Page 76 of Seaborn and the Seven Seas

Then Fraya turned to me, and her smile went soft. “There you are.” She pulled me in close, tight enough that I felt it in my ribs. “I’ve missed you, Star.”

“I missed you too, Fraya.” Though I hadn’t known her long as I had Jina and Minha, I considered her my friend. She had been kind to me.

Fraya pulled back, hands still on my shoulders, and her grin turned wicked. “Theron’s told me all about your fun time with the Seelie queen.” She rolled her eyes. “Sounds like quite the adventure you two had.”

Heat crawled up my neck. “Oh, I loved every minute,” I said flatly. “Nearly strangled by magic, gored by a boarox. Truly the vacation of a lifetime.”

She offered a somber smile. “I’m glad you’re back with us. Come on. Let’s get these little pirates fed before they fall over.”

Fraya had the crew lay out meals—warm bread, a stew thick with meat and vegetables, dried fruit the children had never tasted. Everyone sat around the middle deck as if having a picnic, the ship rocking gently as it pulled away from shore.

“Can we have more?” Sunny licked her lips.

“Of course you can,” Fraya’s voice squeaked and asked Jimin to tell the cooking crew.

Hope ate two bowls and so did the other girls. Seeing their stomachs filled made me so happy I teared up.

For the rest of the daylight, the children ran the length of the deck, shrieking, chased by a patient Ranis and Jimin, who let themselves get caught again and again. True to his word, Theron let Hope stand at the bow with small hands on the wheel beside his. She beamed so hard I thought her face might crack. Then all the children got their turn.

This wasn’t the man who’d snapped Barron’s neck without blinking. Or maybe it was exactly that man—just a side of him I hadn’t been allowed to see until now.

By the time the sun went down, the children were worn out. Hellena and Fraya herded the girls below to the cabins on the lower deck, where they’d all sleep together.

While Jina and Ranis sat on the barriers with the other crew members, I stayed up on top.

The sky had gone dark, no moon, but a few scattered stars, less of them than there were from the last time I was out at sea. The water moved black and glassy beneath the hull, the wake trailing silver behind us.

I peered up to the upper deck when I heard the sudden scuffling of boots. Theron was leaning against the rail, staring down at me.

“Do you like what you see?” I ground out. I disliked him looking at me, like I was a mystery he needed to solve.

“I like seeing beautiful things.”

My face turned red. Did he just give me a compliment? But then he opened his mouth. “You should move out of the way. You’re blocking my view.”

My face burned hotter. I scoffed. “View of the darkness? You have strange taste.”

“Perhaps.” A low sound rumbled in his chest. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“No. I have too many questions.”

“Same here,” Theron said and vaulted over and landed with a thump beside me, the ship rocking gently.

I brushed the old wood of the ship’s edge with my finger, tracing the worn lines. “Why did you name your ship Yeri after the goddess?”

“Who told you?” He didn’t sound pleased.

Why did it matter if I knew?

“I overheard the crew.” I glanced up at the stars.

“Did you now?” He leaned closer, close enough his shoulder nearly touched mine. “You know… you’re not a good liar. You shouldn’t do it again.”

“I-I-didn’t—” I glowered at him. “And you should stop being insufferable.”

“Insufferable,” he said it like he was testing the weight of it. “I’ve been called worse.”

“I’m sure you have. By many women.” I thought of Selene, the blond woman he took to bed, and wondered if she’d thought the same of him. Probably not, if she was letting him do things to her that I wished... Don’t finish that thought.