Chapter 30 #2
It must be the ship. Maybe repairs aren’t going as well as they’d hoped. Surely it’s not the injured we brought—they’d shown no signs of infection, thanks to Otto. But what could be so pressing as to need Rune’s attention in the middle of the night?
“What is it?” I ask, and Rune tosses me a sleepy smile over his shoulder. His hair is mussed. He turns back to Elio, who ignores my question, and instead offers Rune a folded slip of parchment.
“It’s from Killian,” he says.
Rune’s entire body falls into a predator’s stillness as he reads the message. Whatever it is, it’s bad.
Elio’s gaze flicks to me, and his face is stone.
I barely hear Rune speak over the roaring in my ears. “Thank you, Elio. I’ll be right out.”
Elio’s nod has barely concluded before Rune closes the door, the sharp sound enough to make me flinch. His fist crumples the message into a wad of spent parchment.
“Rune.”
In a blur of speed, he throws it, hurling it to the wall where it hits with an emaciated plink.
“Rune what’s wrong.” I pull the blankets over my chest, too aware of my nakedness. I don’t know why I beg. I don’t know what could be worse than what we’ve already faced, but the growing tension in the room has my senses and my voice sharpening.
Instead of answering, he taps his fist on the little table, jaw so tight the muscles feather like it takes all his willpower to stay silent.
“Rune.” I stand, letting the blankets fall away so I can find the box of clothes he’d given me last night.
“I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.
Please.” He still says nothing. I slip my shirt on, then the trousers, the fabric soft and clean and not enough to comfort me now.
All the while he stares at the grain of the wood below his fist like it might give him answers.
Instinct keeps my steps light as I round the bed to approach him, and I surprise myself by reaching out, finally able to bring myself to offer a hand to comfort. “Rune, whatever it is—”
He spins towards me, gripping my arm before I can touch him. His fingers dig into my skin like a manacle. “You lied to me.” The words are a hiss, brimming with hot anger.
I rip my arm away, a shock of adrenaline setting me on edge. I watch every shift of his body, every angle of threat. “What are you talking about?”
He laughs a manic, sarcastic laugh. “It always comes back to him.”
“Rune—”
“I should have killed him the night I found you,” he spit. “I should have taken the chance—but it would have risked my men. And I thought you’d be the trick, give us some edge—and here we are. With most of my men dead after all. And me in fucking bed with his fucking daughter.”
No.
My voice wobbles, “Rune, I never—”
He steps closer, if only so he can look down on me.
“I pulled you from the water. Who knew you’d be so clumsy a Headtaker could send you over.
What reason did I have to wonder if you shared blood with the rot of the ocean?
But here you are—Nisse Ivor. Scourge of the Sea.
The ghost that haunts a ship before it knows it’s been boarded.
The child wraith. What names am I missing, Nisse? ”
“Don’t call me that,” I bite out, a flush of anger drying the water in my eyes. I close the miniscule space between us, baring my teeth. “Don’t ever fucking call me that.”
“You used me. You used me, and you lied,” he says, dismissing me, turning away and beginning to pace again. His bare feet slap the wooden floor in even thuds. There’s an accusation in the words, but I can only huff a laugh.
“You agreed to the map. Why would I have told you anything else, Rune? So you could turn me in? Hang me? Confirm your suspicion that I was a twice-damned soulless wave viper closer related to leeches than your precious royal bloodline?”
He shakes his head. “But you could have told me before I—” He cuts himself off, and something like hurt flashes across his face before he moves for his clothes, turning away from me.
“Before what, Rune?” I press, hating the ice in my voice. “Before you ruined yourself with me?
His eyes flash, his expression now a mask as hard as mine. “I wasn’t the one who was ruined last night.” He shoves his legs into his trousers and buttons the clasp.
My face burns, and I don’t know if it’s embarrassment or anger or attraction as he pulls his shirt on and the toned muscles of his chest flex until they’re covered.
Either way, I can’t stand the silence. Every part of me feels unanchored. “So what now, you report me in the morning? See me hanged by sunset? Your entire crew will be thrilled.”
“Odi—” he sighs.
