Page 19

For the first time, she saw the steely knight in him.

The intensity of his gaze, the tightness of his jaw, and his body language told her everything she needed to know.

He was so unlike anyone she’d ever met before, and that both intrigued and intimidated her.

She’d come this far, however, with her question to him and couldn’t back out.

If she did, he would know she had a big secret she’d been hiding.

And even if she told him and he decided to tell his mother, she couldn’t imagine that things would get worse.

But she knew the situation would change.

“Very well,” she said, trying to be brave. “I will tell you. If you choose to tell your mother, so be it. But if you choose to keep it to yourself, know that you will have my undying trust and loyalty.”

“Is it that important tae ye?”

“It is.”

“Then speak.”

Astria took a deep breath. “I’ll start with another question,” she said. “What do you know of the different pirate factions who sail the known seas?”

He shook his head faintly. “A little, I suppose,” he said. “I know Medusa’s Disciples are mostly Scotland and Northern Ireland and Wales, but my mother told me that she captured ye off the coast of Valencia, so apparently now she’s over in the Great Sea.”

“What else do you know?”

“I know Triton’s Hellions because they are linked tae Blackchurch,” he said. “I also know the Demons of the Sea because I spent a year with them, serving on board one of their ships.”

Her eyes widened. “ You are a pirate?”

He shook his head. “Nay,” he said flatly. “I only did it tae pay off a debt and nothing more. But I also know of the Irish faction, Kraken’s Horde.”

“Have you ever heard of Titans of the Deep?”

He cocked his head in thought. “I think I heard them mentioned, once,” he said. “French pirates, I think. Or from lands further east.”

“They are Aragon,” she said. “Have you heard of El dios del mar ?”

“Who is that?”

“The Sea God.”

The light of recognition came to his face. “Aye, I’ve heard that name,” he said. “Why do ye ask?”

“Because your mother did not overtake a merchant ship when she took me captive,” Astria said quietly.

“I had just stolen two ships from my stepson, who had stolen them from me last year right after my husband died. The ducs of Tarragona made their money in merchant shipping, but they also had another line of work—piracy. I only found that out when I married into the family.”

Payne was listening intently. “I see,” he said. “But… but ye stole ships?”

“I did.”

“I dunna understand.”

She sighed softly, finding it difficult to tell him what she must. “I was The Sea God until my husband died.”

Payne’s face didn’t change expression but he suddenly sat up, staring at her, clearly in disbelief. “What’s this?” he demanded. “ Ye were The Sea God?”

She nodded. “My husband was old when I married him,” she said.

“It was usual in the San Miguel family that the father should manage the merchant business and the son would become The Sea God, only my husband did not wish to relinquish anything to his son because the man is very greedy and he is very ruthless. Therefore, I assumed the business in my husband’s stead and spent nine years keeping it away from Arnaldo, but when his father died, by his hand no less, and he legally became the duc, most of the pirates became loyal to him as my husband’s heir.

It was tradition. But some continued to serve me because they do not like Arnaldo, and it has been a battle for a solid year for the control of the San Miguel empire. ”

Payne was shocked. Genuinely shocked. “God’s Bones,” he muttered. “He killed his father?”

“He did,” she said. “I had the proof, but Arnaldo escaped to sea before justice could be served. I was in the process of taking away what he’d killed his father for when Maude found me.”

Payne lifted his eyebrows at the dark tale. “Then I suppose it makes sense that ye’ve fought so hard against captivity,” he said. “The punch ye threw intae my eye was well aimed. I would venture tae say ye’ve had tae do it before.”

Astria nodded. “Aye,” she said honestly.

“But I am not telling you this to boast. I am telling you this because the two ships your mother took from me belong to Arnaldo and he is going to want them back. It is my belief that he is following Medusa’s Disciples even now. How many ships does your mother have?”

Payne had to think. “I know of three for certain,” he said. “Ships she calls The Three Magi. There are more at Lismore, but I dunna know how many. Why?”

Astria sighed sharply. “Because The Sea God and his Titans of the Deep have thirteen,” she said. “They are all heavily armed. If he brings all of them, he will easily destroy your mother and her fleet, and her along with it.”

His expression cooled as the reason for her confession became clear. “And ye dinna want me tae tell her this?”

Astria struggled through her answer. “I do not want her to know that I was The Sea God,” she said.

“The truth is that I should want Arnaldo to destroy your mother and her ships for what she’s done to me.

But you have saved her, my lord. Your kindness to me has prompted me to show kindness in return.

If you can think of a way of warning her without telling her the information came from me, that would be best. Arnaldo is a killer and he will not hesitate to murder her if he can. ”

She had lain an enormous burden on him with the revelation.

Payne pondered the situation without a rather serious expression on his face as Astria sat there and looked at the ground.

She was having a difficult time looking him in the eye.

He watched her lowered head, wondering if this was some kind of plot to betray him or his mother.

That was his professional training talking.

