So they’d finally realised something was up.
Tyler shoved the now useless jar back into his bag, pulling out the other as he did so. He moved slowly, calculating every movement. He couldn’t make out the words, but he could guess. One of them had a lamp, he could see the light dancing across the beams. Tyler took a breath, counted down in his head. The voices got a little louder, they were coming to investigate. The hatch was near. He made another calculation, flicked open the jar and hauled it over his shoulder.
Grabbing Irena he pushed her towards the hatch, tensing himself as the smoke billowed behind him. For a minute he was blinded, the acrid stench bringing tears to his eyes even as he tucked his chin into his collar and refused to breathe. He felt rather than saw the edge of the hatch, grabbed for the door and shut it firmly behind himself. Irena pulled him to his feet. He rubbed at his eyes, dragged her into a run. They cleared a few blocks, then he slowed to a brisk walk. He blinked heavily a few times. His eyes were still itching.
“I guess that was plan B?” Irena pulled to a halt, rubbing at her ribs.
Tyler stopped too, taking the chance to check the straps of his pack, and brush off the worst of the dust that had clung to his jacket. “Smoke bomb.”
“You’re more resourceful than I gave you credit for.”
Tyler grinned, leaned in a little closer, cupping his hand behind Irena’s neck. She pulled away, turning her head from his kiss. “What are you doing?”
“I’d have thought that was obvious.”
“You said no flirting on the job.”
“Job’s done.”
Irena stalked off, pulling her blades back into line along her spine. “Not here. We need to get back. Crescent Bay isn’t too far and we have to make it there before Clarke seeks retribution.”
“Isn’t heading home a little too obvious?” He hurried to catch up with her, falling into pace with her long strides.
She shrugged, “Better to be there than on Siren’s Call in the middle of the ocean. He’d be an idiot to try get me while I’m docked at the Bay. Honestly, it’s the safest place right now, to let us have a bit of breathing space.”
Chapter 15
Diamond ring
Tyler perched on the edge of the deck, his legs dangling over the ship’s polished side. He surveyed the hills and greenery before him. Proper wild jungle. It had been a while since he’d seen it. They’d be docked here for a couple of weeks, a chance for everyone to recoup. Crescent Bay was a haven for pirates in this sense, an extension of the oceans themselves, it was lawless and notorious for cheap booze, food and brothels. It had cleaned up its act in recent years, becoming more metropolitan, and while it was commonplace to see bar brawls and pistols on display, discrimination was not tolerated and deaths were low for those who hadn’t asked for it. While Tyler had never had reason to visit these shores himself, he’d met a fair few thieves who spoke of its benefits. It was certainly colourful.
As with most pirate towns parts of it looked to have been built out of old wrecks, though they’d mingled them well with the actual timber frames of the buildings themselves, and they’d been brightly painted to match. He’d never realised you could make paint in such hues, turquoise and lavender, vivid yellow and shocking pink. A fair few shades of red too. Tyler rubbed at the poppy on his arm and turned from the view. He watched as Jim called out the crew members’ names, to come forward and collect their earnings. Unlike the other brief stops along the way, this pause was for more than business, and they’d be hanging around for more than a few hours. As each man reached the first mate they were tossed a purse full of gold coins by Malcolm, then, grinning like banshees and gripping their earnings tightly, one by one they made their way down the gangplank to the bustling dock below.
Tyler could feel the weight of his own purse at his belt, he’d stayed on board to wait for Ollie. He sighed and stretched, feeling the toll of the warm sun against his back. At the click of a door he turned to see Irena. The sight of her stunned him for a moment. A deep emerald dress clung to her curves, the corset threaded with velvet ribbons and embellished with black beadwork that glittered in the sunlight. He’d never seen her in a dress before. The skirts descended into layers of silk, edged with trellises of cream lace that brushed the decks.
