Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
I pat the large crate that I’ve just finished tying down. “Help the crew lash down anything they can find. Things will be challenging enough without someone getting knocked overboard because of carelessness now.” That should be enough to keep her busy, but I find myself continuing to speak. “And keep an eye on Bastian.”
She pauses in the midst of reaching down to check my knot. “Bastian?” Siobhan frowns as if I’ve presented her with a puzzle that she doesn’t quite understand the parameters of yet. “You hate Bastian. If we’re not worried about the Cŵn Annwn getting him, it would make your life significantly easier if he went overboard. No one to blame that way.”
I blink. Despite everything, a slow smile pulls at the edges of my lips. “Siobhan, are you trying to manipulate me into admitting something about Bastian?”
The blush that rises to her tanned cheeks is confirmation enough. She’s even more attractive when she blushes, and if I didn’t have a dozen dangers facing us, I might be tempted to coax her into my cabin and see just how far that blush extends.
I hadn’t realized that I’d already made the decision to seduce her. I’ve always been awful with timing when it comes to these things, but never quite so bad at timing as this. Then again, if we’re sure to die, why not go out in style?
“Not a manipulation, but…” She huffs out a strained laugh. “Okay, you caught me.”
I don’t point out that she’s furious at Bastian and has been since before we saved him. Love is a complicated thing, and it still shines between them with a strength that I swear I can actually see, even when they’re fighting. They’ll figure this out as long as they survive to see the end of it. That should make me jealous, I think. I’m deeply attracted to Siobhan, and I respect her strength and canniness. And Bastian? Well, there was a reason I loved him, and a reason that when he broke my heart, that pain has echoed through every year that I’ve lived since.
I’ll worry about the lack of jealousy later. Right now, I need to keep us all alive. “Just watch over him. Please.”
Her faint smile fades. She nods. “Okay, Nox. I’ll watch over him. I promise.”
Chapter 15
Bastian
I’ve been aboard countless ships over the years, but never one as tightly run as the Audacity. We’re sailing into all but certain death, and the crew hasn’t panicked once. Instead, they move about with fierce expressions and determination in their eyes. It’s a testament to Nox’s leadership skills and the community that they have built that no one panics. Personally, I feel like panicking. There’s nothing I can do. I’ve never felt so helpless in my entire life, which is saying something, because my sole purpose as the Dacre spare is to exist should something happen to my elder brother. I don’t know what that could be termed if not helpless.
Siobhan sticks close enough to me that there’s no way it’s coincidence. I wipe the salt spray from my face and turn to her as we finish tying off the last set of supplies. “Did someone tell you to babysit me?” Even as I ask the question, I realize there’s only one person on this ship who would dare give Siobhan an order. “Nox did, didn’t they?”
“I would’ve looked after you even if they hadn’t.” With a frustrated grunt, Siobhan twists her hair back and does something to it to keep it out of her face. “I hate this. If we were on land—”
“I know.” I smile but nothing’s funny. “But we’re in Threshold. Land is in short supply. We always knew that our battles would be fought at sea.”
“Don’t be reasonable at me right now. I don’t appreciate it.” Just like she has dozens of times before, she turns to look in the direction of our wake. I can’t see much in the growing darkness, but Siobhan has never had a problem seeing over long distances. “They’re gaining,” she says shortly.
“But how?” I shift a little closer and lower my voice. The last thing I want to do is accidentally insult any of the crew. “We’re moving faster than we have any right to be. The air-users have been filling our sails for days now, and more so since those ships were spotted. Even if they have their own air-users, they shouldn’t be moving faster than we are.”
“I don’t know.” She looks so grim as she says it that I want to hug her. Only the knowledge that she wouldn’t welcome the embrace keeps my feet planted and my hands at my sides. Siobhan shakes her head. “I know most of who they have crewing those ships. They have maybe four air-users between the three ships. This is something else.”