Silver Tongue Devil (Devil in the Deep Blue Sea #1), page 13
For Rotty, I told myself. I owed him that.
“We set sail in three hours!” I ordered, striding for the door.
“Wee chance of that!” Scot huffed. “They are still working on repairs of the hull. It’s gonna take at least a day.”
I whipped my head back, my hand on the knob, my tone low and threatening. “Then I suggest you get in there and help speed it along.”
“Captain, that’s impossible,” Zid countered.
I reacted without thought, my hand going to my sword, slamming Zidane into the wall, the blade against his neck. “I gave you an order,” I uttered between my teeth, already feeling the trickle of shock at my actions. “I don’t want to hear ‘it’s impossible,’ I want to hear ‘yes, Captain, right away, Captain.’”
“Cap?” Scot spoke behind me, a slight reprimand in his tone, but I kept my gaze locked on Zid.
“Did I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Captain.” Zid’s jaw clenched, his chin lifted, but he dipped his head. My easygoing nature sometimes gave them the impression they could walk over me. Now and then, I had to remind them who I was. My crew was family, and I preferred to keep it more or less democratic, but I was still the one in charge.
Releasing my crewmates, I marched out of my chamber and headed for the helm, where Tsai waited, as if she already knew my plans.
Behind me, Scot shouted for the hired men to pick up the pace, getting Vane, Zid, and Corb to help with the progress.
“I swear, old woman, if you already know where we are going, I will toss you over the side to see if you float.”
“Declare if I’m a witch?” She smirked, getting my reference. “No, my boy. You’re simply not all that hard to figure out. What your next action would be. You’d like to think yourself cavalier and venal, but I know you, your past. What you do for those you love, especially when they are in danger.”
“Love?” I scoffed. “Let’s bring it down a hundred notches. It’s barely tolerance.”
“Did you not purposely turn yourself over to that lab to be tested on, not once, but twice, for love?”
“I need to stop telling you shit when I’m drunk,” I muttered. “And with Zoey, it was because of the oath. I had to follow her.” When Ryker’s powers shifted to Zoey, the vow I had made to him transferred to her. She became who I needed to protect. To track down into the depths of that vile hell.
“You would have done it anyway.” Tsai shook her head, both of us knowing she was right. “And Lexie wasn’t an oath. You went willingly.”
I flinched at Lexie’s name being said out loud. In my head, I had grown accustomed to it, but audibly it was like a knife to my chest. “She was a young girl. I wasn’t going to let her go by herself.” My defensive anger crawled up my throat.
“All I’m saying is you have a good heart. And that makes you the best pirate… and the worst.”
“Think it’s time someone went for a swim.” My annoyance level shot up my shoulders. “See how nice I am when I leave your ass behind?”
“Worst doesn’t mean bad.”
“Yes, it does. That is the very definition.”
“It just means sometimes you make decisions with your heart, not your head.”
“You got five seconds before you are going off the plank.”
“My, my, someone needs to get laid.”
“Tsai…” I rubbed my forehead, the blistering sun only adding to my pounding head. Fae didn’t get hangovers—our bodies’ metabolism burned through alcohol too fast—but I drank enough last night that I might be the first. “Do you have a point?”
“I know you want to help her, but I have a bad feeling about heading to China.”
“How do you know about China? Are you a fucking clairvoyant?”
“No, it’s called eavesdropping.”
“Eavesdropping? You’re half-deaf.”
“I used a glass.”
“That’s called spying.”
“More like snooping.”
“Tsai.” I pinched my nose, taking a deep breath. “If you’re not a seer who can see the future, your bad feeling holds no weight.”
“Men tend to end up dead when they ignore a woman’s intuition.” Her lips thinned. “Look at my husband, for example.”
“Which one?” I snorted. “Both are dead because you were by far the better pirate.” If most knew the true identity of who I had navigating my ship, one of the greatest woman pirates of all time, we would become the stuff of myths and legends—more than we already were. My ship would become a celebrity sighting, relentlessly gawked at. None of us wanted that, and I respected Tsai’s privacy. The desire to live out her life quietly. “We are leaving the moment the repair is done. Have this ship ready to disembark.” I started to turn.