She caught his eye as she made her way to the gangplank, followed by Negrita. The dress certainly looked like a two person job. He was already looking forward to helping her out of it later. Tyler grinned, swung himself back over the banister, and swaggered across the deck towards her. “No need to dress up on my account.”
Irena awarded him with an impish grin. “If that is you paying me a compliment then thank you kind sir.”
Her exaggerated politeness was something of a game they’d started to play with each other when they were in public. He grinned wider, and bowed low to her, offering his arm as he stood again. “May I escort you to land Captain?”
Her smile faded so suddenly, like a candle extinguished by a cold breeze. “That won’t be necessary Tyler.” She swept past him, her eyes lingering on his face long enough that he suspected there was more that she wasn’t telling him. She had a way of doing that, as if she was silently asking him to come up with the conclusions himself so that she didn’t have to explain herself. No questions, no answers.
He pivoted to watch her, willing her to look back, to explain what that look had meant.
He watched her intently as she stepped lightly down the steep gangplank, unhindered by her skirts though he’d only ever seen her in trousers. Irena reached the jetty, paused. She looked back at him, and the look on her face made him freeze, as if an icicle had pierced his heart. He staggered forward a step, unsure what he was doing, but certain that he had to ask her to explain what the hell was happening. A carriage arrived at the dock. Irena strode purposely for it without another glance back to him. The door opened, though not by the passenger, no, there were a decent number of footmen. Whoever it was had high status, important. But what did Irena have to do with them? A gentleman stepped out, his suit a deep grey, perfectly fitted, expensive. Maybe it was a business venture, perhaps a rich benefactor. Tyler was now parallel with Jim, at the top of the gangplank. Irena wrapped her arms around the stranger, his lips brushed her cheek.
Tyler stopped, rooted to the spot as he watched the possessive way the gentleman stroked his hand down Irena’s spine. He was going to throw up. He was going to kill him, and then he was going to throw up. Jim grabbed his wrist. The gentleman stepped back and bent to kiss Irena’s hand, hesitating long enough to enjoy the view the corset had created. Tyler’s blood was boiling. Jim’s grip on his wrist tightened. Irena was helped up into the carriage, the gentleman never once letting go of her hand. The door closed, the footmen climbed back up, and the horses moved forwards, their hooves kicking up clouds of dust as they advanced into a collected trot. Then they were gone. Tyler pulled his hand free from Jim’s grip, his hands clenching into fists so tight…he grabbed the balustrade instead, ignoring the splinters that pierced his skin. He still felt sick, dizzy. Had he imagined all of that, had he read into it, was he just being a jealous prick? He felt a tap on his shoulder. Tyler turned, startled.
Jim leant on the banister beside Tyler and looked out on the view in silence for a while before continuing. “She didn’t tell you about him did she?” It was more of a statement than a question.
Tyler shook his head, pulling out a splinter from his palm as he did so.
“He’s her fiancé.”
Tyler looked up in shock. “What? She’s engaged to him?”
Jim nodded. “The offer of marriage was an honour to her family really. He’s the son of the Lord of this area. His inheritance is power.” He sighed. “Look, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, I really am. I thought she’d have told you, she seemed to tell you everything else. You’ve really become her confidant. To be honest I was jealous – I thought you were stealing my place. And I know you may have thought…Well…Tyler, yo
u’ve just got to accept that you two would never have worked. I had to realise the same thing, it’s just not meant to be.”
Tyler said nothing for some time.
“Forget anything you thought she felt for you, or that you felt for her. Irena is a pirate Captain, she is a thief, a murderer, and most importantly, a liar.” Jim patted him on the back, and began to leave, before thinking better of it, and telling Tyler one more thing. “If you don’t return to the ship after shore leave, I’ll understand, and I promise no one will come looking for you.”
~
Tyler stared into the bottom of his glass. That wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be able to see the bottom. He screwed up his face, narrowing his eyes. His arm snapped up, glass in tow. The bartender was intelligent enough to recognise a man who needed a drink when he saw one.
