Page 51 of The Sky Pirate's Stowaway
Viper was awful—malicious, cruel. But so was every pirate captain. And on those other ships, I wouldn’t be there to protect him.
I stared at Ghost, my heart twisting in my chest. The thought of him walking offThe Black Wraith,disappearing into Duskwater’s labyrinth of alleyways and never returning… it was unbearable. I’d spent years building walls around myself, becoming the Reaper, letting no one close. But now, somehow, this pale, freckled stowaway had slipped through every defense. And I didn’t want to lose him, not when he brought a sliver of light into my dark world.
“Stay.” The word escaped before I could stop it, hanging in the air between us.
Ghost’s eyes widened, surprise flickering across his features. “What?”
“Stay onThe Black Wraith.” I shuffled closer, close enough to see the moonlight catching the copper strands in his hair. “I have a connection in Gearhart. A very good friend of mine. I can help you find somewhere safe for your sister and Cody.”
“You would do that?” His voice was barely audible above the wind. “Why?”
The question pierced me. Why indeed? Because the thought of never seeing him again made it hard to breathe? Because he looked at me and saw more than the Reaper? Because someoneas lovely as him didn’t deserve what this cruel life had thrown at him?
“Because I can,” I said. “Because I want to.”
Ghost’s expression softened, something like hope flickering in his eyes. “I don’t understand. You barely know me.”
“I know enough.”I know that your life is worth ten of my pitiful existence.My hand moved of its own accord, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. “Stay, and I swear I’ll protect you from Viper. With my life if necessary.”
Ghost’s breath caught. “Phoenix tails, that’s… that’s intense, Reaper.”
I shrugged, looking past him to the distant lights of Duskwater. I’d heard so much about little Cody that I felt like I knew the child. I could picture Ghost with a smaller look-a-like on his shoulders, walking through Gearhart. “I don’t have any family. No one’s waiting for me anywhere.” The admission felt raw, exposed. “Not much of a life to live, anyway.”
My hand still rested on Ghost’s shoulder, the warmth of him seeping through the thin fabric of his shirt. Before I could move it, Ghost’s hand covered mine. His palm was warm against my knuckles, his touch hesitant at first, then firm. Something electric shot through me at the contact.
“Your life does matter, Reaper,” he said softly, his green eyes holding mine with an intensity that made it impossible to look away. “I’ve watched you. You work tirelessly to make the crew’s lives better, even though none of them really understand what you’re doing.”
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly tight. “I’m just doing my job.”
“No.” Ghost shook his head, a small smile playing at his lips. “You’re doing far more than that. When Viper wants to throw someone overboard, you step in. You protect everyone, even when they don’t see it. And when Viper was trying tosteal fluxstones that would’ve doomed that merchant crew, you fought for them. You’ll get off this ship one day,” Ghost continued. “I know it. You’ll start fresh somewhere, even if it’s still in the sky. Maybe you’ll even be happy.” His fingers shifted against mine, tentative but deliberate, until they were sliding between my own, interlacing us together.
My breath caught. I should pull away. This was dangerous, foolish. Instead, I tightened my grip, our hands now locked together.
“Okay. I’ll stay,” Ghost whispered, the words carried on the night breeze. “Someone needs to look out for the Reaper, after all.”
A knot formed in my throat, emotion threatening to overwhelm me. The night air suddenly felt too thin, my chest too tight. I wasn’t used to this—to being seen.
“Right,” I said, swallowing hard and dropping my grip on his shoulder to lean back against the railing with forced casualness. “Well, someone needs to make sure you don’t fall overboard during a storm. You still haven’t found your skylegs.”
Ghost laughed, the sound bright against the darkness. “Nice try, Reaper.”
“What?” I raised an eyebrow, aiming for nonchalance despite the hammering of my heart.
“That.” Ghost squeezed my hand, still intertwined with his. “You’re doing it again. If you’re not hiding behind a gruff exterior, you’re hiding behind jokes.”
My mouth went dry. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You do.” Ghost’s voice was gentle but insistent. “Every time we get close to something honest, you retreat. Put the Reaper mask back on.”
“Maybe I do,” I admitted, surprising myself with the honesty. I dropped his hand with a sigh. “It’s safer that way.”
“Safer for who?” Ghost asked, his green eyes searching mine.
“For everyone.”
Ghost shook his head, moving closer until I could feel the warmth radiating from him. “My name isn’t Ghost,” he said suddenly.
I blinked, thrown by the change in direction. “What? I know that. I gave you that name.”
