Silver Tongue Devil (Devil in the Deep Blue Sea #1), page 12
Three years ago, that changed. After the battle with the Stone and Stavros, where Lexie and so many others were killed, my temper rumbled violently. A squall under the surface.
“Her father was my second for a long time.” I continued to spout. “My frien…” I trailed off, realizing what I was about to say and that I had no right to call him that after what I had done.
“Yes, I remember Rotty.” Scot had only been a member of my crew four months before it all ended. Another one I saved from a horrible situation. He vowed his life to always be faithful to me. And even when I disappeared, he tracked me down, never going back on his word.
“Let’s talk about Rotty.” Scot took a drink. He was the only one who knew the story. The only one who had been there, lived, and heard what truly happened that night. I confessed on a drunken, guilt-filled night when he had to coax Rotty’s dagger from my fingers so I wouldn’t end it all right there. “I’m sure he would love that you have his daughter chained up instead of letting her go.”
“You think I should let her go? She wants nothing more than to kill me.”
“Thought she was just a teeny ball of hissing fur?” Scot grinned at getting a rise out of me.
“She’s also the infamous Puss in Boots. My enemy.” I turned away from him, having had enough of this conversation. “She’s lucky to be alive at all.”
“Sure.” Scot laughed, which grated on my nerves.
“Shut the fuck up.” I gritted, nodding out to the room. “Go find supplies, labor, and any leads on smuggling or royal ships passing in the area.”
While I was a revered pirate sticking it to the man on most days, I still tracked down smuggling ships filled with black-market items from the Unified Nations, the umbrella King Lars and Queen Kennedy worked under to bring all the countries together in alliance. Many countries in the eastern bloc gave a big fuck you to them, declaring they wanted independence. Independence, my ass. It was an excuse for the power-hungry tyrants to rise. A fight between the elite humans and fae to become the next dictator, gaining all the wealth and privilege while most of the people suffered.
The irony in getting Lars’s items back from thieves was that he made sure I was compensated for my piracy. Not much different from how piracy usually started under monarchs before we turned on them. And did I also sell some for my own profit like I did back then? Fuck, yes. After all, I was a tradesman.
Scot shot back the rest of his drink with a grunt and did what I asked, leaving me alone at the bar.
Taking a drink, my agitated mood didn’t ebb, and I knew deep down where it stemmed from.
“Goddam cat,” I muttered, guzzling down a huge gulp, my mind lost in my thoughts.
“Shut up, mate. You’re full of shit,” a man with an Australian accent spoke next to me, pulling my attention.
“I’m not,” another man replied, his accent so light I couldn’t pick up exactly what it was. “I swear to you it’s real. I heard even the king of the Unified Nations is looking for it.”
Lars? My ears perked up, the men capturing my full attention as I continued to drink like I was just enjoying the late afternoon and not eavesdropping at all. Sliding my eyes quickly to them, I spied a stocky man with grayish skin and gray-blue spotted hair slicked back, reminding me of a tiger shark. The Aussie’s wide side eyes and broad nose resembled a hammerhead shark.
Shark-shifters.
“Fuck off,” Hammerhead replied with a huff. “There is no way… all that shit was destroyed when the fae wall came down. Someone’s pullin’ your fin, mate.”
“No.” The tiger shark man growled. “It exists.” He took a drink. “My brother worked with a scientist in the Georgia Territory. Someone brought them this magical substance, which didn’t die after the wall dropped. Testing it, they found it even more powerful than fae food, curing diseases, giving humans fae-like qualities and almost eternal life. It would be the greatest discovery ever… and probably the most destructive. Humans would burn this world down to try and get it, and fae will do the same to keep it away from them.” He downed the rest of his drink. “And if the king is seeking it? It might be too late.”
“But your brother and this scientist have it?”
