WILL

I felt my heart jump, hearing the captain’s words and knowing this might be my only chance to convince him to let me live. I hesitated, weighing my options. “I already told you if it’s a matter of money…” I leaned forward slightly in an attempt to appear earnest, “I can pay you, more than any ransom you could get for me, if you escort me somewhere I’ll be safe.”

He raised his dark brows, surprised at my request. “You had nothing on you but your precious trinket. Where exactly are you going to get this money?” he asked, brushing off his well-tailored breeches as he stared judgmentally at my well-worn and dusty clothes. “Not only would I have to take you for your word, which I’m already debating, but to escort you? That’s bad for business.” He leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head as if he were lying on a sandy beach.

I envied his careless attitude; the conversation might have been meaningless to him, but I could feel my anxiety building as I struggled to find a convincing argument. “If you escort me, I’ll have access to all the money you could ask for.” His expression didn’t change, and I knew I hadn’t swayed him. Swallowing hard, I offered the only other thing I thought might be worth his time, “And I can work for you while we travel. I told you I’m an engineer, I can make improvements to your ship. Even proper maintenance will make a difference; how long has it been since she’s been tuned up?”

Laughing, there was a twinkle in the captain’s eye as if I’d said the magic words he’d been waiting for. Was that why he was keeping me alive? He looked around the fine room, saying proudly, “Does it look like she’s in disrepair?”

“I chose to hide on your ship because I thought she looked impressive. But the state of your walls doesn’t reflect the care of your engines,” I said, frowning in response to his arrogance. “I can at least make her run a little smoother during takeoff. I noticed a lurch when we left Nighbrook, the thruster may have to be recalibrated.”

There was a flicker of interest in his eyes, but I knew it wasn’t enough as he smirked at me. “And you found this fault in my ship while standing in the cargo hold?” He sounded exasperated.

I ground my teeth, bristling as he called my skill into question. It had been years since I’d been forced to prove myself like this. “You can tell a lot when you listen to the inner mechanisms of a ship. She’s full of energy and gears and steam… But if you’re asking what I can offer you, I can make her run much faster if you let me adjust the engines. If that’s not enough, I can replicate the cloaking mechanisms on the military’s highest-grade ships; I’ve even figured a way around the flaw that makes it fail at high speeds and altitudes.” I was grasping at straws, offering more than I usually dared to reveal I was capable of. “All I ask is that you allow me to stay onboard until we’ve reached my destination.”

“Your destination…” he repeated thoughtfully, switching topics as he said with an air of curiosity in his voice, “Tell me what you know about energy shards.”

“You sure you’ll be able to keep up?” I asked, noting his unamused expression and hurrying to explain to him what every engineer was taught when they showed unmatched potential in handling machines. “Energy shards are mere fractions of a much larger, rarer crystal. We, as engineers, refer to them as…heartstones.”

Captain Valkyrie looked at me intently, which took me somewhat by surprise.

I continued, saying with more conviction, “The energy shards are rare, but most commonly used as fuel for powering machines and skyships. Their properties are full of power, though it doesn’t last long. Maybe a few days or weeks at most. What people really search for, far rarer than the shards… is a heartstone. A larger crystal that can feed off of the energy of smaller shards, absorbing unimaginable power. Most shards look black, but the more color that comes through in a shard or crystal, the stronger their power and the higher their quality as a source of fuel. The ones in your hold are military grade, highly pigmented, extremely hard to come by, and worth more than some cities.”

The pirate grinned, nodding as he said, rather pleased with himself, “I know. You said it yourself. They’re for profit. This… information you’re telling me is all common knowledge. We know how the world works, that everything of value cannot run on steam alone, and that it comes at a high price…” He leaned forward, his face close to mine as he whispered, “So, if you're really an engineer, what can you tell me that I don't know?”

I swallowed, stopping myself from saying anything confrontational. I looked down at my hands, fingers twisted together nervously, as I debated what to say. “The energy crystals in your hold… they can be manufactured, though the exact method is a secret closely guarded by the military. The government can synthesize as many as they need to keep Aeras running, but the heartstones are different. The power they contain can’t be replicated… The moment a person shows they have the ability to connect to that energy, they are put into training to become an engineer. It’s what makes us so highly sought after. A heartstone, even a shard, is worth more in our hands than any other. It’s not a common talent, and the ability to use it well is even less so...”

“And you have this ability?” he asked, blue eyes shining in the dim room.

I hesitated, nodding before I admitted, “I do.” It felt wrong to be saying such things to a stranger—a pirate—but my life was a higher priority than the truth of why the military hunted people like me. “I’m sure that’s enough to prove my claim as an engineer.”

“We’ll see.” Valkyrie tilted his head to the side, the motion shifting the collar of his shirt.

I was distracted for a moment by a dark ring of bruising on his skin. I started to look away, embarrassed as if I’d seen something private, but my gaze caught instead on the lines of a tattoo that swirled up his throat. The graceful, curving lines brought the image of clouds and mist to my mind, disappearing under his collar. I leaned forward slightly, captivated as I wondered how far the lines extended. They seemed to fit his image, and I could imagine ink tattooed across the muscle of his chest. The thought had me drawing away again, startled that I’d mentally undressed the arrogant man.

This man was a threat, and toying with images like those was dangerous.

The captain didn’t seem to notice my lapse in concentration, looking at the rings on his fingers as if he was losing interest. “Well, Mr. Arliss, a man of your caliber should be able to answer me this… Does my ship have a heartstone?"

“With your ego, I’d all but guarantee it,” I said, sighing when his glare demanded a better answer. “I saw its glow from under the hull when I stowed away. Even if I hadn’t, your ship is sleek, and fast; her machinery is quiet and efficient—”

“Apart from a ‘lurch’ during takeoff, apparently,” he muttered, crossing his arms defensively.

I pressed my lips together to resist the urge to roll my eyes; he was like a child whose favorite toy had been insulted. “It’s not her fault she hasn’t been properly serviced,” I said, hoping it would satisfy him. “A ship of this quality wouldn’t run without a heartstone, and I wouldn’t be able to provide the modifications I offered without one, either. I can’t tell the size or strength from outside the engine room, but I’d wager you were able to get your hands on one that would put most ships to shame.”

He nodded, his blue eyes thoughtful as he stood, his dark hair casting shadows on his face as he murmured, “I think I’ve heard enough, Mr. Arliss. You say you know my ship has a heartstone, so I just have one last question for you…” He stared at me as if he could see right through me, uttering the last thing I expected him to say, “Would you like to see it?”