Page 33

Draevyn

“ T he captain has spoken to you.” The man shoved at his back, sending Draevyn stumbling into the center of the room. “You speak when you’re spoken to.”

Draevyn swallowed thickly, not knowing what to do or say as he struggled to process it all.

A captain for a captain. A pirate for a prince. The reality of it all settled into him rapidly, and his fingertips ached—the flames ready to burst and ignite this entire ship, if it weren’t for the gods-forsaken cuffs encircling his wrists.

“That’s quite alright, Jak,” Esmi said from the chair, her unwavering gaze still fixated on Draevyn. “He’s our guest.” Her smile turned feline.

“You have an interesting way of treating your guests, Esmi,” Draevyn said, working to keep the irritation from his tone.

She lifted a single hand to inspect her nails, that more resembled talons. Draevyn eyed them with a raised brow, certain he would’ve noticed those before. “You may address me as Captain or Esmyra.” Her voice was stern, leaving no room for argument, but he didn’t give a damn.

“So there was a bit of truth behind your web of lies when we met in Anchorage Cove. ”

The man, Jak, kicked the back of his knee and sent Draevyn down to the floor with a grunt. “I don’t appreciate your tone to my captain.”

“And I don’t fucking appreciate being held as a prisoner in the middle of the sea,” he snapped, shooting Jak a glare. He turned back to the beautiful, vicious woman before him as she watched their encounter. He pushed himself to his feet as he said, “You owe me an explanation.”

Esmi cackled as she lifted a pistol up from the desk, twirling it in her hand. “I owe you nothing, Phoenix.”

Draevyn swallowed, sweat licking up his spine, thinking for a moment she might shoot him right then and there. But there was something in her eyes that made him think she wasn’t done toying with him. She wanted something—the question was what .

“Was this your plan all along?” He bared his teeth at her. “Capture me as a bartering chip for something you desired more? How are you in possession of velsinyte?”

Her eerie eyes roamed over him. “I stole them, of course.”

“From the castle?”

A malicious giggle slipped from her. “From you, princeling. After you placed me within a cell on your ship.” The tone of the last few words betrayed her fury.

Draevyn’s eyes darted back and forth as his thoughts swirled with how such a thing was possible.

“Right before I sank it to the depths,” she finished.

His jaw gaped, bound hands balling into fists as they hung in front of him. “How.” The demand erupted through clenched teeth.

Esmyra grinned tauntingly, right before her eyes flashed an otherworldly glow. The room lit up in a hue of teal, and the displayed weapons and stained glass windows about the room glistened in its light. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

“What in all gods?” he whispered, stumbling back a step from the predator sitting in the captain’s chair. He knew now with absolute certainty that she wasn’t who or what she originally claimed to be… So what the fuck was she ?

Esmyra stood from the desk, her eyes remaining locked with his as she cocked her head to the side. “Walk with me, Draevyn.”

She never gave him a chance to respond as she strode past him, the heel of her thigh-hugging boots clicking off the wood floor. Jak opened the door for her, and she waltzed out onto the main deck, leaving Draevyn no choice but to follow.

Jak grabbed him by the arm, guiding him to follow her, but Draevyn ripped it from his grasp.

“Now, now, you two.” They both turned to face Esmyra as she watched from the bottom of the stairs that led up to the quarterdeck.

“He’s going to be a good boy and cooperate.

Aren’t you, Draevyn?” His nostrils flared at her words, and Jak let out a harsh laugh.

“Besides, where’s he going to go?” She gestured to the open water that surrounded them before making the trek up the stairs.

“You heard her.” The words were a whisper in his ear—too close for comfort—as Jak stalked past him and followed his captain.

Draevyn slowly turned toward the bow of the ship, watching the crew as they worked, paying no mind to the shackled prisoner standing in the center of their deck.

Males of all beings worked in tandem. He could only assume those bearing markings of the woodland kingdom were the shifters, while those with the pointed ears stemmed from Sumnae, the kingdom of the elves.

There were even a few that bore no markings, appearing as ordinary men from Lephyrin.

His eyes narrowed on each person they passed over while the crew continued to ignore his existence.

