Chapter 3
KYLER
I run through the alley, clutching the stone to my chest. My half-braided hair swings from side to side, and sweat soaks through my clothes.
Muddy water splashes up my legs as I stomp through puddles.
Ravens croak above, and I push on harder.
I have to make it to the dock before getting caught.
That’s the game: find and take the captain’s mark, then get it to him before the other player can steal it away. I always win.
Almost always.
Heavy steps thunder in my ear as I plan my way. Straight through the alley, then a left, and I’ll almost be where I need to be.
“Kyler.” Jessi sounds like she’s behind me, but with her ability to throw her voice, she could be anywhere. “I’m going to catch up with you this time.”
I reach the end of the alley and take a left. Instead of going straight to the dock, I take to the roofs, hoisting myself up with a bakery sign. I stay away from the edges and continue my run, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
“Fucking barnacles,” I grumble.
Jessi stands in my path, arms crossed over her chest. Her short red hair waves in the wind, and piercings line her softly pointed ears. A smile spreads across her face. “Told you I’d catch up.”
“That means squat, and you know it. You have to take my prize and deliver it to the captain.” I leap and land on a thatched roof. Tumbling to the edge, I fall to my knees in another alley.
Jessi drops to the muddy ground, splashing my face. She blocks the only thoroughfare to the street. Pushing to my feet, I grin at her. I enjoy a challenge.
Snarling, Jessi lunges forward and grabs the short braid draped over my shoulder. She yanks me close by my hair and pulls out a knife. I’m not expecting that. With each step, she pushes me back against the wall. When I hit the solid barrier, she presses the knife to my throat. “Hand it over.”
“Ask nicely, and maybe I will.” My breathing betrays my words, and I try to calm myself. Jessi isn’t the captain. She won’t hurt me.
With a grunt, she knocks me on the forehead with the butt of her knife.
“What the fu—” I press a hand to the spot where she hit. That isn’t like her. We’ve never fought before. “Jess? What’s—”
“You’re safe.” She practically spits the words. “You’ll always be safe. The captain will never sell his little mer.”
The bite of the knife’s blade pierces me at the collarbone. Warm blood trickles down my chest, but I won’t look. I glare at her, hating how true the words are.
Jessi’s green eyes flare gold with anger.
The tips of her ears grow red. “Little Kyler, he’s so pretty, we can’t get rid of him.
He’s too valuable to the ship. He gets special treatment.
” She digs the knife deeper, stealing my breath.
“We can’t even tell anyone what you are without our voices being ripped out. Did you know that?”
I did.
“The captain will kill you if you kill me,” I whisper. Special treatment? No one knows what I really go through. I hate the tremble in my hands.
“I know.” She screams. “Just. Give me the jewel.”
“I can’t. He’ll know, and he’ll punish us both.”
She releases my hair and throws the knife against the wall. Screaming, she throws a fist against the bricks right by my head. “I know!”
My heart beats painfully. I have to force myself from squeezing my eyes shut. I can’t let her know how close I am to shutting down. Just like I do with Captain Vex. I have to be stronger than that. Jessi is my friend.
“Jess.” I reach out to press a shaky hand to her shoulder, but she shrugs me off.
“Shut up. Shut up! I never should have taken his offer.” She threads her fingers through her short hair and slides to the muddy ground. Lifting her hand, she shows me a binding spell that nearly matches my own. “I was a fool three years ago, and I’m a fool now.”
I know most, if not all, the crew are bound to Captain Vex in some way. No one is allowed to share the reason they agreed to Vex’s binding, though. Not that I agreed to anything. My binding was forced on me. Vex stole my life before I even got to live it.
“He’s tired of me, Ky. I know it. If I don’t bring back the prize, he’s going to sell me to a brothel. I ain’t strong enough to live through that.”
“You’re stronger than you think.” The words come out softer than I intended. “You do what you have to, to survive. We all do.”
She lifts her head. “Yes, well, little precious, you want for nothing.”
I bark out a laugh. “Precious?” No one has ever thought of me as precious.
I won’t play this game of manipulation. “You know nothing. Have you been whipped? Waterboarded? Used so hard you bleed?” After waving away the spell that hid my mutilated digits, I hold up my left hand where parts of my pinky and ring finger are missing.
“Have you had your fingers cut off because you—”
Jessi’s eyes grow wide. She scuttles backward until she presses against the wall. “I had no idea.”
