Page 17 of Escaping Pirates (Legends of Neverland #4)

“That was…unexpected,” I told him. We looked at each other, breathing heavily, then at the same moment, we both started laughing.

It wasn’t soft chuckles, either. We howled with laughter that shook us until we couldn’t draw breath.

It was the kind that bubbles up when fear has nowhere else to go.

I clutched the bars to stay upright. Harlan was doubled over, one hand braced against the wall, tears in his eyes.

“That,” he gasped between laughs, “was a violation of every natural law.”

“I think the kraken just declared war on your dignity. Wait…” My jaw dropped, and my laughter increased. “A kraken just got revenge on the Kraken’s Revenge ! The irony.”

“Blossom would say that’s a metaphor,” Harlan added. He wiped his eyes and lowered himself onto his bunk. “And now, I’ll forever imagine kraken tentacles coming out of every privy I see for the rest of my life. It shall plague my every nightmare.”

“We should be worried that we’re about to be eaten,” I told Harlan. “But if that happens, you’ll never have to rub Sugar’s feet again.”

“Or write love letters to a woman I loathe,” Harlan added.

“That reminds me!” I pulled out the papers to show Harlan. “I got these for us. Next time we get ink, we can write letters for the bottles. Here, you hang onto them.” I passed them through the bars .

“Perfect! I dread seeing Sugar and Blossom again. Every moment with them is the worst form of torture.”

“Once we get out of here, I’ll never have to clean up after them again.

” The ship lurched, and I wrapped my hand around one of the bars separating us for stability.

Harlan’s hand was near mine, not quite close enough to touch.

“They plan to start doing official dances with you, you know. They told me that Gavvet is a wicked accordion player, and One-Eyed Bart plays the harmonica like no other.”

“The true music of romance.”

“You are a blessed man, indeed.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Harlan groaned. He was keeping a close eye on the privy hole in the corner, but the kraken’s overly exploratory tentacle seemed to have lost interest.

“I forgot to tell you something that they said today,” I said, and told him all about Sugar and Blossom’s motivational motto.

He laughed aloud. “They are a pirate captain’s daughters. I would expect a whole host of booty-related jokes.”

I joined in his laughter. “That’s the best pirate joke I’ve ever heard.”

“I think right now is the best time for crackin’ jokes.” Harlan waited, then added, “Get it? Kraken jokes right after I had to battle one of its tentacles?”

I laughed again. “You deserve to be in the brig with that sense of humor.”

Shouts came as the crew above attacked the kraken, and a shrill shriek split the air as the ship lurched again. Multiple splashes were heard, but I couldn’t see anything from my narrow vantage point but frothy water. The ship’s rocking grew less violent, and Harlan’s hand nudged mine.

“That siren hunter from Haven Harbor sent battle schematics and weapons designs to all the surrounding kingdoms, you know,” Harlan told me, his fingers releasing the bar he had been holding to curl around my own.

The heat from his body was a boon, and I never wanted him to let go.

“All the ships in Berkway were equipped with the new weapons meant to kill krakens last year.”

“I’ve seen her a few times,” I told Harlan, eager to keep talking so I didn’t have time to focus on the battle noises. “She’s not especially friendly, but her brother is. He interprets for her.”

“Right, she’s Deaf, and that’s a major advantage when fighting sirens. Now, if we could get her to rid the seas of pirates, that would be wonderful. I only wish I could do it myself.”

“All we need is to get one of those bottles to any of the nearby kingdoms’ militaries, and they’ll come help us,” I told him. The ship had stopped rocking back and forth, but I kept my hand on the bars. I didn’t feel as cold when Harlan was touching me.

“We’ll get close to land soon. No ship can stay at sea indefinitely.”

“That’s what I thought, too. But they keep rowing to shore for supplies instead of pulling into port.”

“They’ll need to make repairs soon, especially if we make it through this kraken attack.” Harlan fell silent, listening to the crew above. “It sounds like they’ve either driven it off or killed it.”

