Chapter 7 Kaspar #3
“Oh.” I took another bite and looked out at the sky while I thought about how truthful I should be with this man.
In the end, I figured it didn’t matter if he knew this about me, so I went with the truth.
“My parents always said it. Growing up, they never cursed around my sister and me, and when she had Cody—that’s my nephew—we both automatically followed suit. ”
“So it’s your parents’ fault. Well, you’ll have to thank them for me. I’ve never seen anyone get so worked up as Butcher does every time you say ‘holy phoenix tails.’” He chuckled again. “I may have to start using it just to get under his skin.”
I snorted out a laugh. “Ha, yeah. He would freak if you did that. Give me some warning first so I can watch. But…” After only a brief hesitation, I shrugged. “No-can-do on the parents thing. They both passed away years ago.”
He was quiet for a few seconds. “I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. “It’s been a long time, so…”
“That’s still difficult, no matter how much time has passed.” He twisted the rings on his fingers back and forth, around and around. “Is your sister still in Sunada?”
“Yeah,” I croaked out. “She and Cody are there, but they’re not staying there for long.”
“They’re going to meet you wherever you’re going?”
“That’s the plan.” We fell quiet for a time as we finished off the snack.
“Kayla and I always dreamed of leaving Embergate and traveling the world. We talked about booking passage on an airship and finding a place in another kingdom. I… didn’t think it’d ever happen, you know?
Thought it was just one of those silly daydreams that never come true. ”
“Looks like it’s coming true now.”
I smiled a little. “I hope so.”
“Why didn’t you do it before? Book passage, I mean?”
I snorted. “There’s no way in hell we could ever afford tickets on apprentice salaries.”
“Apprentice?”
“Yeah. She’s a seamstress, almost a master herself.
I’ve been apprenticing with a blacksmith for years.
I think Master Redman is ready to upgrade me to partner, but we haven’t gotten around to discussing it.
He’s been hinting at it for the last couple of months, though. I… guess that’s not happening anymore.”
“A blacksmith. That’s how you know how to fight?”
“Yeah. Master Redman was a soldier, and we have to test out our wares before we can sell them, so he taught me.”
He hummed and pressed his shoulder to mine. “You’re very good.”
The praise made my chest warm, and the fact he was leaning into me made my belly flutter. “Thanks.”
I felt his eyes on me for a long time before he asked, “How’s your head?”
“Totally fine. I can’t even feel it anymore.”
When he hesitated, I turned to him and found him still staring at me. When our gazes met, he whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you that day. I just…” That made my chest warm further.
He trailed off, and I sent him a sad smile and gave him a small shoulder-bump. “I know you didn’t. It’s really okay.”
He frowned at me, but eventually gave me a nod.
Wanting the attention off myself, my mouth opened up and asked, “How’s your leg?”
Reaper’s face went through an interesting myriad of emotions ranging from rage to horror to frustration, so I wasn’t surprised when he let out a clipped, “It’s fine.”
I swallowed around my nerves and found my courage.
Maybe I shouldn’t say anything, but I couldn’t help it, not where he was concerned.
“I know it’s bothering you. You don’t have to hide it from me.
My master lost his leg in battle, so I, um, I know a little about prosthetics and how some of them hurt.
” I gestured to his because I knew it was a kind that wasn’t that comfortable because it wasn’t made to fit him specifically, but it was likely the most expensive type Reaper could buy.
He clenched his teeth, his jaw going back and forth as he stared off into the distance. I expected him to tell me to leave or perhaps yell at me, so when he spoke, I was surprised it was in a quiet tone. “It’s been years, but sometimes I can feel it like it’s still there.”
I nodded in agreement. “Master Redman lost his about twenty-five years ago, and he sometimes still gets the phantom pains. He said it happens less now, but I don’t think it’ll ever go away completely.”
He barked out a humorless laugh. “Aren’t you a ray of sunshine. Thanks for that.”
That made me smile despite the circumstances. “Sorry. I just… don’t like lies.”
He faced me and lifted a brow. “You won’t even tell me your real name.” Before I could come up with a good response for that—there wasn’t one—he waved it off and added, “You don’t need to. Trust me, I understand wanting to keep your name to yourself.”
Huh. Was it possible that Reaper and I had more in common than I thought? “You’re running away from something too, aren’t you?”
He stared at me for an uncomfortably long time again before sighing. “I suppose I am.”
This time, I hummed. “Well, if you can keep my secret, I can keep yours. How’d you wind up on a pirate ship?”
“There was nowhere else I could go.”
I really wanted to push. I really wanted to hear his story, but we didn’t know each other well yet, and I understood not wanting to share. If I pushed for his story, he’d push for mine, and I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to deny him if he asked.
Loneliness was doing funny things to me, and I had a feeling that the first person to make me feel even a little bit comfortable here was going to wind up hearing my entire life story.
And that would be bad.
That would be really bad.
So I cleared my throat and asked, “Do you think Sage will give us more pastries if we beg him?”
He chuckled. “I’m not sure, but it’s worth asking.”
With a small laugh, I stood. “Be right back, hopefully with pastries in tow.”
His smiling face was the last thing I saw as I moved over the side of the crow’s nest. Whether I had pastries or not, I was definitely coming back up here. This was the most relaxed I’d seen Reaper since I’d been on The Black Wraith, and I really wanted more of this side of him.
Come to think of it, it was the most relaxed I’d been too.
I wonder if he’ll mind company every night he’s on watch?
I could certainly stand to make a friend, a true friend, on the ship. Why not start with the sexy pirate I couldn’t seem to stay away from?