34
More than your Gods
I stood alone in front of the table, my glass resting at my lips. I hadn’t touched the food or the wine, nerves were bubbling beneath my skin.
Minutes passed, and I glanced around, waiting for The King and prince to appear. What if they didn’t come back? What if this was it? The end of the mission. Should I go find them myself?
My thoughts were interrupted when suddenly, someone came from my right, and before I could react, they snatched the glass from my hand, downing its contents in one gulp.
“Don’t drink from the glasses, love,” Calico whispered in my ear, setting the glass back down behind us on the table.
My heart skipped a beat as I turned to face him, alarmed. “What? You don’t even drink alcohol—what did you just do?”
Calico let out a low, amused laugh as he grabbed a piece of bread from the table, wobbling slightly on his feet .
“Smell this,” he said, holding the bread right up to my nose, the salty but sweet scent overwhelming.
I pulled back with wide eyes. “Gods,” I said, “Are you drunk? Why were you even drinking? What happened?”
Calico laughed again, almost tipping over, his lips curling into a mischievous grin. “It smells like you,” he muttered before taking a large bite from the bread, leaving the rest on the table.
I glanced around the crowded hall, searching for someone—anyone from the crew to see if something was wrong. I grabbed his arms, steadying him as he swayed dangerously. “What are you doing? What did you drink? You need to get some fresh air, come on.”
But Calico smirked and, with a sudden shift, his arms caged me, hands resting on either side of my body as he leaned close, his breath hot against my skin. The proximity, and the uncertainty of what he could possibly do being this drunk, made my pulse quicken.
His voice was a low whisper. “Did you smell it? Salt and sugar… all at once. Like having the crisp, briny tang of sea air mixed with a soft undertone of honey.”
My heart pounded in my chest as he moved even closer, his nose brushing my hair, his lips inches from my neck. His words lingered on my skin, sending a wave of heat rushing through me.
“Just like you,” he whispered, his breath warm against my ear. “Light yet lingering. So lingering that I smell it everywhere, even in my dreams. Especially in my dreams. ”
I pressed a hand against his chest, trying to reagin control of the situation. “Let’s get outside,” I said firmly, although I could feel my voice wavering, caught between the mission and this undeniable pull again.
The scent of wine clung to him now, a heady reminder of the drinks circulating the hall.
“You need to get outside and breathe fresh air,” I said to him again.
But Calico didn’t move. Instead, his hand grazed my neck, thumb tracing my skin before moving to my lips, his voice dropping even lower. “Don’t give him your smile, love.”
My breath hitched, my mind racing. “Calico, everyone is watching,” I whispered urgently, trying to keep my voice steady.
His smirk deepened, his hands sliding to my waist, gripping me tightly as he said, “I really do hope so.”
My pulse quickened as his touch ignited something inside me, and I wondered why wasn’t I yet dead because of it.
I placed my hands over his, gently but firmly pulling them away from my waist. “Let’s get outside, please. You are very drunk.”
He looked at me then, eyes glassy but filled with an intensity that made my heart race. His voice softened, almost vulnerable.
“Don’t dance with him.”
I felt my chest tighten, but I kept my grip on his hands, steadying his as I guided him away from the table. “ I have to get us the medallion,” I whispered, my tone gentle but firm. “Just wait outside, all right? Can you do that, Captain?”
For a moment, his face softened, a faint smile curling his lips. “Aye,” he whispered, his voice a little lighter.
I exhaled, relieved. “Great. Just let me—”
Before I could finish, the prince’s voice cut through the air, startling me. “Is this man molesting you, my lady?”
Calico laughed, his body still pressed close to mine as he turned towards the prince. But before he could say something rash, I quickly placed a hand on his arm, intervening. “He was just going outside, Your Highness. Your gardens look magnificent.”
Calico clenched his jaw but nodded, muttering through gritted teeth, “Yes.”
The prince offered me his arm, his gaze never leaving Calico. “Shall we, then?” he asked with a smile.
I forced a smile in return, placing my hand on the prince’s arm. As I turned to leave, Calico’s fingers brushed mine, sending a spark through me, as if a star had just fallen into the sea.
He cleared his throat, eyes locked on mine. “Lady…” he struggled. “I don’t think I really caught your name.”
“Love,” I said quickly, my heart pounding as I faced him fully. “Lady Love.”
The moment the words left my lips, something in Calico’s expression shifted. His entire body seemed to freeze, and the playful drunkenness vanished. His eyes widened in shock, his jaw clenched, and his hands flowed into fists at his sides. My heart sank as I watched his reaction, confused by the sudden change.
The prince noticed the tension. “Maybe the guards can help you find your way out to the gardens,” he said, and then snapped his fingers. “Guards!” he called out.
Two guards approached, but Calico raised his hands quickly, stepping back. “It’s fine. Don’t touch me. I’ll go.” His voice was tight, controlled, although his eyes never left mine.
As the prince led me towards the dance floor, I couldn’t help but glance back, searching for him. But he had already disappeared into the crowd, leaving a strange hollowness in my chest.
