Page 20

CHAPTER NINETEEN

DAX

J ealousy burned in Dax’s veins. Hidden behind a wall, cloaked in shadow, his eyes blazed with barely contained fury. Nothing he did made sense anymore, not when it came to Irene. Despite the hundred things demanding his attention, here he was again, spying on Irene like a madman.

His gaze trailed her every movement, locked onto the sway of her hips as she descended the steps, her long legs carrying her with the kind of command that made his blood boil. Wind teased at her curls, and the sound of her voice, sharp, confident, infuriating, cut through the air as she barked orders to the group of fools she had somehow gathered into a crew.

Dax’s jaw tightened. He was wasting time, and he knew it. He had an entire quest to plan, an ancient sapphire to chase, and Keegan, locked away in her cursed cell, was performing rituals to hunt down the ashes. He should be focusing on the hunt for the map fragments. But none of that mattered, not when she was within sight. No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, he kept coming back to watching, seething her.

When he sent her away to the ends of the world, he had forgotten the adrenaline she stirred in him, the madness she made him crave. Dax clenched his jaw. She infuriated him. Her audacity to act like he had never existed. Like she had always belonged to this new guild. She drove him mad without even trying.

His eyes flicked to her arm, now marked with the symbol of the Peacock Guild. Something primal flared in his chest, vicious and uncontrollable, the urge to tear that symbol from her skin. She shouldn’t belong to them. No other guild but the Vipers. And since he had cast her out of the Vipers, a sick, twisted part of him wished she would belong to no one.

Seeing her conspiring in broad daylight, hearing her speak with that pretty little mouth of hers, ignited a fire in his chest. Mostly because they used to do that together—plot, scheme, destroy. Now she was doing it without him, against him. He hated it. Hated that she was so close, yet completely out of his reach.

He wished she were far away, because deep down, Dax knew Irene was up to something. That lunatic was obsessed, and nothing she ever did was simple. He had been watching her closely for days, tracking their every move, and the fire inside him only grew hotter. Dax had too many questions, too many suspicions gnawing at his mind. What the hell were they plotting?

He had sworn not to approach her again. He had enough problems of his own. It would have been smarter to leave her alone, to focus on his own plans.

But Dax was a liar. Even to himself. As long as Irene existed, peace was an illusion. He couldn’t focus on anything but the chaos she unleashed inside his head.

He needed to leave. His men were waiting. Keegan and Commander Roderick were ready to continue preparations for the expedition. “Just a little longer. Just to make sure she hasn’t told Jessalyn about the sapphire. Just to find out what they’re scheming,” Dax told himself. He made up his mind—he was going to ruin Irene’s day the same way she ruined his life every single day he breathed.

Kicking a stolen barrel forward, he sent it crashing loudly onto the ground.

“What was that?” Blade asked.

“I’ll go see,” Irene said.

She approached the alley, scanning for the source of the noise, and spotted the barrel lying ahead. The moment she turned her back, Dax made his move. He closed the distance in seconds, one arm looping around her waist, pulling her tight against his chest, the other clamping firmly over her mouth.

Irene struggled, her muffled cries barely audible as he dragged her deeper into the shadows. He spun her around, pinning her roughly against the wall, his hand still covering her mouth. She glared at him, thrashing in his grip, her body tense with fury, but Dax didn’t falter.

He spun her around and pinned her hard against the wall, one hand clamped firmly over her mouth. Irene glared at him, her body twisting in defiance, muffled protests vibrating against his palm.

“I’m going to take my hand away, but if you scream,” Dax hissed, his breath hot against her ear, “I’ll burn every last piece of your cargo. Whatever the hell it is, I’ll torch it, and you along with it. Got it?” His eyes blazed with a dangerous intensity.

Irene’s eyes burned with fury, but she nodded

Just as he began to loosen his grip, she sank her teeth into his hand, biting down hard.

“Damn it!” Dax yanked his hand back with a groan, clutching it in pain. She didn’t waste a second. She tried to dart past him, but he shoved her back, slamming an arm across her path, caging her against the wall.

For a beat, they just stood there, breathing hard, their faces inches apart. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and Dax could feel the heat radiating off her, the fire in her glare stoking something dangerous inside him. He ignored it, or tried to.

“What the hell are you scheming with those idiots?” he demanded, pressing his forearm lightly against her throat, to keep her in place.

Irene arched a brow, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “We’re forming a circus troupe. Want to join us?”

Dax tightened his grip. “I’m in no mood for games. I want to negotiate.”

“And I want to kill you, but we don’t always get what we want in life,” Irene shot back.

