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“I think she likes you too.”
I froze at his words, not sensing any irony in them. He folded his arms, tapping his fingers in thought. I could only swallow again, no words coming to my lips.
“After all,” he suddenly said, sucking in a breath. “I’m incredibly charming and ruggedly handsome, and yet, she insists on spending time with you. You treat her better, I’m guessing.”
I shifted my weight. This was more uncomfortable than when he was being an idiot.
“And since when did you start caring about how you treat people?” I asked honestly.
His shoulders slumped, and I nearly apologized. Most of the time, he was someone I didn’t know. He was a reckless criminal, caring nothing for consequences. He had changed so much from my little brother who dreamed of following in my footsteps, far from the teenage boy who applied to be a privateer for the king and was rejected due to his weaker physique and lower education.
Despite his shattered dreams, I had continued on into the navy without him.
And in turn, he became an enemy of both me and the king.
“Treating people well isn’t beneficial in my line of…er…work,” he replied. “But it is in yours. That’s probably why you have better foresight than me.”
I laughed bitterly again. Foresight, huh? If I had looked after him properly as the elder brother—training him for the navy instead of leaving him to ruin himself—then we wouldn’t be where we were now.
He thought I was training Esmeralda to impress her. In reality, I think I was just trying to find redemption for abandoning my brother.
“She saw right through me,” he said, licking his bottom lip. “She knew how I…”
He sighed, a painful laugh escaping his lips as he shifted his weight and cleared his throat.
“I’ve had blood on my hands before, Henrik, but not this much.” His eyes glossed over. “There’s a lot of things I’m willing to take. The lives of my men isn’t one of them.”
He stood as still and empty as a statue. When he didn’t move or blink, I stepped forward and put a hand on the back of his neck, bringing him down to my shoulder. He leaned his weight on me in despair. I kissed his temple.
“You know,” I said, “sometimes when I think your soul is completely gone, you prove me wrong.”
He didn’t respond, resting himself against my shoulder.
I let him stay there as long as he needed, knowing that the blood on his hands was partly my fault.
***
I had been too distracted by Dagon to even catch wind of the mutiny.
It was my own fault.
The crew that was once ours now held Adrian and I captive. They threw us into a cell together. The rest of the crew that had not submitted to Luc’s command were also dragged into their own cells. Some locked themselves in cells, obviously enchanted by charmspeak.
“What the hell is happening?” Adrian asked, inspecting the locked bars.
“Siren enchantment,” I replied. “Luc used the power in his arsenal to put a spell over the crew.”
“And Esmeralda?”
“Also a siren. An accomplice, seemingly.”
“The fiancé as well?”
I thought for a moment. I wasn’t sure what the prisoner’s role was at all. The markings on his chest were certainly from the spiritual realm. The patterns were quite vivid.
“I decide whether you get your wings, or if you’re sentenced to endless reincarnation,”he had said.
He’sss a Judge, Dagon whispered.