“Croygen.” She said my name so rarely that I swung back around; her expression was serious. “There is a power, something I’ve never felt before, ahead of us.” Her cloudy white eyes darted back and forth like she was searching for something. “I feel that if we go, not all of us will return.”
A flicker of anxiety swelled in my gut, but I quickly shoved it back, exhaling deeply. “That is no different from any other time we venture out to sea.” I shrugged a shoulder. “The risks of being a pirate.”
Sweat pooled down my back, my shirt long gone, my muscles aching as my hammer pounded in the nail, putting up one of the last boards. The day was brutal, and all of us were shirtless, sweaty, and smelly. I wasn’t someone who stood on the deck, dictating from a perch. I was right there in the trenches with them. A good leader was next to their soldiers in a fight, not on the hill watching. You got harder workers when they saw you doing the work as well.
Plus, it was a good outlet for my anxiety. The need to run to her bubbled under the surface, pushing me faster with every moment that passed as she was only getting weaker the longer we stayed here. The blood from her nose and eyes still stained my hands, driving me to push forward every time I wanted to take a break.
Kat’s pained howls echoed louder in my head than the pounding of hammers. We built from the bottom up, both inside and outside the hull, the last planks being set in place. As the final nail sunk in, a loud cheer boomed from all the workers, waving their tools in the air.
“Fuck yeah!” Vane clapped his hand on my back, holding up his hammer in celebration. “We nailed that in no time!” He bumped my shoulder, laughing at his cheesy pun. “I say this calls for celebratory drinks.”
“Untie us from the mooring,” I ordered Vane, tossing my tool down and taking off up the ramp, already dictating orders to my crew. “Scot, pay the men. The rest of you, get us ready to sail. Now!”
Tsai was already at the helm waiting for Vane to release us from the docks and Corb to pull anchor, pushing us back out into the canal and turning us northeast.
I had been so focused on getting the ship back together, I was able to curb my constant pull toward Katrina. But now the need overtook me, and I jogged for my cabin, swinging open the door. The instant I unlatched it, the cool air brushed my sticky skin, and terror braided down my esophagus. The smell of blood and sweat filled my nose with a sharp bite. A tingle of magic soured the air. If agony had an odor, it would be this. She would suffer a long time before she died, but it didn’t take away from the emergency of her predicament now. I was lucky to have Scot. He saved me from going completely into a coma. I had heard some went brain dead, never coming out of it.
“Katze?” I crept to her, watching her chest take in short, shallow breaths, like a cat panting. Her hair took on a fur-like quality, her ears more pointed. Her body naturally wanted to protect her, going into her animal form, but she no longer had the energy to shift.
Grabbing a cloth and bowl and filling it with water, I pulled a chair up to the bed, perching on it. Blood crusted her eyes, nose, and mouth, sweat glistening off her flushed skin. She looked so small and fragile. For that moment, an uncontrollable, almost irrational wave of protection crashed over me, a growl vibrating deep in my bones. It was primal. And if anyone stepped into this room, friend or foe, getting too close to her, there would be hell to pay. The need to attack, to tear into them before they could reach her, had me sucking in sharply.
Shaking my head, I leaned over her, boxing up whatever the hell came over me and locking it away.
“Hey,” I brushed the damp towel across her forehead. “We’re setting sail now.” The moment the promise knew she was back on track, it would start to ebb. I learned that when Scot found me. When he was able to get me on my feet, leading me back to Ryker, the pain eased up quickly, disappearing the moment I resigned to the idea of my role with the Viking.
This magic was so intricate and nuanced that it understood intent, not just actual distance. I could have sat next to Ryker, and if I had done nothing to help save his life when he needed me, the same result would have happened.
One more reason we didn’t fuck with this shit. The gods and goddesses of old were twisted assholes. They loved pain, torture, sex, and blood.