Dax leaned in, his voice low. “Don’t you want to hear my offer?”

Irene closed her eyes, hurling insults. 'Go rot in hell,' she spat.

Dax let her insults wash over him, his gaze tracing her features with slow, deliberate intent, savoring every line of her face. Last night, a maddening thought had crossed his mind: if sending Irene to the ends of the world didn’t break her hold on him, maybe he should bind her to him. Keep her close. Keep her under his watch.

Irene’s insults kept coming, her fists landing on his chest. Without warning, he cut her off, his voice low and commanding.

“Marry me.”

Her eyes widened, stunned into silence for half a heartbeat. Then she shoved him hard and slapped him across the face, the sound cracking through the air like a whip. Dax staggered back slightly, his tongue running over his lip as if savoring the sting. Irene let out a hysterical laugh.

“That’s it! You’ve lost your damn mind!”

But Dax stepped closer again, his voice dropping to a whisper, teasingly intimate.

“Come on, little siren. I’ll be good to you this time.”

She pushed him again, harder, but Dax snapped, his eyes blazing with frustration.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re not exactly well-liked around here. The Vipers want your head. Plenty of others do too. Marry me, like in the good old pirate tradition. I’ll offer you protection. We’ll end this madness! You’ll come home with me. Forget Jessalyn, forget her damned Peacock Guild. Let me, for once, handle things and get what I want!”

Dax rambled without even realizing the words he spat.

He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself, but if it meant keeping Irene close, within reach, if it stopped her from chasing the sapphire and ruining his chances, he would take it. Irene stared at him, mouth slightly open, then stepped closer with a laugh. “You’re scared. You know I’m better than you. Jessalyn was right.”

Dax couldn’t stop himself. He grabbed her by the throat, his fingers tightening around her neck, feeling her pulse quicken beneath his grip.

“I don’t give a damn about your negotiation. I don’t need you anymore. I have Jess–” Irene whispered, but he cut her off.

“Whatever Jessalyn told you, whatever she promised, say no. Whatever dream she promised you, I need you to refuse it,” Dax said, his voice breaking.

Dax had hurt Irene before; he was a bad man, but his instincts screamed that Jessalyn was worse. Irene rolled her eyes.

“She killed my mother,” Dax shouted.

“Stop lying. I’m tired of hearing you ruin everyone’s reputation” Irene screamed back.

Jessalyn was wicked. She was like a bird who loved its feathers too much, one that would sacrifice every other creature in the forest just to keep them pristine. And that was exactly what she had done to his mother. She whispered lies, promises laced with poison. Jessalyn convinced his mother that the sickness haunting her and her son was a curse only the sapphire could break. His mother, frail in body and mind, clung to Jessalyn’s words like a drowning woman clutching a lifeline. She begged his father to chase the sapphire. But his father refused. Not outright. No—his father always believed he had time, that the sapphire would wait for him, that everything would wait for him. So he did nothing, dismissing her pleas with a wave of his hand and a sharp look. Jessalyn planted the seed, but it grew wild in his mother’s mind, choking her sanity. With a husband who crushed her under poisoned words, blaming her for daring to speak to Jessalyn, their enemy, there was no escape. So yes, Jessalyn had killed her, for Dax. And the fact that Irene didn’t believe him hurt more than he would ever admit.

Irene leaned in, her lips brushing his. “I would say yes to her a million times before I’d ever believe a single one of your lies again.” Their lips were so close only a breath separated them. Dax leaned in further, pressing his body against hers, pinning her firmly as his forehead brushed hers. She pushed back with her own, with rage, the heat between them threatening to ignite everything.

“I don’t need you anymore,” Irene panted.

“I’ll kill you if I find out you told her about the sapphire. I’ll fucking kill you,” Dax whispered against her lips.

“So what now? We count to three and kill each other?” Irene mocked.

Dax would have done it. Not kill her—no. He would have closed the distance, crushed his lips against hers, pinned her to the wall, and ruined her completely, the way she always ruined him. Claimed her in the only way that could ease the storm she stirred inside him.

Dax stepped back, shaking his head slowly, tongue clicking in disapproval. He sighed, locking eyes with her, his voice low. “Fine. Go back to them. But stay out of my business. I’ve warned you, and you know exactly what’s coming. Try something, and you’ll regret it.”

Irene pushed off the wall, her gaze burning into his for a tense moment before turning away. “Not more than I regret ever trusting you,” she shot over her shoulder.

Dax stood there, watching her disappear, his hands clenched tight, his body trembling with barely contained fury.