Page 35 of A Curse of Salt

Una sighed. ‘Ye heard ’bout the mutiny?’

The King had mentioned it on the night of our first dinner. I gave a half-hearted nod, hoping Una would say more.

‘Bane was born noble, but he ended up on the streets young, like me. Lost his whole family to Oren, before Aron brought us both in, gave us a home here. We loved Bane fer what he was – a little twisted, but so charmin’, so . . .’ Una shrugged, averting her gaze. ‘He was ruthless, and his noble blood made him greedy. He wanted more. Wanted revenge fer what Oren’d done. When he realised Sebastien was never goin’ after the throne, he turned half our fleet against us. Lost nine ships and a lot o’ lives in the process.’

Una settled back into the mattress, tucking her feet beneath her colourful skirts, a sad furrow to her thick brows.

‘I’d kill anyone who came fer me family,’ she said fiercely. ‘But fer it to be someone we considered a brother . . .’ She dipped her head, withdrawing behind the curtain of her braids. ‘Ye can’t imagine that kind o’ betrayal.’

I sank into my chair, feeling my wary bones soften a little. ‘I’m sorry,’ I told her, and I meant it. ‘For everything he put you through. But I don’t understand this – this hunger for blood. Isn’t that what led Bane to betray you in the first place? Choosing vengeance over all else?’

‘Bane chose vengeance,’ Una said grimly. ‘He didn’t just break our code, he spat on everythin’ we’d built together. Ye migh’ think us all monsters, lass, but wi’out loyalty, we’ve got nothin’. Ye think Sebastien betrayed his family, but that ain’t what his father was. Nobody’s born a killer. They’re made, in brutal ways.’

I bit the inside of my cheek. This war might’ve had monsters on both sides, but I knew enough to see that Una wasn’t one of them.

‘I won’t waste my breath trying to argue for Bane’s life,’ I said. ‘I’m just trying to work out how I fit into it all.’

Una chewed her bottom lip. ‘Ever since Bane struck out on his own, he’s been gatherin’ followers, money, allies. He could use ye to gain power, maybe even try to put ye on the throne, if he could be sure he’d have a place beside ye. I dunno, politics ain’t me thing. But I know it wouldn’t end pretty.’

Spiders of fear scuttled down my arms. ‘And I’m supposed to just sit back and wait for him to find me here?’

‘I’m hopin’ it won’t come to that, lass. But if we don’t end it, he’ll never stop,’ Una said. ‘Ye see that, righ’? Maybe we were wrong to get ye involved, but . . . Mors never would’ve put ye in danger if he thought Bane’d get his hands on ye fer a second. And if that ol’ sea dog’s got faith, then so do I.’

‘How reassuring.’

Una’s grin was a fleeting thing. ‘I mean it. Sebastien ain’t gonna let Bane out o’ here alive, even if we all go down wi’ him.’ She met my eyes, then added hurriedly, ‘Except fer you, o’ course. Ye’ll be just fine.’

I resisted the urge to scowl. ‘How can I trust any of you when you call the Heartless King your family?’

‘Trust me or don’t, lassie. Either way, I plan on bein’ yer friend. Ye’re just gonna have to put up wi’ it.’

Friend. I stared at the pirate lounging on my bed, her hazel eyes bright, trying to ignore the voice in the back of my mind that asked why she would want this – why she was so determined for me to like her, to feel safe. I shook the thought off, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

‘I’m sorry if I was harsh on you earlier,’ I said. ‘I don’t . . . I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this.’

Una pointed at herself with a laugh. ‘Pirate, remember? Stop apologisin’.’

I gave a meek smile in return.

Her full lips stretched into a wry smile, eyes gleaming. ‘Aron tells me ye’ve been dinin’ with His Majesty every night,’ she said conspiratorially.

‘Not every night,’ I said quickly. ‘He promised me answers in exchange for each meal. Though I hardly know why.’

‘Ah, even grumpy ol’ bastards get lonely out here on the water.’ Una sighed. ‘What good’s havin’ fangs if ye don’t get to bare ’em every now and then, eh?’

Right. Because he wanted me to fear him. Tonight had proven that I was a fool for ever forgetting to fear the extent of his heartlessness. He only wanted to toy with me, his prey.

But prey implied there was something to be gained, an objective of some kind.

A hunger.

I was no closer to knowing what that could be than the day I’d set foot on the Blood Rose. So many nights we’d dined together, yet he remained elusive, hiding behind something I couldn’t see – something I wasn’t sure even his most trusted companions were allowed to see.

What could be so terrible he had to hide from the world?

I could scarcely picture a face as ugly as his soul – gnarled flesh, twisted features, cold, gleaming eyes. Dead as his enemies. Whatever the conflicting legends said, the King fought like a man in his prime. Spoke like one, too. But the stories of his reign had existed for too long for that to be entirely true.

What had Una said at dinner? Three hundred years . . .

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