Page 11 of Found at Sea
Once I was at the top of the hill, I saw nothing but the sea at first—the way it reflected the moon and stars. There were mountains to the left, and I recognized the location as the one I’d docked theCrimson.That high up, so much could be seen but not felt.
A dreamer’s perch.
My eyes focused on the tree in the center. Its branches hung low and nearly hid the dark figure beneath it. I walked closer, and as I did, the sounds of muffled cries reached my ears. They were soft and transitioned to more subdued ones, dying off.
At first, I thought he’d seen me and was stifling his cries, but as I got closer, I saw him lying down. His eyes were closed, and his head rested on a sack. Even in the dim light, I saw the wetness on his cheeks.
“Boy?”
He jolted upward, pushing his back against the trunk of the tree. He didn’t give me a chance to say anything further before he took the bag he’d been resting on and swung it, hitting me in the shins.
“Stay away from me!” he yelled, rearing back to hit me again.
Not in the mood for games, I caught the bag as he swung again and yanked it from his grip. “Calm yourself. I have no intentions on harming you, boy.”
“Give that back!” Quicker than I thought possible, he was up and to his feet, balling his fists. I tossed the bag aside, and he dove after it. Once placing it back beneath the tree, he spun on his heels and faced me. The anger in his eyes faded as recollection took over. “Wait, you’re the p-pirate.”
“Aye, you’re an observant one, aren’t you?”
“Don’t mock me,” he snapped, wiping at his tear-stained cheeks before scowling. “If you aren’t going to hurt me, what is it you want?”
“What is it you want,Captain,” I corrected.
He scoffed. “Is your ego so large that you must remind all men who you are?”
No one had ever spoken to me in such a way.
I clenched my jaw, not sure if I desired more to grab him by his nape and drag him away like an insolent child… or to grip his waist and pull him closer. Through his youthfulness, he was still a man. That, I knew. He might’ve been a man who’d never known the pleasures of the world, but he was one nonetheless.
“It’s a thing called respect, boy,” I said, pinning him with a stare.
“What do pirates know of respect?” He crossed his arms. “And my name is Fletcher. Notboy.”
The more he sassed me, the more amusing I found his feistiness. And alluring. He was full of fire, and I craved the lick from the flames. Earlier, I had assumed him to be timid and full of innocence, and although that was still true, he was also spirited.
“I have not the time for this, boy,” I said, purposefully ignoring his statement about his name. Just to remind him that I was in charge and would call him whatever I damn well pleased. “I have a proposition for you.”
There it was once more: that timidity. He held my gaze for another moment before looking toward the grass. “I’m listening.”
“Join my crew.”
His eyes flashed back to mine. “Pardon? You must be mad if you’re seriously asking me to become a pirate.”
“You’d make a lousy pirate, I must admit,” I said, looking him up and down. “You are much too weak to do any heavy lifting. Too small to instill fear in any man. But there might be use for you yet. Perhaps as a rigger, if you are surefooted enough to climb the masts. Or a swab.” My lips twitched on the last part.
“A deck scrubber?” he asked, scrunching his brow. “Isn’t that the worst job on the ship?”
“Ya have to start somewhere, boy,” I answered. I hid it well, but the fact he was even considering my offer pleased me. Light caught my eye, and I looked down below, seeing the flickering flame of a torch. Our perch from atop the hill gave us a bird’s eye view of the surrounding land, and I knew it must’ve been members of my crew returning to theCrimson. I looked back at Fletcher. “Your answer?”
He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Can I think on it for a while?”
Patience wasn’t a virtue of mine; not that I had any virtues anyway. I took what I wanted, when I wanted it, and damn any man who got in my way.
“No.” A tic started in my jaw. “You decide now.”
Fletcher held my gaze before looking out over the dark water. His expression was contemplative, and I wondered what was going on in that head of his.
“What makes me so special that a captain of legend comes after me and asks me to join his crew?” he asked, moving his eyes back to me. “I’m no one.”