When Tyler dropped his arm again the glass was once again brimming. Tyler nodded to himself. Good service in here. He sipped at the amber liquid. It was harsh stuff, it burned as it slipped down his throat. But it was helping.
He’d been such an idiot. He hadn’t even seen it coming. Of course she was bloody engaged. She was beautiful, and clever, and funny, and far better than anything he could hope to claim. At the end of the day what was he? Just a thief, a colourless thief at that, struck down from his post. He wasn’t anyone anymore.
The gentleman kept appearing in his mind, taunting him. Not a hair out of place, or a speck of dust on him, immaculate, the epitome of the upper class. Better than him. Finely dressed, cleanly shaven. Had Tyler seen him on the streets he’d have marked him with a firm target on his back. People like that exuded power, wealth. Of course she’d fallen for a man like that. Unlike him, the thief, who struggled to keep his hair in check, always had five o’clock shadow no matter the hour, or how long it had been since he’d last shaved. Who’d spent so much of his life trying to make himself unmemorable that he’d inadvertently made himself more or less invisible to her. He realised with a start he’d gone past the point of self-pity and crossed over to self-loathing. No sense in starting down that path. Tyler snorted into his glass, spilling a little of the precious liquid. He swore under his breath, then went back to staring dejectedly at the wall.
No one tried to talk to him. He didn’t know anyone in here – he’d been sure to head somewhere far away from the usual haunts the crew plagued, settling on the most dismal place he could find. A fitting setting for the way he was feeling. He managed to stop himself from ordering another drink, simply because some niggling part of his mind told him that if he had another mouthful he’d pass out.
Tyler slipped off the stool, almost upending it. His walk to the door was rather uneven, but he at least remained upright. He made it back to the ship, not quite sure how, but he’d always been good at knowing where he was, he had a good internal compass. Climbing the gangplank, he found the deck more or less empty, though he was sure it was more tilted than normal. No one looked twice as he staggered past. He’d sobered up a little from the walk, but his legs were still reluctant to do as he asked.
“Tyler.”
He froze at her voice. Irena stood by the meet room, her foot propping open one of the doors. She was still in that dress. The ribbons caught on the wind, beckoning him. She titled her head a little, a silent invitation. He gathered from the look in her eye what it was she wanted from him. Tyler’s heart stammered. He made himself look away, and climbed below deck.
Irena felt her heart stutter. The way he’d looked at her. Did he truly hate her now? They’d been open with each other, it was just a bit of fun. It hadn’t been serious. They’d agreed to that, no backstories, no feelings, no strings. But something inside her felt severed at that cold glance, at the way he’d turned his back on her.
His eyes had been red, as if he’d been crying. No, she was imagining it. He was just stinking drunk. Much use he’d be to her in that state. He was better off going to his hammock.
She let the door shut behind her. She’d told him the conditions right from the beginning. True, she hadn’t told him about Howard, but that was nothing to do with him. That had been their deal, no backstories, no discussing each other’s pasts, presents or future. They’d both already broken that a few times. She sat down at the meet table, slipping the compass into her hands. She rubbed at her brow, stroking her thumb over the decorative inlay, as she had so many times before. Tyler had got this back for her.
Because she’d told him to, because she was his Captain and he’d jumped at the chance to show off his talents in front of the crew, as he always did. Nothing more to it than that. Why was she even thinking like this? So unlike her to be uncertain. For while she was of course angry that he’d shunned her, there was something else flittering in the pit of her stomach. Relationships were nothing more than business arrangements, that was it. There was never emotion involved, at least not for her. He’d served a purpose. He’d kept her satisfied, sated her while at sea. Howard had an annoying habit of demanding they both remained pure for their wedding. She hadn’t admitted that she was far past that point, though he probably suspected. It had been hard enough to convince his family she was good enough for their son. They mainly wanted the fame it would bring them. Their daughter-in-law, child of the Wolves. Pirates yes, but powerful ones. They probably thought she had the ear of the Pirate Lord too.