The ship surged as we pushed off from the dock. The landscape through my large window changed as we backed up, turning toward the sea.
A low cry came from Kat, her limbs twitching violently.
“You’re going to be okay.” Reaching out, my palms pressed down on her arms. A zing ran up my hands as her body eased. This time a low moan purred from her as if my touch filled her with relief. The sound shot straight into my dick, an electrical charge forcing me to pull away. The moment I did, her face scrunched up, her legs kicking out, whimpering.
What the fuck was that?
“Shhhhh. It’s okay.” I inhaled before cautiously laying my hand on the side of her face, sensing the same zap. I kept my hand there, brushing through her damp hair, instantly quieting her. I used to be awful at caring for people, but it was another thing Lexie taught me. She suffered a lot after all the things Dr. Rapava did to her. I spent hours either trying to make her laugh or trying to soothe her, willing to do anything so she didn’t feel pain anymore.
The ship creaked when we hit the main ocean, breaking against the waves as we made our way out of the canal. My gaze got lost in the backdrop of the stunning water glinting off the lowering sun. The ocean had a way of calming me instantly and making me feel I was right where I was supposed to be. Getting lost in the view, I didn’t realize a good chunk of time had passed.
I suddenly noticed how quiet she was. My head lowered as I realized my fingers were still threading her hair. Oxygen sucked through my nose. Kat’s bright yellow and green eyes unabashedly stared at me, bare chest and all, as if she had been watching me for a while.
I pulled my hands away from her and cleared my throat. “You’re awake.” I shifted away from her, standing up. “Feeling better?”
Her intense gaze stayed on me, her tongue sliding over her dry lips. She took a few seconds before she nodded.
The moment she did, something clicked in me. The irrational response I had earlier shifted to her. I wanted to attack and scream. All the fear I had been holding curled into fury, bubbling up my spine, singeing and melting away all my humanity.
“What the fuck did you do, Katrina?” My shoulders rose along with my voice. “You are so fucking lucky Scot recognized what was happening to you!” I motioned out my door. “Otherwise, you would be brain dead right now!” I started to pace. Weak, she struggled to sit up. “Did you make a fucking promise, Kat?”
She flinched at my question.
“Did you?”
Her mouth stayed shut.
“Tell me!” I bellowed.
She still didn’t respond.
“Oh, no, you don’t get to go silent now.” I motioned to my hands and arms. “See this? This is your blood all over me.”
She touched her face, patting at the dried substance around her eyes and nose.
“So you don’t get to pull the ‘I can’t tell you’ bullshit with me. I had to pay double for the men and triple the price for materials to get this ship fixed today. For you!” I gestured down to the hull. “I swear to fuck, Kat, you better explain to me, as someone who knows better, why the fuck would you make a vow?”
“Because I had to.” Her voice broke but came out sharper and louder than I expected.
“You had to?” I folded my arms. “Did someone save your life and you foolishly vowed your life back to them?” Yeah, I did. I was exactly the kind of idiot back then who would do that.
“No.” She slid off the bed, her legs wobbled, but she forced herself up to her full height, which was still barely anything. “Let’s say I didn’t have a choice and leave it at that.”
“That’s adorable. You think you’re gonna get off the hook?”
“Just drop me off at the next port, and we can go our separate ways like you wanted from the beginning.”
A huff of air blew out of my nose as I strolled closer to her, using my physique to shadow her, my crossed arms almost touching her. “That’s not how this works, Kitty-Kat.”
Her lids narrowed, her chin jerking up. She was weak, wobbly, but even with blood, sweat, and tears dried on her face, she was still such a force. Still breathtaking. And that made me want to punish her. To show her that even after all these years, with all her training and plans, I was still the king.
“And I know you too well. You will never let me go. You’ve been after me for too long to walk away. You know nothing else.” A smug grin tugged at my lips when she bristled at my statement. Her own anger billowed off her, bumping against me. “So, you are going to tell me everything. And I mean everything.”
