Annoyingly Handsome Pirate
Chapter thirty-seven
Finnick was not in bed when Lucianna awoke the next morning to sunlight streaming through the porthole.
She stretched her limbs out to the edges of the small bed, her fingers brushing the wooden crates that framed it.
Her husband had not retired at the same time she did.
They climbed down the shroud together, then he disappeared into the captain’s quarters with Wren and Castien.
It didn’t bother Lucianna that she wasn’t invited. What reason would there be for her to feel jealousy pluck at her spine as he walked away without so much as a glance in her direction?
She sat up and pushed her hair out of her face with a sigh.
Across from her, the captain rocked gently in a hammock, eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest as if he were being laid to a permanent rest instead of a temporary one.
He was the only one in the cabin besides herself.
She made out the faint sounds of movement below deck.
Perhaps a few crewmates were gathering breakfast.
As Lucianna crawled across the blankets to where her trunk sat, she wondered if Finnick had ever come to bed.
If he had, he managed not to wake her and to rise without her knowing.
Both of which seemed unlikely, given that Lucianna did not sleep deeply amongst strangers.
She opened her trunk and sorted through her belongings.
Though she longed to adorn herself with one of her favorite dresses, it seemed more practical to wear trousers.
Castien might have her test her abilities in some other way, and she wanted to be prepared.
So Lucianna gathered her clothes up in her arms, then stood to pin up the makeshift curtain she had made out of a spare blanket.
It created a modicum of privacy for herself or Cora to use while changing.
Wren offered them the captain’s quarters whenever they needed it, but Lucianna preferred her own space that she did not have to ask to use.
She made quick work of changing, for despite the privacy, she did not like being disrobed while a man was in the same room as her.
Then she pulled down the curtain and ventured upward.
The main deck was blanketed by a soft mist that kissed Lucianna’s skin and dampened her eyelashes.
She blinked a few times to take in the scene before her, certain the haze must be playing a trick on her.
In the center of the deck, sitting with her legs crossed, was Princess Wren. Lucianna saw a knot on the back of her head that indicated she was blindfolded. The prince stalked through the mist, silent as a wraith on bare feet. He paused in one spot.
Lucianna heard her husband’s voice drawl from somewhere in the gray, “Ready.”
Wren pointed ahead of her and to the right a few degrees, where her husband stood smiling.
“Very good, dearest,” he said. “You are getting better every day.”
Shock rolled through Lucianna. How had she known where he was? Lucianna was highly trained, and she was not certain she could have accomplished such a feat.
The princess turned over her shoulder in Lucianna’s direction.
“Lucianna, did you sleep well?”
She still had the blindfold on. Lucianna’s mouth parted. No words came.
“Well done, darling Wren. You've frightened her speechless,” Finnick chuckled.
Lucianna followed the warm sound to the starboard, where Finnick was lounging rather precariously on the wall of the ship, one foot dangling off the ledge. A pirate hat lay on his chest, and a smirk curled his lips. He must be doing better.
Wren pulled off her blindfold and gave Lucianna an unassuming smile that was at odds with the eerie atmosphere.
“My apologies, friend. I did not mean to scare you. I merely heard your footsteps and guessed,” the princess said.
Friend. Lucianna tripped over the word. She looked down at her boots. It was not as though she had been endeavoring to stay silent, but still, she never moved in a manner that gave away her location so easily. And to guess it was her, specifically?
Something was not right.
“You surprised me, is all,” Lucianna replied with a forced smile. “It is an impressive skill to be able to hear so well.”
Almost as if it were not a skill at all, but a Gift.
Why would the princess lie, though? It didn’t seem in her character. Yet, Lucianna supposed she didn’t know the woman well at all.
“Wren has been honing her talents for a few years now,” Castien said as he crossed the deck. He reached down and helped his wife up. “She’s dedicated many hours to new skills such as this one.”
Lucianna bobbed her head, though she was still suspicious. She turned her attention to her husband.
“Why do you have a pirate hat?” she asked.
Finnick grinned and sat up so he was straddling the edge of the boat. He dropped the hat on his head. Lucianna’s heart fluttered at the sight. It was annoying how handsome he looked in the ridiculous accessory.
“I figured if we were playing by pirates’ rules, I should dress the part.”
“And where did you obtain this hat?”
“Kelwin gave it to me, fine lad that he is.” Finnick gestured up to where Kelwin was at the wheel. Whenever Kaiden slept, Kelwin was in charge.
“You conned a child out of his hat?” Lucianna asked with a scolding tone. She thought she heard laughter from Wren at her words.
Finnick swung his other leg over and stood on the main deck.
“If you must know, I told him I liked his hat and asked where I could buy one. He told me he had two and gave me his second. I did not con him.”
Lucianna crossed her arms.
“I find it hard to believe you.”
“I’m shocked,” Finnick drolled.
“Breakfast!” Cora interrupted as she emerged from below deck holding a tray.
The scent of herbs floated toward Lucianna, bringing awareness to her hunger.
“That smells amazing.” Finnick voiced Lucianna’s thoughts, peering at the tray as Cora placed it on the table. “What is all this?”
“The captain caught a fish last night! And cooking is much like alchemy, if you didn’t know. So I concocted a recipe. Fish cakes! Petals seared them on Wren’s little stovetop, and we seasoned them with salt and some herbs from my supplies.”
Lucianna stepped toward the table and eyed the circular “cakes.” They seemed to be made of bits of fish bonded together with oats. While she was uncertain of how the texture would be, it did smell fantastic.
Finnick shrugged and picked one up, braving the first bite. He tipped his head to the side. Cora watched with wide, expectant green eyes.
“Different, but not bad. Certainly better than salted beef.” He shrugged and finished the rest in one large bite.
Cora threw her arms up in the air and let out a victorious cheer. Nearby, Petals watched on with a reserved smile. Everyone gathered around the table and distributed the cakes between them, along with cups of water Petals brought up.
“Have you perfected the smoke pouches yet, Cora?” Castien asked over their meal.
The alchemist beamed.
“Yes! I was able to just last night before I retired to bed. I have several samples, if you’d like to try them. I believe they will be quite potent, though, so we should warn the captain and Kelwin before using them. It may impact visibility.”
Castien nodded.
“Very well, we can test them at high noon, with the captain’s permission. I want to ensure that while Grimhaven might be caught off guard, we are not.”
Finnick grinned at Castien’s words.
“Does that mean another sparring round?” her husband asked with barely contained glee.
Castien smirked. “Perhaps.”
Finnick’s grin widened, and he turned that breathtaking expression on Lucianna.
“What do you say, wife of mine? Are you up for a little hide-and-seek?”