“You don’t fucking get it,” Tiger snapped. “They’ve disappeared. I last heard from him over three weeks ago when they were leaving Hong Kong to go up north, and I haven’t received news from him since. That’s not like him.” His voice tightened. “In my gut, I know something’s wrong. I could hear it in his voice. He told me he felt like they were being followed. That people were after them.” Out of the corner of my eye, Tiger turned to his buddy. “I need your help. You can navigate the waters better than anyone I know.”
“Navigate? Where?”
“Shanghai, China,” Tiger responded. “I’m going to find my brother… and this object they call the nectar.”
My eyes cracked open to the blazing morning sun, and a pounding boomed inside and outside my skull.
“Fuck,” I grumbled. Squinting, I lifted my head, cringing as the sound of hammers hitting wood vibrated through me. “Ouch.” I rubbed my neck, stiff from falling asleep in a deck chair. The sound of the men Scot had hired to rebuild the hole in the ship echoed from below.
I enjoyed drinking but no longer set out to get drunk. Last night we stayed out until the wee hours of the morning, stumbled back, and I passed out in a deck chair.
But even as drunk as I got, the conversation I overheard at the bar kept coming back to me. Most of me wanted to chalk it up to bullshit talk, a yarn his friend was weaving together from paranoia and over exaggerations. But the man’s tone when talking about his brother was so serious and terrified it was hard to ignore.
If Lars was looking for something, wouldn’t I know? At least more than this random guy would. Not that Lars told many about his plans over the years. His ego was the reason he almost lost his throne to Stavros, why Stone took over his mind and body. Why Lexie was killed.
This whole “nectar” thing, which gave humans fae powers, seemed impossible after the fall of the barrier, destroying that type of magic. It sounded like complete bullshit. Yet something dug into the back of my neck, burrowing in and not allowing me to let go of the idea.
“Sleep well?” Tsai shuffled in next to me, her body a carpet of blankets even though it was boiling out.
“I could have used you as a pillow,” I mused, motioning to her layers.
“And I could have used an orgasm last night, so we’re all cranky for different reasons.”
“Tsai…” I rubbed at my face, trying to block out any images wanting to attach themselves to that claim. “It’s too early.”
“I’m just saying someone was trying to avoid his cabin,” she baited me. “The lord of the manor too scared to face the tiny kitty cat inside?”
“Fuck off. I’m not scared.” It was the second time I had been accused of that. My fingers tangled through my hair, wrapping it up off my face as I got to my feet.
Tsai snickered, enjoying my annoyance.
“Oh, men. And they think I’m the blind one.”
“You know, old woman, I could toss your ass off this ship if I wanted.” I strolled to the railing, peering down at the workers below, Vane and Zidane instructing them.
“Go for it.” She grinned, showing some of her teeth. “Love to see you boys be without me for a day.”
We could, but we wouldn’t want to. Tsai was embedded into this ship, into its bones, and into us. No one knew the true legend who lived among us wasn’t me.
“Though someday you will, you know.” She saddled up next to me at the railing. “I’m of the old world, which is disappearing every day. And when it finally goes, I will go with it.”
A growly noise of refusal came up my throat.
“You cling to what was, Croygen, not what could be.” Tsai’s tone softened. “You are a good man, but you have trouble letting go. Guilt, ideals, people. What you think you deserve. Holding on to what is toxic and pushing away what is good.”
“What do you mean, holding on to toxic?”
“Amara?”
“I’m not with her. Haven’t been for years.”
“Yet she still is embedded in your mind. Holding you back.”
Exhaling, my shoulders slumped.
“So, I’m gonna say this once, my dear boy.” She lifted her hand to touch my face. Then hit me with it. “Stop being a dumbass!”
“Jesus!” I tried to duck out of the way as she swung for me again.
“I’m stuck on a ship with a bunch of morons.” She tossed her arms up at the sky in frustration. “You thought we were getting all sentimental and shit. That I was sweet-talking you. No, you ass. While you’ve been finding every reason to avoid her, even sleeping like a dog, the girl has come down with a fever.”
