Page 16 of Ship of Shadows
He let go of the chain. “That’s not what you came here to discuss.”
I stopped pacing, facing him. “Why would I ever trust you again?”
“Because I’m your only option.” He jabbed a thumb at himself. “I’m the only one who knows how to navigate that island, where to find your brothers.”
It was clear Bastian wouldn’t be answering my questions. And if he died tomorrow, I’d never get the answers I sought. At least not from him.
“What do you want in return?” I stepped forward, close enough that I could reach through the bars and touch him, trail my finger down his cheek. No, if I could reach him right now I’d be more likely to strangle him. “You’d never do anything out of the kindness of your heart.”
He flicked a piece of dirt from his leather jacket. “You know me so well.”
“Unfortunately.”
He ignored that. “I’m sick. Something plagues me, and the elixir is only a temporary reprieve.” He opened his shirt farther,revealing those muscled pecs, covered in a layer of dark curly hair. “See these blue lines?”
I nodded, unable to tear my eyes from the way they snaked across his skin, sickly and bulging, like veins.
“Once they reach my heart, I’m a goner.”
The blue lines stretched dangerously close to the middle of his chest.
“The elixir is simply a bandage, not permanent, and I can’t rely on it forever.”
I hadn’t known he was ill. He’d never shown any signs of it when we were together.
“Is it contagious?”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t have come near you if it were.”
“Of course not. You’ll kidnap half my court and send them to their doom, but you draw the line at infecting me with an illness. How considerate of you.”
He clucked his tongue. “It’s really very simple. I want it back.”
I swallowed, still remembering that horrible day I’d woken up to find out the boys of our court, my brothers, were gone—and Bastian had been the reason. It hadn’t taken long to create a plan: when Bastian came back to visit, I’d hurt him like he had me. I waited for him on the Cliffs of Death, and when his ship came into view, instead of letting it anchor out at sea, letting Bastian come ashore on one of his rowboats, I used my magic and reeled the ship in like a dangling fish. Bastian had been shouting at me, the crew panicking as the sea tossed the ship this way and that. Power had coursed through me as I brought the ship right toward the rocks that would damage it. But I didn’t stop there. I’d seen the little vial of sparkling magic in Bastian’s hand, felt its power. I figured it was just another piece of dark magic he’d stolen from Sorrengard. So I used my water magic totake it. Then from high up on those cliffs, I told the pirate lord he had exactly one hour to find a way off his wrecked ship and off the shores of Apolis before I called my guards upon him and his crew. That had been the last time I’d seen him. Until today.
Bastian paced back and forth. “That dust can solve this illness. I will help you get your brothers back, and if you’re really nice, I’ll tell you how I ended up on your father’s ship.”
My stomach balled into a thick knot. The pixie dust was going to be a problem. Mainly because Queen Liliath currently had it in her possession. In the earth court. Her husband-to-be had stolen it from us and used part of it for his own purposes. I’d managed to move past the betrayal, though I’d been furious when I first found out. I bit the inside of my cheek. But Bastian didn’t have to know that. He’d withheld information from me, played me to his tune so he could betray me. I shouldn’t feel bad about doing the same. Especially not if it meant I could save my brothers, undo all the damage I’d caused.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, still not sure working with him was a good idea.
“You’d better hurry, love. My offer has an expiration date.”
I raised my brows. Did he know about his execution tomorrow?
“I won’t be here for too long.” He winked.
No, it sounded like... like he had a plan to escape. Of course he did.
“Like I said, I’ll think about it.” I looked him up and down. “You’re not in much of a position to bargain here.”
He smirked. “I could say the same for you.”
“I have to kill you tomorrow, you know,” I said.
He cocked his head. “Well, you can certainly try.”
I was about to tell him this wasn’t a game, but he coughed into his hand, and when he pulled it away, a crimson red stainedhis palm. I sucked in a sharp breath. “Bastian, what are you sick with, exactly?”
