Of course the way I’d sold it to Cassian was that we were doing the world a service by hunting down creatures such as Shaitans, ghouls and demons of every variety and ridding the world of them. He’d been more than keen to back our ‘noble mission’ when I’d put it that way. Rapunzel had seen right through me of course but she was still more than willing to allow it; even if the call of the adventure was a bigger draw to me than the justice I could dish out, it all amounted to the same thing. And the justice side of it had a few benefits to it too; even the small missions we’d carried out so far had resulted in more than a few adoring fans. And I always had been partial to being adored.
I marched up the gangplank quickly, casting an eye over the assembled crew. The members of The Forty who had survived the battle against Gothel’s undead creations had been given pardons for their crimes and positions in the Silver Fleet. The rest of the crew had been hand picked by me from a group of seasoned sailors. Who may or may not have been pirates prior to their employment by me. But then I did prefer to trust a man who could be bought than any other. Because no one paid better than me. Kyra could grant them riches and good health and they all knew that if anyone ever offered them more then they only needed to bring it to my attention and I’d see that offer beaten. Only a fool would double cross me anyway; I was the damn King of Thieves. And even more terrifying than that, I was married to Kyra. Anyone who dared make a move against me was likely to be burned alive for it once she found out. And with the way her magic helped her see the truth in people, she would always find out.
“I was beginning to think we’d have to wait for the next tide,” Balthazar said dryly as I made it onto the deck.
I tossed him a grin and a dismissive shrug. “Some things are worth waiting for.”
He rolled his eyes at me as he turned away to start barking orders at the rest of the crew to set sail.
The Thief’s Wish was the biggest ship in the Osarian Fleet and the most luxurious too. I crossed the deck as the crew prepared cast off and headed into my cabin in search of my wife.
Kyra had left me alone in our bed this morning while I slept, allowing me to wake to cold sheets instead of her warm flesh and I was fairly sure I knew why. Whenever she had the chance, she liked to walk around the slums and offer her gifts to those in need. She used her magic to heal the sick, fix broken housing and distribute food to hungry mouths.
Needless to say she was adored by everyone in Osaria and the mere sight of her purple streaked hair sparked stampedes of needy people. It had worried me at first but with her magic at her command, she could easily escape any difficult situations and she always saw through anyone who tried to take advantage greedily.
I entered the sprawling main quarters of our cabin which held a large desk and space for dining but found it empty. A smile tugged at my lips as I headed through the space towards our private cabin at the rear of the room.
“Kyra?” I called hopefully, wondering if I might be about to find her waiting for me in our bed.
The thought of her flesh and the warmth of her touch had me hurrying but instead of the beautiful girl I’d been hoping for, I found a note on my pillow instead.
I sighed disappointedly as I crossed the room to retrieve it.
At some point, Cassian and Rapunzel had decided that my new roles required me to be able to read and write. And despite the fact that I found the process of learning mind-numbingly dull, Kyra had chosen to side with them.
Her latest way of forcing me to practice was this. She would hide from me and leave me written clues to her whereabouts. And as she could use her magic to hide herself completely, I couldn’t even cheat by using my skills to track her down. No. I had to read the damn thing.
I huffed loudly, hoping she was close enough to hear me. As much as I enjoyed the hunt once I figured out the note, I hated the figuring out part enough to make me despise the game as a whole. At least until I claimed the reward of a kiss at the end of it. Or more than a kiss if I was lucky.
Our bedchamber was darker than the main quarters so I strode back out of it, casting a disappointed look at the bed before closing the door.
I sat at the desk and frowned at the jumble of curling letters before me.
I tapped my fingers against the wooden desk as I slowly sifted through the words, picking out the ones I easily recognised then swinging back around to the ones I didn’t.
Rapunzel had hired me a tutor for this but the thirteenth time I called him a jumped-up little ass wipe and threatened to throw him through the nearest wall, he’d quit. Unfortunately for me that hadn’t been the end of the matter.
Why did Kyra have to write such long clues? She clearly made an effort to use as many words as humanly possible. When I’d questioned her on it she’d only laughed and promised to keep making the rewards I earned for my efforts better. So far she’d been true to her word on that, so I forced myself to focus on what she might give me for figuring this out rather than my frustration with the task.
It took an annoyingly long time for me to decipher Kyra’s note and I refused to acknowledge the surge of triumph that filled me once I managed it. If I did then I might have to admit that I was proud of myself for the progress I’d made with this stupid highborn practice. And if I was proud of it then that would mean that I’d been wrong and the others were right in saying that it was worth learning. I didn’t much like the sound of admitting that.
I pulled off my cloak and tossed it down on the desk as I rose to my feet.
I headed back out onto the deck and looked around at the busy crew members. They knew what they were doing better than I did and I wasn’t one to get involved where I wasn’t needed. I was their Captain in name but in practice Balthazar shared that duty with a man called Lorbeck who had spent more years aboard ships than I’d been alive.
“Surprise!”
I spun around at the sound of that voice and a grin captured my lips as I spotted Rapunzel and Cassian standing on the deck.
