I’ve kissed Sebastian one time in all the years we’ve known each other, and it was brilliant, even if it was the product of a wily seduction charm plied on me by a well-meaning barmaid. After, in a rare cheeky moment, Sebastian asked if he was better than Avery. How thankful I am that I hadn’t actually kissed the captain at that point.
You see, Sebastian’s quite good.
But Avery. He should win an award and be knighted or given some sort of honorary title. I know if I were queen, I’d certainly grant him a barony at the very least. For services rendered to the crown…
“Why are you wearing that ridiculous look on your face?” Yancey asks from my side. “You look like a court fool.”
I clear my throat and snap my attention to the man at my side. How long has he been standing there?
“The pirate is walking around in the same dopey state.” Yancey doesn’t bother to hide his disgust. “I wonder what transpired between the two of you yesterday evening.”
It’s a statement, not a question.
Frowning, I stare up at him. “Don’t you have anyone else to harass this morning? I know it’s difficult on a ship, seeing as how we have no puppies to kick and all, but if you’re creative, I think you’ll come up with something.”
“And here I thought you were with Lord Thane. Change allegiances quickly, don’t you?”
My fingers itch for my dagger, but starting a fight on board a ship seems like a foolish idea at best.
“Now that I think of it, a rumor reached us he’s engaged to Adeline Daughtra now,” he continues. “Isn’t that an amusing turn of events? Who could blame the man? Adeline’s quite the girl.”
I glare at Yancey and imagine pushing him overboard. He’s so large; I think he’d sink like a rock. Perhaps I should make a wager with the crew and test the theory.
“You’re apparently bored,” I say while I ponder how large a splash he’d make. “Teach me to manipulate wind.”
He scratches his chin like he’s thinking about it. Then he smiles—actually smiles. “No.”
“You’re just being stubborn now. What if I have to save you before our voyage is complete? Would you want me coming after you with a limited arsenal?”
Chuckling under his breath, he walks away, calling over his shoulder, “I’d like to see you rescue me.”
I’d like to see it too—very much. And because I’m a nice girl, I’d only rub it in a little bit once or twice a day for a month or so.
After Yancey’s gone, I wander the deck, staying clear of the helm because I’m not ready to see Avery. It’s an impossible task. The merchant ship is only so large after all, and short of hiding in my cabin—which I’m not going to do—there’s no way to fully avoid the captain.
He finds me just before midday.
“Good afternoon,” he says, his eyes wicked and his manner entirely too polite.
I eye him. “Captain.”
With a quick grin, he tosses open the door that leads to below deck and pulls me into the dark stairwell. In my ear, he whispers, “I think last night we decided it’s simply ‘Avery.’ Don’t you remember the conversation? Never mind—let me jog your memory.”
A sharp stab of longing pierces my chest, weakening my rickety resolve. I angle away from him, protecting myself from the unwanted/very much wanted attention. “And I think we decided that this wasn’t going to happen again.”
He grins and leans against the wall, giving me space to breathe. Not too much space though; our hands are almost touching, and he’s inching them closer and closer. “You decided that. I never agreed.”
“But you’re forgetting something extremely important.”
Be strong, Lucia.
“What’s that?” he asks as his finger grazes my thumb. My eyes flutter closed, and then I snap them open.
Why does that feel so good? He’s barely touching me.
“You’re a snake.” I try to concentrate, but his finger travels the lines on my palm. “And I don’t like you.”
He chuckles, intent on his innocent exploration of my hand.
“Stop that.” I cross my arms and glare when he grins and steps closer. “I mean it, Avery.”
“That’s better.” He moves forward, forcing me back up the stairs. “Say it again.”
Laughing at how ridiculous he is, I jab him in the stomach with my elbow. He doubles over, groaning. I might have put a little more “oomph” in it than necessary.
“Last night was a temporary lapse in my usually good judgment. Do not think it will happen again.”
Avery rests a shoulder against the wall, looking every bit as cocky as earlier. “I don’t think it will happen again.”
