“I know.”
“And then you handed her to him.”
Mark flinched slightly at that. Edith folded her arms tightly inside the borrowed coat, watching carefully. This felt important, bigger than the bounty now.
Mark scrubbed both hands down his face roughly. “We took the job because we needed out,” he said quietly. “I thought you were risking everything over someone you barely knew.”
Spencer’s expression darkened. “She’s my mate.”
The certainty in his voice hit Edith right in the chest… Oh. That still did things to her.
Mark looked away briefly toward the sea. “Yeah,” he muttered. “I figured that out a little too late.”
Silence settled heavily around the boat. Edith genuinely thought Spencer was about to punch him and, in all honesty, she wouldn’t have stopped him. Instead, Spencer glanced toward Dave and Brutas.
The two guardians floated nearby in the water like terrifying ancient sea judges overseeing emotional family court.
Dave met Spencer’s gaze first, then nodded once and Brutas followed. A simple gesture but it spoke of understanding. Kraken things, apparently.
Mark exhaled slowly, like he’d been waiting for something or permission maybe. Then to Edith’s complete surprise, Mark started stripping.
“Well, this is suddenly becoming a very different kind of situation,” Edith muttered and turned around as Dave snorted.
Mark ignored them entirely, pulling off his clothes and boots before stepping onto the edge of the damaged boat. For one brief second, he looked at Spencer, not angry, not evendefensive, just a gaze full of regret. Then he dove off the edge of the boat and into the sea. It swallowed him instantly. Moments later, enormous movement rolled beneath the surface as Mark shifted beneath the waves. Edith stepped closer instinctively, peering over the edge of the boat to see a massive Kraken shape moved below them briefly, dark tentacles curling through the water.
Then he surfaced once and met the gaze of his brother before disappearing beneath the sea completely. Quickly, the ocean settled slowly behind him and Edith let out a quiet breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.
“Well,” Dave said eventually. “That was emotionally devastating.”
“Nobody asked you,” Edith replied automatically.
The pirate suddenly woke up with a strangled scream. “ARE WE DEAD?!”
Edith turned immediately and grinned again… perfect timing.
The ghost pirate blinked wildly around the damaged boat, the Krakens, the soaking wet Gerald still spluttering furiously in the water, then visibly considered passing out again.
Edith pointed toward Gerald and gave the pirate instructions “You,” she said firmly. “Fetch the male crying in the water and deliver him to the mainland.”
Gerald looked outraged. “I am not crying!”
Edith raised an eyebrow. “You screamed the entire way down.”
“That was tactical yelling.”
“Yeah, sure it was.”
The pirate looked between Gerald and the enormous Krakens surrounding the boat and then nodded quickly. “Aye. Absolutely. Crying man delivery. Understood.”
Edith turned back toward Spencer then, really looked at him, at the exhaustion on his face, the worry that still lingered there, but also the relief. It was amazing how quickly you could learn someone’s face and the signs. Now that the danger had passed slightly, her brain unfortunately resumed functioning enough to notice he was still mostly naked.
This felt a little unfair.
The sea breeze curled through his damp hair while sunlight caught against seawater still sliding down his skin. Edith’s mouth went dry, he was dangerous… and not in the bounty hunter way.
Spencer looked at her carefully. “Are you alright?” The softness in his voice nearly undid her.
Edith swallowed once, trying her best to keep her eyes north. Then she grinned slowly.