Eventually, he looked up at the quarterdeck, where Esmyra held the ship’s wheel with a single hand, her midnight hair flowing on the sea breeze as she stared down at him. It was as if she were begging for him to be foolish enough to defy her and make a move to flee.

Draevyn knew his odds of escape barely existed and was interested to see what information she would give if he cooperated with her instead of fighting her every move.

So, he shoved down his pride and moved toward the stairs, praying to Irah that he could manage reeling in his anger long enough to find a way to free himself .

At the top, he took note of Jak hanging back by one of the smaller masts, watching Esmyra intently before his golden eyes slid to him with pure hatred. He couldn’t blame the man—last time he was aboard this ship, he burned everyone alive at his father’s orders.

But how was there already a crew manning it once more?

Where had Jak been that night? Surely he’d known Esmyra for some time to be so clearly devoted to her as his captain.

Perhaps they were lovers, and this was all just a pawn in their little game he now found himself in.

A burning sensation surged in his chest at the thought of those two sharing a bed.

Draevyn took a step up to Esmyra and gazed out at the vessel, watching the crew just as she was, the stone cuffs biting into his skin. “Is this where I’ll receive an explanation?”

“I already told you, Draevyn Rowe. I don’t owe you anything. In fact, consider yourself lucky to be alive.”

Draevyn stared at her, hating how gorgeous her face was. It was alluring, wicked even. It was as if her beauty alone could beckon any man to her—combine that with her voice that more resembled a poisonous honey, and she was absolutely… lethal .

“I can’t help but think this wasn’t your original plan.”

Esmyra’s jaw locked, veins in her neck straining as she turned to face him. He grinned at her sudden change in demeanor and took it as his assumption was correct.

Esmyra lifted a finger toward his face, and a talon leisurely slid from the tip of it, its sharpened point halting just below the fragile skin of his throat.

“You’re a prisoner aboard The Night Wraith .

Shackled and bound without your flames to aid you.

Just because I’m allowing you to freely stride about, doesn’t mean I won’t throw your ass right back into the cell and let you rot until we arrive at our destination.

If anything, it means I don’t deem you as a viable threat. ”

Jak snorted as he remained several feet behind them, hands tucked in his pockets.

A silence fell between them before she turned her attention forward once more. The only sounds were those of the working crew and the waves colliding into the ship.

“Well, Esmyra ,” he spat her name just as she did his. “Is there anything I am allowed to know?”

“That your father is a tyrant, cunt of a king.” She huffed through her nostrils. “And a cowardly one at that.”

“On that much, we agree.”

Her brows furrowed at his words, the skin of her nose wrinkling slightly. He could’ve sworn a subtle smirk curved the edge of her lips along with it, but it was gone so fast he considered it a trick of the blinding sunlight.

“Interesting,” she said. “Your relationship with your father.”

He watched as the dark curls continued to flutter around her face beneath the hat. “Not really. We tend to just stay out of each other’s way.”

Esmyra cackled under her breath. “Interesting indeed.”

“Now, about our destination you spoke of…where exactly is that?”

She scoffed. “Jak, take him below. I’ve tired of his presence.”

Draevyn’s nostrils flared, working to silence the growl building in his throat. He thought he found a crack in her hard exterior, only to be proven wrong about her once again.

“Aye, Captain,” Jak answered as he pushed off the mast’s pole and grabbed Draevyn by the arm.

“Well, that didn’t take long, Phoenix.”

Draevyn clenched his teeth at Jak’s words. He despised the nickname the realm gave to him.

“I give it two days before she sends you to the depths,” he finished.

Jak aggressively led him down the first flight of stairs, across the deck, and then back down into the prison cells of the ship, locking him in once again, with his only source of light being the oil lamp rocking with the waves.

Perhaps the man was right, and he had pushed his luck too soon.

He saw the slightest bit of freedom, and he ruined it.

Only the gods knew how long she would keep him down here or where they were even headed.

He was locked back in his cell with even more questions than he had when he left, and he loathed it.

Draevyn could only hope that she took the chance to let him free once more, and he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Watching Atlas with women over the years had taught him a thing or two.

If Esmyra wished to play a game of power, then she would find that he didn’t intend to lose.