I raise an eyebrow. Where’s he going with this?
“I know it will. Over and over and over…” He continues to climb the stairs and pins me against the door. His eyes shine as he eagerly awaits my response.
“Careful, Captain. With loose talk like that, people are going to get the wrong impression about you.”
“No worries there, darling.” He brushes my hair behind my ear. “People already have the wrong impression.”
“That’s what happens when you choose the life of a pirate.”
With a wicked, smug smile, he takes the last step, eliminating the distance between us. I’m just closing my eyes, telling myself that I’ll kiss him just one more time, when the door swings open.
Avery reaches for me as I go flying backward, but he’s not quick enough. I fall rump first to the deck, and my skirts fly up around me.
“What in—” Yancey growls with his hand still on the doorknob. He scowls down at me.
“Just in time, Yancey.” I peer up at him from the deck. “The knob seemed to be quite stuck. Who knows how long we’d have waited there if you hadn’t come along.”
A few nearby men laugh, but Yancey only rolls his eyes and storms past us.
Chuckling, Avery pulls me to my feet. “I’ll get someone right on that doorknob.”
“You do that.” I toss my hair over my shoulder and make as graceful of an exit to my cabin as possible.
“Captain!” the man in the crow’s nest hollers before I’m safely around the corner.
I look up, startled by his strange tone of voice, as do all the others around us.
He slowly lowers his spyglass. “I’ve spotted the whirlpool.”
The deck becomes a madhouse. Men scurry this way and that, and Avery’s shouting orders. I’m picking up some of the sailing jargon, but it’s still foreign to me. One word stands out, however.
“What island?” I ask as I trail Avery to the helm. They don’t seem to be talking about the one in the whirlpool.
Before he can answer, his boatswain stops him. Impatient, I wait as they discuss things, and then corner Avery the moment he’s free.
“What island?” I repeat, frustrated.
Avery yanks his map from its case, unrolls it, and places it in front of him. “This island.”
I don’t see anything but water where’s he pointing, so I squint and look closer. There, just outside the massive cyclone denoting the whirlpool, is an islet. It doesn’t even have a name.
“What do want with it?” I ask.
“You will soon see.” The captain meets my gaze, and his eyes practically shine with adventure untold. “For now, go pack a change of clothes in a lightweight satchel and fetch your dagger. Everything else must stay.”
“I’m not leaving Flink.”
Avery’s across from me, not ready to back down either. “You cannot bring the dragon, not where we’re going.”
“Where are we going?” I ask again. He won’t tell me anything.
Our conversation is interrupted by Gregory. The mage clears his throat, quietly demanding Avery’s attention. “I was only able to craft one.”
“One isn’t enough.”
Gregory shrugs. “I have elven chain. You can link them, but you’ll have to stay close.”
“What are we talking about?” I dema
nd, cutting off their conversation.
Avery nods, and the mage drops a ring into my hand. The inside is etched with swirls denoting that it’s been charmed with a wind spell of some sort.
“Why do we need a wind charm?” I ask, irritated that I’m so in the dark.
Avery takes the ring from me. “Not wind. Air.”
I look at the captain with narrowed eyes. “As in…”
“Breathing charm.”
Oh, fabulous. We’re going underwater.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Hope You Aren’t Claustrophobic
I’m just stepping onto the dinghy Avery’s men have readied for us when a large hand grasps me by the shoulder, holding me back. I turn my head, angling it way up so I may look at Yancey.
“If you’ve finally decided you’ll give me a lesson, it’s not the most opportune time.”
Yancey scowls. “How do you know you can trust the pirate? If there is an underwater cave off this islet, is it even safe?”
“The first thing to learn about Captain Greybrow is you must never trust him.” I catch Avery’s eye, and he shakes his head, trying not to smile. “And being around him is rarely safe.”
“I’m coming with you.”
It takes several seconds for Yancey’s words to soak in, and I almost groan out loud once they do. “Why would you want to do that?”
