Chapter 26
Callum
We arrive in Sevrin a few days later with no accompanying fanfare. We had lowered the Ashven flag and the Hunter’s flag from our mast to avoid any more unwanted attention and managed to enter the port unscathed.
Elia had spent the last nights sharing my bed, and my mood was high.
We’d gone a few more rounds that first night together, and spent the last hours of our trip christening as many places as we could on the ship.
I didn’t know when, or if, we’d have time alone once we’d arrived, so we tried to steal as many moments as we could.
I still couldn’t believe that Elia told me she was falling in love with me. I feel like I’m living in a dream, walking in a cloud covered reality that doesn’t seem real.
I knew I was falling early on, maybe even from the second I’d laid eyes on her. Afterall, she was the only person aside from Rafe that made my dead heart beat. But I’m still struggling to wrap my head around the fact it’s reciprocated.
The voice in the back of my head continues to whisper that I don’t deserve her love. That I never deserved Rafe, which is why he left me. The voice had only grown stronger in recent years, my own doubts being doubled with the King’s neverending words.
That same voice had only ever quieted when Rafe was around. And then again when Elia came into my life. As long as I have her, I can pretend that I’m holding it together, that I can love her and nothing else matters.
Here, so far away from Ashven, it’s easy to pretend that I’m only a man in love, with no other versions of me.
“Hey, handsome,” Elia greets me, wrapping a hand around my waist.
I pull her into a deep kiss, lingering until someone coughs behind us.
“Time to leave, lovebirds,” Ginna teases sarcastically. She’d already given me shit earlier this week, telling me that the walls on the ship weren’t as thick as they’d seem.
I blush furiously, but Elia only laughs in response.
I take her hand as we disembark the Midas. I had instructed the crew to stay on the ship to prevent any further damage or theft while we dock. They weren’t told of the purpose of our trip, either, so it would be us three to find Rafe alone.
It still hasn’t actually hit me that there is the very real possibility of seeing Rafe again, and soon.
I had wanted to spend the trip here focusing only on Elia and I’s relationship, and while I don’t regret that, I now find myself nervous.
My hands are twitching uncontrollably, and hopefully Elia can’t tell through the one that’s gripping mine tightly.
She’s also nervous, but for different reasons. She hasn’t traveled anywhere outside of Ashven. This is all a new experience for her, one I’m not sure yet if she likes or not.
I’m sure she’s also not thrilled at the thought of meeting Rafe. I wouldn’t want to be introduced to any of Elia’s ex-partners, either.
I squeeze her hand in what I hope to be a reassuring gesture. But based on the decorum of the port we docked in, I’m not sure it helps.
Where Ashven had been calm and civilized, Sevrin is loud and rowdy. People shout down from the ships to workers scrambling to load crates. Merchants yell about the wares they are selling, trying to make last minute sales to visitors.
I see Ginna weave out of the way to avoid a greedy pickpocketer, only to stumble when a group of street urchins come barreling through, carrying sticks they’re brandishing as swords.
After a quick sweep of our surroundings, I see most people are carrying some sort of weapon on themselves, so Ginna and I don’t stand out as much in that regard.
We’re not wearing our full uniform with the Ashven colors, opting instead for our more discreet outfits that we typically wear on a Hunt.
“Well, where shall we start?” Elia asks, eyes darting between myself and Ginna, surprisingly steady in the midst of the chaos.
“The only place where we’ll find some answers, of course.” Ginna swings an arm around Elia’s shoulders. “The local tavern.”
“The local tavern,” I agree.
???
The closest tavern is further from the docks then I would have thought. Mind you, I saw enough barrels of rum propped in the streets, corks open, mugs or sometimes mouths collecting the dark liquid. I guess citizens in a pirate haven don’t necessarily need a formal establishment to have their fill.
It was easy to figure out when we found the tavern; the reek of booze and the stench of sweat was a dead giveaway.
“This is where Rafe decided to live?” Ginna’s disgust is obvious in her question as we pass a man retching in the nearby alley. “Are we sure the ring was right?”
“Positive,” Elia responds, sidestepping a puddle of questionable content. Out of nowhere a thought hits me that I’m glad Elia decided to wear pants today instead of one of her dresses.
“We’ll ask around. Hopefully someone here knows him.”
This place is very out of sorts for me and Ginna.
Ginna, raised to be the future queen of Ashven, earned her place as a strong soldier turned Hunter, but had the same manners and upbringing that were conditioned into me.
