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Fifteen minutes later, my crew sat around me in the galley, minus Corb, who stayed above on duty to watch the horizon as dawn breached the sky. Scot was on my right, Tsai on my left, while Zidane, looking bleary-eyed and irritated, shook his head at Vane.
“Tonight we had a breach of duties,” I stated. All eyes swung to the man in the back holding a bag of frozen peas to his face. “My direct orders ignored.”
Vane slunk down in his chair, a frown on his face, placing the icy bag directly on the growing lump on his forehead and eye.
“And I was attacked in my personal chambers.” I had thrown on a shirt and pants, but every inch of my skin still sensed the “attack” and itched with awareness.
“Not my fault!” Vane held out his arms, the thawing bag dripping in his hand. “She bewitched me, I swear!” Vane’s Spanish accent grew thicker when he got upset.
“A coatrack would bewitch you,” Tsai huffed.
“She had to go to the bathroom. What was I supposed to do?” Vane grumbled, placing the peas back on his eye. “Let her pee right there, smelling up the place?”
“You are seriously the worst pirate.” Zid rubbed at his forehead.
“I don’t think I’m to blame for this at all.” Vane sat up, motioning around. “You are the ones who put me in charge of a beautiful, half-dressed woman. You know I have no willpower against them.”
Scot chuckled under his breath, his arms folded, his head bowed and wagging. “He has you there, Captain.”
Agreement rumbled through the rest of the skeleton crew.
“Yeah,” I blew out. I had pretty much asked for it. Vane actually was a good pirate, but beautiful things were his Achilles’ heel. Normally, he leaned toward women but was open to all pretty things, especially when they were flattering him.
“Zid and Scot, you will both take turns seeing to our prisoner.” It was strange calling her that. Katrina had been once part of my crew, my family, but I couldn’t trust she wouldn’t try to kill me again.
“Wait, you’re taking me off?” Vane exclaimed. “I swear I will do better.”
Laughter boomed through the room.
“She swishes her tail in your direction and Captain will have a dagger in his gut by noon.” Scot shook his head. “We can’t trust you alone with your own reflection.”
Vane huffed, slumping back. His bruises were starting to heal, but his pride would take a bit longer. He knew he fucked up and was lucky to be left only with the punishment I’d be assigning him this week, like swabbing the deck, cleaning toilets, and working kitchen duty.
In the past, I might’ve marooned a crew member for this kind of mistake. I had even killed one for less. In this new era, humans were aware of the existence of fae, and it was causing more hate, violence, and division in a world already struggling. Trustworthy people were few and far between, so you held on to them. Fought for them. Something Zoey had taught me.
My mind flickered to a group of people half a world away, knowing every day they waited for my return. Almost five years had passed since I sailed off. I had missed Wyatt’s first steps, his first words, his first day of preschool. But I couldn’t bring myself to go back; the reminder of all we had lost was too much. Though no matter how far I sailed, Lexie’s blood still stained my skin. The memory of her dead body in my arms still haunted me. The nightmares still woke me up screaming, as if it was happening all over again.
And not once could I prevent it.
The half-strighoul, half-seer called Zeke was the one who murdered her. A science experiment born in Dr. Rapava’s labs, made with Zoey’s viable eggs, created a whole newunnaturalspecies. Almost invincible, smart, powerful, strong, they were still out there somewhere. Creatures who shouldn’t exist.
One day I would hunt Zeke and all the others down.
“Captain?” Scot nudged me, snapping me back to the present. “What are your plans for her?”
“I don’t know yet.” Rubbing my head, I let out an exhale. “Though I can’t release her.”
“So, we’re gonna keep her prisoner?” Zid sat up. “We can have pets now?”
I glared at him, shaking my head.
If older Kat was anything like her younger self, she was stubborn, determined, and would not give up until she got what she wanted—which seemed to be my death. Letting her go would only land us right back here, and there was a good possibility she would succeed next time.
“She’ll stay a prisoner until I figure out what to do with her. Right now she’s not my first concern.” The whole reason we were even in the east was to reestablish ourselves here, making it known the Silver-Tongue Devil was back and ready to claim his title again. “Did anyone hear anything in Singapore about this PIB orThe Revenge?”
I knewThe Revengebelonged to this infamous PIB and her crew. As I took back the Caribbean, all I kept hearing were larger-than-life myths about her. How her bodyguards would tear you into bite-size pieces. With only the heel of her boot, she could make you mincemeat, killing hundreds of men, including well-established ruthless pirates. Her first mate was the best sailor in the world. And how she could seduce, fuck, and rob better than I ever had.
Okay, I was man enough to knowthatwas what bothered me the most. I mean, I worked decades for the reputation. No one had come close, but now it was being taken from me?