He scowls and looks at the sea. Avery’s tiny islet waits for us, just past where we dropped anchor. “To protect your honor. It’s not right for you to go off with him alone.”
I laugh, but when the duke’s son doesn’t respond, I gawk at him, incredulous. “Are you serious?”
Yancey swallows, looking profoundly uncomfortable. “I am.”
And he looks less than happy about it.
Avery crosses his arms, but he remains silent. He meets my eye and gives me a nonchalant shrug. Several moments go by.
“All right,” I finally say, truly uncomfortable.
“Not all right,” Gregory speaks up. “I was only able to craft the one charm, and there’s not enough elven chain. Two people can go, not three. If Yancey wants to accompany Captain Greybrow, the girl must stay.”
“No.” Avery doesn’t even think about it. “Lucia comes with me.”
The captain gestures toward the waiting dinghy, asking me to get on with it.
“Sorry.” Feeling awkward, I pat Yancey’s arm. “Thank you, though.”
Yancey only grunts.
Flink paces the deck while we talk. His tail twitches back and forth, agitated. It’s as if he can tell I’m leaving. I give the dragon one last scratch goodbye and remind him to mind his manners while I’m gone. But as I’m stepping into the boat, he clamps his jaws around the sash at my waist and holds me back.
“What are you doing?” I laugh as I attempt to pull myself free.
Unflinching, the dragon stares back at me. His dark amber eyes are so mopey, a lump forms in my throat. I’ve never left him before, not for this long. And he knows.
“I’ll be back,” I promise as I pry the fabric from his teeth.
Avery steps up to soothe the dragon, but as soon as he does, Flink lets out a low growl. Everyone near us freezes. Avery narrows his eyes with disbelief and takes a cautious step back.
I eye Flink, curious, and then grin at the captain.
“I’ll bring her back,” Avery promises, though he looks a bit offended. “I swear.”
With one last tug, I yank my sash free—almost falling on my hind-end in the process. Thankfully, I don’t. I’ve had enough of that for one trip. I embrace Flink tightly, telling him it will be all right, and then I step away.
Making a pitiful noise, Flink lowers himself to his belly and watches with mournful eyes as I step onto the boat. It almost breaks my heart.
I sit across from Avery in the dinghy, and the ship’s boys slowly lower us to the water. I close my eyes, trying to block out Flink’s quiet cries. The sun’s almost directly overhead, and the day is hot. We have supplies with us, more than I want to carry, but I’m still worried we won’t have enough fresh water. Who knows what we’ll find on the whirlpool island. If we find the island at all.
With one final jolt, the small boat meets the water. The crew calls their final goodbyes, and I hold my hand up in a farewell. Yancey stares down at as, scowling.
The islet isn’t far away, maybe fifteen minutes at most. For the first five, Avery rows in silence.
I lick my lips, somewhat nervous to be this alone with him. In the last few months, there’s always been someone near, but not here in the middle of these forbidden waters, at the mouth of a world I cannot imagine.
“Apparently, captains do row dinghies,” I finally say when I can stand the silence no longer. “Sebastian will be interested to hear it.”
Avery chuckles under his breath but doesn’t answer.
Another five minutes go by, and we’re almost to the islet. It’s an unimpressive patch of sand and rock, and as far as I can tell, nothing grows on it. It’s desolate, a lonely map marker in the middle of nowhere.
“Why are you so quiet?” I finally demand.
He meets my eyes, and our progress through the water never slows. “I am eager to reach the islet.”
I shift on the hard wooden seat and slide my hand across the rough boards, wincing when I catch a sliver. “Are you nervous as well?”
“Nervous of the island?” He lowers his voice. “Or nervous of you?”
His eyes bore into me, making me feel. Feel what, I don’t know. But I am feeling, and it’s an acute sensation.
“The island,” I finally answer as I look away.
“No.”
