Chapter Twenty-Nine #2
He made a non-committal sound. ‘What’s beauty when you’ve gazed upon Elara?’
Elara looked heavenwards, pocketing the necklace.
Just as she went to apologize for him, the door swung open and a trolley rolled in with their food upon it.
Elara recognized the glaring man from earlier. Santi was scrutinizing him closely as he made his way around the table, placing plates carefully in front of the various guests.
‘That’s my boatswain, Davey,’ Adrian said quietly, leaning in towards Elara and pointing to a large, serious-looking man with lighter blue hair than Adrian’s and a beard.
‘And that’s my master-at-arms, Victor.’ He pointed his knife at the last man at the table, with deep-burgundy hair that hung in a straight sheet and brown eyes, who was deftly twirling his own knife between his fingers as he waited for his food. ‘Best fighter I’ve ever met.’
Leo snorted. ‘You fought me in the pits.’
Adrian raised a brow. ‘Yes. And? Victor is Persean. He was raised in a kingdom of war and blood. His first memory is of holding a knife.’
As though to emphasize the point, a butter knife flew through the air, and everyone gasped save for Enzo, who, without looking, raised his hand, catching it mid-air. He looked for the source of it, and the master-of-arms gave a low laugh and a gentle round of applause.
‘I suppose you’ve never seen me in combat,’ Enzo said, his grin all teeth. Victor’s returning smile was just as vicious.
Adrian shrugged. ‘I suppose I’ll see tomorrow. You can attend drills with him in the morning.’
The man serving food finally got to Elara. When he did, he thunked the plate down on the table, sauce spilling on to her dress.
There was a moment’s silence as Elara reached for a napkin, dabbing at the material.
Enzo’s eyes burned into the server. ‘Usually when one makes a faux pas as serious as ruining this beautiful woman’s dress, one apologizes. I know, as a pirate, the word “manners” might be foreign to you, but I’m gracious enough to educate you.’
The man glowered, flicking a look at Adrian, who simply watched, his cup to his mouth.
‘Is the man mute, or should I make him?’ Enzo asked when he still didn’t utter a word.
‘Ivan,’ Adrian snapped finally.
‘Your guest is putting us all at risk, captain,’ Ivan hissed.
‘Not to mention it’s bad luck to have a woman on board.
And here are two.’ He glared at Merissa, and Elara didn’t miss the way Leo casually rested his hand upon his sword’s hilt.
The tension in the air began to grow thick.
‘All of Celestia is out for her head and you chose to let her aboard our ship. I’ve heard stories of what she’s done.
She’s not only killed a Star, but priests.
And innocents, if the rumours are true. Haven’t you heard? ’
Adrian shared a look with her.
‘I wish no one on this ship harm,’ Elara said clearly, trying to fight past the shame that coated her. Enzo was practically bristling beside her. ‘I’m just trying to get to Altalune.’
‘I wasn’t speaking to you, Starkiller,’ Ivan said with disgust.
Elara reeled back at the vitriol in his tone, though no one else seemed to move.
Then a choked sound began to come out of the pirate.
‘You feel that?’ Enzo asked softly, and Elara whirled to him. ‘Your blood heating a little too high. Breaking just past feverish.’
Sweat began to drip from Ivan’s forehead, his face reddening.
‘One more command of my magick, and I could melt your organs. Leave you a slopping mess for the gulls.’ Ivan let out a strangled yelp. Adrian’s eyes kept darting between the two, and Victor was now standing, which meant that Leo was also watching him intently.
‘If I see you so much as look at my woman again, let alone speak of her, you’ll be ashes on the wind come morning. Do I make myself clear?’
Ivan nodded desperately, veins bulging in his forehead.
Enzo nodded, sitting back in his seat. He picked up his knife and fork, and Ivan collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily as the boatswain, Davey, went to his side and helped him out of the room.
Santi, however, was looking on with something like amusement.
‘This is delicious, love,’ Enzo said through a bite of fish.
‘Never undermine me in front of my crew again,’ Adrian said, fury in every word. ‘He was my man to discipline.’
‘And what disciplining, exactly, was that?’ Enzo asked through another mouthful.
‘Gawping like a fish? Let me make something abundantly clear, Adrian. You can command your ship. You can cosy up to Elara, and give her gifts, and give us passage to Altalune. Perhaps you gained her trust. And Merissa’s.
Maybe even my general’s. But I do not trust you. And I have very good intuition.’
‘Enzo,’ Elara said, trying to placate the two men she sat between. ‘Let it be. We have him to thank for our safe passage.’
‘Maybe,’ he said gently, before turning back to Adrian. ‘But make no mistake. For Elara, I would ruin this world. I set a god on fire for her.’
He speared a green bean with his fork before turning to look down the table.
‘Yes,’ he said to Victor. ‘Your god. You have no idea what I am. What burns in my bones for her. So you would do well to make sure your crew treats their guests with respect, lest I decide to do to them what I did to Ariete. And trust me, they certainly wouldn’t survive the same fate.’