27. Fenric
Fenric liked to think he knew himself well. On a day-to-day basis, he knew how he’d react to things, and he didn’t surprise himself much.
Right now, though? Right now, he found his actions and emotions confusing as hell.
He pondered this as he wandered around the ship, very much the type to pace while he thought. Usually, walking helped untangle his thoughts, but it wasn’t working right now. Maybe because these endless loops were making him dizzy.
Somehow, he fetched up against the railing, near where Rain steered.
A fierce wind was pulling them along, the bright red sails full against the pale blue sky with its wispy white threads of clouds.
The smell of salt from the sea filled the air.
Belstrom lounged on the main deck, a book spread open across his face while he was bare from the waist up, enjoying the warm late-afternoon sunlight.
The skelebabies scurried around him, careful not to trip over his impressive bulk amid their duties.
Briefly distracted by the dense green and grey of the coastline, Fenric paused to look it over, instinctively searching for any signs of life, but they were far from any towns or villages here.
In the few years he’d spent sailing around with Rain, he’d come across most of the open sea, so he could sort of guess where they were based on landmarks.
They were in some very close quarters right now, with the Banshee Cliffs on their right.
Fenric guessed they were named for the wailing sound people made if they fell off those cliffs because he was pretty sure there were no banshees in the area.
On the other side was the tip of the Kingdom of Cotra, the large landmass covered in thick, foreboding forests.
Ah, he knew vaguely where they were. “How are we looking?”
“We should be out within an hour,” Rain confirmed while sitting on the side of the large wooden tub situated just behind the massive wheel that steered the ship.
He was soaking his feet, the tub filled with warm salt water pulled straight from the sea where they sailed.
There were also a couple of small stools so others could sit in the water with him.
When they weren’t in treacherous waters, Rain could lounge a bit more.
All of them had been trained to steer the ship, but only through open waters, allowing Rain to get a longer break from the helm during long voyages.
But for now, Dead Man’s Curve wasn’t just a narrow pass filled with deadly creatures looking to sink them. There were also jagged rocks lurking beneath the water, ready to rip their hull out. Rain had sailed these waters so many times, he had no problem navigating around the rocks.
The pirate adjusted the enormous black tricorn on his head to better shade his face and neck from the beating sun. His loose dark grey shirt with the wide sleeves was open down his chest and billowed like another sail in the wind. “Should be passing Strandby in a few minutes.”
“Think you’ll ever try to settle your business in Strandby? One of the bounties is for your life, right?”
Rain waved away his concern. “I just have to stay away until people forget about the bounties.”
“That’s not how bounties work.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, we’re not landing. Is something amiss? You look like you’re brooding. Need Tub Time?”
Fenric thought about it for a long moment, but honestly, yes, Tub Time sounded like a good idea just then. He toed off his boots, shucked his pants, and climbed in. He sat on the side like Rain, which allowed him to cool his feet while still being able to see their direction.
Rain glanced his way, but he had to focus on sailing, of course; they weren’t out of the Curve just yet. “My, it’s been a while since you took me up on my offer. What’s this about, then?”
“I don’t understand my own reactions,” Fenric admitted slowly.
“Regarding Lirion?”
Fenric winced. “Am I so obvious?”
Rain threw his head back and let out a deep belly laugh. “Who the hell else would it be? Puppy?”
There was no suppressing the shudder that ran through Fenric, which only made Rain laugh harder. Maxie was a handsome young man, but any emotions Fenric had for him were strictly brotherly.
“No, let me guess. You’ve suddenly developed feelings for the grumpy elf.”
“Okay, okay. You’ve made your point.” Other than the addition of Maxie to their group, the only big change to his life recently had been Lirion, the sexy, sweet, funny incubus who was regularly blowing his mind and emptying his balls with amazing sex.
As the last of Rain’s guffaws faded, he shook his head. “Hmm, I can’t say you’re obvious, as I cannot claim to read a man’s heart. Nor do I know much about the agreement between the two of you.”
That seemed a good place to start, and Fenric stared toward the open sea, not really seeing it or this bright, beautiful sunny day.
“Our agreement was two simple things. First, I would do everything required to rescue his sister and bring her to safety. Second, I would feed him for as long as we worked together.”
“How often is feeding for an incubus?”
