrigue. It was a refined hatred carved from the most impenetrable stone, unwilling to break beneath her essence, no matter how hard she tried.
My jaw feathered as I swallowed every thought I wished to utter, turning to Syoran. “Order the crew to raise the sails. We have important matters to attend to.”
He dipped his chin, pivoting on his heel toward our men. “Get back to your posts and continue to allow Ellira to guide us. We have a ship to lose!”
Intermixed shouts ripped across the deck, confirming the excitement to continue our hunt for the treasure we’d been seeking for years. It was a deadly journey, and I’d warned every individual who manned our ship about it before they set foot on our decks. Even knowing the risks, they’d still joined us, putting their faith in our capabilities and guidance.
In turn, Syoran and I knew that failing to find The Eyes of Ellira—or rathertheEye—wasn’t an option, and we led with that in mind. Where some viewed our oversight as problematic and often forceful, those who walked alongside us had learned that our methods stemmed from a desire to ensure their livelihood.
We’d vowed our lives to them just as much as they had to us. It was a sworn decision I hadn’t taken lightly, and each of them knew that.
As if to display our established relationship, our men moved without question. Falling into their informed roles, they worked together to accomplish what Syoran had requested, and so our journey continued.
Allowing my gaze to wander, I noted the individuals who’d quickly become family. My lips curled as I observed their unique mannerisms and habitual tendencies. They were things I’d become well-acquainted with throughout our time together, and often admired far more than I’d ever let on.
Satisfied with their swift cooperation, I chased the stare I’d felt ever since I’d come to. It was the same looming presence that’d penetrated my soul ever since we’d met, and when I finally landed on the sterncastle deck, I found her.
Saph looked down at us, maintaining her position as navigator behind the large wheel she commanded with simplistic ease. Thoughher taut expression conveyed the second role she carried: quartermaster.
Her fingers wrapped around its blackened wood, seeming to taint its design with the heated envy in her sinking gaze. Sparing me a fraction of her time, her caramel irises ignited with countless unspoken words before they shifted to fix on the woman who stood in front of me.
Amused, I chuckled under my breath before glancing back down at Rohen, who remained unmoved. “I am thoroughly surprised you elected to stick around, little siren. By the gods, you had every moment to flee.”
“And where would I go, mylovelycaptor?” she hissed, her lips curling into an undeniable sneer.
“Well, considering how you spoke of me after sograciouslysaving my life, I figured you’d prefer to take your chance with the Tide Eaters than remain on my ship a second longer.”
Scoffing, she flattened her palm against my bare chest, shoving me back. “You’re unbearable.”
As her footfalls drummed past me, I let every step she took spark her dimming sense of self-preservation, a hope I planned to snuff out with the mere pinch of my fingertips. One step quickly turned to four, and I rocked back on my heels. Shifting my weight, I turned, grabbing hold of her wrist and yanking her back toward me.
Spiced citrus consumed my senses as the distance between us vanished, and I devoured it greedily. “I don’t believe you were excused.”
Her chin shot toward me, revulsion seeping through her features. “I’ve fucking excused myself and will see my way to myhumble abode.”
“I’m honored you’ve found comfort in the cell I’ve elected to keep you in. I figured it would provide a sense of belonging, considering Malrik has kept you shackled to him by your throat and cunt for decades.”
Her eye twitched once, and then she came undone.
