Page 98 of Death’s Kiss (The Order of the Tide Raiders #1)
S even epistles line themselves up neatly before me.
Each glass bottle sitting atop the replica of my father's grandiose desk bears the broken seal affiliated with a different TideLord. Seven scrolls belonging to those bottles lie scattered about in disarray as I continue making my notes.
I’ve been offered a captaincy position from every single one. Even TideLord Nero.
I could take my pick.
The idea of such freedom is so absolutely ludicrous and entirely overwhelming that I almost wish I didn’t have so many options. It would make coming to a decision a hell of a lot easier. Fortunately, I’ve had a full day and a half's worth of sleep in the comfort of our ship to sharpen my analysis.
I’ve begun making lists of pros and cons for each and every offer, except Nero’s.
I took him off the table right away for a few different reasons.
The most obvious being that I’m almost certain he is who Captain Agni will choose to take a position under.
Ultimately though, when it comes down to it, I won’t consider him because I know how he truly feels regarding me and what I am.
‘The Kraken King’ wrote that his offer to allow me the opportunity to captain within his ranks was a privilege I should "scarcely be able to dream of due to such highly undesirable origins".
I’d actually scoffed aloud when reading it.
I’ve narrowed it down to two invitations I find most promising for both myself and my crew. At present, I’m deliberating heavily between Lord Kufko and Lord Dolion. So much so that I’ve had to start a whole new list of strategic advantages and disadvantages from scratch.
Both offers are nearly identical in what they can provide for our futures and the amount of authority and responsibility I would hold.
On the one hand, TideLord Dolion actually has an estate very conveniently located in the Pearl Sea.
We’d have the perfect excuse to begin searching for Asha in order to fulfill my second’s greatest wish.
On the other hand, Dolion’s offer also strikes me as just a bit off.
He requested that we set sail tomorrow morning to meet for an in-person meeting at his estate. Then he personally requested that I join him for a private candlelit dinner afterwards.
That isn’t exactly the 'off' part.
He actually had the gall to put it in writing that he’d like me to stay with him the first night.
The last thing I’m interested in is sleeping with whatever TideLord I take a captaincy position under.
It’s quite literally just a disaster waiting to happen, no matter how handsome or charming he might be.
I wonder if Blaine Dolion is the type of male who’d take that sort of rejection from his inferior and move on. I somehow get the feeling he is not .
Which sways me back over to TideLord Kufko.
His offer is just as good and what's better, it’s entirely professional. No lines being crossed or beds being offered. Although we would not have the very large added benefit of frequent access and reasonable excuses to visit the Pearl Sea .
I’m rereading each offer for perhaps the tenth time when a knock sounds from the archway to my new captain's quarters. Glancing up, I find Kleio peeking in from the outside corridor with a bit of mischief in her eyes.
“You have visitors, Captain,” she announces, before motioning with her head of dual moonlight sparkling braids to someone I can’t yet see.
Two familiar little level-ones then appear at her side in the daunting archway of my fearsome father's office.
They both hold mixed expressions of fear and awe when peeking hesitantly inside the room.
A grin breaks out upon my face almost immediately at the unexpected sight of them and the boys' jaws drop in shock.
Kleio snorts her amusement at their reactions while slipping into the room.
I can’t help but laugh before asking, "Well, what are you two little sea devils doing here?”
The pale, red-headed boy remembers himself first. “H–Hi Captain B—Boreas. We're here to deliver a—a message from the G—Grand Preceptor,” he stumbles over himself while I rise up from the sterling desk in greeting.
My teeth immediately grind together at the idea of Skelm sending me any sort of message but I knew it was only a matter of time. I cannot avoid reality forever, much as I might wish to.
The green-eyed one with rich ochre skin steps forward without a word and extends out to me a small scroll. I take it gently from his hands and notice plainly the way in which he averts my gaze entirely. When I glance at his partner in crime, I discover the exact same mannerisms.
I also realize they stand stock still, no fidgeting to be seen.
The haunted shadows indicative of a castaway have firmly returned to their eyes.
My blood grows bitterly cold as a newfound hatred for Skelm is born inside. A tremor rumbles from beneath our ship hull and it makes Kleio eye me curiously.
