“She killed how many?” The slight accent marks the voice as Dragut’s.
“At least a dozen.” Lachlan’s voice is unmistakable. The cadence of his Scottish accent is as familiar to me as my own. The ship leans to the left and the empty hammocks around the room swing.
“On her own?” Dragut sounds surprised.
“She cut through them like water through stone. It was the most astonishing thing I ha’ ever seen. She dinna waiver once. Just floated from one demon to the next, leaving a trail of carcasses in her wake.”
“That’s a mighty fine woman you have there, Cap,” Dragut laughs.
“You ha’ no idea. Sometimes I think she might…”
I strain so hard to hear Lachlan’s next words. I tumble out of the hammock. A curse slips from my lips while finding my footing and I lose the ability to eavesdrop.
Boots thud against the timber floor and Lachlan’s face appears. Tired, but relieved. A smile stretches wide across his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes in the way I love so much. He looks at me the way no one ever has before. Like he sees me, all of me. A breath stutters out of me.
I love him.
“I was wondering when our sleeping beauty would awake,” he teases. He continues smiling at me as his eyes rove over my body. A blush reddens the tips of his ears. No doubt, as flashes of my naked body swirl through his mind.
Patting down the wild hair that has slipped from my braid, I glare at him.
“How long was I out?” The words come out raspy from sleep. I cough to clear my throat and grimace at the tenderness of my back.
“Most of the day. We’ll be docking in Ishtar soon, Your Majesty,” Dragut answers. He aims a soft smile at me and bows.
“Thank you, Dragut,” I respond. I tuck a wayward strand into the plait of my braid before giving up on taming the wildness. I need a bath and a hot meal.
“Do we have?—”
“Foods on the deck. We saved ye a plate,” Lachlan answers before I can finish asking. I smother the smirk that builds by pursing my lips. Of course, he knows exactly what I was thinking.
He stands to the side and spreads his arm out, allowing me space to pass. “After ye.” His gaze roves over my body again and this time my cheeks heat under his attention. He presses a vial discreetly into my hand as I pass and I look down at it before he coughs pointedly and realization dons. The contraceptive tonic.
The ship lurches before rocking, setting the hammocks swinging fiercely. Both men grab onto the doorframe for support, but I breeze through and up the steps onto the deck.
“Need help with your sea legs, boys?” I ask, throwing them a look over my shoulder.
Lachlan is still holding on to the door as the boat rightens itself, but Dragut looks up at me in awe.
A hush falls over the crew when I step onto the deck. Several impressed stares and hushed whispers reach my ears, but I can’t make out their words. Nor do I try to. I spy some meat, cheese, and fruit spread out on a wooden crate next to the mast and help myself.
I uncork the tonic and throw it back before plopping onto the crate. It tastes of ginger and something softer, hibiscus maybe. But light reflects off of something and right into my face. Shielding my eyes from its glow, I peer under my hand.
Scales.
I rush to the port side of the boat to get a closer look as alarge head breaches the water. Excitement blooms, and I sigh seeing the sea dragons once more.
“They’ve been following us since Cap carried you on board,” Dragut explains, coming up beside me, his eyes still wary as he takes in the massive creature, keeping pace with the boat.
I tilt my head, not understanding, but my attention never leaves the sea dragon in front of me. I don’t want to miss a thing. They’re so magnificent, I stand in awe. My chest lightens and happiness fills the vacancy the anxiety leaves behind.
“I tried to tell them you were okay, just tired. But I don’t think they planned on leaving until they set eyes on you themselves.”
“They?” I look behind the silver and green dragon closest to us.
Several enormous heads breach the surface. Blue, violet, and even yellow iridescent scales. My mouth drops open at the assembly of sea dragons staring at me.
A deep chuckle has me peeling my eyes away from them to glance sidelong at Lachlan as he rests his forearms against the side of the boat. “I told ye you had a way with beasts.”