“Every other day in order to feel healthy.” Fenric rubbed his jawline, thoughts lingering on the past several days.
“The hell of it is, since we made our agreement, we’ve been having sex daily.
It’s unnecessary, and Lirion doesn’t push me for it.
Hell, he doesn’t even ask most of the time.
We just naturally fall into bed with each other every night. ”
Now that the floodgates had opened, Fenric found himself pouring it all out.
“It’s not even the sex, really, and the sex is fantastic.
As one would expect. It’s how I behave around him throughout the day, too.
Anytime we’ve sailed about in the past, I’ve been content to play cards with you and Mal or just laze about by myself.
Yet now I find myself constantly seeking him out. I genuinely enjoy being around him.”
Belstrom finally stirred from his sunbathing and wandered over, looking Fenric up and down with a quirked brow. “Tub Time? How is it you did not think to notify me of this extraordinary occurrence? Has there been an unforeseen development that needs deliberating?
“Fenric might be crushing on Lirion,” Rain supplied. The smile on his face was both happy and a touch indulgent.
Fenric spluttered. “I didn’t say that!”
Belstrom stripped off his boots and pants and joined in, sinking down into the water, which rose and nearly sloshed over the side as his massive size was added. “I love propounding on the romantic blossoming of one’s heart. What was discussed prior to my arrival?”
Shit, now he had two of them. No, wait, this might be even better.
Belstrom gave good advice most of the time.
“I’m confused about how I feel toward Lirion.
I wasn’t sure I even liked him as a person the first time we met in the jail.
But I’m having sex with him when I don’t need to, and I’m finding reasons to be in his company even when sex isn’t involved. ”
Belstrom’s bright blue eyes went soft behind his glasses. “You are crushing on him. How enchanting!”
A dagger leapt into Fenric’s hand without conscious choice. “You bloody bastard, say that again.”
Not at all worried, Belstrom kept beaming.
“I feel like you have made a wise selection for your crush. Lirion is good natured and kind, not to mention stunningly beautiful.” He reached out and pressed one finger to the hand clutching the knife and pushed so the tip was no longer pointed at his nose.
Well, yes, Lirion was all those things. Fenric wasn’t blind; he saw the man’s good qualities. Lirion was incredibly thoughtful. He’d even taken Fenric to a fence to help him find the missing treasures from his mother’s collection. But, but, but… “Am I crushing on him?”
The other two just looked at him like he’d overlooked step two of a six-step course.
Shit. When put so blatantly, they might be right?
Fenric couldn’t explain his actions otherwise.
He was of two minds. On the one hand, he didn’t know what to do with this realization.
On the other, did it even matter? Lirion had told him frankly that incubi didn’t do long-term relationships.
Was there even a chance of a proper relationship here? Or was Fenric grasping at stars?
“Do you seek a genuine relationship with him?” Belstrom asked gently. Which meant the turmoil must be clear on Fenric’s face.
“I don’t…know? Ask me the question again once I’ve wrapped my head around this.” Fenric had gone from a hamster spinning in a wheel to two squirrels fighting over an acorn. He wasn’t sure if that was an improvement.
“You should speak with him,” Rain suggested. “Often, we think we know how the other person feels, but we are far from correct. And what we assume is often worse than it is. He might very well be harboring feelings for you but, because of this situation, feels he cannot voice them.”
Urk, true.
Lirion was desperate to get to his sister.
He wouldn’t do anything to upset Fenric or the group as long as his sister’s rescue was on the line.
He might hold feelings of his own back. Or he was indulging Fenric to keep him on the hook.
Fenric didn’t know the other man well enough to guess, as they still hardly knew one another.
Shit, did Fenric want to ask Lirion and stir up a hornet’s nest? Part of him yearned for the answer, though, with the hope it would be yes.
Any possibility of carrying the conversation further and asking for advice on how to even approach this died a quick death as Lirion and Maxie approached from below deck. Well, it was fine. Fenric wanted to sit on this for a day or two and get his mind wrapped around it before deciding what to do.
“What”—Lirion’s eyes roved over the tub, brow beetling—“are you even doing?”
“It’s Tub Time,” Rain explained cheerfully. “Feel free to join in.”
Lirion’s expression didn’t clear in the slightest. “That does and does not answer my question.”