I’ve never been able to control my mouth when I know I’m caught. “You’ll have to torture me for the last riddle. I am the scourge of the seas afterall. My death has to be satisfying. Do you think they’ll bet on how long I’ll last?”
He’s sitting on the bed now, boots on, his elbows leaned against his sprawled knees as he speaks directly to the floor. “Odelia.”
“Have I missed the mark? Maybe you’ll save everyone the trouble and gut me here instead. Might be easier. You can pretend I ran away. Then you’ll never have to admit to Otto—”
“Thats enough!” he barks, his gaze snapping up to meet mine. There’s something wounded in it. “I’m not going to kill you. And neither will anyone else.”
“Why?” I don’t know why I ask. I don’t know why the word tries to catch in my throat.
I should be relieved. I should bolt from this room and lose myself beyond the wild edges of this town.
But the animal in me has been quiet for weeks, her fearful whispers silenced by the peace I’d found with his crew.
I don’t know how to explain to him what it means to me.
He clears his throat and stands, sweeping past me without a glance. “Because we’ve got one more key before we’re done. Then you disappear. And I go after Ivor.”
“What?” His words rip through me like a blade. “You can’t—”
“I can. I’ve had eyes on him for weeks. I’ll know where to find him when the time comes.”
He flings the door open, and Elio is already there, standing at attention. Rune passes him, his voice echoing down the hallway as I struggle to keep up.
“Update the crew in the morning,” he tells Elio. “I’m taking her back to the ship. I want everyone on board at noon sharp. No exceptions.”
I don’t care that the entire inn can hear me. “Rune you have to listen.” Our steps are loud and hollow as we descend the stairs. If any of the crew weren’t awake, they would be now. “You can’t go after Ivor.”
He throws the front door of the inn open to the darkness of night.
The air is still, humming with insects. Little moths flitter around the torch on one of the front pillars, tempting fate.
His boots crunch over the scattered pebbles on the stones.
Mine are silent, though my breath isn’t.
My lungs heave too fast, pulling in air they shouldn’t need.
“He’ll kill you. He’ll kill all of you—”
He stops so fast I slam into his back. “And that would bother you, Odelia?”
“Yes, you ass.” But there isn’t enough air for my lungs.
Rune’s eyes linger for a breath, assessing the panic in my eyes.
They can’t fight Ivor. No one can fight him.
Hardly any have even landed a blow. Prepared or unprepared, it doesn’t matter.
He positioned himself as the best, and he’s attracted the best. The whole crew is either lethal or cannon fodder, and he uses each with intent.
“You don’t stand a chance. He’ll kill you all.
Reid—” I swallow the name, shove it down, but it’s too late.
He wipes any trace of expression off his face. “So you did kill Reid.” There’s no doubt in his voice.
The panic and frustration wrestle for control.
“He was going to—Damn it, Rune, look at me.” He doesn’t, so I follow in his wake, alighting onto the floating wood of the dock that bobs beneath our feet.
“If he’d told Ivor how to find you, you all would have been dead.
Every one of you. There’d have been no way for me to stop it—you don’t understand—”
He strides up the gangplank and towards the room with me at his heels.
I’m not even sure he hears a word I say, but I can’t stop the way they spill out of me like a broken dam, spurred on by the fact that I know the fate of all who go after the Sea Bane.
That I’ve been on the other side, opening the guts of those who have tried and failed.
I follow him into the room, not even giving it a second thought, not until I see the rope in his hands and the cold anger radiating from every inch of his massive body.
“Rune.” The words abandon me then. I don’t know why I didn’t run when I had the chance. He said he wouldn’t kill me, but he’s still going to tie me down like he’s my jailor. “Is this really necessary?" I hate the hot tears that sting my eyes.
“Sit,” he commands, gesturing to the bed.
I should fight on principle, remind him I’m not a dog, but I don’t.
I sit. Using my teeth to cage back any argument. Trying to prove I’m capable of being something that doesn’t bite back on instinct.
It changes nothing.
I offer him my hands. Nisse’s hands. He doesn’t flinch when he takes them. Instead, he’s gentle, and it twists something vital inside me.
I can’t meet his eye as he ropes my wrists, then my middle. When he leaves, the door shuts like a coffin lid, and that damn bird squawks outside, its coughing screech almost like laughter.