I crouch to her eye level. “I’m a fucking fighter. Do not forget that.” I wiggle my fingers, bringing back the illusion that I’m whole. Standing, I turn on my heel. “If you want the stone, take it from me. Or learn how to suck cocks. It’s not so bad, really. As long as—”
Jessi lets out a humorless laugh. I face her again.
Eyes closed, Jessi leans her head against the wall. “Vex isn’t going to be happy to find out you’re sucking cock other than whose cock he wants you to suck.”
“It gives me my own money.”
“But whoring yourself out won’t get you the amount of coin you need, no matter how pretty you are. You’re a fool if you really think he’ll let you go.”
“I’m well aware.” I can’t hide the bitterness in my voice.
“And I’m not ashamed of what I’ve done.” The coin I’ve earned helped pay for research to get away from the captain.
Of course, everything has come up empty, for the most part.
But I still haven’t regretted my decisions.
Money means choices I haven’t had before.
I hold out my hand to help Jessi up. “You could do worse than being sold to a brothel.”
Rolling her eyes, she asks, “Like what?”
But I can’t answer. Jessi yanks me close with the hand I helped her up with, then elbows me in the diaphragm.
I fold and drop to my knees, heaving out what little food I’ve eaten that day while Jessi pulls off the boot I’ve hidden the prize in and retrieves the stone.
There’s a spark in her eyes now. One that says she’s gotten what she wanted, and it isn’t just the stone.
“You’re so tenderhearted. You should have just left me. I learned a lot of lessons in my time on the ship. Information is power, Kyler. Maybe the captain will sell you to a brothel since you’re already a whore.”
I continue to choke and wheeze as I watch her walk away. I can’t help the laugh. I trusted her. Silly me, I should have known better. They’re all pirates, after all. But why does the captain keep me?
I spit and push to my feet, then press my forehead to the hot stone of the wall to regain my composure. A few deep breaths do me good. But I need to find my boot. Surely she hasn’t taken it with her. Then I need to—
“Thought I’d heard a commotion around here.” It’s a scratching voice. Slightly familiar, but I can’t place it until I look up to see the owner of said voice.
“Fucking sea stars,” I mumble.
“Ah, you remember us.” The runty wolf shifter from the tavern days before beats a hand into his fist. His two friends stand behind him. My mouth always gets me in trouble.
The only way out for me is up, and right now, I feel too weak to even contemplate it.
But when the pack runs toward me, adrenaline floods my system, and I find the strength.
My fingers grip the lip of a roof, and I pull up just as the wolves snatch at my feet.
I stumble forward. With one foot bare, I have to figure out my footing quickly because the wolves are climbing too.
“We’re gonna get you. And then we’re gonna have some fun, boy.”
I run. I can’t take the time to concentrate on taking lighter steps. My heart pounds as the wolves taunt me.
I jump from roof to roof, trying to remember to land on my booted foot.
I follow the cry of seagulls, watch the ship sails in the distance, and dragons soar.
But when I make it to the end of the line of houses, I’m not at the docks like I planned.
Somewhere I’ve gotten turned around, and the wolves are only a few houses behind me.
Dropping to the ground, I land hard, sure I twist my ankle, but I push through the pain.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I duck into the first tavern I can find, hoping all the food smells cover my scent.
I slow my pace as soon as I enter to hopefully not look suspicious. My stomach growls. It’s midday, and the summer heat beats down on me just as much as my bad luck.
Even with the windows wide open and the fireplace dead, it’s blazing hot inside. A good mix of the village people crowd the tables.
The amber glow of wolf shifters’ eyes watches me from one corner table. Their tufted wolf ears flick my way. When they’re not gulping down water, they pant. Tongues hang from their mouths as if they’re in their wolf forms.
Humans, at least those assumed humans, fan themselves at a table in the opposite corner, watching the wolves. Their hair and thin clothes drenched in sweat, like mine.
Dragon shifters’ muscular bodies crowd the benches and chairs down the center of the room, causing the wood to creak and groan. I bet myself five silver coins that at least one chair will break under their weight that afternoon. Then I take the bet back because I can’t afford to bet even myself.
Barmaids scurry, filling tankards and taking empty plates. The atmosphere is pleasant enough.
I find an empty table against the far wall and settle in.
For as many people and conversations going on around me, the noise level is tolerable.
I allow myself to relax, hunger and thirst winning over my fear of the wolves finding me.
Plus, I have a perfect view of the door. If they enter, I’ll see.