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“Do you have sedatives to spare?” I ask, taking another sip.
His brow furrows as he looks at me as if he doesn’t recognize who I am. “Have you gone mad? That isn’t the answer—”
“They’re not for me.” My tone is clipped, but it’s not him I should be mad at. Fuck, I don’t even know who to point the finger at right now.
“Then who?” He tips his whiskey glass, arching a dark brow.
“Her. I haven’t gone mad, but I fear I’m on the path to it. She’s been through so much… I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I thought if she was asleep, then maybe it would give me a break and I could breathe again.”
“The bond doesn’t just break because she’s asleep, Hook. Trust me, as one of the few people on this ship who can sympathize with you, sedating her wouldn’t change anything. Besides, we don’t have much to spare. With the storm coming and gods know what else, we should keep it for those who need it.” He swirls the amber liquid in his glass, then downs the hatch.
“How do you do it? You and Lorian are mated, which is just as strong, right? How do you stay sane when he’s out of sorts?” I rest my forehead against my hands, elbows propped on the table.
“It is, and there’s no way to make it easier. You just power through, but it’s different. When Lorian is upset, I can help him. My presence brings him peace, so when he gets upset I just try to be there and it makes it easier. You… I pity the fact you can’t. Though, I suppose in a way you already are. It’s not like you were stroking her knee under the table or anything while interrogating her.” He shoots me a pointed look.
“You thought–still think,” I correct, “that she’s innocent. So why are you upset with me?”
“You know damn well why.” Okay… I do. He’s worried the crew will mutiny since more than half of them believe I should’ve treated her like any other witch we came across, but I can’t. She’s my wife… and she saved this ship. I can’t just ignore that.
“It was eating me alive, Zeph… What else was I supposed to do?”
He tilts his head to the side, pouring more whiskey into his glass. “That’s why I didn’t say anything to anyone else.”
“I don’t know what to do about Scarlet,” I admit, scrubbing a hand down my face. “She’s marked as a witch, but... I can’t bring myself to do what needs to be done.”
“Is that really what needs to be done?” Zephyr counters, his eyes searching mine. “Or is that just what you think you’re supposed to do?” I don’t have an answer for him, and the silence stretches between us. He takes a sip of his drink.
“Maybe.” I couldn’t stay still to save my life… My knee bounces beneath the table and my hands crave to fidget. “I don’t know.”
“Sounds to me that you need to figure out what you want—and what you’re willing to risk for it.” His voice loses its normal playful tone, dropping to something more serious.
“I can’t float her. I know what she is, but I just can’t do it.” My hands flex on the table, making the veins in my arms rise to the surface as I try to work the nervous jitters out of my system. Zephyr raises an eyebrow, the corner of his lips tip up. “You don’t have to give me that look. I know that’s what you wanted to hear or you wouldn’t have skipped off to get that truth tea,” I snap.
“Fine,” Zephyr relents, leaning back in his chair. His hands are up in surrender. “Let’s state facts then. Fact number one is that you’ve smiled more since she’s been here. More than I’ve seen you do in decades.”
I roll my eyes, but I know he’s right. Scarlet has a way of getting under my skin and making me feel things I haven’t felt in years. I genuinely enjoy her company and maybe a small piece of me hates the fact that I can’t do that anymore. Not in the way I’ve grown used to.
“Fact number two,” Zephyr continues, ticking off on his fingers. “She admitted to having the blood witch mark and claims to be illegally marked as one while on truth tea. And based on the shitty firework show we saw her do to stop that dragon, she lacks the talent to ward herself from the tea. It’s just not possible.”
“She’s talented. I don’t think she performs well under pressure,” I grumble, pushing away the image of Scarlet desperately wielding her magic to save us.
“Some druidic gifts are innate, like her ability to control others or Lorian’s ability to fight. They don’t need spells, but innate abilities are rare. What she did with the dragon, she needed a spell for. I saw her trying to cast it. She’s incredibly gifted in the innate sense, but the girl couldn’t cast to save her life. She can’t ward her mind if she can’t cast.”
It’s possible… and it’d make sense. She’s controlled dozens of men at once and a fucking Wysterian to boot. It doesn’t mean the truth tea is a hundred percent certain. Some things could’ve gone wrong like it not steeping the tea long enough. But for now, I can agree that she’s clumsy with her magic.
“Fact number three,” Zephyr says, undeterred by my silence. “If you don’t take action soon, the crew might mutiny. They think you’re too close to her to make the right call.”
“The only thing they want, or will accept, is floating her. And like I said, I have no intention of doing that.” I take another sip, feeling my cheeks grow warm from the alcohol.
“We’re already going to have to operate with a skeleton crew. We can’t afford to lose more people.” Zephyr doesn’t look at me, spinning his glass on the table.
“Well, I can’t give them the answers they want. They won’t accept the alternative because they think I’m too close. What am I supposed to do?” I pause, biting my fingernail as I stare off into space. “Maybe I am too close to it,” I admit, my chest tightening at the thought. “Maybe I should consider passing the hat for a bit until this is figured out. Smee would respect my wishes, hat or not, and the crew would respect her decision.”
“Seriously? You’d give up your position, even temporarily?” Zephyr asks, his voice laced with concern as he twists in his chair to face me. I clench my jaw, feeling the weight of the decisions ahead bearing down on my shoulders.
“I have no choice,” I answer without hesitation, knowing deep down that it’s true.
“Alright,” Zephyr says, nodding slowly. “Fact number four.” His eyes narrow with thought. “There are rumors that some of the king’s daughters are part fae. If she is, then the truth tea didn’t work at all.”
