Chapter Ten
Silence descended uponthe Raven. Around James, the boisterous chatter of his crew fell away in the salted air. Even Smee’s words were lost to the wind, his voice fading to nothingness.
What in the devil?
James squinted against the bright sun, turning, surveying his crew, until he spotted her. Celeste. Shining like a star in the darkness. He frowned. Her clothing left little to the imagination. The trousers clung to her thighs, and a billowing white shirt was half-hidden beneath a turquoise corset. The gap at her throat drew attention to the swell of her breasts.
“I said to find suitable garments, Smee.” He glowered at his first mate.
Smee frowned. “Tink vowed these would suffice for a woman aboard a pirate vessel.”
His irritation dimmed for a moment as an unbidden flicker of amusement arose. Madame Tinker certainly had a way of making things difficult, if not interesting. He pulled his mind from thoughts of Smee’s misfortune and turned back to Celeste.
“Back to work, ye scurvy dogs!” Smee shouted to the crew, stepping toward them with barked orders.
The tension of the moment burst like a soap bubble. His crew broke into a flurry of activity, tending to their duties. But James noted their stolen glances at the beauty standing among them.
She pulled her blonde hair away from her face as she took in her surroundings. When she spotted him, her eyes narrowed.
James held his ground. With their agreement in place, he allowed himself a small measure of pride. Not only would he have all the gold in Nevarro, he would possess this jewel as well. A woman wanted for treason, murder, and kidnapping in their eyes, but James knew the truth. Whatever reason they had for wanting her dead or captured, it made her a valuable pawn.
Keeping her close could prove advantageous long-term, so long as his father remained ignorant of his captive. The sweetest part of it all was having Celeste to himself. Staking his claim, marking her as his. Neither his crew nor any other pirate on the Endless Sea would dare take what belonged to him. Her agreement to his terms solidified it, and now she rested exactly where he most desired her.
“Captain Hook.” She came alongside him, her hand braced on the railing to steady herself in the sway of the ship. “Why are we sailing to Tortoluga? Nevarro is in the opposite direction.”
“We require a few things before we attempt to take Port Royale.” He admired the way the breeze caught her hair, the gold glinting in the sunlight. “I shall require your aid.”
“My aid?” Celeste furrowed her brow. “How can I be of service to a pirate?”
“Play the part I give you, and all will be well.”
Her eyes widened. “If you do not share your plans, Captain? I will not be part of your ploy.”
“If you wish to survive this encounter, poppet, I suggest you make an effort.”
She pursed her lips. “Is that a threat?”
James gripped her arm tight enough to make her gasp. “’Tis a promise.”
Celeste wrenched herself from his grasp but continued to crowd him with her gilded presence. He longed to tangle his fingers in her hair and kiss her until she complied without question.
“We have an accord, little star. Do not forget.” He held her gaze steady, daring her to fight him. “If I give you instructions, you will follow them to the letter. Is that understood?”
“You want me to obey you without question.”
“Aye. Or you will find yourself in a worse position than the one you are in now.”
“Why take me into Tortoluga then? Why not lock me in the cabin until we reach Port Royale?”
“If you wish to play pirate, Princess, I will not stop you.” He tapped the railing with his hook. “But you will prove yourself worthy if you wish to be part of this endeavor.”
“And how do you propose I do that? Stand silently by your side, simpering like a dutiful whore?” Her words dug like claws into his skin.
He ignored the sting. “You will see and hear things in Tortoluga that will hurt your gentle disposition. It would be wise for you to keep your mouth closed and your wits about you.”
“What do you intend to gain from this excursion?” she asked, relenting with a sigh.
“Information.”
“About what?”
“Never mind what.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “While we are on shore, you will do two things. Remain by my side and keep your mouth closed. Can you manage that?”
“If it means saving my sister, then yes, I can bite my tongue and follow orders.”
“Very good.” He relaxed. “Until we reach port, you are no longer confined to my cabin.”