It was true. The men above were cheering, and that could only mean victory. For several long minutes, we listened to the whoops and let our bodies relax in the aftermath of the battle.

“Do you think Tyrone left yet?” I whispered. “I didn’t see his ship go past. ”

His fingers flexed over mine. “I hope he got eaten by the kraken.”

I laughed softly. “I wouldn’t mind that either.”

“So, once we get to port—” Harlan broke off, attention riveted on the door. “Someone’s coming.”

I pulled my hand out from under Harlan’s and lay down on the bunk, eyes closed to feign sleep. Nearby, I heard Harlan curl up on his bunk, too.

Tyrone’s oily voice slipped through the night as the door creaked open. “Let her know it was a gift from me.”

“You’re much too generous, brother,” Harsh told him. “She’s just a servant.”

“Every woman loves a generous man. Here, unlock the cell so I can give it to her.”

Next to me, Harlan sat up to watch Tyrone enter my cell, but I stayed frozen in place, face away from the walkway and praying I wouldn’t be touched.

A heavy quilt was laid over me, and my head was gently lifted then set back down onto a pillow.

Against my will, my body relaxed at the additional warmth.

Would Tyrone know I was faking sleep? Ought I sit up and refuse his gift or should I thank him? Harlan didn’t say anything as Tyrone left and the metallic grinding of the cell door closing sounded.

“We’ll meet up in another week or so. My offer still stands for the girl, you know,” Tyrone said as his and Harsh’s footsteps retreated. “If you ever want to sell her to me.”

“My girls still want to keep her around for the time being,” Harsh answered, opening the brig door. “But I’ll keep it in mind once they tire of her.”

The door snapped shut.

After a few moments to ensure that they were gone, Harlan whispered, “Elena? ”

I lifted my head from the comfort of the pillow. “That was unexpected.”

Harlan let out a slight grunt. “Not really.” He added something else, but so quietly that I couldn’t understand. He raised his voice back to a whisper. “Are you at least warmer now?”

“Yes, I am.” I ran my hand over the quilt. “Want me to push half through to you?” If I did, the fabric would bunch up and wouldn’t work well, but I couldn’t resist offering. I had so little to share with Harlan and wanted to do something.

“Absolutely not. In fact, I’d be offended if you tried. As much as I hate that man, I want you to be warm.”

“You’re very gallant. I’m just glad he dropped it and left.”

“Me too,” Harlan said. “I was ready to reach through the bars and strangle him if he tried anything else.”

“I’ve never been so moved by threats of murder before. If anything were to happen and you needed to come in here to kill Tyrone, this bar is loose.” I touched it, hoping he could see in the deepening darkness.

He must have been able to, because with an almighty wrench, he yanked the bar over in one swift movement.

“It took me a lot longer than that to move it,” I told him, wondering how strong Harlan was to be able to move it so easily.

“You must have loosened it for me.” Harlan crouched down and felt near the base where the gap was the widest. “And there is no way I could ever fit through here. Maybe if I were twelve years old.”

“It was tight for me,” I admitted. “But what good is it for our manors to have adjoining courtyards if we don’t have a secret tunnel to connect them?”

“You are welcome to visit my vast estate anytime, but make sure to avoid trampling any flowers.” Harlan pointed at the limp straw. “My gardener would have a fit.”

I smiled. “Such a generous offer! I’m delighted to have our manor houses so close together.

I’ve long admired your estate, but if I might be so bold, it would look much better with an indoor waterfall feature like mine.

” I nodded at the leak in the ceiling, which continued to plink down droplets of cold, brown water into a murky puddle.

“I never cease to get compliments on it from my plethora of visitors. But even if you don’t have such a luxury, I’ve been meaning to thank you for refraining from hosting loud, raucous parties and disturbing the peace. ”

Harlan grinned, his hair flopping over his forehead. It was nearly long enough to touch his eyelashes. “It wasn’t too great a sacrifice. For all my estate’s benefits, it doesn’t have the best acoustics. Any loud, raucous parties hosted here would sound atrocious.”

