Page 141 of Ruthless Scoundrel
A quick blue shot of power bursts from her palm, and seconds later splashes into the ocean, turning it to steam.
Maarie squeals in delight. “She’s stronger than you!” Then she begins to dance around me, her taunt becoming a song.
Reina laughs. “What’s she saying?”
I cross my arms. “Lies.”
Cora and her husband emerge from the home with two overflowing packs. We strap them on and turn for our final farewells. My throat is tight and I want to scream that I won’t go, that I can’t, but I smile instead.
“We’ll be together again, and it’ll be in a palace,andI’ll be a prince of Fynren,” I say, ruffling Maarie’s hair.
Her eyes water but she nods. “I’ll be a princess?”
I’m not actually sure how the human rules work, but I’m sure Reina would let her be a princess. “You will.”
“Better get me a nice dress,” she says.
“What color?”
She hums. “Black. With those sparkles I’ve seen, the thin ones like oyster shells.”
I laugh. “It’ll be done.”
I hug my father again, then my mother. I grab Reina’s hand and we take two steps back, looking over the home, our new friends, and my people.
“We’ll get to work on cleaning that old spellbook and send you any information we glean,” Cora says.
I gesture to Maarie. “A perfect use of her magus ability. No need to clean it, just look back into its past.”
“Is that so?” Cora asks. “You might just be the key to this whole war, my dear.”
My sister grins and looks at me. “Better get two dresses.”
“Oh, one last thing!” Cora says as she runs back into the house. She emerges with a burlap sack full of citrus fruit. “For Alejandra’s crew. I see the sickness setting in on them. They need to come here at least once every three months for fruit. Tell her that.”
I take the sack over my shoulder and nod. Cora is so giving, without expecting anything in return. It builds goodwill, I suppose. Can that really be how we win against a goddess?
We wave and turn toward the dock.
“They’re going to be okay,” Reina whispers as she threads her fingers with mine.
My head is full of worry, but my heart is full of hope. “I know.”
Alejandra’s ship bobs just out of reach of the shallows, and a rowboat is tied up for us at the end of the pier. Reina helps me paddle out and I smile at her strength. Weeks ago she could only paddle for a few moments before breaking into a panting sweat. We row all the way to Alejandra’s ship, and she’s only got a soft glow about her when we’re pulled in.
I relay Cora’s message while Reina passes out fruit. The deckhands take a moment to savor the treat, and the scent of sweet, sharp citrus fills the air.
“All right, you scallywags, back to work!” Alejandra yells as she wipes orange pulp from her fingers to her pants.
We set sail for Hammon with a different air about us. The crew knows what they need to, says Alejandra, but I’m sure they’ve been listening at the captain’s door. They know everything…but she trusts her crew, and somehow I know they wouldn’t betray her. If they did, they’d face the same consequences she allowed to befall the sailors of her sister ship.
The trip takes only a few hours, and there’s still plenty of daylight when we land, so we part ways, opting to try to get a head start. Horses are easy to procure with the funds Cora gave us, and since Reina wasn’t trained in riding, I get a larger steed that can carry us both. We strap our packs to the beast’s haunches and set out.
Reina begs me to teach her selkie words as we ride, trying her best to pronounce them without all the appropriate organs to make the sounds. Still her words are comprehensible, if not just a little cute, like she has an accent.
When we make camp, Reina’s priority becomes clear as she drags me into the barely erected tent. I fuck her fast and rough from behind like a beast, making her scream within minutes. The horse whinnies in concern and curiosity, which makes Reina laugh.
With her immediate needs taken care of, we go about cleaning water, protecting the camp with wards, caring for our horse, and having a meal before returning to the tent for another round of vigorous lovemaking. We drift into sleep easily and rise just before the sun. Though I’m nervous for what’s to come, and anxious about leaving my family behind, I’m lighter and more refreshed than I’ve ever been.
