The captain’s brown eyes roved over Astraea, and I itched to claw them out.
“I’m curious as to how two with wings and a dragon end up helpless and near frozen in the sea between the mainland and Volanis.”
Only one with wings,I thought with a twinge in my chest. Astraea shook stiffly, and I was losing patience with being the crew’s entertainment while she was suffering.
“If you have a fire we could warm and dry by, we might be more inclined to share a story.”
The captain ignored me to address her. “So quiet, Maiden.”
Don’t do something reckless,I tamed myself.
Astraea answered through chittering teeth, “I have little desire for conversation when I still feel like I’m in the sea.”
The captain chuckled deeply. “Very well. Follow me.”
I didn’t trust this man, though I couldn’t place why. We followed with little choice, but I was at ease knowing I could kill everyone on this ship and not feel bad about it if they tried to harm Astraea.
We went below deck, and the warmth drifting through the cabin was already a reprieve. In the captain’s quarters, Astraea left my side to go to the fire, immediately sinking to her knees and holding her hands toward it with soft sighs.
I scanned the room, which was very lavishly decorated with red carpet and velvet-clad seating behind a mahogany desk.
“You must trade well,” I observed, heading absentmindedly toward Astraea while keeping my full attention on this man.
“I captain the finest ship on the seas, theSilver Sparrow,” he replied proudly, wandering around his room with hands clasped behind his back.
Kneeling, I unhooked the fastening on Astraea’s heavy sodden cloak, and she smiled her thanks when I peeled it away from her.
“You should take off your boots and socks too,”I said through our bond.
“You need to dry your clothes as well,”she said back.
I took off my cloak, but then I stood, facing the captain.
“What is your name?” I asked.
“Balthezar Corrick,” he supplied.
The name rang a faint familiarity, but I couldn’t grasp from where.
The captain took up his grand chair behind the desk, far neater than I’d expect. His calm demeanor told me he didn’t fear either of us, and I had to wonder what gave him such confidence.
I didn’t like it.
Slipping my hands into my pockets, I crossed the room, trying to figure this man out by the things he chose to keep in his private space.
I picked up a perfect silver sphere that had a good weight and tossed it a couple of times.
“I don’t appreciate people touching my things,” Balthezar said.
Catching and keeping hold of the sphere, I cast him a playful smile. “No point in being so precious about things that don’t really have ownership. If I burn this ship and it goes sinking to the bottom of this ocean, yours it would no longer be.”
I tossed it to him, delighting in the irritable flex around his eyes when he caught it.
“Do you make a habit of provoking those who aid you?”
Chuckling lightly, I skimmed my hands over more trinkets.
“I guess not all things reach you at sea if you know my name and thought it would greet you with kindness. Let’s not be under any pretense here: we both know the fate of every life aboard, including yours, is in my hands right now.”