“What?” I twisted my head to her. “A fever?”
Fae didn’t get fevers. We didn’t get sick. Though goblin metal could affect fae, weaken us, and give us something resembling human flu.
“Is she okay?”
“Why don’t you go see her for yourself?” She wagged her head like I was a simpleton.
Glaring at the old lady, I turned and stomped to my cabin. Locking my shoulders back, I blew out a breath as I opened the door. It creaked open, the salt-soaked wood making the hinges sing. My eyes adjusted to the dim room; the shades closed over my windows. Kat’s body was curled over some blankets in the corner, her head tucked away, her wrists cuffed around a pole. The goblin metal kept her lethargic and too drained to shift.
My boots hit the floor quietly as I inched closer to her. “Kat?”
No response.
Her breathing was light and fast, her frame twitching and jerking as if she was freezing.
“I swear, if you are faking this, I will tie you to the rudder.” She didn’t respond, continuing to spasm. Maybe cats were even more sensitive to goblin metal? Or maybe her injuries from the explosion were worse than I thought.
“Kat?” I crept closer, still weary of this being a trick, that she’d leap up and try to attack me. Double checking her arms were latched to a post, I squatted beside her. “Katrina?” My fingers drifted over her silky hair, reaching under until I cupped her chin, lifting her face to me.
Air caught in my lungs, my shoulders jerking back.
Her fevered yellow and green eyes peered up at me with anguish.
“Shit,” I hissed when fresh blood trickled from her nose and eyes.
Feeling Tsai there at the entry, I turned to her. “Go get Zid and Scot!” Scot was the closest we had to a medic, while Zid worked more with plants and organic medicines.
Panic had me fumbling for the keys in my pocket, finding the ones that unlocked the cuffs.
“Croygen.” My name barely made it out of her mouth, turning into a pained groan, like her insides were tearing her apart.
Unlatching her, I yanked the cuffs off her wrists, my arms curling underneath her, lifting her body and carrying her to my bed. Her skin burned into mine, yet it shivered at the same time. Lying her gently down, I hoped to see some relief since the goblin metal no longer touching her, but her body didn’t stop shaking.
“Captain?” Both Zid and Scot came into my cabin.
“She’s sick. Help her,” I ordered them, a flurry of panic starting in my gut. She looked awful, as if she would stop breathing at any moment. “I took off the cuffs.”
Scot pushed in next to me. His hands moved over her face, feeling her sticky, hot skin to examine her.
Zid leaned in closer, his head wagging. “This isn’t goblin poisoning.”
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” His lips pinched.
“I have.” Scot’s hands left her. He stood up, glancing at me. “With you.”
“Me?” My forehead wrinkled. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“When I found you in New Guinea.”
Pausing, my mind stumbled back to what he was talking about. It was so long ago and such a hazy period, I barely recalled anything from that time. I had almost died because of my stubbornness. When I had enough of Ryker and Amara shoving their lust in my face, I left, saying fuck you to the pledge I made to the Viking. And then I turned my back on him, trying to get as far as I could, pretending my promise to him was something I could walk away from.
It was when I discovered what happens when an oath is disregarded. Going against it shredded me from the inside out. When Scot found me, I was so out of it I didn’t remember much. But from what he told me, the condition I was in was exactly like this.
My gaze dropped to her, fully taking Kat’s symptoms, seeing all I went through happening to her. The agony and unbelievable torture. “Holy shit.”
The longer it was ignored, the worse it got. How many times did I think I’d turn away from my duty even after that first time? Believing I was stronger. That I could break it. That I could forgo my commitment to Ryker. But, fuck, the magic always seemed to know.
There were two types of obligations.
A life owed or…
A promise.
And no fae did either unless they were stupid, i.e., me, or there was no choice.
“Kat…” I ground out, my throat dropping to my stomach. “What the fuck did you do?”