“How generous.”
“Be warned, Princess. My men might not be as...considerate as I have been.”
“They are not aware of our agreement?”
“You are under my protection, and every soul on this ship knows you belong to me.” He leaned closer. “You would do well to remember it too, little star.”
Her breath hitched, but she covered it with a mocking scoff. “Do I get a weapon?”
“While aboard this ship, you do not require one.”
“And in Tortoluga? Am I permitted to carry something for protection?”
“What assurance do I have you won’t run me through and leave me for dead?”
Celeste laughed, and his heart clenched at the sound. “The thought has crossed my mind, but I will keep my word. If you keep yours.”
“Can you vow not to cause any trouble in Tortoluga if I give you a blade?”
“I can promise no such thing.” Her smile reminded him of Madame Tinker the night she won the Rowdy Kitten in a game of cards.
“Of course not,” he muttered before straightening.
“Am I dismissed, Captain?”
“Fix your hair. Wear a hat. Mind your station,” he growled before turning away.
He stalked to the stern of the ship and took position behind the wheel, desperate for a distraction from the golden-haired wench who had upended his world. From this position, he watched her stalk across the upper decks. The crew paid her little mind, but he noted their curious gazes following her as she explored the ship.
Taking her into Tortoluga was a gamble. A risky one. Anyone could recognize her, could steal her away and reap the reward of her capture. But there were unanswered questions that needed to be addressed before he could take her to Port Royale.
“Captain.” Smee appeared by his side, pulling him from his drifting thoughts. “Do you think this is wise?”
“Not in the slightest.” James suppressed a glower as Celeste’s laughter echoed across the ship.
“Going to see him will raise the alarm.” Smee kept his voice low. “If he sees her...”
“I know damn well what he will say when he sees her.” James growled, spinning away from his first mate. “If I am going to have any chance in hell of making it out of Port Royale with both princesses and the treasure, I need him.”
“What makes you think you can protect her?”
“I have no choice.” He gritted his teeth. “We made a bargain.”
“What’s in it for us?”
“Treasure beyond our wildest dreams.”
“And what’s in it for you?”
“More trouble than she is worth.” He met Smee’s bemused expression and scowled. “Begone with you. Let me think in peace.”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
James watched his first mate cross the deck, passing Celeste who stood next to the railing, her face upturned to the sun, her eyes closed as the spray of the sea misted the air around her.
Aye. The princess was far more trouble than she was worth, but with their deal, James could hardly wait to claim his reward. It would have to wait until after they ventured into Tortoluga and spoke to the Mapmaker.
The only man who knew every rock and cavern along the western coast, from Arrenmore to Peligrino. Many had come to him for a map of the Port Royale caverns, but he always refused. He, himself, was Nevarran and loyal to the crown, even in exile.
With the princess by his side, James had a chance to gain the Mapmaker’s trust. He only hoped the old man would see reason when he met Celeste. She had chosen James. That had to count for something.
They sailed until night fell across the horizon, and the glittering glow of Tortoluga came into view through the crags of an old, abandoned port. Upon mooring at the dock, he instructed Smee and the crew to remain with the ship.
“If we do not return by dawn, you know what to do.” James nodded to the solemn crew and took her arm to lead her down the gangplank.
“Why would they abandon us if we do not return by dawn?”
“If we do not return by dawn, it means we are dead.” His lips twisted in a wry smile at her startled gasp. “Satisfied?”
“No.” She gripped his sleeve as they sidestepped unwashed bodies littering the docks. With her hair tucked beneath a tricorn hat and her garments hidden by a dark cloak, she allowed him to lead, keeping her face down.
“Remember, remain by my side and keep silent.”
With a nod of assent, she fell into step beside him.
If they managed to escape this evening unharmed, it would be a blessing.
A knot of dread settled in his gut, spinning and churning, tightening with each step into the den of iniquity the pirates called Tortoluga.