She sighed and poured herself a large glass of rum, then thought better of it and downed a few mouthfuls straight from the bottle. She’d been looking forward to seeing Tyler tonight; though Howard wouldn’t lie with her he had his own ways of riling her up, underhand enough that the old bat who escorted them never noticed.
She’d not been alone with him once. What would he do if they were left alone? Would he stick to his upbringing? Or would she prove too tempting a prize to wait for? Would it feel the same as it did with Tyler, or would it be like all those other men who’d shared her bed? She shook herself. No, Tyler was no different. Though he’d have come in handy – she still had to get out of the dress Negrita had helped her into, and she’d been counting on his assistance. Still, she’d be able to buy plenty more dresses like this when she was married. Old money held more weight than new. It’s the main thing she was in it for. Gold was a weakness she didn’t admit to anyone. She strode into her bedroom, grabbing a dagger from the dresser. The ties of the corset cut smoothly, her breathing easing as each one snapped lose. She pulled free of the dress, stepping over the pile of silk, velvet and lace that pooled upon the floor, kicking it into the corner. The bed felt cold, and empty.
Tyler wasn’t sure what brought him to Anya’s door, what was going through his mind as he knocked. He was still drunk, though seeing Irena had sobered him up somewhat. The door opened a crack, Anya’s expression suspicious as she peered around it. Her eyes widened as she saw who it was, but she let him in, despite the state he must look.
He started talking almost the minute she shut the latch, the words pouring out of him, “I don’t know what to do. I’ve not felt like this before. It hurts. I know I can’t overstep the line, especially now, and I think I just needed to see you because I–”
Anya’s lips met his, stopping his words in their tracks. Her lips were so soft, so warm. So unexpected. Tyler found himself rooted to the spot, unsure what to do. At least it had stopped him talking. The kiss was brief, and one sided. As Anya pulled back her cheeks pinked. “I love you too.”
He felt a little breathless, “That’s not – Anya I’m flattered but, I wasn’t meaning that.”
Her face got a lot redder, “Why, who are you talking about?”
“Irena.”
Anya swung her hand around so fast Tyler didn’t have time to move. The slap reverberated around the room, his cheek immediately on fire. She breathed heavily as he turned his head back to her, obviously still angry. Her cheeks were burning, tears glistening in her eyes.
He was definitely feeling a lot more sober now. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realise you felt that way.”
�
��No, of course you didn’t. So stupid, you’re blissfully unaware that your little games might resort in your toys getting feelings for you.”
“Anya.” He reached out, but she stepped away from him, her hand on the hilt of her pistol.
“Save it. I’m done. I’m so done. Get out now.”
Chapter 16
Albatross
Anya could throw a bloody good slap. Tyler ran his tongue round the inside of his mouth, wincing at the still tender skin. He’d had punches from the pits that had hurt less than this. But maybe that was down to the feeling behind it. He couldn’t stop seeing the realisation in her eyes, the hurt and betrayal. And the venom in her words when she’d ordered him to leave. He hadn’t meant to do that to her. To see her infectious smile transformed into that. She was right, he’d been so wrapped up in himself he hadn’t even noticed.
He groaned, his head falling into his hands the moment the albatross landed on deck. Nothing about its landing could be called elegant, but it held itself with a certain dignity which told Tyler this was no ordinary bird. He glanced sidelong at Jim, whose lip curled into a half smile before he righted it again. The first mate strode over to the creature, who didn’t shrink back or fly away, but merely held out its leg so that Jim could detach the small roll of parchment held there. As soon as the message was released the bird flapped its huge wings and dragged itself back into the air. Clearly this message did not require a response.
Tyler watched after the albatross for a moment, shielding his eyes against the sun with a hand. Meanwhile, Jim had unrolled the parchment, his eyes darting across the page as he read whatever it held in its contents. “What is it?”
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