Gripping my middle finger, I work through an extremely potent wave of rage before addressing them once more, "Well, thank you, boys. I really do appreciate your services. ”
Turning to Kleio, I add pointedly, “Raider Hiraeth, would you round up the others? Let them all know we have two extremely strapping northern raiders aboard in need of payment for their delivery services—if I remember correctly, it was a kiss on each cheek, wasn’t it?”
The boys look up in shock, those shadows clearing a bit.
I give them a wink and nod towards a newly grinning Kleio to gather the rest of our crew before turning the small scroll now in my hands. Unraveling it reveals a very brief yet equally demanding message to meet with Grand Preceptor Skelm in his office immediately .
It’s not as if I can deny his orders but every fiber of my being fervently wants to.
I can’t help but feel a deep sense of guilt hit me somewhere low a few minutes later. There is a pang in my chest while watching the impossibly young-looking level-ones who appear to be getting drunk off my crew's beauty as they each give the boys a kiss on the cheek in payment.
I’m supposed to be the rock that stands up against the storms. I remember that now. That meant I was my crew's rock, obviously, but leaving these two and any others like them—knowing exactly what I had to endure here—just somehow feels wrong .
I let out a long and burdensome sigh that catches the attention of my second and third. Shaking my head at their identical inquisitive looks, I keep my current calculating thoughts to myself.
I might just have to murder Skelm and the other northern demons after all.
“Is it true you were the first in the maze?”
“It is,” I answer the green-eyed boy, whom I now know is named Nuru.
My crew and I are walking back with the level-ones to the dark fortress belonging to the North Order. I find those black spires appear even more foreboding and gloomier than usual with the lack of other cardinals and their raiders to keep things interesting.
“And is it also true that you fought a leviathan with your bare hands?” Demands the red-haired one named Euan from me next.
I hear Kleio’s laughter from the end of the pack, where my seven crewmembers trail behind us. They’re all under strict instructions to grab their things and say their goodbyes while I’m in my meeting with Skelm. Then we’ll meet back up at the ship and make preparations to set sail.
Snorting at the absurd idea voiced by Euan, I shake my head. “No, I’m afraid that one is not true.” They both deflate a little and I laugh at their reactions before recounting, “But I did see a Hafgufa during the second checkpoint. It was massive, with spikes each the size of a sword.”
“Whoa,” whispers Nuru in amazement.
“That’s epic! Did you fight it with your bare hands?” Euan asks me hopefully.
Laughing again at their hopeful faces I admit, "No, I didn’t. Captain Agni got the pleasure of fighting the monster while I had the honor of drinking a bucket of acheronian poison.”
Their mouths drop open wide in wonder.
“Captain Agni is like the most legendary raider ever!” Euan proclaims before quickly adding, “I mean besides you, of course.” He throws a sheepish smile my way.
"Oh, is he now?” I ask with a roll of my eyes as we journey ever closer to the skull-like opening.
“Yeah. He’s wicked cool but also really scary,” Nuru agrees, nodding repeatedly .
Euan says excitedly from where he walks in step right beside me, “He let us try picking up his broadswords and they’re way heavier than they look. Nuru almost fell over!”
My brows furrow. “When did he do that?”
“It was a few times actually,” Euan reveals while pushing back some loose red locks from his forehead. “Captain Agni and his crew let us practice with them at The Boneyard sometimes.”
“Yeah and they taught us how to play a bunch of card games!” Nuru chimes back in.
Euan grins wide before adding, “ And they told us what all the best swear words are. So now we can curse like real Tide Raiders!”
Alarm bells begin ringing and I work hard to shut them off as quickly as possible—I have no idea if this was intentional or not.
I remind myself that Agni is clever and strategic and had an entire year to observe me. He had plenty of time to gather all the intel needed to make me believe whatever version of him he wants me to. This doesn’t necessarily mean anything.
The logical thoughts help to push him further back outside my icy boundaries.
A few minutes later, I part ways from both my crew members and the level-ones, now almost level-twos, as they reminded me several times, after kissing them each one last kiss on the cheek.
They leave me a touch dazedly and I think I even hear laughter when they round the corner back towards their cabins.
A sound that most definitely isn’t found in these halls often.
Kleio squeezes my hand tightly with a touch of panic in her eyes but I wave her off, promising for about the fifth time now that it’s just a formal congratulations. Nothing to worry about.