Page 70 of The Secrets of Jane: Reborn

“What’s your point?”

“You could easily wait until this is all said and done before entwining any emotions. You’re not a romantic. So something is telling you to do it, or there’sothermotives.”

That makes more sense, at least with what he’s getting at. I inhale deeply, my teeth grinding. I can’t tell him I don’t even know what’s going on. About how my magic latches to Jane like she’s destined for me, and right now, her heart demands affection, even if she doesn’t see it like that, and I am weakto that call. The taste of longing coats my tongue as I struggle to articulate the inexplicable connection between her and me. No matter how loud the chaos of the unknown is, I feel utterly compelled to give her everything I have; I’m living recklessly, because I fucking want to.

No fucking way I tell him any of that.

So, I remain quiet.

“It’s not lost on me that Basilisk has appeared,” Ritter continues. “And I’m aware he was in Death’s Wing, just like you,” he adds, like explaining something complex in a simplified manner.

“I have no idea why he’s here.”

Ritter slides his hands into his leather coat, tilting his head to the side. “He mentioned something about his cat.”

I frown, since he said the same with me, to which I honestly didn’t believe. He didn’t have a pet last time I saw him—not ananimal, at least. “Does he really have acat?”

“Don’t touch it, or he’ll kill you.Jasmineis very real.”

My movements are momentarily suspended, even down to the blinking. Then, my head cocks to the side, my lips parting. What the hells is that about?

Ritter turns to face me, but I still don’t shift. “Jane needs to focus on surviving, and if she’s busy navigating a confused heart, that will fuck us all over. Including you. Which is why Basilisk appearing is suspicious as all hells, especially sinceyouwon’t talk.”

I finally move my head to look into his eyes. “You threatening me, or what? Be clear about it.”

“I’m trying to understand what surrounds my daughter.”

Reasonable, but he’s asking for too much. “I’m not answering anything beyond what I’ve already said.”

I don’t care if he’s looking out for his daughter. I don’t talk about my heart to anyone, which means giving it to Jane is stillas confusing for me as it is for the rest of the world, especially since I do it without question. Just because I crave warmth doesn’t mean I know how to describe what it’s like to finally have it, or why I want it in the first place.

Ritter turns even more, but it’s just then that Tempest’s energy appears behind us. On land, she feels like any other Zenith—capable, difficult, and dangerous. Here… I look over my shoulder, and there’s something almost ethereal about her. She reminds me of Cypress, as if her energy is thesourceof ripples, ricocheting off the rest of us.

We both face the pirate queen, whose leather jacket is embroidered with elegant filigree, something she rarely wears on land. “So, let’s be direct. Misery is hunting Jane; that’s confirmed.”

“Did you know prior to now?” Ritter asks.

Her smile is feline in nature, the truth in her soul as blended together as ever; impossible for me to decipherdetails. “I know a lot, Charles Ritter.” Her nearly black irises flit to mine. “You’re an interesting wild card, Soren. Blackwell didn’t like you having her,” she laughs, revealing two golden teeth that, unlike other pirates, I know hers are naprese. “No, he wanted Jane chained up just like Misery asked for. But he couldn’t step too far out of line, or it would unnerve the rest, and Misery was not ready to make such a disruption.” She steps nearer, her energy sopotent. “He underestimated the role you’re playing.”

“You know this how?” Ritter asks immediately, almostforme.

Her languid blink combines with shifting her gaze to him. “My men tortured the one named Shade.”

My hand instinctively drops down to my sword’s hilt, the cold metal grounding me. “What did you do?”

“Your man Bones brought him here, just as you requested when the rest fled. Shade was brought to us on the other side ofthe pier and immediately taken to Sea Wolf,” she answers, which makes sense why I felt Bones on here before we even boarded, along with Shade. I just didn’t realize they’d begin torturing him so swiftly. “I just got done getting the insights they’ve acquired so far. Don’t worry. He’s still on board and I thought to let you handle the rest.”

My veins run cold at the gauntlet thrown at me.Bones better have been in that room.

Tempest faces the Scorpion once more, “So… are you officially out of hiding, Charles?”

“Aye,” he groans out, inflecting the end of that word as if it’s obvious.

“And what is the plan? The reason for it all?” she asks, waving her hand around.

“I told you, a while ago, that I needed Jane safe?—”

She interjects, still rolling her hand— “That when I’d see the ruby earrings, I knew to act…. Even if I hate the rubied witch being involved.”