Page 111 of Wanted: Rogues and Bards

Fenric rolled his eyes. Eh. Malfas was learning. Fenric still didn’t have high hopes that this was going to help. It was more likely they would see some improvement if it got around that they’d defeated Count Pierres’s goons in Baza.

Count Pierres.

Fuck. If they had to make an enemy, at least they’d aimed big right from the start. The man had money, power, and connections. This wasn’t going to be the last time they crossed paths with him. Especially with Malfas spreading the word on who ruined his profitable business.

A cool, damp wind roared in from the ocean and pummeled the small port town with its thick cluster of buildings huddled together under a dreary sky. Curls of grey smoke rose from hundreds of chimneys as people fought to stay warm or just finish their day’s work. Relos was little more than a two-day trip by boat from Baza and didn’t draw the attention of most traders, who preferred to stop at the larger village just a few hours north or even wait until they reached Baza. Caravans and ships liked it as a place to briefly grab supplies before moving on to their ultimate destination. Either way, Fenric was looking forward to getting farther south, where the temperature was warmer and the skies were bluer, even if it meant having to trudge through Dead Man’s Curve again. Hopefully, the kraken had learned its lesson and would leave them alone on this pass.

Giggles rose from the docks, and Fenric peeked over the railing to see the women clustered together, waving at Malfas like he was their savior, not their captor. They were screwed. If this shit put them on the Heroes List instead of the villain one, he was going to personally fillet Malfas.

“Ahhh!” Malfas sighed as he walked over to where Fenric leaned against the railing, his always-present club tucked under his arm. “The captives are all free, and the ship already feels roomier.”

“We’ve still got one left,” Fenric muttered, not that he had a problem with Aria tagging along for a while longer. Lirion seemed more at ease and his smiles lighter now his sister was at his side.

“What’s next?” Malfas inquired, poking into Fenric’s thoughts.

Fenric shoved away from the railing and started across the deck with Malfas walking beside him. They went below and found almost everyone in the galley. Belstrom was sorting through the barrels and boxes that held their store of food.

“How’s it looking, Bel?” Fenric called out.

“We need to increase provisions.” Belstrom turned to the rest of the room, dusting his hands off. “There is only a day’s worth of sustenance left in storage. Basic medical supplies are also heavily depleted.”

Fenric grunted. “You, Malfas, and Hapi stole a tidy bundle from Count Pierres and his fleeing customers during your raid.” Fenric still didn’t know whether to smack or kiss those fools. The plan had never included them breaking into the building to steal goods, but since they’d been nearby, they’d decided to sneak in during all the chaos. Fenric couldn’t complain too much since their efforts had made the endeavor a profitable one. “Pawn a couple of things and use the money to get us some supplies. Take Malfas with you. He’s pretty good at knowing which medicinal herbs to get.”

“Not too much,” Rain interjected. “We can stop again before we reach Dead Man’s Curve. I don’t want to linger in Relos for too long. It’s closer to Baza than is comfortable.”

The pirate made a good point. They’d made a hell of a mess in Baza, and it was going to take a while for the group to pull itself together, but not that long. Someone would guess they’d need to dock for supplies and come looking for them. Running into more trouble would delay their trip to Lord Mire’s even more, and Fenric was tired of waiting to reclaim what had been stolen from him and his mother.

“The other question is how many people am I buying supplies for?” As Bel spoke, his gaze landed on Aria, who was seated between Rain and Lirion.

“True.” Fenric smiled at the young woman. “Have you decided where you’d like us to drop you off? You mentioned Loksi. Is that still the plan?”

“Actually, I’m staying…for now. If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Really?” Maxie gasped from his spot across from her. “Are you going to join us and become a villain as well? They have been training me up to be an expert poisoner, and I think you could be an amazing villainess if you wanted to be.”

The room exploded in shouts and chaos, but it all stopped as suddenly as it had started at the sound of Aria’s melodious laughter.

“Oh, goodness no.” She leaned across the table and pinched Maxie’s cheek. “You are just the sweetest thing. You could seduce the most lethal of my kind with those gigantic eyes.”

“I could?”

“Dear gods, no,” Fenric muttered, dropping his face into his hand. He’d already survived Maxie’s seduction lessons with Lirion. Maxie didn’t need more help. The world would go up in flames between his deadly eyes and his even deadlier cooking. He couldn’t take Maxie having two bad influences at his beck and call.

“Behave, Aria. You’re killing Fenric over there,” Lirion cut in with a chuckle.

Fenric looked up to see Aria drop back onto the bench with a playful smile drawing up her pale pink lips. When they’d finally rolled out of bed the day after the “kidnapping” in Baza—and after Lirion had enjoyed a very decadent meal of Fenric—they’d talked a little about Aria. Lirion was concerned she might be more fragile in spirit than she let on, but she was on the path to healing. Her captors hadn’t broken her stubborn spirit or her playful nature. Even now, two days later, he could see the young woman was quite resilient and on the mend. Shadows might still lurk in her eyes, but her smile seemed more genuine and confident now.

“Actually, my plan is to remain with Lir and travel at his side for a bit. He explained how you’re all heading back toward Björnkill so he can help with another job as payment for rescuing⁠—”

“Kidnapping!” Malfas sang out, correcting her.

Aria smiled and nodded at the warlock. “Right. Payment for kidnapping me.”

Yeah, no one was fooled, but it didn’t matter.

“While I’m sure none of us have a problem with you remaining on the ship until we get to Björnkill, there is a question of how you are going to sustain yourself since it will take at least five days to get back. You need the same energy Lirion needs to feed and survive, right?” Fenric asked.

Aria smirked and her gaze darted to the ceiling, or rather where the helm would be with a certain sassy pirate. “I do, and I’ve already worked out a system. Rain has selflessly volunteered to feed me while I’m on the ship. And if necessary, I can catch a nibble from Malfas since he exudes a lovely and delicious horny energy.”