Page 23 of Ship of Shadows
“I don’t, but can’t you see? That’s the difference between before and now. I know I can’t trust him.”
“What about your mother?” Leoni asked. “Everyone? They’re going to be waiting for you to return.”
“You’re going to tell them that I left to save our boys. You don’t need to give any other details.”
It was better if everyone thought the pirate lord still dead.
Leoni’s blue eyes widened even more, and I gently shook my arm from her grip and marched up to Bastian, rain pelting down between us.
Leoni shouted behind me, but I ignored her protests as I stuck out my hand. “We’ve got a deal, Pirate Lord.”
Chapter Eleven
Istalked through the sand, following Bastian. “Are we leaving now?” I shouted, then looked behind me at a stunned Leoni and Driscoll, whom I could barely see through the downpour.
“No,” Bastian shouted over his shoulder, the wind carrying his words. “I thought we’d stick around, give your mother and your captain of the guard a chance to arrest me. Maybe you could even drown me again. That would be fun.”
I glared at the back of his head. “I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye!”
“Not my problem,” he said.
Cold-hearted bastard. I hated him. I hated myself for doing this. But it had to be done.
“So did you take your elixir, then?” I asked. He must have since he was back to his normal, infuriating self.
“Aye. I didn’t know you cared so much.”
“I don’t. You’re my only hope of saving my brothers.” I looked behind me again but saw no signs of Leoni or Driscoll now that we’d rounded the tall Cliffs of Death. “Where is your ship?” I asked.
He pointed in the distance where the ship sat in the ocean, the waves rolling underneath it, rocking it this way and that.
“And how are we supposed to get to the ship?”
He stopped and turned. “Well, I do believe you have something called water magic, love. Maybe you can use it?”
Spirits below, had he always been so... sarcastic? Maybe I’d been so in love that I’d been blinded, not seeing the truth of his awful behavior. But no. I’d never have fallen for him had he treated me like this. Like I was his enemy all of a sudden, just some means to an end. That was fine with me. It was easier to hate him when he acted like this, and I very much preferred to hate him right now.
We arrived at the edge of the sand, water pounding the shore, clouds rolling above. In the distance, lightning flashed.
“We need to hurry,” Bastian shouted. “Outrun the storm.”
“I think it’s a little late for that,” I said right as a loud clap of thunder shook the ground.
“Wait!” Leoni and Driscoll ran to catch up, Driscoll clutching his side and gasping for air.
They stopped in front of us, and I swallowed back the tears forming at the thought of not seeing Leoni for however long it took to rescue my brothers. Leoni and I had been by each other’s sides since we were little and barely able to walk.
“I’m going to miss you,” I said.
“This is all very good and sweet.” Bastian stepped between us. “Heartwarming, truly. But we don’t have time for it.”
I shoved him aside, staring at Leoni, using every bit of my strength to not let the tears fall.
“You idiot,” she shouted. “You think I’m going to let you do this alone?”
My mouth dropped open. “You can’t come with me.”
“I agree,” Bastian said. “So glad we settled that. Now let’s get going.”
