Page 35 of Seaborn and the Seven Seas

“You actually saw one?” Jimin almost tipped over his barrel, his braid swinging with the motion.

“Nearly swallowed us whole.” Ranis set his cup down and stretched out his arms. The ship dipped and he planted his foot hard against the floor to keep from pitching sideways. “Eight arms. Each one thick as a mast. It was my first time encountering one and I hope it will be my last.”

The tables around us went quiet and leaned toward us.

“Have you ever seen one before?” I asked.

“No.” Barron’s features scrunched. “They say the oclego doesn’t attack without reason. They say it serves the goddess.”

I thought of the blue blood trailing into the water where the spear had pierced. The same blue as mine. There must be a reason, but I didn’t ask them.

“Serve the goddess?” Fraya downed the rest of her drink. That must have been her fifth cup while I was still working on my second. “There are no gods among us. Besides, Russo liked to travel farther out into the open ocean. He probably got what he deserved. I think he gets a thrill out of it.”

“Are there other creatures out there?” Jina asked, her head still on my shoulder.

“Yes,” Barron said. “On sea and on land.”

“One got me here.” Jimin ran a finger along the scar on his jaw. “And here.” He lifted his shirt to reveal a blackened patch of skin the size of his palm, the edges ragged, a burn rather than a cut. He dropped his shirt and shook his head. “I would have been dead had Theron not intervened.”

Our table went quiet for a moment. Around us, the deck had emptied, the crew turned in for the night. Just us, the sound of the water, and the creak of the hull.

I swallowed thickly. I hoped never to see another creature again.

“Talking about the sea creatures might prick their ears,” a voice I’d rather not hear said.

Theron stood on the upper deck, arms spread on the railing, peering down at us. How long had he been standing there? He moved like a ghost, materializing when he wanted without a sound.

My face went warm despite the temperature dipping lower, recalling his mouth between that woman’s legs, how he’d made her scream with pleasure. Stop thinking. I couldn’t, not when all I could think about was what it would feel like if he did the same to me.

“You all have early duty in the morning. Get some sleep.” His voice was calm but unmistakably a command.

“Aye, Captain.” The three of them rose from their barrels at once.

The ship rolled hard. Fraya stumbled mid-stride and kept going.

A thump behind me, then fingers coiled around my wrist as I made to leave. Theron pulled me close, his breath warm against my ear. “Tame your curiosity, Little Star, or you might find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be.”

Oh gods. Had he known I was watching? And why did the way he said my nickname send strange sensation to my stomach?

No. He couldn’t have seen me. He’d been entirely focused on the woman beneath him. There was no way he’d noticed anything beyond her.

This was about something else. Perhaps things I wasn’t supposed to ask about.

I didn’t know if that was a warning or a promise. I pulled my hand free and hurried after Ranis and Jina.

Ranis had his arm around her, her head resting on his shoulder, half-asleep on her feet. He was practically carrying her down the steps, careful with every motion, like she might break.

My heart swelled. Ranis had shown me his true character again.

I fell into step behind them, glancing back once.

Theron was gone.

Chapter Twelve

Jina and I shared the mattress while Ranis took the floor. A blanket was folded beneath him and another draped over. Within minutes both of them were asleep, except for me.

I lay there staring at the ceiling, listening to the creak of the hull and the endless hush of the ocean. My mind wouldn’t quiet.