Chapter 21 Lore #2
The fact that I was a woman didn’t faze him in the slightest. I was grateful for that but also silently cursed the day he was born.
I wondered if this test was for endurance. If so, I was about to lose this Trial in a very pitiful manner.
“Up yer go.”
He tugged me to my feet and started in again.
“You, sir, are a savage.”
“Aye. An’ proud of it.”
With a sly glint in his eye, he demonstrated several more techniques for disarming an enemy, each one more cunning than the last.
None of his methods were gentle or polite, but they were undeniably effective. Next time the sociopath kissed me with reckless abandon and stormed off, I’d trip his ass. It was hard to pull off a dramatic exit when you face-planted.
Not that it seemed like there would be a next time.
“Watch yer feet.” Eddie gave my boots a gentle tap with the flat of his sword. “Keep ’em firmly on the ground. And stop lookin’ fer yer fella.”
“He’s not my—”
Eddie’s sword swung toward me in a swift arc, and I instinctively stepped back, my heels skidding slightly on the dusty floor in my haste to keep my head attached to my body.
“Or you’ll lose yer balance.” Another devious grin played on his lips.
He really was a sadist.
I brushed a stray lock of hair out of my eyes, feeling the dampness of sweat on my forehead. Perhaps I was not cut out for the pirate life.
“You are a beast, Eddie,” I muttered, trying to catch my breath.
“Aye,” he replied with a hearty chuckle, the lines around his eyes crinkling. “And with some practice, you will be too, lass.”
After another hour, I finally called it quits.
Main characters put a lot of effort into fighting. I’d seriously need to rethink my stance on how bad it was to be a secondary character from here on out.
Eddie handed me a frosty glass of water, the condensation trickling down my fingers as I leaned against the wooden railing.
I had no idea where he’d procured ice from but decided it was one of those fantasy elements I’d happily suspend my disbelief for.
We stood in companionable silence for a few minutes.
And no matter how hard I tried to not think of the prince, my thoughts kept going back to our kiss. Which was really inconvenient when I needed to figure out what this test was and how the Liber Noctem might have twisted the plot.
The ship rocked gently with the rhythm of the ocean, but within me, a storm of unease brewed. I’d expected the prince to eventually come back and resume his workout. Or scowl from across the deck.
Or give me a well-rehearsed dissertation on why the kiss was a mistake.
For the hundredth time, my attention moved toward the narrow staircase leading belowdecks.
Lord Stoic hadn’t come back up since he descended it earlier.
Hours later, and the memory of our kiss still felt as real as when it first happened.
I couldn’t shake off the worry that either he regretted it, or worse yet, he’d somehow been influenced by the dark book.
Maybe he was belowdecks trying to figure out a nice way to let me know he hadn’t been in control of his actions at all.
That would be a nightmare in a sense. Finally getting the kiss from the wicked prince, only to discover he’d been forced into doing it.
Paranoia was clearly getting to me. But since I couldn’t figure out what this test was focusing on, it seemed like insecurity or heartbreak was reasonable.
Eddie stood quietly by me, then finally said, “Can’t hide up ’ere all day.”
I looked out across the vast expanse of the sea, where dark clouds gathered, bruising the horizon with their deep, menacing hues.
The wind whipped at my clothes, carrying the heavy scent of rain.
Another storm was brewing, and its approach felt inevitable, much like the confrontation I dreaded.
No matter how much I’d like to stay up here, I couldn’t keep hiding from the prince or delay honing my magical abilities. I needed his help.
Eddie was right. It was time to face the tempest—both around and within.
As dramatic as that sounded, it was necessary. If that didn’t mark some decent character growth, I wasn’t sure what would.
With a deep breath, I straightened from the railing and let a warm smile stretch across my face as I faced the grizzled pirate.
“Thank you for the lessons,” I said. “They’ve been most illuminating.”
He chuckled, his eyes twinkling, and leaned in closer.
“If he gives you any trouble, just aim a good kick at his balls,” he advised with a wink. “Less messy than stabbin’.”
I grinned back at him. That it certainly was.
Adopting my best pirate queen visage, I made my way across the deck and slowly descended the stairs. Once I was belowdecks, it took far longer than necessary to arrive at my destination.
I’d never been one to delay a conversation, no matter how awkward, so this was a new and unwelcome feeling.
I lingered outside the carved wooden doors to the captain’s quarters, my knuckles hovering just above the surface as I debated whether to knock politely or burst in unannounced.
Gods. Why was a simple kiss making us both act so strange?
It certainly wasn’t his first kiss, nor was it mine.
I’d had several different first kisses, some chaste and innocent, some after a few too many glasses of ale that were just okay. But very few had been soul shaking.
And the kiss earlier had been in a class all its own.
I exhaled and squared my shoulders.
Even through the door, the tension between us hung heavy in the air.
It wasn’t natural or normal.
It definitely felt like some sinister force was at work, weaving dark magic to drive a wedge between us, and we both seemed to be playing into its devious hands. Maybe this was tied into my test. How, I wasn’t sure. But my emotions were definitely being toyed with.
Blondie was far less scary than the uncertain reality we faced, and it was time to shelve those personal emotions for a different day.
It was easier said than done, but… false bravado was a hell of a thing.
My heart pounded as I finally mustered the courage to push the door open.
The hinges creaked softly, and my attention immediately fell on the prince, standing near the window.
He twisted to glance my way, and it felt like the world stopped.
His piercing gaze locked onto mine, a mix of emotions flickering across his face. None of which I could read or decipher.
He stood like a statue, tension coiled tightly within his broad shoulders, as I stepped into the room. There was no sign of the male I’d laughed with last night.
The one who’d cracked himself open a little for me and offered a few hours of normalcy when I’d needed it the most.
We both had, actually. He’d been lost to stormy thoughts, and I’d dragged him out of that, trying to get him to focus on other things.
Prince Sloth, the most logical, practical, no-nonsense being in existence, had a pirate picnic food fight.
And he’d laughed.
Then, when I’d been teetering on the verge of darkness, he’d been the light guiding me back. Now he was colder and more remote than ever.
It stung.
I walked over to him, stopping just inches from his rigid form.
His eyes flickered with a brief, intense warmth, before the familiar frosty barrier slid back into place, masking any trace of his feelings.
“Are we all right?” I asked, pointing between us. “Or are you going to keep acting like the abominable snowman because of one kiss?”
His brow furrowed slightly.
Great.
He’d gone into a fugue state and completely blocked the kiss from his mind. What a confidence booster.
He opened his mouth, then closed it.
I waited for another minute, secretly hoping he’d confess his undying love and we’d ride off into the sunset after we’d survived the Trials and slain the proverbial dragons keeping us apart.
But his lips pressed into a firm line.
Apparently, I’d misread the situation.
“Never mind.” I waved my hand around, dismissing the conversation before I took Eddie’s sage advice.
“I want to know what’s really going on with your tattoo.
You can’t just think it’s reacting to your emotions.
And it’s the only thing you’re not forthcoming about when I ask. What are you scared of?”