5. Chapter Five
Chapter Five
Konrad
I ’m scowling and soaking wet when I finish climbing the rope tossed down to me and swing onto the deck.
Eloise has finally descended from the crow’s nest and is an absolute fit of giggles at my appearance.
Out of habit, I shake myself dry like I would if I were in my wolf form, droplets flying everywhere. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to give special care to my saber to make sure it doesn’t rust. I don’t have the coin to replace perfectly good weaponry.
My shaking only makes Eloise giggle harder. Even Valda looks vaguely amused where she stands between two of the pirates I hired for this job.
“Take her back to her cabin,” I bark.
Baldy— who isn’t even one of the men holding her— crosses his arms. “You mean the captain’s cabin?”
“Yes— my ship and therefore my cabin to give as I please.” I certainly spent enough coin renting this ship to have such rights.
I don’t look away from Baldy, daring him to back down first.
I’ve never had to hire additional help for a job before. For my more dangerous quests, I would sometimes pair with someone else from the Guild, and we’d split the payout. But this is the first time I’m the employer, and I don’t like it. And since no one from the Guild was foolish enough to cross Baron Schwerin, I had no choice but to resort to these scoundrels. None of these men are trustworthy. If they thought it would benefit them any, they’d run me through.
The threat they present doesn’t even take into consideration the expense of having them on— like the ship isn’t costly enough. Unfortunately, the only way of surviving the wrath of the Baron Schwerin is by escaping to sea. He has far too many allies on land. If I sent him the ransom letter on shore, I’d be dead within the day.
Out here, in the ocean, where a landlocked baron has no vessels, I have a fighting chance to earn that ransom. It will be enough to pay off the expenses of this outing and provide a proper life for Eloise— one where she can have a roof over her head, all the gowns she could ever want, and not have to worry about me leaving her behind while I take treacherous jobs— or else have her tagging along like she is now.
I glance at Eloise, who looks far too comfortable enjoying a pirate’s life. She and I fought with her hair to carefully pleat it around the tips of her ears so even the breeze cannot expose her heritage. I think it must be her elvish blood that is even now drawing her attention back to the crow’s nest.
At least up there I know she is in an easily defendable position should the men turn against us.
With a sigh, I drag my attention back to Valda. She’s glaring at me even as the men have begun to drag her back toward the captain’s cabin. “Wait!”
The men freeze, and I close the distance between us.
Valda arches her perfectly trimmed brows. “Have you decided to assign me to the brig after all?”
“I am not as inhospitable as that. You may stay in my quarters for the duration of the voyage. I only ask for one boon. ”
Dripping all over her fine gown, I reach into her hood, doing my best to ignore her intoxicating flora scent.
Valda doesn’t move, maintaining my gaze.
My fingers find her hair ribbon and tug it free. Taking it feels almost as wrong as stealing her, but both sins pale compared to what I have already done in the name of creed.
Yet the guilt remains for all of the above.
Valda gasps as her hair billows around her face and I remove my token.
“A little something to assure your father that you are safe with me,” I say.
Then I snap my fingers, and she is dragged back to her quarters while she hurls all manner of unladylike phrases at me.
Shaking my head, I make my way toward the first mate cabin reserved for Eloise and me to transcribe the ransom letter.
I do my best to ignore the squelching sound I make with every step.
T ying off the ransom letter with Valda’s ribbon, I slide it into a protective canister. Then I secure it to the leg of the waiting carrier pigeon.
“Safe travels, my friend,” I say as I open its cage. “I hope Baron Schwerin isn’t the type to shoot the messenger.”
The pigeon chirps and twists its head almost upside down to better look at me.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine, though, since he knows he needs to send word back by you.” I give the pigeon a heel of bread to calm his nerves.
Then I open the porthole. The pigeon hops twice, glancing between it and me. Then it soars out.
“You really think Sir Pigeon will be fine with Baron— what is his name?”
I turn to where Eloise is serving our portion of the rations on three platters.
“I don’t know, pup.”
Eloise’s eyes widen.
“Don’t know the Baron’s first name,” I add quickly. “Sir Pigeon will be perfectly safe.” Or else I’m going to have to teach another bird to answer to that name because I cannot stand the thought of Eloise mourning another life because of Baron Schwerin.
Eloise narrows her eyes at me. They are the forest green shade she gets when she is suspicious. Then she gestures to the tray loaded with a turkey leg, broth, and a piece of the same loaf of bread I fed Sir Pigeon with. “For our prisoner. Can I take it to her?”
“Not this time, pup. She’s still a little mad at us, and I don’t want her lashing out at you.”
The elfling rolls her eyes dramatically. “Just because we abducted her? Some people can be so sensitive.”
