WILL

Though it felt mad to bargain with a pirate, I reached out to briefly shake his hand. “I’ll even recalibrate the thrusters so she’s smoother than ever,” I said, finding I could smile for the first time since I’d been dragged out of the hold to face him. “Thank you, Captain. I’ll do my best work.”

“I’m expecting nothing less.” He turned his back to the heartstone, descending the steps quickly before striding across the glass floor without fear. He looked back at me from the doorway, saying with a deep and stoic voice. “Come. I’ll take you back to your room. Wouldn’t want you to get… lost.”

I hesitated, giving one last longing look to the shimmering red crystal before I turned for the door. Keeping my gaze resolutely on the pirate captain waiting for me so I wouldn’t be unnerved by the glass floor again. “I’m sure you’ll be too busy to bring me here every day. Wouldn’t it be better to show me the layout of the ship?” I looked up at him, hopeful for a little more freedom. I’d be no use to him if I went insane stuffed in that tiny room every spare hour.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Valkyrie’s smile was not reassuring in the least. “I’ll be sure to have someone… look after you.” He winked, guiding me back through the loud mess of metallic harmonies in the boiler room, shutting the large metal door behind him as we left behind the inner workings of the airship.

My ears popped slightly as I stifled a sigh, not wanting to tempt him into making things any worse; if I irritated him, I had no doubt he’d pick the least pleasant guards possible. “I understand. I don’t suppose you’ll be handing my tool back if I tell you I need it to repair your ship?”

He threw his head back, letting out a loud, sharp laugh. “You might know your way around machines, but you’ll have to use a lot more than that pretty face of yours to persuade me into stupidity.” He grinned, reaching out for the railing as he walked up the steps to the main corridor.

I stumbled, not sure whether to focus on the slight chance of earning my property back… or the double-edged sword of his backhanded compliment. Frowning, I knew whatever I said was likely to spur him on. The beginnings of my sharp response were swallowed by a frustrated shout from the shadows, making me flinch.

My gaze turned to its source, a familiar man standing in the hall with his arms crossed over his chest. Tarren’s gaze was sour as it focused on me for a moment before he directed the glare to his captain. “I was marked for the change of shift, but the little rat wasn’t in his hole. I didn’t expect to find him prancin’ around with you, Captain.” His frown deepened, disapproval thick in his words. “Seems his pretty face is plenty persuasive already.”

Valkyrie’s shoulders stiffened as he glanced at me before staring down Tarren. “Will here has agreed to make some upgrades to the ship. Is that a problem?” He rubbed at his neck, cracking it as if he were suddenly tense.

“A problem?” Tarren repeated, voice strained and eyes dark with anger. “Of course it is! You’re goin’ to trust him to tinker around with the engine? How could you be so trusting of a man we know nothin’ about?”

I winced, noticing the volume of his voice was rising as it echoed down the hall. If Cordelia had been reprimanded for talking to me, I couldn’t imagine what this insubordination could bring. “I’m not going to harm the ship. I promise—”

“Shut it!” Tarren snapped, without looking away from Valkyrie. “I’ll throw him overboard myself before I let him kill us all.”

I watched as Valkyrie stepped closer to him, grabbing Tarren’s wrist as he snarled, “You’ll do nothing without my permission. Don’t you dare think for one moment that you get to speak to me this way. This is my ship and you work for me.” His nose was millimeters away from Tarren’s as he snapped with venom in his voice, “Nothing changes that.”

The tension between them seemed to fill the hall, and I edged back a step. Watching Tarren try to keep a calm expression, he couldn’t hide a flicker of shame and hurt before he turned his face away. “I understand, Captain.” The title dripped with acid, and I tried to swallow my curiosity; remembering Cordelia’s anxious warning to respect Valkyrie, I couldn’t imagine what gave Tarren the bravery to speak to him like that.

I backed up again, my heel now at the top of the steps as Tarren shook off Valkyrie’s grip, his gaze centering on me with a venom that stole my breath for a moment. “I won’t touch your precious new pet,” Tarren said, grudgingly. “But you’ll see the truth of him, eventually, and you’ll regret trusting him.”

“It’s not trust, Tarren. It’s business.” The way the captain looked at Tarren was intense. His eyes not only held a warning but something else I couldn’t quite place, perhaps a kind of plea for Tarren to stop before he made things worse.

I held my breath as Tarren stared at him, seething, and I wondered if I was about to see what mutiny looked like. It was a relief when he gave in with a muttered curse. “Have it your way, Val,” he said, shaking his head. “But don’t think for one second I'll have any part of whatever game you’re playing.” He didn’t wait for the captain to respond as he shoved past him, disappearing quickly around the bend of the corridor.

I stared after him, shocked by the informal way Tarren had addressed his captain—and that he had gotten away with it. The silence left in his wake felt stifling as I looked at Valkyrie. “I hope he’s not still on the guard duty rotation,” I said, nervous knowing I was the source of the tension between them, and hoping it wouldn’t make the captain change his mind. The captain didn’t even flinch, his gaze focused down the hall; I cleared my throat, feeling pressured to find a distraction to break the tension. “So, ‘Val’ huh?”

The moment the name had left my lips, Valkyrie had drawn his gun. I stared past the end of the barrel, only millimeters from my skull, to where the captain’s blue eyes caught the light, flashing with rage. His face contorted in a snarl as he switched the safety of the pistol off, baring his teeth.

We were both frozen as he snapped, “Don’t you think for one second you have any grounds with me. You’re a minor convenience but I’ll not hesitate to pull this trigger if you forget your place.” He narrowed his eyes, as if searching my face for any sign I may not take him seriously. His dark brow furrowed as he lowered the gun, letting out a breath of frustration. With the safety back on, he replaced the pistol in the holster at his waist, staring off in the direction Tarren had disappeared. “Don’t make me shoot you, Mr. Arliss,” he murmured darkly, eyes sliding back to meet mine. There was a danger that seemed to shroud him as he said with an ominous nonchalance, “It wouldn’t be nearly as interesting, and would leave quite a terrible mess.”

My heart was racing, my mouth dry as I tried to keep my eyes up and not look terrified. The discovery of his ship’s heartstone had made me forget, for a moment, that I was walking a dangerous line aboard the Marauder. A mistake could kill me, and I knew the pirates onboard wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of me if it was decided I was going to be a problem; Tarren had made that much known.

Swallowing hard, I fought to find my voice. “I understand. I’ll keep my mouth shut and do my work,” I said, hoping he could hear my earnestness.

The captain’s intimidating gaze focused on me for a worrying moment before he seemed to accept my words. We were silent as he led me back to my room, handing me into the care of the waiting guards before leaving back down the hall without another word.

I didn’t have the energy to be annoyed when one of the crewmates followed me into my room, stationing themself beside the door to watch me.

Without the captain’s overpowering presence, I allowed myself the grace to feel scared and uncertain. Sitting on the bottom bunk with a heavy sigh, I laid back on the soft, comfortable cot as I regretted the choice I had made in Nighbrook. It had been a mistake to board the Marauder. Putting my life in the hands of the fearsome Captain Valkyrie was the last thing I wanted to do… But, it was the only choice I had if I wanted to live long enough to make it to Antinau.