Page 81 of A Storm in Every Heart
“We’ll have to ask the pirate for more information,” Jett says flatly. “There has to be a reason for the disguise, and also for why he killed the Hydrattan emissary but left you mostly unharmed.”
I frown, remembering how quickly and remorselessly Connell killed Elio on the train—almost like he’d planned it before coming inside. “That’s a good idea. I should have thought of that myself. I’m just so damn tired and I haven’t eaten since yesterday. I can’t think straight.”
“That’s two nice things you’ve said to me in under an hour,” Kastian comments, a smile in his tone. “Are you feeling alright, Princess?”
“Focus,” Jett says, turning to look toward the rustling bushes. “Honestly, we might be better off questioning him right here, then killing him.”
“Maybe,” I hedge, “but there’s only one problem with that. He can’t die.”
“What does that mean?” Jett turns quickly back to me. “Anything can die if you try hard enough to kill it.”
Kastian looks at me, a searching question in his gaze. “Did you kill him too?”
I nod, not bothering to ask what he means by “too”—I wouldn’t doubt that if I was able to stab Captain Connell in the stomach, Kastian probably could and did carve him to ribbons. “On the train,” I clarify. “If he were a normal man, I would have escaped, but he just healed in front of me.”
Kastian smiles, looking vaguely proud of me, and I tear my gaze away before I let it go to my head. I’m not a trained fighter, but I’m not useless, and I had a powerful motivation not to be captured.
“I don’t understand what you guys are talking about,” Jett complains.
“Perhaps I can help with that,” Connell says, his voice growing louder as he moves back toward us through the darkness. “And in the future, I might suggest that if you don’t want someone to overhear your conversation, perhaps try keeping your voices down. Just a thought.”
“We don’t care what you heard,” Kastian growls. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Connell moves to stand at Jett’s shoulder and rolls his eyes. “Again, threats only work if you have something to back them up with. You’re a talented fighter, mate, but as you’ve so expertly observed, I cannot die.”
Jett gapes at the pirate, and I swear there’s a hint of excitement in his black eyes. “Truly? You can’t die?”
Connell shakes his head and sits down on a nearby log to unlace his boot. “No, I can’t,” he says, pulling the boot off and tipping it over to pour a flood of seawater onto the swampy ground.
“How?” Kastian demands. “No one is truly immortal.”
“Well, obviously that’s not true,” Connell says flippantly. “You’re immortal, aren’t you?”
“No, we’re not,” I cut in. “We age far slower than you…or, slower than humans, I mean. But we do eventually age, and we can be killed.”
“I suspect that might be true for me as well,” Connell says, looking pensive. “I bloody hope something might kill me one day, I just haven’t found it yet.”
Kastian shakes his head, looking extremely frustrated. “Stop talking in riddles. You look human, but clearly you’re not, so what are you? A doppler?”
“I don’t have any ever-loving idea what that is so I don’t think so,” Connell says sardonically. “I was human once, a very long time ago. Still am, actually, now I come to think about it. I don’t believe anything about my actual body has changed much.”
“But—” Kastian begins, a real note of anger creeping into his voice.
“Calm down, mate,” Connell says. “I’m explaining it. I am immortal because I’m the captain ofThe Sea Witch.”
A ringing silence follows that statement, which is broken finally by Jett. “The ship that just sank, you mean?”
“Yes, although she hasn’t really sunk.The Sea Witchnever truly dies—I’m sure the next time we come across a port she’ll be there waiting for me, just like she always has before.”
Kastian and Jett exchange glances which clearly say they think Connell is insane, but I’m not so sure. “I’ve heard of ships like that,” I say slowly.
“You have?” Kastian asks.
I nod. “When I lived onThe Adella,the sailors would tell stories about immortal ships captained by spirits who were trapped on board until they’d fulfilled some prophecy.”
“See?” Connell says, winking at me. “Thank you for your faith in me, darling.”
“Don’t talk to her,” Kastian growls, taking half a step in front of me.
