Page 16 of Virelai's Hoard
“Four-”
Sable’s breath hitched, eyes tracking the movement of her throat. They lingered at her lips. Riley felt them tingle at the intensity of her gaze. Those deep, black eyes didn’t look angry anymore. They looked hungry. The warmth of Sable’s body radiated in the space between them, and Riley became aware of the way her heart pounded in her chest. Where before her skin was numb and cold, now it came alive with electricity everywhere Sable’s breath ghosted against it, everywhere her eyes lingered, everywhere she could feel the heat of her closeness.
In the next beat, Sable flinched back, and Riley realized the first mate had felt it too. Her fist was still tangled in her collar, but the grip had given way. If she wanted to, Riley could move. She could lean in. She could find out if Sable tasted like hot-blooded fire, or something sweeter, or something else entirely.
Riley was so taken with that thought that she failed to notice the small tugs at her shirt as Patch climbed up on her shoulder,and suddenly the grip was gone. Cool air caressed her skin, and it felt like a loss. A yelp cut through the haze of her thoughts. Riley blinked.
Sable had stumbled back. She was gripping at her own hand. It was bleeding. Riley went cold all over again as she stared at the hint of red in horror.Shit. Fuck.Patch waited expectantly, and when she didn’t move, he looked at her in confusion and squeaked once. He wanted them to make a run for it. He didn’t get there was nowhere to run to.
They were both done for.
“I’m gonna eat that rat in a stew tonight,” Sable seethed as she settled her gaze on the both of them.
Whatever that moment had been before, it was gone, burned by Patch’s misguided attempt at saving her. And this wasreallybad.
Riley nearly fell over as she stumbled away from the bench until her butt pressed against yet another table at her back. Her eyes darted around the room, heart hammering in her chest. Everywhere she could see, there were faces. Staring. Laughing. Sneering. Cold. No escape routes. No gaps through the crowd that had gathered.
Sable took a breath to shake off the sting in her hand, and the slow, measured steps she used to walk around the table separating her from Riley made her all the scarier. She was a predator who knew she had her prey cornered.
Riley pressed back harder into the table. “Look, I-”
“What’s going on here?”
A path in the crowd opened up. Captain Calla stepped through. A small frown etched itself on her forehead as she took in the scene.
Sable stopped herself a few inches from Riley, hands balled into fists at her sides. The heat radiating off her was pure angernow. “Thisthiefsent her rat to steal from me. And then itbitme.”
Calla’s eyes darted to Riley, and the coldness in them sent a shiver down her spine.
Shit. Shit.Shit.
“I didn’t-”
“Bullshit! Show me your bag.”
Riley clutched the bag to her chest. If they found the spoon, they would throw her overboard. And she couldn’t swim. She would die. This would be it.
“I said-”
“Sable,” the captain said, quiet but slicing. “Back away.”
“But-”
Calla cut her off with the same cold look she’d given Riley. Sable had no choice but to snarl and take a few steps back. Then she crossed her arms, waiting.
The space between them wasn’t nearly big enough, but now Riley could breathe again.
The captain walked around Sable and leaned against the table opposite Riley, nodding at her bag. “Empty it.” The command was spoken calmly, and it left no room for overthinking.
With deflating shoulders, Riley lessened her grip on the bag. Her fingers hurt as she forced herself to distend them. There was no other choice but to do as told.
Riley emptied her bag at the captain’s feet. The silver spoon clinked against the wood, along with her few other possessions. Calla shifted the trinkets aside and gingerly picked up the cause of all this trouble, inspecting it with a thoughtful crease to her brows. Then she handed it over to her first mate, who snatched it from her hand and plunged it inside her pocket.
After, Sable crossed her arms again. “I want the rat thrown overboard,” she said, completely serious.
The pirates around shifted uneasily, and a few quiet murmurs broke the earlier tomb silence. Some of them seemed approving.
Riley bristled. “It’s not his fault.”
