27. Fenric #2
Fenric looked at Lirion, who appeared as if he’d been carved from sunlight itself, and felt his heart constrict.
Dammit, why did the man look so beautiful just standing there?
His pink hair was windblown, and since boarding the ship, he’d taken to spending most of his days shirtless.
The sun had turned his golden skin into an even more handsome bronze, while his trousers seemed to always hang enticingly low on his hips.
The man could turn heads no matter what environment he was in, but sunlight favored him best.
Fenric mentally groaned and kicked himself. Stop thinking poetically, dammit!
Belstrom was the one who answered Lirion’s question. “Whenever we desire to consult with Rain, we will shuck our boots and pants and lounge in the tub with him. He adores the company, and it is a marvelous chance to refresh ourselves on a hot day.”
Maxie looked over the tub with newfound delight. “When I first saw Rain’s tub I thought it was interesting, but I had no idea we were permitted to join him.”
“Of course. You are always welcome,” Rain said.
Maxie immediately pulled a leg up and started untying his boot, grinning widely.
Lirion didn’t, but he was studying Fenric, his expression unreadable. “What were you consulting with Rain about?”
Like hell Fenric would honestly answer his question. He lied. He lied like the sneaky rogue he was without blinking an eye. “I’m trying to explain to my friend here that bounties don’t expire.”
Lirion stared at him like he knew Fenric had deflected the question. He didn’t call Fenric out on it, though, instead just going along with it. “Is this the thing about the governor’s wife?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just a little thing,” Rain said with an absent wave of his hand, as if the matter wouldn’t get his balls cut off if he was caught. “And then there was this other small misunderstanding with a cult in Strandby.”
“Oh, cults.” Lirion smirked. “I like cults. Individually and as a group. Wait, what type?”
“One of those our-race-is-superior ones. They tried to kill me since I’m a hybrid.”
“Eww, yuck. I take back what I just said.”
Rain’s face darkened, and he clearly was remembering some part of the fiasco. “I was unaware at the time that the mayor’s son was one of the ringleaders, and the mayor took exception to me giving his son a burial at sea.”
Lirion cocked his head and narrowed his eyes at the pirate. “Was he still breathing when you tossed him in?”
Rain flashed him the biggest shit-eating grin. “Screaming, in fact.”
The incubus shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Sounds like he had it coming. But yes, let’s avoid Strandby.”
Maxie had his other shoe off but had paused with his hands on his belt buckle. He was staring at Belstrom’s legs with a tight frown.
What was this? “Puppy, you getting in or not?” Fenric inquired.
“I, um, want to but…” He continued to stare at Belstrom. “I find the idea of sitting next to Bel a little intimidating.”
Belstrom pointed to himself. “Me?”
“Your thighs are just so incredible.” Maxie sighed. “I’ll look like a twig next to you.”
Straightening, Belstrom preened. “I do possess magnificent legs.” As he spoke, he lifted one of those massive tree trunks and wriggled his toes, water glistening on his pale leg hair and dripping off rippling muscles.
“Contrarily, it appears Rain’s and Fenric’s legs are massively muscled, but they do not intimidate you, correct? ”
“Oh, that’s true.” Maxie peered at both men’s legs, considering.
“It’s all the shapeshifting that does it for me.” Fenric had to wonder how they’d gotten on this topic. “Especially when I’m in cat form, I do a lot of jumping, so my thighs and calves just turned out like this.”
“For me, it’s the swimming.”
Maxie seemed quite intrigued. “I know you’re part merman, but do you shift or…?”
“I do, but it’s a conscious decision. I have a glorious tail fin, if I do say so myself.”
“It’s truly a sight,” Fenric said, his mind’s eye calling up the various times he’d seen Rain in mer form. “It’s all silver and gold.”
“Oh, I’d love to see that!”
Rain flashed Maxie a smile. “I’ll show you the next time we’re in port somewhere. I’d like to stretch out and swim some, anyway. It’s been several days since I’ve had the opportunity.”
Malfas walked toward the tub with his club balanced on his shoulder, and he was conferring with it as he approached. Him talking to the oversized stick was a normal enough sight, and Fenric would usually just ignore it, but Malfas looked concerned.
Fenric waved to get his attention. “What?”
Malfas started. “What, what?”
“You look worried. What is your god telling you?”
“Oh, glad you asked.” Malfas cast another glance at the club. “He said, ‘incoming.’”
Everyone paused the conversation and looked askance at him.
“What’s incoming?”
“I dunno.”
“Can you ask for clarification?”
Malfas’s attention turned back to the club, and from his expression, he was listening hard.
“Uh, all he said is Puppy, keep your pants on. Oh, he also said too late, it’s already here.”
What was here? The constellation had given them a heads-up like this before, and it had always been accurate, but Ezlan never gave details. Which they really had to talk to him about because this was getting ridiculous. Deep down, Fenric suspected the god was just being a prick.
Even as Fenric thought this, he threw his legs out of the tub and reached for the pants he’d discarded.
It was, however, indeed too late. From the depths of the still ocean came a large, dark shape, and as its head broke water, the wave it threw off rocked the boat to one side. The ship lurched wildly as bigger waves slammed into the hull and the creature let out a horrifying screech.
Fenric would have fallen if Lirion hadn’t caught him, and he would have thanked the man, except the sight in front of him wiped out any words.
A goddamn kraken had arrived, its bulging yellow eyes fixed on them.
As the monster loomed out of the sea, wrapping tentacles around one of the masts to anchor itself, Fenric abandoned his pants as a lost cause. He’d have to fight in his breeches. It wasn’t the first time; it was fine.
Everyone threw themselves out of the tub, even Rain. Belstrom called to Hapi still below deck, “KRAKEN! KRAKEN PORT SIDE!”