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Noah flipped me off, and I left the deck with a shrug.
14
Deal With the Devil
Milo
Iwaited another night at the tavern for Bastian, and Clara kept close to my men, who I’d commanded to accept her as a crew mate. No one had objected, probably because I’d threatened to keelhaul anyone who did. I observed the way she fit right in amongst them, drinking and slinging curses at one another in jest. I still didn’t fully trust her or understand why she wanted this so badly, but she wasn’t the greatest of my concerns for the time being.
When Bastian finally walked through the doors, I knew my chances of getting what I wanted were slim. But I hoped to bargain my way there with the riches I’d secured from pirating. It was a long shot, but one I couldn’t afford not to take.
Brown roughened locks fell to prominent shoulders of a man likely twenty years my elder, matching his equally wily mustache and beard. His tall, sturdy figure loomed over the bar as he swiveled a coin between his fingers, rolling it along his knuckles and back again. I took a spot beside him, clearing my throat as I prepared to make my proposition.
“What do you want?” he asked, before I could even open my mouth. His voice was slow and careful, with a sly touch of mockery. “I’m not open for business right now.”
“Except you’re always open for business.” I slammed down a handful of the known world’s rarest diamonds and jewels I’d managed to swipe from a British ship. Right after I had my men execute those on board who wouldn’t surrender and before I sunk their ship. “And I’ve heard that enough of this will get just about anything out of you. I’ve got whole trunks full. You could almost buy the British Empire yourself.”
He examined the jewels in my hand, a subtle spark kindling in his eyes. “Almost. Perhaps I have some time to discuss it,” he said, turning to face me on his barstool. “Any man walking around with those in his pocket might be worth talking to. What exactly is it that you hope to obtain from me with such a valuable collection?”
I paused. I knew the minute the next words left my mouth, things could get interesting, and I could very well appear a fool. But I had to know. “Just information.”
Bastian shifted, crossing his legs and leaning back after a swig of his rum. “Ah yes. Information. Secrets. Rumors. The currency of the true elite.” His voice drifted through the air like heavy smoke.
I took a breath and clenched my jaw, bracing for the question I had no choice but to ask. “Rumors say you have a map to the Fountain. The real Fountain.”
A laugh erupted forth from him, as he slung his head back and slapped his leg, earning looks from eyes all across the tavern. This was what I was afraid of. “That’s the problem with rumors, isn’t it?” His gaze pierced me, a mischievous glimmer in his eye. “Can never be sure of what’s true and what’s not.”
“What’s your price for the truth? Because I’ll pay it. I've treasures hidden that would overflow your frigate.” I gritted my teeth, thinking of the fortune I’d gathered all for this moment. “And if I don’t have what you want, I’ll get it.”
He thought for a moment, leaning forward as he stroked his beard with fingers laden with rings of bronze, gold, and silver. On the back of his palm, there was a marking—a black insignia of a serpent. “Let’s suppose I do have the map...Perhaps I dug it up from Ponce myself.” He paused with a grin. “And what if I told you it was unfinished? Useless. We all know De Leon never truly found it. What makes you think you will.”
“Because I have the rest of my life to look for it, whether you tell me or not.” I was growing impatient, eager, and nervous all at once. From the short encounter I’d seen of Bastian with Valdez, he seemed a bit of a showman who enjoyed making an ordinary situation dramatic. And I’d use his penchant for suspense to my advantage. I’d make it intriguing for him to help me. He would cave if I could make him think I was desperate enough.
“You really believe I know where it is, don’t you?” His voice curled up, as though he was about to laugh again. I held my gaze on him, unwavering.
“If you don’t, then tell me now and quit wasting my time. I’ll find it another way if I need to,” I stood up to leave, hoping it would pique his interest enough for him to reconsider.
“Wait a second,” he cooed. “I never said we didn’t have a deal.”
“Then do we?”
“You tell me. I swear by the code I’m telling you God’s good truth when I say I don’t know where the Fountain truly is. Because it was never found.”
I hesitated, considering his words for a moment before I said anything more. But as I pondered his words, it slowly began to make some bit of sense. If Bastian truly did know where the Fountain of Youth was, why would he have needed a siren heart from Valdez years later? He clearly hadn’t gained eternal life from the Fountain. So perhaps he was telling the truth. In which case, I was now the one intrigued, which I was sure was his plan all along. But I didn’t care. I needed information.
“So then what are you offering me?” I refused to sit back down, and instead I stood looming, waiting for his reply.
“There is a map, Captain. But it’ll only take you part of the way. Ponce died before he could find the true location. I know, I’ve tried.” He smiled with an almost feline look to his expression, and I began to feel unsure of what to trust or what to say next. It felt like a setup of some sort. But he went on. “So, what are you willing to do to lay eyes on this map?”
“I told you,” I spat. “Name your price.”
He pretended to think for a moment, the corners of his mouth twitching into a sly smile that reminded me of a snake about to strike. “I’ll take that pocketful of diamonds and gold you have on you, just for fun. But don’t worry about your ‘frigates of treasure’ and blood money. I’m not in want of that, I can assure you. But eternal youth...now that’s a treasure even I can’t manage to obtain. So consider this a commission from me. To do what I could not. Find the Fountain and come back to me when you have. You agree to that, I’ll let you see the map.”
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical of the ease with which he was willing to give up his map. There had to be something more he wasn’t telling me. He was always careful with his wording.
“I want more than the chance to see the map. I want the map.” I knew better. There was always a catch to everything.
“Well now, where’s the fun in that? One good peek should more than suffice. You are a master navigator, after all,” he snickered. Fair enough, for now. I’d come back to this somehow and ensure I got my hands on that map.
