Page 92 of Found at Sea
“So…the story?” he asked, plopping down in the cushioned armchair beside my desk.
“You are the story teller, boy,” I responded before lifting the glass of rum to my lips. The burn of it going down my throat was a fine contrast to the chill seeping inside me. “But if you insist.”
“I do.”
I quirked a brow at him, which he returned in mock fashion.
“It’s said that this ring belonged to a pirate king from hundreds of years ago,” I said before taking another drink. I pursed my lips and looked at the ring, twisting it a little to slide it off. After handing it to Fletcher, I watched the curiosity beam in his eyes as he studied it. “The pirate’s name was Silas.”
Fletcher gasped and looked at me. “Silas the Silencer? He’s one of the most notorious cutthroats in legend, Kellan!” With excitement ablaze in his eyes, he looked at the ring again. “He was ruthless and killed without mercy. Men hired him to kill because he was one of the greatest assassins in the realm. Inallthe realms! They said his ship had red sails, instead of black, unlike other pirates. Red sails were the most dreaded sea flag because it meant the men sailing it took no prisoners. He—”
“I thought I was telling this story,” I interrupted and smirked at how fast he snapped his mouth shut. I’d much rather be ravaging his body in that moment than speaking of myths, but it’s what he wanted. And so I’d humor him. “Yes, Silas the Silencer. His ship was called theBloody Red.”
Fletcher curled his legs beneath him in the chair and brought his glass to his lips, taking a small drink. His excitement was palpable.
“It’s said that Silas traveled all over the realms, killing, stealing, and instilling fear in all men.”
“I wonder who that sounds like.”
“Don’t interrupt, boy,” I said with no force behind the words. He smiled and snuggled more in the chair. “One day, a stowaway named Owen happened upon his ship. Owen was a merchant and his ship had been attacked at sea by a gang of pirates, and he was the lone survivor. Silas forced him to join his crew, and as the months passed, he fell in love with him.”
I smiled at the thought, relating so much more to the story now than I did when I first heard it years ago. “The ring you now hold between your fingers is the same one Silas made for Owen. He had it forged by a mage, before the war with the dark mages. The stone symbolizes Silas’ heart, and how he gave it freely to Owen, who returned that love.”
Fletcher regarded the ring with sadness. If he knew the story as well as I did, then he knew what was coming next.
“On the day they were to be wed, a storm came,” I continued as a weight settled over my chest. “And within the raging winds, pouring rain, and lightning, there also came a fleet of ships sent by the crown to kill Silas and put an end to his reign at sea. Owen was killed amidst the chaos, and the sea claimed him. The last sight Silas saw of Owen was his body sinking below the waves.”
“And in his grief,” Fletcher spoke as his eyes watered, “Silas went ashore to the island they’d dreamed of making a home, to the spot where they’d wanted to build their house, and he buried not only all of his gold and jewels that he’d gathered over the many years, but also this ring. He never got the chance to give it to Owen.”
Seeing the tears brim in his green eyes was too much for me to tolerate, and I strode forward. I gathered him in my arms before carrying him to our bed. I didn’t undress him or make any moves to fuck him. Instead, I lay him on my chest and ran my fingers through his soft, auburn hair.
“How did you find it?” Fletcher asked, still holding the ring and looking at it with awe.
“The legend said that after Silas buried the treasure, he drove a dagger into his chest,” I said, finally understanding why he’d ever do such a thing. I held Fletcher closer and kissed the top of his head. “The loss of his Owen had been too great, and he no longer found the will to live. His first mate tossed Silas’ body to the sea, which was the pirate king’s final request, so that he and Owen would be able to find each other again among the waves. The map that Silas and Owen had made for their island was lost at sea.”
“And you found it?” Fletcher guessed.
“I stole it,” I confessed. “One night in a tavern, not long after the former Captain died, me and the crew were drinking and I overheard some men speakin’ of the map. I shot one in the chest and stabbed the other in the neck, took the map, and set sail. The crew became rich with coin, and I earned their favor.”
Fletcher gaped. “You really were dreadful, weren’t you?”
I didn’t miss how he’d saidwere. He no longer believed me to be.
“Aye, I was,” I responded. Grabbing his right hand, I slid the ring onto his middle finger. “Keep this safe for me.”
With a smile, Fletcher looked at his now adorned finger before moving his eyes to mine. “You plan to offer this to Ran, don’t you? As her price for Triton’s heart?”
I nodded, not trusting my voice not to shake. The hope was that the ring would appease the goddess. Because I refused to even consider the other option.
“It will work out fine, Kellan,” Fletcher whispered, nuzzling my chest. “We will find Ran.”
He misunderstood why I fretted, but I didn’t dare correct him.
I held him closer and pressed my face into his hair, inhaling his sweet scent. He was my Owen. Without him…no life would be worth living.
