Page 90 of The Sky Pirate's Stowaway
Never again would I trust so completely. Never again would I give anyone the power to destroy me.
Maximus Blackwood, First Officer ofThe Valiant, loyal servant of House Eldritch, died that day. He drowned in the harbor of Embergate, taking with him all his naïve beliefs in honor, duty, and love.
Who emerged was someone else entirely—a man with no allegiances, no illusions, and nothing left to lose. A man who would build himself anew from the wreckage.
The Reaper wasn’t born that day, but his seed was planted in the bitter soil of my heart, waiting to grow into something terrible.
16
Maximus
Istared out at the stars, feeling Kaspar’s weight against my chest. The silence between us hung heavy after I’d finished my story. My throat felt scraped raw by words long buried, leaving me hollow, as if I’d purged some toxic growth that had been festering inside me for years.
“So that’s how I lost my leg,” I said finally. “And the job I adored. My friends… My life… And everything, really.”
Kaspar shifted in my arms but didn’t pull away. His fingers found mine, intertwining tightly. “You know, I think I sort of remember hearing about it at the time. About the disgraced officer who escaped before his execution. There were searches everywhere for a week or so. I can’t believe that was you!”
“The one and only,” I said bitterly. The thought of being remembered as a traitor, a cautionary tale told to young officers, still had the power to twist like a knife in my gut.
“And, after all that, how did you end up onThe Black Wraith?” he asked.
“Wasn’t exactly planned.” I shifted, rolling my hips slightly, enjoying still being free of my prosthetic. “For a while, I livedhand-to-mouth, taking odd jobs on merchant vessels. None lasted long—someone would ask me too many questions, or I’d struggle too much with this.” I tapped my metal leg. “Then one night in a seedy tavern, I ran into Viper. He was recruiting and didn’t give a damn about my past or my leg, just my skills. Said a man with nothing to lose makes the best fighter.”
Kaspar’s fingers traced gentle patterns on my arm. “So you joined up… as the Reaper?”
I chuckled, remembering that crazy time. “At the beginning, during raids, I wore a black scarf over most of my face, in case anyone recognized me. Then, during a battle, someone shouted, ‘He’s like the goddamn Reaper!’ The name stuck. Viper loved it—said it was good for theWraith’sreputation to have Death himself on board. The crew started making up stories about me, and I just… let them. Added a few of my own when needed. By the second month, even I was half-believing the legend.”
“And… was it hard?”
“Creating the Reaper?” I ran my hand through my hair. “Not as hard as you’d think. I was already broken and angry. The crew needed someone to fear, and I needed a way to keep everyone at arm’s length.” What I didn’t say was how sometimes the line between Max and the Reaper blurred, how there were days I wasn’t sure which one was the mask anymore.
“So you just… became someone else?”
“It helped integrate me into the crew, having all these crazy stories behind me. The missing leg helped too—instant war story. I had to smooth out my posh accent, though.” I mimicked my old, refined speech pattern. “Couldn’t very well sound like I’d taken tea with the king, now could I?”
Kaspar laughed, the sound warming something inside me. “It must be exhausting being the Reaper all the time.”
I stared up at the stars, considering my answer. “It is. But it’s safer this way. Fear keeps people at a distance. And distancekeeps me safe.” I tightened my arm around him, contradicting my own words. “When no one gets close, no one can betray you. No one can leave you crushed and bleeding on the deck of a ship, sailing out of your life at the snap of a finger.”
Kaspar lifted his hand to my face, his fingers tracing the outline of my jaw. “Not everyone is Eric, Max.”
“I know that. Logically, I know.” I sighed. “But logic doesn’t heal wounds like these. My leg… it’s not just metal. It’s a daily reminder of my mistakes, my gullibility. Every morning when I strap it on, I remember how I trusted the wrong person. Loved someone with all my heart, only to have it trampled on.”
“But you survived,” Kaspar said.
“Sometimes I wonder if that’s a blessing or a curse.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Kaspar’s hand stilled. “Max…”
“Sorry.” I forced a smile. “Dark thoughts.”
“Do you want to talk about it? Talk about Eric?” Kaspar said softly. “Before it all went wrong? It sounded like you loved him so much.”
The question caught me off guard. I so rarely thought back to the good parts. Now they were poisoned by what happened after.
“I did,” I admitted, the words feeling strange on my tongue. “He was… brilliant, charismatic. Could charm anyone. Had this way of making you feel like you were the only person who mattered when he looked at you.” I remembered his fingers tracing circles on my hip that first night in his quarters, how my heart had thundered when he’d pulled me close, howchosenI’d felt.
“Within weeks of being assigned to his ship, he was already saying I was the best first officer he’d ever had, and that I would be captain of my own ship someday.” I swallowed hard. “Goddesses, I would have done anything for that man.Diddoanything for him. That’s what made the betrayal so deep. I never thought he was capable of hurting me like that.”
