Page 72 of Wicked Tides
“Brom and Nikolas,” Vidar said, speaking to his men. “Gather what food we need. I believe Boil gave you a list.”
“He did,” one man nodded.
“Get on it. If another ship is about to dock, they’ll be looking for supplies, too, and I want the best before they get their hands on it. I’ll get us rooms for the night.”
The two men set off to do what they were ordered to while the girls, Gus, and four other men from the Rose remained with us.
“What of your other men?” I asked. “They do not want time ashore?”
“They’ll get it tomorrow. Part of the crew must always be on the ship.”
I raised a brow. “Did that work for your father’s men?”
Vidar smiled and leaned in close to me as we walked. “Say something like that again and I’ll pour hot bronze down your throat.”
I rolled my eyes and followed him and the others to an inn. It was small, but inns had taverns, so most of the noise was coming from that one building. It was made of brick that had eroded over time and the wooden doors leading in were thick and warped. They whined as they swung open.
Before going inside, Vidar turned to his men and me and held up a hand. “Stay here with the girls until I get the rooms. I don’t know the crowds yet.”
I remained with the girls, glancing back to see Ahnah clinging to one of the older ones. The one Vidar nearly killed to gain my cooperation. She seemed to favor her and the older one seemed quite protective. Of course, all of them seemed protective of each other. It made me miss Voel and Kea, but I knew missing them would do me no good and I hadn’t known them as long as Meridan. I was fortunate for that.
I schooled my features just as I met Ahnah’s eyes. Even after everything, she found a way to smile up at me and I couldn’t help myself. I gave her a weak smile in return and even that seemed to overjoy her.
I longed to know what that kind of joy felt like. Even when I was her age, I wondered.
“Lord only knows why the brat likes you so much,” Gus said.
I glanced over at him leaning against the outside wall of the inn scratching his head.
“Children are fickle. She’ll bore of me soon enough.”
“Don’t think so. I don’t speak every word of their language, but I know she says the word ‘Da’ya’ almost every day.”
“Can you blame her? These girls were taken by men. Men hurt them. You are a man and I am the woman who killed her captors. No matter what you think of me, that fact remains true.”
“You’re no woman,” he sighed. “But kids don’t know better. I suppose I see your point.”
I slid my hands into my coat pockets, inching closer to Ahnah just to let her know I was still there to protect her. That even if I was keeping my distance, I was still her friend. I knew abandonment and betrayal and I knew what it could do to someone. If the only thing I could do was keep her from feeling betrayed, I would.
“You think those fish men Vidar talked about would come here?” Mullins asked me.
I shrugged. “They don’t discriminate. They’d devour me as easily as they’d devour you.”
“And sirens like you do discriminate?”
I smirked at him, letting a fang peak out from behind my lips. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”
When Vidar came back out and waved us all inside, I took up the rear, making sure none of the girls were left alone on those dank streets. We walked through the whole establishment, up a wide set of wooden steps, and down a hall lined with doors. A short, plump woman with breasts spilling over a cinched bodice pointed out four different rooms before waddling back down the stairs to the tavern.
“All the girls in one room,” Vidar said, his eyes meeting mine. “Including you.”
I was surprised to hear him say it. I knew he didn’t trust me, but it seemed he finally understood I wasn’t going to hurt the girls.
And I could protect them better than anyone.
The other men divided into the rest of the rooms as I walked into the largest of the four with two bunk beds against the walls. A couple of the girls would need to double up, but I doubted they’d mind. I knew I was destined for the floor, but I didn’t care. I’d been sleeping on harder surfaces for days.
With the door closed and all of us in one space together, I gave Ahnah another smile and she rushed over to hug me. The little thing was a warm glimmer of light in an otherwise cold and desolate wasteland. She started spewing words I couldn’t understand until her older companion stepped up beside her.
