Chapter 29 #2
“So you and Caspian Vayne go all the way back to childhood?” I asked before blowing out a breath. “Sounds miserable.”
“He used to be a good man,” Alastair mumbled, nipping at the soft skin on the inside of his cheek. “Greed has a thing for transforming people into monsters.”
“That’s an understatement.” Nudging the bowl forward with my fingers, I lifted my gaze to meet his. “But you are a pirate, hunting for Ellira’s treasure, are you not? Wouldn’t that immediately classify you in the same grouping as Caspian Vayne?”
“Where Caspian traverses these seas with an insatiable hunger for power, I sail with a stoking burn for retribution. He and I used to share the same mentality, but we no longer do.” Pushing himself upright, he planted his elbows on the table, closing the gap between us.
“In all honesty, I couldn’t give two fucks less about that treasure.
I run and man this ship out of pure desire to provide an escape, some semblance of freedom after a life of forced imprisonment. ”
A soft smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, as I find most men the furthest thing from appetizing, but I think you and I will get along well.”
“Didn’t I already tell you that?”
“I suppose.”
He chuckled softly, his golden gaze sparking with what seemed like deep understanding. “You and I are far too similar, Rohen Levitte; from the nuances of our pasts to our journey at sea.”
“I’ve never sailed—”
Planting his hands on his thighs, he stood.
With one tug, he loosened his linen shirt from where he’d tucked it into the waistband of his breeches.
Pulling the material up with a slowness that I couldn’t help but fixate on, the defined edges and contours of his abdomen came into view.
He looked like he’d been carved from the most pristine slab of marble, and while I could’ve easily stared at him like a starving whore for hours, my throat dried the instant my gaze found a large, raised scar.
Its jagged pattern started on his left side, puncturing the gap between his ribs.
From there, it traversed his stomach, barely missing his belly button before ending just above his right hip.
It was an injury that no one should’ve survived, but somehow he had, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Jaskor had blessed him just as equally as Ellira had me.
“By the grace of the gods,” I breathed. “What… What happened?”
A huffed chuckle fled him. “Caspian Vayne happened.” He dropped the fabric, his tongue dancing across his lips.
“We sailed together for years, and one night, he tried to kill me in front of the crew we’d led.
By the blessing of Jaskor, the men on this ship found me floating at sea—just as we came across you—and put me back together.
Once I was stable, they elected to make me captain of this ship because of my impossible luck.
Though if it weren’t for the frigidity of the winter waters, which somehow preserved my body and slowed the bleeding, I’d have been on Elaros’s doorstep long ago. ”
“Seems we both have a shared vendetta then.” I leaned back against the wall, the bench I occupied offering no back support. Folding my arms over my chest, I cocked my head to the side. “Tell me, Alastair Seridean, is this long-standing quarrel the reason you pulled me onto your ship?”
“Don’t make me sound so arrogant,” he laughed, tucking his shirt back into place. “If we are being honest, partially, but I also feel we’d make a great team.”
“Why? Because you assume I want Caspian Vayne dead?”
“Isn’t that the first thing you said when you woke?”
Running my tongue across my lips, I scoffed. “You pay too much attention; it’s concerning.”
“I’m good at analyzing people. Call it a blessing or a damnation, I’m inherently indifferent about the matter.” He matched how I sat, the corners of his lips curling and threatening to draw forth a smile of my own. “So, since we both have the same end goal, what do you say about partnering?”
I tapped my forefinger against my arm. “You won’t lock me in a cell?”
“Did you wake up in one?”
“That wasn’t the question.”
Exhaling, he trained his golden gaze on me. “No, I will not throw you in the brig. That assumption is so far away from my character that I am quite offended you’d even ask.”
I rolled my eyes. “I would apologize, but I’m sure you know that—”
“You’re not sorry. Yeah.”
Smirking, I bit the inside of my cheek, tossing forward an ask to see if he’d bite. “So, if we’re killing Caspian Vayne, can we add another target to our list?”
“State your wish, darling. I am willing to make anything happen for a beautiful woman.”
An insurmountable hunger that I’d been trying to stave off for over a decade ignited tenfold as the simple phrase escaped me.
“Not only do I want Caspian Vayne gutted clean, but I want Malrik Ravelle stripped of his flesh and delivered at the king’s feet as a reminder of the madness he’s blanketed our lands with. ”
Darkness bloomed in his irises, a malicious yearning rolling forward that seemed to match my sinister desires. “Happily.”
Unfolding my arms, I reached across the table. “Then I believe we have a deal, Alastair Seridean. But if you betray me, I promise you’ll wish you never pulled me onto your ship.”
“Likewise.” He studied me, a softened smile painting his features. “Welcome to the Scarlet Tempest, Rohen Levitte.”