We reached the center of the dance floor, and the prince gently guided me into a waltz, the music swelling around us. I moved mechanically, my thoughts consumed by Calico’s reaction, the weight of the medallion, and getting all of us out of here alive.
The prince smiled nervously. “Excuse my behavior earlier,” he said with a chuckle. “This is my first dance.”
I blinked, snapping back to the moment. “Oh. Really?” I asked, my voice lighter than I felt.
He nodded, his grip on my waist tentative, uncertain. “Yes. You are quite the distraction,” he added, his smile shy.
I forced a smile. “This is my first dance too,” I lied, remembering Alastair’s story and keeping the facade.
The music swelled as the prince guided me across the ballroom floor, his steps measured and elegant, effortlessly keeping us in time. His hand rested lightly on my waist, the touch just enough to remind me of the power he held. Now that we were this close, I could see his face in more detail—tan skin kissed by the sun, brown eyes that glittered with something unreadable, and hair that had faint golden undertones. He was striking, with a kind of effortless beauty that made me feel like I was caught in some gilded snare.
“So tell me, Gods whisperer,” he began, his voice low as his lips barely moved with the words. “How does it feel to have so much power?”
I chuckled lightly, not sure how else to respond. “I think you might know the answer to that better than me,” I said, keeping my voice soft.
The prince’s hand shifted, lowering ever so slightly, brushing against the bare skin of my back where the dress left me exposed. I swallowed hard, feeling his finger press lightly into my skin as if to remind me just how close he could get if he wanted to.
“The Gods talk to you,” he murmured, his gaze flickering over my face, lingering a second too long. “You must be very special. And don’t get me wrong, I can understand why anyone would choose someone like you—so beautiful. I bet you look even more exquisite under that mask… like a vision, a dream .”
I felt the weight of his words, but there was something about the way he said them that left a strange taste in my mouth. His voice was too smooth, too sure.
“But the Gods are not like us mortals, are they? They don’t have the same…frivolous needs we do. So tell me, Lady Love, what makes you special? ”
His words were laced with charm, but I could feel the wrongness in them, a sharpness hidden beneath the silk. I felt the urge to take a step back, but everyone’s eyes were on us, watching our every move. I glanced down, noticing the medallion hanging from a chain around his neck, the gold glinting against his armor. Something about it made my pulse quicken—an instinct, a warning.
“I’m no one,” I said quietly, lifting my gaze to meet his.
The prince laughed softly, the sound deep in his chest. “Look around, my lady. Everyone is looking at the ‘no one’ dancing with the prince. From today, you are someone. So, who are you going to be when I ask you to take off that mask? What will I see? What will you want?”
The weight of the lie I had spun for The King suddenly felt heavier. “I have all I need. I don’t—”
“But what do you want?” he cut me off smoothly, his hand pressing slightly harder against my back. His eyes were intense, locking me in place. “Not what the churches tell you that you need. What you want . Can I give it to you, Gods whisperer?”
My mind spun. What did I want?
The sea. The wind in my hair, its stories in my ears, the salt on my skin. I wanted a family, I wanted The Rebecca. I wanted freedom for the seas. I wanted to feel love without fear or pretense.
And suddenly, as if guided by instinct or a gust of wind, my eyes drifted to the gardens beyond the ballroom windows. A yearning filled my chest.
“You can’t,” I said, shaking my head slightly .
The prince’s laughter was softer this time, more dangerous. He leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear. “Of course I can,” he whispered, his voice like a dark promise. “I am more than my father. I am more than your Gods.”
His hand moved higher, brushing the base of my neck, his fingers too close to the birthmark hidden beneath my hair. Panic rose in my chest. What if he saw it? What if he knew what it meant?
Before he could move any further, I shifted my weight deliberately, stepping hard on his foot. The prince winced, just enough to loosen his grip and give me space.
I kept my face calm, my voice light as I said, “Apologies, Your Highness. As I told you, this is my very first dance.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, suspicion clouding his expression, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply adjusted his hold, and the dance continued, the music swirling around us, although now I was painfully aware of the danger that spun just as close.
As we danced, the prince spoke softly, his compliments growing bolder, his hand lingering too long at my waist, brushing my hair again. But my mind was elsewhere, my eyes scanning the room, looking for an opportunity to take the medallion. To get out of here as fast as possible.
Suddenly, the crowd around us gasped, and my attention snapped to the side. The entire hall seemed to freeze, all eyes focused on one of the corners in the left side of the dance floor .
There, among the other dancers, Jonah and Efren were dancing together, slowly, intimately, their faces close, their movements gentle.
The murmurs grew louder, but my gaze locked with Efren’s. He winked at me, and in that moment, I understood. This was part of their plan. This was the distraction I needed.
Clearing my throat, I turned to the prince, my smile more genuine now. “It’s a beautiful palace,” I said, my voice soft.
The prince beamed. “Would you like a tour, perhaps?” he asked eagerly.
My heart skipped a beat, my goal within reach.
“I would love to,” I said with a smile.
But before we could leave the dance floor, a hand adorned in a very familiar ink octopus dropped onto the prince’s shoulders, stopping us in our tracks.
“Song’s over, mate.”