“Yeah. So sensitive.” I gather the tray. “Remember the rules.”
“No leaving the cabin after sunset and no going with any of the pirates alone. I know!” Elosie falls dramatically back onto her cot.
“Your crow’s nest can be climbed again tomorrow,” I assure her, as much as it pains me. Then I push open the door and move to the door of the cabin adjoining mine.
The Klepper twins are whispering outside the bolted door, both bearing bandages from their skirmish with Valda.
“Hey,” I say, startling them. “I said no need to post a guard. ”
“But she’s a dangerous little vixen,” warns the brother with a bandage on his collar.
I narrow my eyes, making a deep growling sound in my throat to remind them of what I’m capable of. Not that I’ve told them outright that I’m a werw?lfe since they could report me, but I have allowed the right amount of rumors to spread through the crew to keep them fearing to cross me. “Orders are orders.”
“Yes, sir.” They scuffle away, glancing back at me a couple of times.
Shaking my head, I lift the bolt from the door as quietly as possible. The moment it’s on the ground, though, I reach out my hand, snatching Valda’s gloved wrist as she tries to flee past me.
“Not this time, Lady Valda,” I say, drawing her back into her cabin. “My coat is still drying, thank you very much.”
Valda flashes her teeth at me as I all but toss her onto her bed. “What a shame. You don’t look nearly as debonair without it.”
I set her tray on the table beside her bed and then freeze. “You think I look debonair?”
“Not anymore.” Valda lies seductively on her cot, accentuating the shape of her hip. “You’ll have to try harder to impress me now. Mayhap by letting me go?”
Shaking my head, I walk backward toward the door. “Have a good night, Lady Valda. I hope you enjoy your sup.”
She sits up and reaches for the bowl of soup. Then, maintaining eye contact, she tips the bowl over and spills her soup all over the floor.
I grit my teeth, thinking of the limited rations we have to make sure to stretch before the ransom is approved. “Now, Lady Valda, was that really necessary?”
“I’m very particular about my food.” She picks up her turkey leg .
“Valda, no—”
She throws it out her porthole. “It’s Lady Valda to you.”
I watch in horror as a seagull swoops in and grabs its kindred’s leg for nefarious purposes.
When I turn back to the vixen, there is a wicked glint in her dark eyes, and she’s holding the chunk of bread.
“Please don’t,” I whisper.
“Please let me go,” she murmurs.
“You know I can’t—”
“Then I’ll starve.” She crushes the bread between her gloved hands, and crumbs rain down on the spilled broth.
I barely hold back a whimper. Outside, the seagull shouts its shared disgust at her waste.
Swallowing hard, I manage to prevent my next words from becoming shouts. “Lady Valda, it’s imperative that I restore you to your father healthy and well.”
“Then you should deliver me to him quickly.” Valda collapses on her bed again. “Because I do not intend to eat one single crumb until I’m free.”
My gaze sweeps over her. Her skin is already so pale, and her frame so delicate. It’s like she’s wasting away in front of me.
Then she makes the most tragic mewling sound, and a new level of desperation shoots through me. “If I get you another portion, will you eat that one?”
She drops her head to the side to stare past me. “Maybe . . .”
I hurry out of the room, bolting it even though I’m returning in a moment. Then I hurry back into my cabin.
Eloise is happily dipping her bread into her broth and eating it like a proper citizen of Constantinium ought to.
“Hold this for me,” I say, setting my turkey leg on her plate. Then I grab my bread and broth and ignore Eloise’s questioning look as I return to Valda’s cabin.
She doesn’t make another attempt to bolt past me. In fact, she hasn’t even left her bed .
“Here— restore your strength.” By the light of the setting sun, I step around the puddles of broth to set the soup and bread on the table.
“Thank you,” Valda murmurs weakly. She makes no movement to approach the table.
Surely, she’s not wasting away so quickly! Then again, she drank only ale for breakfast, and I provided her no lunch.
Taking the soup, I sit on the bed beside her and wait for her to sit up. I can’t help but notice that the blooms I purchased for her are no longer in her bodice.
“Thank you,” Valda says again— her voice is barely a rasp as she gingerly takes the soup from me.
Then, before I can register what has come to pass, the soup is all over me.
I jump back, glad it is no longer scalding, but such waste—
When I look back up, Valda has recovered enough of her strength to have snatched the bread from the table. That wicked gleam is back in her eyes.
Then she tosses it out the porthole, appeasing the seagull with my supper.
Valda crosses her arms. “I will starve before I submit.”
“Fine!” I storm back to the door. “We’ll see if you change your tune come dawn!”
I slam the door shut and dramatically bolt it shut.
When I squelch into my cabin for a second time today, Eloise contains her laughter only nominally better than last time.