Page 87 of Death’s Kiss (The Order of the Tide Raiders #1)
I stand up to wave at her still-trapped crew members. Their caterwauling is giving me a gods awful headache. “You can stop your screaming now— please —your captain is just fine!” I shout over towards where they’re all in various despondent states of horror and despair.
Pivoting back on my heel towards Captain Bedivere, I motion at her to wrangle in her crew’s physically distressing commotion.
Brisa lets out a breathless laugh while her silver eyes shine up at me in complete confoundment, and she sits up fully in order to wave at them. “I’m—I’m really—I’m really okay !” their captain calls out in between heaving breaths.
That little act of comfort almost immediately transforms their cries of grief into an even louder commotion. Except this time, their boisterous, headache-inducing noise consists of shouts, cheers, and absolutely obscene prayers of thanks .
All thrown in my direction.
I can’t help but snort a laugh at their over-the-top display. It reminds me so very much of my own crew. I decide to indulge myself a little by giving them all a grand sweeping bow from across the lagoon. “Thank you, thank you. I will not be doing that again.”
I sincerely fucking hope.
“I can’t believe you—you saved me!” Brisa exclaims, still a bit breathless from her return to Pontus.
Shrugging, I respond easily, “I owed you one. Plus, like you said—us bastards have to look out for one another from time to time.” Glancing back, I give her a small grin, followed by a wink.
Brisa laughs in surprised remembrance of what she told me privately on the alcove that day that seems so very long ago now. The reason she felt so compelled to warn me about the second pillar trial and the test it would be. Also the reason she made me swear an od.
Because Captain Brisa Bedivere’s real name is actually Captain Brisa Zephyrus .
Zephyrus being the last name given to those bastards born to the West.
Her father just so happens to be high up enough in The Order rankings himself that he was able to pull some strings and get her bastard name erased once she’d made it to captaincy. All to ensure that she was given a truly fair shot during the Pillar Trials.
Something that didn’t quite sit right with Brisa after meeting me.
The western captain swallows, still appearing to be in complete shock that she’s actually alive, before shaking her head firmly. “That goes beyond owing me one, Boreas. There has never been a time in the entire history of The Vault where a captain has saved another one’s life.”
My grin turns as devious as a drowned god while turning to face her fully. “Would you believe me if I told you you're my second one tonight?”
Brisa’s face studies mine, and I’m waiting for her to laugh, but instead her mouth falls completely slack and her eyes again fill with that strange look of terror.
Except now they’re ringed with something much more…
devout . Her mouth closes tight, and she nods once with a solemn sort of seriousness that sends a chill skittering down my bones.
My brows rise high in surprise at the way she’s staring at me.
But being the little deviant that I am , I can’t help but want to try to push her just a bit further.
So I broadened that drowned-god grin before asking, “And would you still believe me if I told you that you are now the third captain I’ve kissed tonight? ”
Her steel-colored eyes widen in shock, and she blinks several times over before finally barking a laugh. “My gods—you know I actually—I actually would! ” She exclaims in a startling rush of delirium.
I chuckle and decide she’s probably a bit too frazzled from her circle around the Netherdepths to properly jest with.
“Is it safe to assume that with your affinity you can get your crew out of their jam? I mean, I would help, but—” I lower my voice with an exaggerated grimace, “I took the kratosbane,” and nod in the direction of where seven western raiders remain stuck.
Brisa glances at her crewmates, currently wedged between a hull and hard place, and back to myself standing before her. Her gaze scours my face like she’s searching for some kind of answer to an unspoken question.
“What?” I ask before teasing again. “Do you need my blessing or something?”
Captain Zephyrus’s eyes go wide and round, and I truly begin to wonder about the state of her mental sanity. I watch as she turns to her crew and looks oddly astonished when using her gods-blessed power to remove the chunk of moonlighter pinning them to the ledge.
Once they’ve all made it safely back to dry land, I rock back on my heels and start focusing on my next task, getting back to my crew. "Alright, then I’m off. Lives to save, captain’s to kiss, vault to win,” I joke, turning to study the various tunnel openings lining the nearest wall .
“ Wait —” Brisa cries from behind and I pivot to find her on her knees, looking up beseechingly. "Please, there has to be something I can do to repay you. How can I thank you for this?”
My mouth opens slightly at her unnecessary display of gratitude, and I shake my head in startled confusion. “I don’t know, just like—put in a good word with your father for me—or something?”
Brisa nods, a bit too reverently for me to think she’s fully recovered from her brain's recent lack of oxygen, but I don’t have time to worry about that now.
Taking a deep breath, I turn back one more time to face the varying tunnel paths.
After a minute of deliberation, I decide to go with the center one.
Once I’m several lengths away from the lazy lagoon's waterway, I place my palm against the wall and watch as that brilliant light once again forms a trail for me to follow. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I begin making my way to the heart and my crew, and with any luck, The Vault.