Chapter 9 #3
He smiled broadly flashing white teeth and more than a few gold.
All eyes were glued to him as he waved over a serving boy to pass him the rum.
He pressed the bottle to his mouth and took a healthy swig without a word, keeping the rest of us waiting for him with bated breath.
He was clearly a showman, and even though it was a ridiculous display, I couldn’t quite bring myself to roll my eyes at it.
There was a presence about him—an energy that had given him this position as much as whatever pirating skills he might possess.
This was a man who was used to ruling, a man who took his authority as a given.
He passed the bottle back to the boy without a glance, then looked up, scanning the room.
“Alright, lads, as much as I’d love to sit here and keep drinking, we’ve got a meeting to hold.
” His voice was cutting and sharp, like the scraping of a sword against a grindstone.
“First order of business. The damn Blackbriar townies have been on us like barnacles on a ship’s ass since last month’s raid, and I know a lot of you have been shitting yourselves trying to figure out what to do next.
We’ll go around, crew by crew, and figure out just that, while also settling any disputes. ”
Davy glanced around, scowling as his eyes settled on the empty table on the far-right edge of the room.
“Cocky bastard’s skipping meetings again, eh? Anyone heard from him?”
A slender, dark-haired man from the table nearest him rose. “He was coming, last I heard. Ran into him on the way here, in fact.”
“Bah. It will be dealt with, I promise you that. You start us off, Crick,” Davy continued, gesturing toward the man who’d stood a moment earlier. “What’re you seein’ in the west?”
Crick dipped his head toward Davy. “We’ve had three run-ins with the Shoalhounds this month alone, so things have been tight.
” He turned with a growl, jabbing his finger toward a crew a few tables away.
“And while we’re already skint, we found out that Jack’s crew has been homing in on our territory. ”
The other captain—built like a thumb—rose, twitchy as he flicked a glance between Crick and Davy. He went to speak, but Davy shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips. “Let Crick finish.”
Crick wet his lips and rushed on. “I know it’s not all mapped out all perfect like, but I’m not talking about something right on the edge of my stretch of water.
I’m talking about Hardlock Hamlet, deep in my territory.
Screwed up a profitable relationship we had there, too.
The mayor was in our back pocket and has paid thousands to stop shite like this from happening. ”
A breeze flowed toward the front of the room as Davy raised a hand, and the man went silent instantly, taking a half-step back. But Davy’s anger seemed trained on the other man.
“Is this true, Jack? Did you knowingly pillage a town in his territory?” The thundering accusation and unbridled fury had me glad his gaze was not on me. Judging by the sweat beading on Jack’s upper lip, he was wishing the same.
“Partly true,” the short, stout captain croaked, pulling off his hat to run a nervous hand through what was left of his hair. “The Shoalhounds have been on our tail too, so we stopped there to resupply. They tried to price gouge us, and we can’t be havin’ people think that’s alright, now can we?”
Davy narrowed his eyes, steepling his hands in front of his face in consideration.
“I understand that you feel wronged, but there ain’t much else he could do, if what he says is true.
We can’t have people tryin’ to take advantage cos they think we’re soft.
” Crick opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it as Davy continued.
“With that said…Jack, have your men deliver a hundred gold pieces to Crick’s ship before you leave. And make sure you don’t?—”
“Captain,” Crick cut in, exasperated. “The contract he spoiled was worth triple that on its own. Not to mention, time is money. I’m going to have to go back and spend days glad-handing to regain the mayor’s trust. And this ain’t the first time he done this, neither. He?—”
Clang.
I barely caught sight of the flash of magic when the mug in Crick’s hand exploded into a million pieces, scattering across the floor like grains of sand on a beach. My eyes shot toward Davy as a gust of wind whooshed out of the room with a whistle as it passed.
“What the fuck was that?” I whispered under my breath.
“His Tideblessing,” one of the other young recruits murmured.
My breath caught in my throat as a slight glimmer pulled my attention to Davy’s fingertips.
He was Tideblessed. Apparently, he was able to control the wind.
Or weather in general? I couldn’t be sure.
Whatever the case, it was strong magic. For a pirate, that type of power would be highly prized and greatly feared. No wonder he was the leader.
Pain pricked at my temples as I focused on him, sensing the waves of magic pulsing from deep inside him.
I shook myself out of it, forcing down my own magic with a start.
I’d felt a hint of it when I’d touched Cissy’s Tideblessing mark, but not to this extent.
When had I learned to do that ? Everything was advancing so quickly…
But that thought was quickly derailed by another.
If I could sense his , there was a chance that others could sense mine, too. It’d be wise to suppress it for now, as best I could.
I heard a flutter behind me and turned as Fetch lighted upon my shoulder.
He must’ve sensed my stress, and I lifted a hand to stroke his feathers reassuringly.
His presence instantly calmed me some, but I took a quick look around to see if his presence caused a stir.
To my surprise, only a few people even glanced my way.
There were at least four parrots in the room, and what with the drama unfolding before us, the few people that noticed had already turned their attention back to the main event.
“If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked you for it.”
Davy’s gaze could have bored a hole right through the other captain, but his voice was smooth and calm. “Do not interrupt me again.” He let the words linger for a long moment, as if daring Crick to take the chance to do just that.
Blood had started to drip down the man’s shirt from the dozens of tiny cuts on his neck, face and hands, but he stood still as a statue, barring an almost imperceptible nod of his head.
Satisfied, Davy turned back to Jack. “See that it gets done.” He swiped his hands together as if to get the dirt off, the fury disappearing from his expression as quickly as it had arrived. He gestured toward another table. “Now, on to the next. Earl, why don’t you?—”
My heart skipped a beat as a loud crash cut him short, and I spun to see a man walking through the doors at the room’s entrance just behind me.
For a second, I could only see his silhouette, and that was enough to make me freeze in place.
Tall, with massive shoulders, and a walk that reminded me of a predator.
Confident, smooth strides that broadcasted the fact that he was the baddest motherfucker in the room.
When he stepped into the lantern light and I could see his face, though, the breath in my chest rattled and died.
Eyes, black as sin, and features that could’ve been chiseled from stone would have given him away on their own. But the curved, iron hook in place of his left hand sealed the deal.
Captain Hook had arrived.