Page 34

Esmyra

E smyra sat at her father’s desk, studying the old map of the realm beneath the light of several scattered candles.

It had been nearly a week since Jak escorted Draevyn back to his cell beneath the ship, and she hadn’t visited—had no desire to.

He was in no position to ask her questions, demanding information as if she were the captive and he the captor.

All it did was prove that he didn’t take her seriously, and the thought of that nearly had her ripping out his throat with her teeth.

It was a mercy for her to lock him up once more. Though she knew he would need to be removed from his cell in only a matter of days, knowing they were nearing their destination—the cave she believed led to the underwater kingdom.

But she couldn’t get the thoughts out of her head about how he agreed with her views of his father, his king .

And so quickly. As if it weren’t even a second thought.

The Phoenix agreeing to it would be considered treason if it met the ears of anyone on Lephyrin’s soil.

She pursed her lips, wondering if anyone was aware of how he felt.

A knock sounded at the door, and before she could answer, Jak pushed it open and strolled through alongside Ren and Riven. She arched a brow at the three of them as they stumbled in through the doorway, drunk .

“Can I help you, gentlemen?” she greeted, a bit of playfulness in her tone.

“Captain!” Ren shouted, taking a step toward her desk with a half-empty bottle of rum in his hand.

“We’re just checking in on you,” Jak added with a boisterous laugh. “And Ren has a question.”

She tried to hide her smirk as she turned her attention back to the stag shifter. “Well, I don’t have all night, Ren.”

He bowed deeply, nearly in a mocking manner, as his head almost bounced off the floor near his boots—or maybe he was just that drunk. “My favorite scary lady of the sea,” he began.

“Scary lady of the sea?” She crossed her arms, trying to hide her amusement. “Not quite as fearsome as I would’ve hoped.” He scratched the back of his neck as she chuckled softly. “On with it, Ren.”

“Right! We’re out of rum,” he rushed out.

“Oh, and whose fault is that?” Esmyra snorted as Jak and Riven turned their attention to Ren as he bowed his head. “Kaelypso’s tits. Well, you’re shit out of luck until we make port,” she said with a laugh.

Ren grinned. “What if we send dear ole Jaky-boy here out to fly and get some?”

Jak looked wholly unamused. “I can’t carry it back in that form, you idiot.”

Ren summoned a ball of fog in his hand, the gift of his woodland magic, and threw it at Jak’s face. All it earned him was a swift punch to the gut that had him barrelling over.

“Gods, you’re all exhausting. We’ll discuss it later.” She let out a subtle laugh as she pointed to the door. “Go to bed, the lot of you.”

Ren and Riven turned toward the door and left as commanded, yawns escaping each of them as they made their way below deck.

Esmyra leaned back in her chair as Jak gazed at her from the center of the room. “Is there something you wish to say?”

He stumbled toward her, and her eyes narrowed on him.

“Gods, spit it out,” she demanded.

“Why did the mortal prince call you Esmi?”

The question certainly wasn’t one she anticipated. She stared at him beneath softly furrowed brows. “Did that upset you?”

Jak took another step toward her. “Very few beings in this realm are allowed to call you that. Your father and I being the only two. So, how did he know it? Why?”

“Is that jealousy I sense?” Her voice was sweet, but a lingering bite hid beneath.

Jak scoffed, the longer parts of his chestnut hair swaying as he turned away. “Of course not.” He paused. “Call it…aggravated curiosity.”

“And why would this make you aggravated?” She challenged her newly appointed first mate. “And you speak of this days later, I might add. Been holding onto this, have we?” She cocked her head to the side.

“Aye,” he huffed before facing her once more. “Just rubbed me the wrong way, is all. He’s undeserving of it. He doesn’t know you. Not the real you, anyway.”

“Aye,” she echoed, her eyes softening slightly. “I needed a name to give him at the tavern in Anchorage Cove. It was the only one that came to mind when I was put on the spot. You know that experience didn’t exactly go according to plan.”

“I’m just saying, any other name would’ve sufficed.”

She snorted. “Next time, I’ll lie and say I’m Kaelypso. Is that better suited for you?” she heckled.

His lips twisted in a taunting grin as he suppressed a laugh. “Very much so, thank you.”

Esmyra shook her head. “You’re drunk. Go to bed.”

“Aye…Captain,” he said with a wink before turning on his heel and aiming for the door.

Esmyra held her breath until she heard the click as it shut behind him. “ Men ,” she huffed before turning her attention back to the map.

It made her think of the man she locked up below deck. Aggravated curiosity , Jak had said. Perhaps that was exactly what had been working its way through her veins regarding all the mystery surrounding Draevyn.

Why the flame-wielder was sent out to lead the sea fleet of Lephyrin, why he called his father a tyrant, and why that same man also had no consideration for his son’s life.

Esmyra’s eyes fell to her father’s pistol resting on his desk, and her fingers brushed over the intricate designs carved into it, the cool touch of the metal biting into her skin. “I will find a way to free you. I promise,” she whispered, as if he could hear.

Her immortal heart ached thinking of him rotting in that velsinyte cell—gasping for air every second that passed as blindness drove him to madness. She huffed out a breath as her stare lifted to the ringlet of rusted keys hanging on the wall.

No, this wasn’t her fault. Not entirely. And the other to hold blame was held within the confines of her ship.

Esmyra’s teeth clenched before slamming her fist down on the wooden desk, rattling everything atop it. She stood and snatched the keys from the wall before stalking out the door and down the stairs.

Esmyra wasn’t all that surprised to find Draevyn awake—his back leaning against the far wall of his cell as he sat on the floorboards, wrists still bound.

His eyes lifted to meet hers, but he didn’t speak.

She received no greeting or acknowledgment of her presence, aside from a scathing look that appeared as if he wished to ignite her in his blistering flames.

She took a step up to the cells and crossed her arms, sucking on her tongue. “You’ve seen better days.”

He huffed out a hate-filled laugh. “And whose doing might that be?”

“Well, that would be yourself. If you kept your mouth shut, perhaps I wouldn’t have grown tired of your company so soon.”

Draevyn’s whiskey eyes narrowed, and she could’ve sworn she saw a flicker of his flames in them, even with the cuffs. “Forgive me for asking questions regarding my capture, Captain.”

Esmyra leaned against the cell, allowing her talons to slide from the tips of her fingers as she pretended to inspect them. “Care to stretch your legs, Phoenix?” Her eyes fell to him again for a moment, and his brows furrowed. “Or should I say wings?” She winked.

Draevyn pushed himself to his feet, eyes locked on her as he stalked to where she leaned against the bars of his cell. She assumed he expected her to take a step away, but she remained as she was—within easy reach, even through the bars.

“And where’s your loyal dog? I never expected to be in your presence again without him a mile up your ass,” he said.

His words caught her off guard, and she snorted in surprise. “Jak’s sleeping. As is the rest of the crew.” She reached into her pocket for the keys and unlocked the cell. The creaking of the rusted bars echoed through the darkness of the small prison. “It’s just you and me, Phoenix.”

Esmyra turned her back to him, wondering if he would try anything, knowing they were entirely alone, but instead, he just remained standing at the edge of his cell, not one foot beyond it.

“Why do I feel like this is a trap?” he said, forcing her to turn back to face him at the foot of the stairs.

“If it’s answers you seek, it would be in your best interest to follow.

” Truthfully, it was she who wanted answers, but she wouldn’t mind a trade.

Esmyra took a few steps up the stairs before calling back over her shoulder to him, “What better time to ask questions than beyond the presence of my loyal dog ?”

With a dark grin, she stalked up the rest of the stairs.