“What are you doing here?” I asked excitedly, striding towards them and pulling them into an embrace.
Rapunzel giggled as she was crushed between me and her husband and I stepped back again with a wide smile.
“We didn’t want to miss out on the adventure,” she admitted, casting a look at Cassian.
“I knew you were obsessed with me, mate,” I said, reaching out to slap his cheek. He batted my hand aside before I could manage it with a challenging grin.
“Oh yes, the idea of spending weeks away from your perfect face was too much to bear,” he said airily but I could detect a hint of truth in his words all the same.
I barked a laugh. “And you’re going to rough it, sleeping below deck with the rest of the crew? I am impressed with your adventurous natures!”
“What?” Rapunzel asked, her gaze flickering around my crew for a moment as she took in the scars, beards and general lack of hygiene which a lot of them seemed to bond over.
“Well you can’t very well expect me to offer up my quarters, can you?” I asked, folding my arms.
“We are the King and Queen of Osaria, so I’m pretty sure that means we get the best bed,” Cassian said with a mischievous smile, puffing up his chest as he pulled his wife closer to him.
“Pfft.” I waved him off. “There is no King and Queen of the sea. And the day I call you my superior in any way will be the day I ask Kyra to end my suffering and just let me die. Out here I’m in charge and I like my quarters very much.”
Cassian gave me a flat look which said he wasn’t going to bite at my bullshit. “If you think for one moment that the Queen of Osaria is going to bunk down with your crew of cutthroats and pirates-”
“We don’t use the P word around here,” I interrupted. “It has a lot of negative connotations and is very insulting. At least half of my crew aren’t even of the pirating persuasion; they’re much better suited to thieving. And of course the whores won’t want to be lumped in with the rest-
“You have
whores on board this ship?” Rapunzel gasped.
I grinned at her provocatively just as Amira strolled across the deck wearing as little clothes as she could manage while still covering the parts of her that counted... mostly.
“For the love of Osaria,” Cassian muttered, giving me a look that said my choice of crew wasn’t very Count-ish and I snorted a laugh.
“Hey - you’re the ones stowing away on my ship. You don’t get to cast judgement. Or choose your accommodation. In all honesty I should be making you walk the plank…”
“You have a third of the upper deck dedicated to your quarters,” Cassian pointed out, ignoring my teasing. “All we require is a bed.”
“I happen to need that bed - and not just for sleeping. In fact, I hardly sleep at all these days; Kyra can magically cure me of exhaustion which means we can stay up most of the night enjoying the pleasures of-”
“We don’t need to hear the details of your marital activities!” Cassian interrupted before I could go on and Rapunzel giggled.
“No, you’re right. Best not to overshare, I wouldn’t want you to feel inadequate in comparison.” I winked at him and he groaned.
“You’re impossible,” he muttered looking down at Rapunzel as she tried to contain her laughter. “Remind me why we hang around with him?”
“Because your lives would be too damn boring without me. Look at us now for example, I’ve corrupted you into running away from your palace and neglecting your duties. It sounds like that stick finally got removed from your ass, Cassian.” Not that I was complaining about that one bit: I wanted them here for this adventure, it was kind of our thing; wading into danger together.
They exchanged a look and for half a second I thought they might be considering turning back and quitting on me right as the fun was about to begin. I wasn’t having that though and I hurried to speak before my teasing ended up guilting them into being responsible. Osaria would be just fine without them for a few weeks but I needed my friends by my side.
I sighed dramatically. “Fine. I’m sure Kyra will conjure you up a bed in the corner of our quarters… Maybe a hammock or a bunk bed, something small but functioning. Don’t ever say I don’t do anything for you.”
“How gracious of you, Captain Aladdin, a hammock will suit you and your wife just fine while we take the master bedroom,” Cassian replied, a smirk lifting his lips.
“Now that you mention it, I bet I could get up to a lot of mischief in a hammock with Kyra,” I replied thoughtfully.
“It’s not necessary to discuss these ideas in front of your Queen,” Cassian replied before I could go on which we both knew I would given half the chance.
“Well, no harm in offering out some inspiration, is there love?” I winked at her and Rapunzel laughed as she blushed a little.
“We don’t need any help with that, thank you,” she replied, giving Cassian a look which made him grin like an idiot.
“Well you’d better tell Lorbeck that you’re joining the crew and see if he needs to make any special arrangement for our royal stowaways. I have a wife to find,” I said, casting my gaze around the ship in case Kyra might have changed her mind about hiding in light of them turning up. There was no sign of her though so I guessed that meant the hunt was still on.
“Which one is Lorbeck again?” Cassian asked, eyeing the closest crew members.
“He’s the one I had you pardon from the hangman’s noose,” I reminded him. “Eye patch, peg-leg, parrot on one shoulder…”
“I don’t remember pardoning anyone and I don’t believe for a moment that that’s what he looks like,” Cassian said, trying not to laugh at my joke.
“Oh, you’re right, come to think of it, I got Kyra to forge your signature and the royal seal.”
“What?” Cassian spluttered.
