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“What do you want?” I ask, trying to maintain my composure.
“You… to stop being angry,” he says, his voice low and seductive. The tension between us is palpable, like a live wire ready to spark.
“Pushing me off that plank was the most diabolical thing you could’ve done.” I shoot back, glaring at him.
He sighs, leaning away from me to run a hand through his dark waves. His eyes soften as he resumes his position, trapping me against the desk. “I knew the net was there, and I get that you’re angry, but you also need to understand my side, too. Just as Smee said, I had to do something. I’ve killed men—good men that were beloved on this crew—for talking to me like that and spouting out ideas of mutiny. Had I not, the men you puppeteer’d on the deck would’ve thought of me as a hypocrite. I would’ve floated their friends, but let you do the same thing without consequence. I knew that net was there, and I’ll never tell you to hold your tongue about something that doesn’t sit right, but please, refrain from doing it in front of my crew.”
The sympathy in Sebastian’s eyes is almost palpable and it unnerves me.
“I think it’s best if you leave,” I say, my voice shaky.
He hesitates, clearly not wanting to be done with this conversation, but I’m not ready to share anymore. I seize my window to slip out from between him and the desk and remove the stopper to hold open the door, signaling for him to exit. To my surprise, he doesn’t budge.
“Scarlet, we need to talk about this,” he insists, his voice low and commanding.
“Maybe later, but not now.”
“Fine,” Sebastian says reluctantly, stepping closer to the door. But instead of leaving, he smirks and slams the door shut again. The lock clicks into place, trapping us inside until Smee returns.
“Sebastian!” I yank on the handle, but it doesn’t budge. His dark eyes hold a hint of amusement as he watches me struggle.
“Give it a rest, Scarlet,” he says with a sigh. “We’re not getting out of here until Smee comes back.”
“That’s not true. You can use your shadows.”
“I could… under normal circumstances. However, do you see the runes on the walls?”
Reluctantly, I follow his finger, finding strange markings carved and burned into the wooden planks. I thought they were some sort of pirate hieroglyphics or something, not runes. They seem cavemen enough for it to be believable.
“This is our storeroom. It’s where we keep the important things. Things people want to steal, so those runes allow people to come in magically if they wish, but they can’t leave until they use a door.”
“So, no shadow hopping...”
A grin stretches across his lips. “No. None of that.”
I cross my arms with a huff. “Well, isn’t this just perfect?”
Sebastian leans casually against the wall to my right. “Could be worse company to be trapped with.” He gives me a roguish wink.
I roll my eyes but can’t help the hint of a smile tugging at my lips. Insufferable man. Shaking my head, I stroll toward the bench near the desk and take a seat. Picking up the quill pen, I start to draw on one of the blank parchment papers, waiting for Smee to come back and let us out. The silence hangs heavy, the gentle waves hitting the ship the only sound as we fall into a stalemate.
Sebastian sighs. “Are you really not going to talk to me?”
I glance up, meeting his intense gaze. “I was planning on it, yes.”
He pushes off from the wall, prowling closer. “You have met my sister, haven’t you? Believe me, I know how this works. You ignore me until I apologize, yes? Well, I’m sorry Scarlet.”
“You have to mean it.”
This close, his presence is overwhelming. I can smell the sea and sweet-scented wine on him… Feel the heat radiating from his body. My traitorous heart quickens.
“Why are you so stubborn?” he asks, tilting his head.
“Why are you such a hobgoblin?”
He stands up, a crease forming between his brows. “What the fuck is a hobgoblin?”
“It’s a green little hunched-back creature—nevermind.” Resuming my drawing, I tune him out.
