Page 46 of Gods of the Sea

“I wouldn’t trust those two brothers,” Luc called out. “When the tides turn, so will they. Don’t forget that.”

I turned back, raising an eyebrow at him. “And why should I trust your words? Couldn’t you be the same?”

His eyes glittered at me from across the room. He stretched out on the bed, a power and a peace coming from his smile.

“I could,” he replied. “But we both know that if I was lying to you, you could tell.”

CHAPTER 15—HAPPINESS

Four weeks.

We had been to two ports for supplies since then. To my relief, Adrian sent my letter to Father from the first port, but I assumed he wouldn’t allow me to send word again. I didn’t know how long it would take us to reach the little red star we were following, but Henrik assured me that we were getting close to our destination. With his knowledge of the spirit realm, he spent his time making plenty of defenses guarding us from danger.

Adrian reluctantly allowed me to take sword lessons from Henrik in the evenings, Luc convincing him that the sirens could come again at any moment to take the crew members from the ship. Adrian eventually caved, and Henrik taught me and a few of the men on board. But Adrian was adamant that I never step foot in Henrik’s room alone.

“You’re being ridiculous,” I said to Adrian, reaching up and pulling a wiry hair from his chin.

He hissed, swatting my hand away. “My ship, my rules.”

“Stop being afraid of Henrik. His link to the spirits is a gift, not something to be feared.”

Adrian held his forehead in disbelief. “How much has he brainwashed you? Fine, I admit that he has some kind of voodoo. I’m a big enough man to admit it. But I’m not going to give him the opportunity to put you in the middle of more demon ambushes.”

“Why, if I didn’t know any better,” I said with a teasing smile, “I’d say that you cared about me, Captain.”

He stepped forward, leaning down to invade my space with his, as he always did. His eyes were powerful and playful as he looked down at my lips and smiled.

“I do care…” he said. “Without you, I come back broke.”

I rolled my eyes, shoving him away. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back to his side.

“I mean it,” he said sternly. “If there’s even a hint of the spirit world coming after you, you make sure to get out of there.”

His fingers dug into my skin. By the way he held his breath, I could tell that the weeks of silence from the spirit world was making him more and more on edge. I relaxed my muscles, hoping he would do the same.

“Maybe you should lean on your older brother, Captain,” I suggested.

His eyelids fluttered, an ironic laugh breaking his lips. “That’s one thing I can’t do.”

He let me go, not making eye contact as he walked back to his desk full of maps. I sighed, not understanding his secrets, but understanding that they were weighing him down. If the things Henrik had said were true, Adrian was doing these things to save his family. The responsibility of that was clear on both brothers’ shoulders, even if the captain pretended to be unaffected.

But how could anyone be unaffected when it came to their mother’s life?

It was like reliving my past all over again. The pain I felt for them ran deep even though it shouldn’t have.

Luc’s words still rang in my ears after all this time.

“When the tides turn, so will they.”

I didn’t want to believe it, but there was no reason not to. Henrik and Adrian needed the Eros. That was all. They had no use for me, and if I returned to Father, it was a risk for them. Even if I didn’t intend to turn them in to the authorities, there was the possibility that I could. They knew that.

But, to be fair, what reason did I have to trust Luc? He was a stranger, as much as anyone else on the crew.

But he had protected me from the sirens when the world split open.

Then again, so did Henrik. And in his own way, so did Adrian.

Even after so many weeks, I couldn’t stop my thoughts from spinning in circles.

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