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“A load of bullshit,” Adrian said with a laugh. “Is there a man so pure? If sirens existed, they would have swept half these bastards off my ship.”
The men laughed in agreement. Luc curled his fingers against his own chin thoughtfully.
“You may not laugh so much when the spirit world is opened once again,” he warned.
Adrian grunted as he rolled his head back. “You and Henrik must spend too much time together. You both go on about the same things.”
Henrik said nothing, his expression cold.
“You’d do well to respect the spirit world, Captain,” Luc said, his voice serious despite the playful glow in his smile. “Just because you pay no mind to them doesn’t mean they won’t search your heart.”
Adrian shrugged, uninterested. “I have no concerns for my morality.”
Henrik was the one to laugh at this statement. “No truer words spoken.”
With a stone gaze, Henrik threw back the rest of his drink and stood from the table. He waved his hand in dismissal at the rest of the table, then abandoned the party to return to his room.
Adrian watched him leave, an uncomfortable swallow sliding down his throat. I saw a flicker of something in his face. Pain?
He turned to face me, his eyes meeting mine. As if he could see me trying to read him, he hardened his face and his grip.
“You wanna stare closer, princess?”
He leaned in, and I shoved him away, standing to my feet. He watched me with a straight face, his shoulders and jaw tense.
“Let’s get back to the party,” he said to the others, raising his glass in a toast. “To our blackened and useless hearts, gentlemen!”
The men cheered and they all drank, Adrian’s eyes sliding back toward his brother.
***
Adrian was a heavy sleeper when he was drunk. He snored with his mouth wide open, tempting me to drop something in it just to watch him choke.
On the other hand, he looked like a child; not like the fearless captain of a ship who spent none of his time commandeering and all of his time trying to prove that he was better thaneveryone else. No, there was something so innocent about his vulnerability in this moment.
But I was going to strangle him if he didn’t stop snoring.
Deciding to let him live, I left the room and went out on the deck. The ocean was calm and deep, black in the moonlight. Something about the sight of it instantly soothed my soul despite the situation.
Tomorrow they would cut me. Luc and Henrik were sure it would open up the spirit world. What did that mean?
Just thinking about the possibilities, my entire nervous system vibrated, bringing goose bumps to my skin.
“You’ll catch a cold,” a voice said behind me.
I turned to see Henrik, who looked as if he had just woken up himself. His hair was floating around his face from the ocean wind, reminding me of cotton candy at the town fair. He removed his outer robe and stepped forward, wrapping it around me.
“Such a gentleman,” I commented as he wrapped my shoulders. “You’re not a very good kidnapper, you know.”
He smiled as he looked into my eyes. “You’re not my hostage.”
After a heartbeat he looked away, leaning against the rail of the ship and looking up into the sky.
“Why are you out here?” he asked.
“Your brother snores like a dying horse when he’s drunk.”
Henrik snorted and laughed. “I haven’t heard it said in quite those words, but yes, now that you mention it.” He then stiffened. “Did he try anything on you?”