I want to ask him if that means he’s nervous of me then, but I can’t bring myself to. Not for the first time, I wonder if the captain’s feelings run deeper than they appear. He wants me—I don’t doubt that. But does he care for me? As always, it’s a foolish thought. He’s Avery, the master of charisma. He’s no doubt made dozens of girls feel special. Wanted.
Especially when they so desperately want to feel so. It’s cruel, really, to toy with someone’s emotions when they are so raw. But it was I who played with fire last night. I kissed him.
And I’m the one dwelling on it.
The dinghy slides into sand, abruptly bringing us to a stop. Avery leaps over the edge and tugs the dinghy the rest of the way onto the shore.
As I pull a pack onto my shoulders, I assess the islet. The Greybrow Serpent is within sight, but it’s far enough individual members of the crew are not discernible. The water is turquoise and warm, and shells—some large, some small, dot the beach.
Immediately, I yank off my boots and stockings and shove them in my pack.
“What are you doing?” Avery pulls his own pack onto his shoulders but pauses to watch me.
“It’s easier to walk barefoot, and I see no sign of life on this bit of sand.”
He grins and leads the way, taking us toward the bulbous sandstone cliffs at the middle of the islet. Occasionally, he pauses to consult the book he’s carrying. It’s the same one I’ve seen him reading in his cabin.
My curiosity gets the best of me, and I try to peer at the pages. “What is that? You look at it all the time.”
Avery angles the book away and smiles. “A book.”
“What kind of book?”
“The kind that you don’t need to worry about.”
“That’s a very Sebastian-like thing to say.”
He scowls, about to argue. I’ve distracted him enough I am able to snatch the book right out of his hands. I dance away from him, laughing, proud of myself.
Then I stop laughing. “Avery.”
He stretches his arms above him and then clasps his hands behind his head. With a wary expression, he watches me. “Yes?”
“What is this?”
“Since I’m fairly certain you can figure that out for yourself, why don’t you tell me?”
“It’s his diary,” I whisper. “You have the ex
plorer’s diary.”
Avery doesn’t answer; he only continues to watch me.
“You shouldn’t have this.” I shake the book at him. “How did you obtain it? Anything that survived the attack was confiscated by the royal family.”
Avery snatches the book from my hands. “I have my ways.”
He stole it from the king. The king of all Kalae.
I rub my temples, which now throb.
“I had to have it, Lucia,” he explains as if it’s the simplest thing in the world. “How would I have known about the islet and the underwater cave without it? How would I have avoided all the dangers that are so thick in this part of the sea? He found the trouble, so we didn’t have to.”
I look up sharply. “You have to stop this.”
Looking confused, he asks, “Stop what?”
I grasp his arms, needing to make him understand. “This life of crime is going to catch up to you. It’s going to get you tossed in jail. Or worse—beheaded.”
His lips twitch as if he’s fighting a grin. “Careful, Lucia. That sounds a lot like concern I hear in your voice. And concern would hint at affection.”
“No.” I shove him away, irritated. “I’m just saying that you need to stop before it’s too late.”
Cocky as ever, he tilts my chin up and makes me look at him. “I am not the villain you’ve pegged me to be.”
“You’re certainly not a hero.”
“They’re awfully stuffy anyway. You don’t want that—you like me just the way I am.”
I roll my eyes and step past him. “Where does that book of yours tell us to go?”
Back to business, Avery matches my pace. “Up ahead, in the rocks there. We should find a narrow opening. If we follow that, we’ll end up in a cavern. There, we’ll find a pool. According to the diary, if we dive about ten feet down, we’ll find another cave that will lead all the way to the heart of the island.”
“Protected from the whirlpool.”
“That’s the idea.”
“An underwater cave.”
He eyes me, looking for signs of apprehension. “How do you feel about that?”
I don’t like heights, and I’m not overly fond of snakes, but I’m not scared of many things. Yet, the idea of swimming through underwater caves has my chest tightening.
Greybrow Serpent (Silver and Orchids Book 2) Page 12