Page 75 of Wanted: Rogues and Bards

“Okay, then, why did you become a bard?”

Lirion relaxed again when it was clear Fenric wasn’t ending their chat and leaving the room. This had to be the longest Fen had stayed to snuggle after sex, and Lirion was determined to soak it all in. It didn’t hurt that they had nowhere to be and nothing to do. There was just the gentle rock of the ship as it cut through the waves and the soft breeze through the port window brushing their naked bodies.

“That’s easy. I’m a talented musician.”

Fen snorted. “And humble. So very humble.”

Lirion was tempted to kiss the nonsense right out of his mouth, but he held back. “Actually, my mother is quite talented at music and spells related to music. She taught me how to play several instruments, and then I picked up a few others while I was on the road. Besides, I enjoy being the center of attention. Listening to the laughter and cheers of the crowd as I belt out a bawdy tune in a packed tavern. Everyone singing along with me. How could I not love every second of that?”

A frown wrinkled Fenric’s nose for a moment. “Guess it comes with being a thief. I work much better when I’m not the center of attention. Life is easier when I’m in the shadows and no one notices me.”

“Or when you’re a cat, spying on people,” Lirion suggested.

“That too. I appreciate people who can entertain and make us forget about the world for a while, but that isn’t something I could ever do. What about your sister? Is she going to join you as a bard on the road?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” Lirion shifted so he was mostly lying on his stomach, his chin resting on the top of his hand, which covered Fen’s chest right over his heart. “I know she wanted to travel and see the kingdom with me, but in all her letters, she complained about how hard it was to learn to play instruments. If I know our mother, she forced Aria to become proficient in at least one instrument, but I doubt my sister will want to play it for a living. At one time, she mentioned opening her own brothel.” He shrugged and forced a crooked grin. “But long term, no clue. Of course, I’ve never been one for big plans. Just kind of go where the wind blows me.”

Fenric reached out and captured a lock of pink hair between his fingers. He rubbed it as if enjoying the silkiness, his expression blank. A blink of the eyes and he was smiling softly at Lirion, brushing the hair back from his forehead. “Don’t worry. In just a week, you’ll have your sister back, and soon after you can be on the road again, following the wind. Not a care in the world.”

The future Fenric painted should have sounded like heaven, but for some strange reason, it didn’t. It actually created an odd knot in the pit of Lirion’s stomach. What the hell?

Lirion felt downright relieved when Rain had the good sense to anchor for the night before they entered the dangerous stretch of Dead Man’s Curve. Trying to tackle it as the light was fading was suicidal.

In a post-cuddle haze, he went below deck, as it was time for dinner. If nothing else, just sitting and socializing for a while appealed to him. This crew was entertaining, to say the least. Lirion had a feeling that with alcohol in their systems, they’d be an absolute riot.

He also wanted to get a better read on Maxie. The boy seemed somewhat out of place. A touch too sheltered, naïve, and soft natured. Maxie was such an odd duck to be part of this group, but somehow, he was fully welcomed in by every member, or so Lirion had observed. How? Was there something about the boy he was missing?

Anyway, he’d like to learn more. And about the rest of the group, for that matter. It seemed prudent to have some kind of rapport with them before danger hit.

When he entered the galley, he found Hapi already cooking. The necromancer’s hands flew as he chopped, his demeanor calm and steady.

Feeling like he should offer some assistance, Lirion came up to the edge of the counter. “Need help?”

Hapi paused, his mouth lifting with a slight curve Lirion was slowly realizing was a full-blown smile for the man. “Thank you, but no. I have it well in hand.”

“All right.” Shrugging, Lirion turned and went for the table. Rain was still above deck doing things to batten down the ship for the night, but Belstrom, Maxie, Malfas, and Fenric were all at the table and nursing a pre-dinner drink, from the looks of it. Fenric caught his eye, nudging a chair his direction, and Lirion took the silent offer with a nod of thanks. He did appreciate how Fenric silently invited him to join in. The man was considerate in that way.

Lirion poured himself a cup of wine from the jug, sat back, and intended to just sit there and listen. “What were you talking about?”

“Eh, nothing much.” Malfas shrugged. “We were recounting all of the other times we’ve gone through this section, and how the first time was an absolute fuck for all, mostly because every single bad thing that could have happened did, and gods, I seriously do not know how we managed to come out of that alive and with only one broken arm⁠—”

“It was my broken arm,” Belstrom retorted in a mild tone.

“Why are you saying that like it was my fault you broke it? You were hanging off the side of the ship with nothing more than a line and a prayer, what did you think would happen?”

“Please recall the reason I was dangling over the side resulted from the ship nearly capsizing. I did not place myself in a harrowing position on purpose.”

Malfas flapped a hand as if to say it was neither here nor there.

Lirion had to ask, now worried about himself, “Uh, do you normally have that kind of trouble in this area?”

“Tends to be bad,” Fenric admitted. “It’s why Rain won’t go through here at night or if there’s a storm brewing. Dead Man’s Curve is accurately named, after all. A lot of people have died in this stretch because they didn’t show the right level of caution. Rain learned from our first experience and he’s now very, very careful.”

“Relieved to hear it.”

“So tell us, Lirion, is the old saying true? That bards will fuck themselves into trouble and then fuck their way right back out of it?” There was a teasing glint in Malfas’s eyes.

Lirion stared him down and deliberately didn’t say a word as he sipped his drink.