Controlling my temper as I was led away from the smirking pirate Captain was like trying to catch smoke in my hands. His smooth, smug voice saying my name haunted me, an infuriating echo as I sat in the room they gave me.
I’d half expected to be thrown in the brig; though Captain Valkyrie seemed content enough to keep me aboard for now, I thought it would be in a makeshift cell barely large enough to turn around in. The room I occupied was small, clearly intended to be shared as there were several beds built into the walls. But it held the same opulence as the rest of the ship, crystal light fixtures and plush carpets protecting a gleaming wood floor. I would have been fascinated to stare out the bank of windows along the far wall- if it weren’t for the surly man standing next to my door.
Valkyrie had demanded my room be guarded ‘inside and out’, and I wasn’t the only one unhappy with that. It made sense; trusting an engineer alone in a room would be a mistake. But as my guard and I swapped distrustful glares, I considered the probability of getting past him.
I was saved from the inevitable beating that would come with any attempt; the door opened, and I knew I didn’t stand a chance against two of them. The grumpy man who glowered at me with hard brown eyes I would risk- the woman who had helped capture me seemed far more formidable.
“I’ll take over from here, Carter” Cordelia said, a tray of food in one hand as she gestured for the man to leave.
Carter gave a heavy sigh of relief as he pushed away from the wall he had been lounging against. “Good, thought I’d lose my mind watching the little rat stare into space,” he said, shaking his head as he walked through the door.
“I’m sure the Captain appreciates your diligence,” she responded, and something in those words sounded like a warning. The man’s mouth shut quickly, and there were no more complaints as he hurried to leave.
I watched her silently as she shut the door before turning to me. Her steps were light as she crossed the room, setting the tray down on the small table tucked against the foot of the lowest bed. “Nothin’ fancy, but it’s food, and I reckon you’re starving if you spent the night running for your life.” There was a glimmer of humor in her eyes.
I didn’t trust it, staying where I sat on the lowest bunk. My gaze caught on the food, wondering what they would have slipped in it.
She sighed, rolling her eyes as she placed a hand on her hip, looking at me with incredulity. “Believe me, if the Captain wanted you dead, he’d make much more of a spectacle.” She jutted her chin out towards the food, signaling for me to eat it as she tossed her braid over her shoulder. “You’ll get a good lashing if that plate doesn’t go back empty. Just eat it.”
“I feel like I’ll get one anyway,” I muttered, but I shifted to the end of the bed so I could pull the tray into my lap. She was right, it was nothing fancy, but it tasted good, which was a surprise; a welcome warmth after my dash through the freezing night air.
She stood there for a minute, watching me before she pulled up a chair and sat down. She looked at the door briefly, leaning in as she asked with narrow green eyes, “Are you really an engineer? The Captain will find out if you’re lying. He’s not bluffing.” Her voice was serious, a sense of warning in her words.
I sighed around the food, looking up at her wearily. “I could prove it to you, but I doubt he’d trust me enough to let me do that.”
“No, he probably wouldn’t,” she agreed, watching me carefully.
I could tell she was suspicious, adding, “Why would anybody lie about being an engineer? It would be inviting much worse threats than the arrogant brute who captains your ship. What’s the worst he can do?” I muttered the words as I looked down at the food, chest tightening as I remembered his glistening blue eyes watching me sharply, his hand on his weapon. It was hard to shake the sense of fear, knowing death was smirking in my face; I could act cavalier, but I knew every moment on this ship would be flirting with disaster.
Comments (27)
See all