The sound of my name on his lips sends goosebumps down my spine. Sable places the lantern in the sand between us, then takes another step towards me.
“Look at me.”
Something in the steadiness of his voice anchors me, and I let the sound press against the chaos inside my chest. Suppressing it. I can’t face him though. Not yet. I am not ready to see the fear, the disgust in his eyes. But he wraps his fingers around my wrist, with a gentleness that I was not expecting. My lungs draw in a shaky breath before I can bring myself to turn to face him, bracing myself for the look on his face.
“The siren is wrong,” he whispers and presses his thumb against the inside of my wrist.
His brows are drawn together, his jaw set tight, but there’s no fear in his eyes. In the lanternlight, they remind me of the sea just before a storm breaks, carrying currents beneath the surface that reveal themselves only when the lightning strikes them the right way. Right now, those eyes scan my face with quiet understanding.
“I’m not afraid of you,” he continues after a moment, his voice low enough that the waves almost cover it. “I know what it’s like to stand face to face with a version of yourself you don’t recognize. And to feel it winning an unspoken battle.”
His eyes hold mine as he gently takes my hand covering my lips. I do not resist as he lifts it away from my face. My breath catches. If he sees my canines, he doesn’t acknowledge them. Sable simply looks at me as he lets his thumb caress my knuckles, before tightening his fingers around mine in a brief squeeze.
“Believe me when I tell you this,” he says, his voice steady. “I know the difference between a monster and someone who is simply trying not to become one.”
Chapter Twenty
Ilowermyselfintothesand, processing what he just said, and shortly after, Sable sits down next to me. The lantern sits between us now, casting a golden glow against the dark water in front of us.
For a considerable amount of time, neither of us says a word. The village behind us has grown quiet, leaving us alone with the rushing of the sea. I don’t know what to say to him, or rather, I don't know where to start. I want to apologize for wandering off. For making him chase me down, even though I promised him tostay. And I want to ask him about his inner demons, and if they had the upper hand when we first met.
Eventually, Sable shifts beside me.
“How did you learn that dance?” he asks, his voice breaking the silence.
I glance at him.
“The one in the tavern.”
I bite down on my lip, trying to decide whether I want to tell him the truth about my father. It could change things, make it more complicated between us than it already is. Telling him feels like opening a door I have kept barricaded for years. I try to avoid thinking about my father, my pirate heritage. It leaves me thinking about all the what-ifs. What if he didn’t die? What if he picked me up on that day? Would I be sailing the seas with him now, far away from the chaos of the Noctis? I can’t help but wonder if I would’ve felt at home, with my father and his crew, if I had accepted the absence of my tail and grown to love and appreciate my legs for what they are – a reminder that I come from him. That I belong somewhere.
“My father taught me,” I say finally.
Sable turns toward me, the light catching his expression as his brows draw together, confusion twitching at his lips, causing them to tremble.
“Your father...”
“A pirate,” I add quietly.
It feels as if I have dropped a stone into still water. My words will only ripple out until I cannot rein them back in, until they’re out of my control.
“A pirate,” he repeats, and a corner of his mouth lifts, a light chuckle escapes. “I have to say, I wasn’t expecting that.”
I shrug one shoulder, drawing my knees closer to my chest.
“I suppose it explains a few things,” he says and leans back on his hands, the movement casual. “Like your stealing. The bone charm. The boots you are wearing.”
I turn my head towards him now, staring him down as heat prickles the back of my neck. I have to fight back an embarrassed laugh.
“You noticed that?”
Sable chuckles. “Little fish, I command a ship full of thieves. I notice everything.”
My lips press together, but I cannot stop the small smile from forming.
“You can’t steal what has already been stolen,” I say, lifting my chin slightly.
“That,” Sable replies dryly, “is exactly what every pirate says.”