I smiled. “I think you’re right. Besides, it might attract the wrong crowd to come investigate our festivities.” I wrapped my hand idly around one of the bars between us, wondering if my fingertips would be rust-colored when I pulled them away.

After a moment, Harlan’s hand curled around the bar next to the one I held and our fingertips brushed, then lingered.

I fought to keep my face straight, even though my heart had leapt up, my throat tightened, and shockwaves pulsed through my body.

A gross overreaction to a simple touch, really.

I couldn’t even blame my hunger for it since Harlan was ensuring I was fed, nor could I blame needing the steadiness like I had during the kraken attack.

I couldn’t let this happen. I didn’t want to react that way to Harlan. I couldn’t let anything ruin our alliance. If I acted rashly and Harlan was merely trying to be friendly, I would be no better than Sugar or Blossom, always flinging themselves at him and begging for his affection.

No. I wouldn’t do anything that might risk what we already had, and yet…

He hadn’t pulled away either.

Harlan’s voice became softer. “Strange, isn’t it? How we can hear them all up there”—his gaze flicked upward to where the stomping of boots and a continual stream of cursing flowed—“but it still feels quiet.”

My throat constricted even more. I hadn’t realized I’d blocked out all of the harshly barked orders, the flapping of sails, and the slapping of the sea until Harlan pointed it out. He was right. Down in the dank, mildewy-smelling brig with Harlan, everything felt peaceful and quiet.

We kept our hands where they were—barely touching but even so, I felt the steady warmth of his skin caressing my knuckles.

Something fluttered in my chest, something dangerous but fiercely real, and my breathing halted.

How I wished I could read his mind and see what thoughts were behind those forest-green eyes.

I shouldn’t say anything. I was already playing with fire, but part of me wanted to know. I wanted it almost as much as I craved my freedom. “If we ever get out of here—” I began, but Harlan interrupted.

“ When we get out of here, you mean?” he said. His eyes dropped down to study my mouth but then flicked back up so quickly I could have imagined it. “It isn’t an if question.”

“When we get out of here, then,” I corrected.

“Do you think we won’t know what to say to each other anymore?

Like this…” I was about to let go of the bar to gesture at our cells, but then changed my mind mid-thought so that I gave an odd twitch and head jerk in the vague direction of my cell.

As wise as it would be to do so, I didn’t want to stop to uching Harlan.

“Being here is the only reason we have to talk.”

Most thankfully, Harlan stayed right where he was, not quite holding my hand, but also not moving away.

“No,” he finally answered. “I think we’d still talk.

Maybe even more without the rats listening in.

” His thumb reached over to stroke the back of my hand.

Scorching heat flared up from my chest with such intensity that I wondered if steam would gush out of my ears.

I would have no need for Tyrone’s quilt at this rate.

“That’s…that’s good,” I said, stumbling slightly over my words.

“The rats seem awfully judgmental about what we say. And when we do get out of here, I promise not to trample any of your flowers. I’ll be careful.

” Shoals, I needed to be far more careful than what I was currently doing.

If I said or did anything that made Harlan uncomfortable, our interactions would become awkward and planning an escape would become even more difficult.

“I promise I’ll be careful,” I repeated quietly, and pulled my hand back from the bar. “And we need to sleep so we’re ready for tomorrow. I think you’re on for foot massages again.”

He slowly dropped his hand as well and reclined onto his bunk.

“Stay warm tonight,” he told me. I tugged Tyrone’s quilt up.

The pirate might have suspiciously nice manners and remind me of a slippery eel, but his gift had been a good one.

Sleep made my eyelids heavy. At least with Harlan there with me, I wouldn’t be alone.

The last thing I heard as I drifted off to sleep was Harlan beginning to cough.