Page 20 of Hooked By a Hero
The one stroke of luck they had during the remainder of the storm was that none of the mutineers were seen on the middeck at all as long as the storm continued. Elias reasoned that they were too busy above, keeping the ship from sinking or sustaining irreparable damage. If they had taken shelter, they had likely holed up in the captain and officers’ cabins at the ship’s stern.
Whatever the case, Elias’s primary concern was for survival.
“Have you ever known a storm like this?” he asked Caspian once the two of them were back in his cabin after making another round of checks on their fellow passengers.
“I’ve known plenty of storms,” Caspian said, settling on the narrow bed and opening his arms so that Elias could sit with him.
Elias did not care if it infantilized him to want to cuddle close to his would-be lover and have the man wrap him in his embrace as the ship bobbed and listed and rocked. Caspian was so strong and self-assured. Being held by the man when he was certain his life could end at any moment felt wonderful.
“Yes,” Elias said, moving his legs to fit as best they could in the awkward space, “but have you known any like this one.”
Caspian laughed, which went miles toward making Elias feel better, and said, “Yes.”
A moment later, he grew more serious and tensed slightly.
“What is it?” Elias asked.
Caspian puffed out a breath, then admitted, “Storms generally do not last as long as this. I will have no proof of it until the skies clear and we can go above, but I feel in my bones as if whoever is navigating the ship has been steering it continually into the storm instead of trying to sail out of it.”
Elias’s already twisted stomach pinched even more. How long could they sustain sailing with a storm? Which direction did the storms blow in that part of the world? Would they even know where they were when it wore itself out and finally left them at peace?
The answer to that question came the next day. The seas finally began to calm, the wind died down to a stiff breeze, and the rain turned soft, then stopped entirely. Elias actually caught a glimpse of sunlight through the small porthole in his cabin.
Of course, the end of the storm meant the beginning of a whole other set of troubles.
“Out of your cabins!” a harsh voice shouted from the corridor outside Elias’s cabin, startling him out of a half-sleep. “All of you, get out of your cabins and up on deck. Thecaptainwants to count you.”
Elias tensed in Caspian’s arms. He’d been lying there with the man for who knew how long, but he was loath to get up.
“It’s as we feared,” Caspian said, nudging him slightly so that they could do what they’d been asked. “At least we’ll have a better idea of who has lived and who hasn’t.”
“The women,” Elias gasped, switching from slow, groggy movements to fast, anxious ones so fast it made his head throb and spin. “They’re disguised, but those disguises won’t hold for long.”
A slight smile touched Caspian’s lips, but it was gone almost before Elias could note it. “We shall see what happens,” he said.
Elias was not certain he wished to see, but they had no choice. The middeck came alive with noise, voices shouting, feetstomping, and doors opening and shutting as the convict crew roused the passengers and dragged them out of their cabins. Caspian gestured for Elias to follow him down the length of the deck to where Miss Winters had her cabin instead of taking the quicker route above through the stern hatch.
“Are you well, Miss Winters?” Caspian asked the pale and shaking young woman once they reached her cabin.
“Not at all,” Miss Winters wept, then wiped her eyes with the back of the sleeve of the simple man’s shirt she wore. “I’m frightened.”
“Stay with us,” Elias told her. “We’ll do everything we can to protect you.”
Once they climbed up to the main deck, Elias saw that they were not the only ones who seemed determined to protect the women from whatever rapacious intentions the mutineers might have had for them. Ruby, dressed as a boy, with her hair shorn, had Lady Adelaide, her maid, and Miss Winters, all of whom were dressed in men’s clothing, gathered in the corner of the deck where the forecastle met the main deck. They weren’t just standing there, however. Ruby seemed to be driving the ladies to handle rope, pick up debris, and behave as if they were part of the crew.
As soon as she spotted Elias, she gasped slightly and left the rope she’d been coiling to run to him. “You are still alive,” she greeted them breathlessly.
“As are you,” Elias said, pretending he was far braver than he actually felt. He glanced over her disguise and beyond her to where the other, tearful and wary women, glanced up at them amidst their pretend work. “You’ve done an admirable job of blending in, I see,” he said.
Ruby gulped as if she were fighting not to weep and said, “I’ve been working with the remaining crew to keep the ship afloat during the storm. I’ve learned what to do quickly.”
Mr. Hunt, who had left what he was doing as soon as he saw Elias and Caspian emerge from below, walked up to stand by Ruby’s side and to plant a hand on her shoulder. “Seaman Ferrars has conducted himself admirably for the last few days,” he said.
Elias nodded, taking the comment for what it was at once. Hunt was letting them know the nature of Ruby’s disguise and how to proceed with her. “Understood,” he said, then stepped forward to shake Hunt’s hand. “I’m glad you survived,” he said with genuine feeling.
Hunt smiled grimly. “I’m too stubborn to be defeated,” he said.
“You lot! Get away from there and line up!” one of the mutineers shouted at them.