I was always too afraid to do anything other than what was proper and expected. Other than Rafe, I mean.
Rafe was always a different story. He was raised the same as us, but he was always more daring, willing to push the boundaries that Ginna and I firmly obeyed. In fact, I thought, pushing open the tavern’s door, this was the very type of place Rafe would enjoy.
The tavern isn’t as loud as I was expecting, but I still have to shout to talk to Ginna and Elia.
“I’ll go ask the bartender. Do you want to try and find a seat and talk to some of the patrons?”
Ginna nods and mumbles something that’s swept away into the noise. She pulls Elia with her and disappears into the crowd.
I push myself through the throngs of people to reach the bar, squeezing myself between two men, one of which, I can’t help but notice, is missing all but two fingers on his left hand.
The barmaid is on the opposite side of the long counter and doesn’t notice me approaching, so I relentlessly wait until she returns to tend to this side of the bar.
The man with the missing fingers side-eyes me, takes a long swig from his mug, and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.
“You lost, pretty boy?” He grins, showing me a mouth missing multiple teeth. I try not to gag from the stench of his breath.
“Not particularly, no.” And, because the adrenaline from my most recent fight still hasn’t completely worn off, I ask him, “Are you?”
He chuckles deeply, clapping me on the shoulder with his fingerless hand. He lifts his mug to me in salute, beer sloshing over the side as his hand shakes in his drunken state. “Well said, pretty boy.”
I glance down the counter, hoping that the barmaid is almost done serving that side, but she’s busy leaning over, deep in conversation with another patron.
“What brings you in?” The slur in his voice is so pronounced I’m impressed he’s still remaining upright.
I keep my eyes on the barmaid. “I’m looking for someone.”
“Aren’t we all?” He pounds himself on his chest, releasing a loud burp.
When I don’t respond, he prods me some more. “Who is it you’re looking for? I –” He stumbles slightly, knocking into me. “I know everyone here in this place.”
That doesn’t surprise me based on the amount of drink he’s consumed. The barmaid has now started making out with one of the men in the corner. Service here is atrocious. This two-fingered man may be my only option. At least he’s willing to talk to me.
I exhale in defeat and turn to the stranger. “I’m looking for a man,” I start, but he immediately interrupts me.
“Let me guess.” He gives me a onceover. “Someone tall, dark, and handsome?” He throws me a cheeky wink, like we’re both in on some kind of secret.
“Nevermind,” I snap, irritated at this whole situation. This was a longshot anyways. I push away from the bar, eager to return to wherever Ginna and Elia had gone.
I spot them in the corner of the room, near the railing to the second floor.
Ginna is leaning on the railpost, posing in a way I think is trying to be seductive, but on her, is awkward and forced.
She’s chatting with a tall bald man, beard braided to his stomach.
He appears to be taking her awkward pose rather fondly.
Elia is chatting with a young woman with curly copper hair and a slight frame. Elia’s smiling and laughing at whatever the woman is saying, so I take that as a good sign as I approach the both of them.
I wrap an arm around Elia and kiss her cheek. The other woman takes that as her signal to leave.
“Any luck?” Elia asks.
“Luck sure would be helpful right now,” I mutter.
She grimaces. “Poor choice of words. No one’s seen or heard of him?”
“Didn’t even get that far, but it doesn’t seem promising. You?”
She shakes her head. “The woman I was talking to is new in town, so she wasn’t much help. Nice girl, though.”
I cock my head and flash her a grin. “Making friends, are we?”
She slaps me playfully. “It doesn’t hurt to expand my microscopic circle.”
“Fair enough,” I laugh.
Ginna glances at me, hearing my laugh, and I throw a nod her way, acknowledging her.
The bald man traces Ginna’s gaze, eyes laced with fury when they land on me.
“Hey!” He yells. “Stop makin’ eyes at my girl!” He rushes over and pushes hard on my chest with both arms.
I’ve been bracing for action since I approached the bar, and was expecting the man’s reaction. I barely stumble before pushing Elia behind me.
Ginna cuts in front of my gallantry, sword raised, hovering at the taller man’s neck.
“I’m not your girl. It’s time for you to leave.”
“I was going to say the same to you.”
Goosebumps immediately erupt across my arms. The voice came from the top of the stairs. It’s a voice I know intimately. One that used to caress my skin, that would send shivers down my body at the utterance of a single word. A voice that I would never forget. One I haven’t forgotten now.
I ball my hands into fists, bracing myself as I turn to stare at the only man I’d ever loved.