Chapter 11
Katrina
Voices muttered around me, my sight little more snapshots of blurry faces. My consciousness slipped further and further away, trying to separate itself from my body. Every molecule burned and twitched in pain, pleading to crawl from under my skin.
When I was young, entering fae puberty, I had the equivalent of human growing pains. A combination of restless body syndrome and unbelievable spasms through my muscles. But ten times worse because I was also trying to shift and adjust to a cat form as well as a growing person. The pain was torture since it wouldn’t let up for hours, sometimes days. They were so bad I used to throw up.
This was a thousand times worse.
The agony of this hell gurgled moans up my throat, the excruciating aches keeping me semi-conscious and thrashing to find any kind of relief, never letting me fully disengage.
“Katrina?” said the only voice to cut through the noise, the only one I held on to like a life raft. “Katze?” I was left stranded in nothingness, and the rope to pull myself out of this dark hole was out of reach. The voice was home, it was security, and I struggled to reach for it. To grab hold. “Kat, open your eyes.” The tone grew more tense, only adding to my own anxiety. I wanted to ease it, to do what he asked, but I couldn’t. “Zid, can you do something?”
“If this is from a vow she made? Then no. That shit is from the gods and goddesses. You don’t mess with that stuff.”
My body flopped to the side, air struggling to get through my endless whimpers, hot and cold chills flushing my skin. I was on fire, melting from the inside out while at the same time shivering as if I was freezing to death.
I wanted death. Peace. I wanted it all to end.
“Someone fucking do something!”
My body leaned toward the voice every time it spoke, it ebbed the pain a little. As if my mind could forget the agony and focus on it. I needed it. Craved it like nothing else.
A sob broke free from my throat. Forcing my lids to pry apart, I took in only hazy outlines before they shut again. “Croygen.” The name came from out of nowhere, my voice barely audible. I had no understanding of what it meant, but I knew it. It was embedded in my DNA, written long ago on my bones.
“What do ya want us to do?” an accented voice replied, no one seeming to hear me.
“Anything! She’s fucking dying.”
Gods, I needed him closer. To touch me.
“We need to find a healer.”
“Och, a healer can’t touch this magic. This isn’t something you can take an herb for. You know this,” another boomed back. “The best healer in the world isn’t going to save her. The only way to relieve it is to fulfill the oath. And we have no feckin’ idea what that is.”
More agony twisted my body, and a flood of cries came from my gut, begging for relief. I needed my anchor, the voice that soothed the pain. I tried to lift my hand, my muscles refusing to respond to my order. His name was a whisper in my mouth, but it couldn’t make it past my lips.
I was sinking.
“Kat?” The voice I craved was right there. Opening my lids just a little, dark, sultry eyes greeted mine, his hand brushing back my sweaty hair. A low moan hummed in my chest. A single moment of numbness. “Tell me what you did. I can’t help you unless you tell me.”
My dry lips rolled together, and I strained to get my vocal cords to work. To respond to him. Energy drained from me with every blink, my lids drooping, pulling me back into the darkness.
My response curled in my mouth, and using the last bit of my strength, I pushed it out, hoping they heard me before I slipped away.
“China.”
Chapter 12
Croygen
It was a whisper, a faint hymn on the breeze, the single word barely escaping from her.
“China.”
Katrina’s body went limp, giving over to the pain, leaving me unsure if I heard right or not.
“China?” Zid repeated next to me. “Did she say China?”
Standing up straight, my hand still tingling from touching her, I ran it through my hair. I had no idea what trouble she got herself into, but I knew If I didn’t respond fast, she would go into a coma and possibly never come out of it.
This was why fae never fucked with promises and oaths. They carried deadly consequences if ignored.
For a brief second, my gaze went over her. Knowing this fierce little girl grew up to be a badass pirate made my chest seize. The thought of never hearing her voice again, having those cat eyes on me and seeing her smile, was unthinkable. Even if we spent the rest of our days trying to hunt the other down and kill each other, I needed her to live.
