Chapter 71
Kye stared hard into my face, trying to catch my eye.
I refused to look at him. Refused to give him the satisfaction of being right. Of exchanging meaningful glances.
Of admitting he might soon be dead.
The thought sparked a seed of hatred within me.
“Now, malá ryba, a lady of noble birth should know better than to ignore the captain of your ship. Your mother would be appalled at such behavior. What do you think she might say, to hear of such ill manners? My own mother used to grab hold of my brother”s ears at such transgressions, steering them to an early bed with no supper. I was the one she never had to discipline. I was a dutiful son. Once, when I was eleven, I found a purse of gold coins on the side of the road. I took that purse door to door in our village, searching for its owner—”
The slow burn of fury simmered within me. I frowned at my chain.
Kriska seemed willing to occupy himself with his rambling. Though Kye refused to look at the captain, his face grew dark, his patience waning. He stared at me, his neck taut, head tilted slightly in my direction, willing me to look in his eyes.
Wrapping my fingers around a section of the chain, I grated my teeth, determined not to.
“—I finally found her, a little old lady, the last house on the road. There was heavy snow that day. Babi?ka, I said, is this your purse? She rewarded my good, selfless deed by giving me a bowl of hot soup—”
Kye’s gaze pierced my forehead.
Don’t look at him. Don’t look at him.
“—to this day, the finest I”ve ever tasted. Ship food is not so flavorful, you see, though we have offered you our very best. You should be grateful. Are you listening, malá ryba?Malá ryba.”
Flicking my eyes to him, I stared at the pirate captain through my lashes.
Kriska exhaled, his amusement struck dead. “We’ll be at port in half an hour. You’ll take your dose of koren valeriany now, before we cast anchor.”
Burian leaned across the open doorway, peering around his captain’s shoulder. Kriska inclined his head in my direction, a silent order to give me the water.
Kye stared at me across the cabin. He turned his head a fraction. Don”t.
Catching the look between us, Kriska stepped inside, slapping Kye on the back. “Jealous, are we? That the lady has a smooth brew to wet her lips, and you do not? Demyan! E?te jeden pre chlapca! There, now, my friend. Fair is fair. We will get some valeriany down you as well. Let no guest aboard Darkness’s Hourglass say Captain Kriska is unjust.” He jerked his head at Burien, who leaned in the doorway, a glass ready in his hand.
Burian smirked and threw the contents of the glass over Kye.
The pirates dissolved with laughter. I froze, fingers curling tight enough to puncture my palms as I waited for Kye to retaliate. To seethe and threaten.
But he didn’t move, calmly blinking water from his dark lashes as they jeered. He flicked his gaze to me, fire in his eyes.
I swallowed, stomach fluttering in quiet relief.
Demyan ducked under the doorway, a second glass in hand. He passed it directly to me, eyes dark.
I glared at him. I glared at them all.
“Shall the lucky couple share a toast?” Kriska asked.
I had a mind to throw the water at him. Instead, I placed the glass next to myself, threading one elbow through the iron ring to do so. “Would you care to negotiate?” I asked, pretending to pick a spot of dust off my filthy dress.
Kriska smiled. “You’re not in the position to strike a bargain with me.”
“If you release us,” I said, ignoring him. “I won’t sink your ship to the lowest levels of the sea.”
The pirates laughed mockingly from the berth. Kye watched me, his eyes unreadable. Kriska tilted his head, amused. “If you drink the valeriany, I won’t break his leg.”
I didn’t move.
Neither did anyone else.
As if supporting my claim, a tidal wave struck Darkness’ Hourglass, rebounding off the distant mainland. Unfazed, the pirates leaned into the lurch, their bodies fluent in a language of motion and balance only spoken by rough seas.
“I’m waiting, malá ryba.” Kriska said.
Sliding my gaze from Kriska to Kye, I lifted my chin, leaning into my side of the room. Kye’s nostrils flared, and I suddenly realized why the promise I”d asked for had been so difficult for him to make.
He couldn”t help but take their attention away from me—just as I couldn”t help meeting their demands to protect him.
Kye’s gaze drove into my skull, scorching my skin as I wrapped my fingertips around the rim of the glass.
The tiny cabin blazed with the sudden scent of metal on fire. I didn’t care. Let him be angry. The pirates would ransom him back to Calder. His father would want him back—a healthy second heir.
I didn’t care if he never forgave me.
I lifted the glass to my mouth and stifled the urge to retch at the scent. Holding my breath, I gulped down the thick water, my tongue scouring the edges of my teeth to rid myself of the taste of oil. Then wiped my chin against my shoulder, handing the glass to Kriska, though my eyes darted to Kye.
His gaze burned cold with fury.
I wondered if I could call it back up. If whatever powder they’d added would stick to the lining of my stomach or would follow the water back out my throat.
They”d unchained me the last time I’d drank it. All I had to do was drink it again and wait for them to leave.
Then I’d call the water out, pretend to fall asleep, and wait to be unchained.
What I’d do next, I wasn’t sure. Last time, I’d woken up to find the door locked, but it wasn”t usually. The pirates kept it open, leaning in to sneer at us on their way through the berth. Maybe they hadn’t locked it right away. It seemed to fit, thinking the pirates had left the door ajar so they could taunt Kye while I laid unconscious.
It was small. But it was something to hold onto.
Kriska clicked his tongue in satisfaction. He strode out of the little cabin with Aleksei on his heels, tossing orders in Kravan to the pirate crew. Demyan eyed me, a cruel glint in his eye. He glanced sidelong at Burian, who hadn”t yet moved from the doorway.
“Make sure her chains are tight,” he muttered in his thick accent. “Then watch the ryba until she”s out.”
My hope of escape evaporated.