“Fuck you,” she hissed.
“Think you tried that already.” I inched even closer.
“I haven’t even gotten close to fucking you yet,” she challenged, our faces only inches apart.
“Promises, promises.”
Her chest heaved in and out, her cheeks flushed with anger.
“What’s wrong, Kitty-Kat?” I smirked because she didn’t like the nickname. Killian was the only one she didn’t get mad at, but something about her now made me want to push every button. Pick at every scab.
Something told me she wanted to hurt me back. Her energy rolled down my vertebrae, binding around my dick. Violence pulsed in the room, both of us walking a fine line. I was overwhelmed with the desire to kill her… or grab her roughly by the head and kiss the fuck out of her.
“Captain?” Scot stepped into the cabin.
I treaded quickly back, sucking in through my nose. Fuck. I was about a breath away from doing something very, very stupid. This was Katrina, Fredrich Roth’s little girl. I knew her when she was younger than when I had met Lexie. It was sick. It didn’t matter if she was grown-up now. She wasn’t to be touched or looked at.
“Yes?” I spoke to my second, but my glower stayed on Kat.
“Tsai has set us north but needs to know where in China. It’s a pretty big fucking place.”
Kat bit her lip, her gaze sliding to the side.
“You’re not getting off this ship anytime soon.” I didn’t take my eyes off her. “And sorry, little kitty, but you owe us. We saved your life. We’re in this now. It’s us, or we take you back to Singapore.” I tilted my head. “I have a feeling you were trying to get away from there for a reason. It was your ship in the harbor, wasn’t it? With the emperor’s flag on it?”
Her nose flared enough to give my theory credit.
“Thought so.”
“Are you blackmailing me?” She scowled at me.
“Nothing you wouldn’t do to me.” And she knew it. Hell, Katrina would probably do far worse to me.
“Tell me why and to whom you made this promise. And where in China we’re going.”
She shifted on her feet, struggling a bit before she sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t know who you made your vow to?” My brows went up.
“No.” She peered between Scot and me. “Where exactly in China. I just know whatever I’m seeking is there.”
“What are you seeking?” Scot came up next to me.
She sat back on the bed, her shoulders drooping, giving up the fight to hold her secret. “I got into a little trouble back in Singapore.” Emotion flashed over her face. “I was arrogant and reckless, letting my crew suffer for my shortsightedness. Long story short, we walked into a trap and were ambushed by the emperor’s men.” She swallowed. “Some of my crew were killed; the others… were taken as hostages.”
My head dropped forward when I realized where this was going. Batara was a vindictive asshole. He had a vendetta against pirates because he didn’t appreciate others taking the riches he believed were his. He would torture them in the main square in the most humiliating and gruesome way.
“Instead of torturing and killing them all, we made a deal.”
“Fuck, lass.” Scot rubbed his head. “You made a vow? To that man?”
She nodded. “He had my ship, my crew. My entire world. Everything I worked for. All the things that meant anything to me. I had to.”
“What do you have to do in exchange?” Dread built up through my chest like a wall.
“It’s crazy.” She shook her head. “It’s not even possible to achieve. He’s so desperate to cure his sick son he has me chasing after a myth. Now I’m stuck, and I have to go after it.”
“What do you have to go after?” Scot prompted. “Treasure? He doesn’t seem like he needs any more.”
“No, it’s not money. It’s an object… something he called the nectar.”
Nectar. The word slammed into me.
“I’m going to find my brother… and this object they call the nectar.”
“Holy. Fuck.” I stepped back in shock, feeling I had been hit with a mallet but had yet to recognize the blow, my brain still swimming in disbelief. The conversation I overheard at the bar last night replayed in my head. I had blown it off as intoxicated embellishments, as nothing more than a bullshit story, which was how most gossip and rumors started—a drunk loudmouth in a bar.
“What?” Scot turned to me. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head, dumbfounded, slowly raising my gaze to Katrina. “You aren’t the only one who’s after it.”
