Page 37 of Seaborn and the Seven Seas

“A creature is in there.” I shoved back from him, breathless. “It growled.”

“I told you not to be curious.”

“What is it?”

“Something I need to deliver.” His voice was infuriatingly calm, like I’d asked him about the weather.

“Deliver where? To whom?” I planted a hand on the wall as the ship swayed.

He didn’t answer.

“Is it a land creature?” I glanced back at the crate. “Your crew mentioned there were such things.”

He shrugged. “It growled. It must be a human.”

“Ugh! You’re infuriating.”

“And you’re impossible.”

My face burned. “Me?”

“Would you like to sleep next to it? You seemed to be enthralled with it,” he asked instead, the corner of his mouth twitching. “I’m sure it would enjoy the company.”

“Fine. Keep your secrets.” I straightened, my heart still racing from more than just the thing inside the container. “There’s a creature in the sky. It’s big with wings. I saw it from the upper deck.”

He stiffened.

His easy mockery gone, replaced by something sharper, more alert. His eyes moved past me toward the door, then back to my face.

“What did it look like?”

“I don’t know. I only saw it for a second before I ran.”

He was quiet for a long moment, jaw tight, and for the first time since I’d met him he looked like he didn’t have an answer. Then he scrubbed a hand down his face and let out a long breath.

“Not only do you not listen, but now you’re seeing things in the sky.” He shook his head. “Should I fetch you water? Perhaps you’ve had more ale than I realized.”

“I know what I saw.” I crossed my arms.

“I’m sure you do.” But he didn’t sound like he believed me. He sounded like a man buying time to think.

“Theron—”

“Go to bed, Little Star.”

My stomach flipped. That damn nickname. The way he said it produced heat low in my belly. I should have insisted everyone call me Sis.

He yawned and said, “We’ll be at port by morning. Everything will look less frightening in the daylight. Now, go to bed. Unless… unless you’d rather sleep in my chamber.”

My face went up in flames. He knew. He’d known I was there the night he was in bed with the blonde. Oh gods alive. I wanted the waves to wash me off this boat.

I had to fix this.

I marched toward the container and pointed at the blue stain pooling beneath it. “Why does it bleed blue? The oclego bled the same color. Are they related?”

He sighed, like the question bored him. “I’m going to bed.”

He turned and disappeared down the passage.