“Plausible deniability mate, it wouldn’t have looked good if people thought you were just going around pardoning pirates left right and centre, would it? And Lorbeck was due to swing for his crimes. It kinda undermines the law if you just go back on it because he’s the best and I wanted him for my crew, doesn’t it?”
“But you used my name anyway! So it still looks like-”
“I know, I know, but most of Lorbeck’s victims were from other kingdoms so no one is likely to realise that you pardoned him anyway.”
“Victims?” Rapunzel demanded.
“I’m beginning to remember why we didn’t tell you this in the first place,” I sighed.
“What victims?” Cassian growled.
I rolled my eyes at them. “Don’t worry, he didn’t kill anyone. He just relieved a lot of wealthy merchants of their cargo. But he’s a good man; he always stole from ships who used slaves and offered them freedom. And he used to use the money he made to help out orphans in the slums. Kyra vouched for him.”
They both sagged in relief at that declaration and I tried not to take offence at the fact that Kyra’s word held more sway with them than mine did. Of course, I was a self proclaimed liar and thief so I guessed they had good reason for that but still...
“Where is Kyra, anyway?” Rapunzel asked hopefully, glancing about the deck.
“Hiding. And it’s past time I found her. I’ll leave you two to find Lorbeck.” I slapped Cassian on the back as I moved away from the two of them towards the centre of the ship.
I whistled as I went, my mood vastly improved by them joining us on our first real voyage. Not that I’d ever have told them that, but I’d grown rather fond of their faces and it wouldn’t have been the same without them.
I looked around, spotting the Osarian coast fading away in the distance. The sails were full and the ship sped out to sea leaving the city behind as we headed for Carubai. I wondered if any tales of Count Nazari had ever reached the distant kingdom...
I approached the main mast and started climbing.
The wind tugged at me, my muscles strained but I kept climbing as the ship crested wave after wave.
The excitement of the game drove me on faster and I made it to the crow’s nest in record time. I paused a moment, looking around expectantly but there was no sign of Kyra.
I looked up and could have sworn I caught her laughter on the wind.
“You’re going to make me climb all the way to the top, aren’t you?” I asked, feigning irritation.
“Are you afraid?” Kyra’s voice came a moment before she appeared balancing on the beam which supported the top mast.
“Just because I’m down here and you’re up there? Pfft.” I smirked at the reminder of when she’d made me jump from the roof of the palace and quickly scaled the mast to join her.
The view from up here was breathtaking but I barely spared it a glance as my gaze caught on her instead. The wind swept through her black and purple hair and I reached for her, wanting to hold her in my arms for a moment. Or maybe a little longer than that.
“Took you long enough,” she teased.
“If you don’t enjoy waiting for me then maybe you should make your notes shorter,” I countered.
Kyra took my outstretched hand and tugged, demanding I move towards her. I smiled ruefully and let her lead the way along the beam until we stood at the end of it.
“Jumping again?” I guessed, looking down at the cerulean sea below us.
“Maybe I want you to myself for a while,” Kyra replied, her eyes lighting with mischief as well as magic.
“Well I’ll never say no to that.”
She grinned widely and took a running jump, pulling me after her. My heart skipped a beat as we plummeted towards the sea and adrenaline flooded my limbs as a whoop of excitement and a little bit of terror escaped me.
We hit the water feet first and plummeted beneath the waves. The purple glow of Kyra’s magic bled through the sea surrounding us as she swam closer to me, pressing her lips to mine before we’d even made it back to the surface.
I dragged her against me, devouring her kiss beneath the shelter of the waves. My heart pounded with excitemen
t but my lungs burned for air. I released her reluctantly, kicking towards the promise of oxygen. Sometimes I could have sworn that she forgot we could die.
I breached the surface and took in a huge breath of fresh air as the ship sailed past us and we were tossed about in its wake.
Kyra surfaced beside me slowly, winding her arms around my neck as a grin filled her full lips.
“You’ll be the death of me one of these days,” I teased, drawing her closer.
“I’d never let you die on me,” she replied dismissively and for a moment I wondered how literally she meant that. Not that an eternity in Kyra’s arms sounded like a bad thing really.
“Then I suppose I’ll forgive you.”
When she kissed me it was like the rest of the world slid away from us and I lost myself in the feeling of her mouth against mine and the taste of the saltwater on her lips.
She consumed me, possessed me, captivated and enchanted me and I was sure that in a thousand lifetimes I’d never get enough of her.
She broke away from me and studied my face for a moment, pushing my wet hair back off of my forehead.
The ship was fast leaving us behind but I didn’t worry about it. Kyra would use her power to catch up with it when we were done with being alone.
For the moment I was just glad to enjoy the company of the insane girl who’d captured the heart of the boy who didn’t believe in love.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, her fingers sliding down my cheek and grazing against the stubble that lined my jaw.
I smiled at her, pulling her an inch closer as we bobbed in the waves. We could have been the only two people in the world in that moment and I wouldn’t have minded one bit.
Forbidden Fairytales- The Complete Series Page 73