Part of what he taught at Blackchurch was a class that assessed an enemy by reading body language, the tone of the voice, where the eyes were focused, and other things. That was part of what he did best—read people.

And he was reading her at the moment.

The most important thing that stuck with him was what she had said about withholding the information from Maude—if she hadn’t said a word about it and her stepson showed up to obliterate Medusa’s Disciples, then that would have been a betrayal.

He would have judged her quite harshly for not warning Maude of what she had gotten herself in to.

But, instead, she had told him so he could warn his mother.

If anything, she seemed embarrassed to tell him, but he knew why she did it. It kept going back to the same thing.

If ye are lying tae me in any way, I’ll never trust ye again.

Instead of lying, she had confessed.

He had no reason not to believe her.

“So ye’ve been battling with yer husband’s killer over the San Miguel empire,” he said. “And ye think the man has followed ye.”

She nodded. “I know he has,” she said. “He was chasing us when Maude intercepted me. He must have seen what happened and turned away to fight another day, but I know Arnaldo. He is clever and he will not give up.”

“If that is true, then why did he not find ye when Maudie docked at Lismore Island?” he said. “He could have caught up tae her.”

Astria shook her head. “There must be hundreds of Scottish islands,” she said.

“He would have to check every one of them and it would certainly take him longer than a few months, which is as long as we were at Lismore. Or mayhap he ran into trouble or did not make it to Scotland. I do not know. But I do know that he will track Bloody Maude to the ends of the earth, and she had better be ready to fight him if she wants to keep those ships. Mayhap you should help her.”

He snorted softly. “My mother doesna need my help.”

“She will with this.”

A noise from the direction of the tavern caught their attention, and they turned to see Maude emerging from the rear of the establishment, followed by Declan and Francis and a couple of other hardened men. Astria immediately tensed up, but Payne remained calm.

“Have ye come tae join us?” he asked, speaking loudly so they could hear him. “We were watching the falling stars.”

Maude glanced up as she approached them. “’Tis a bit cold tae be stargazing,” she said. “Tell me what ye’re truly doing out here, and no lies. Did the lass try tae run?”

Payne looked at Astria, seeing the stress on her face. “Surprisingly not,” he said. “It seems that she canna sleep well, being watched the way she is. We came out here tae breathe in the night air.”

Maude let her gaze linger on her son, trying to determine if he was, indeed, lying, but he seemed sincere enough. Her focus shifted to Astria.

“Is that so?” she said. “Well, I’m not surprised. Ye’re constantly ready for a fight, so I suppose it must be difficult tae be in a nervous state all the time.”

Astria had no idea how this conversation was going to go.

She’d just had a rather electric chat with Payne, and he was in possession of some critical information, including the truth that she was actually part of her own pirate faction.

She wondered how Maude would react to having captured another pirate queen.

Or pirate princess, as it were. Everything was dependent on Payne. Would he betray her?

Would he keep her secret?

Apprehensively, she wondered.

“I find the night peaceful,” she said. “Your pirate brethren seem to be enjoying themselves.”

Maude looked off to the north, where her men and wagons with cannons were situated in a clearing.

“They’ll do this all night,” she said. “Payne, ye should tell the tavernkeep tae lock his doors. And ye should send word around tae the rest of the villagers tae lock their doors. My men aren’t used tae being told they canna have what they want, so the village must take precautions. ”

Payne looked at her. “They’re yer men, Maudie,” he said. “If ye command them not tae raid the village, they’ll have tae listen.”

Maude’s gaze was on the fires in the distance. “Ye’d think so,” she muttered, but she wouldn’t elaborate. Her attention returned to her eldest. “Is there a church in the village?”

Payne nodded. “St. James the Apostle.”

“Do they do daily mass?”

“They do,” Payne said. “Ye’ll hear the bells before dawn, bells that Blackchurch donated tae them, no less.”

Maude turned toward the village. “Then let us make our way tae the church for the Lauds mass.”

“Why?”

“Because ye have a wife tae take.”

There it was again. The entire reason for Maude’s presence at Blackchurch. Payne looked at Astria to see what her reaction was, but all she did was look at him with a neutral expression. She wasn’t running. She wasn’t crying. Silent resignation was more like it.

There was no use fighting it.

“Will ye walk tae the church without trying tae run away, or do I need tae carry ye?” he asked her.

Astria stood up from the stump she’d been sitting on, smoothing the simple peasant dress she was wearing. “I will walk.”

“Good lass,” Maude said in approval. “I knew we’d get on well, eventually. Things aren’t so bad, are they? My Payne is a good lad. He’ll make a good husband.”

Astria didn’t know what to say to that. It wasn’t like she could refuse.

She also didn’t want to seem agreeable about it, either, because she truly wasn’t, but so many things would fall into place once she married the Earl of Lismore, not the least of which was the fact that, as her husband, he would be obligated to protect her from Arnaldo.

For the woman who had lived her entire life alone, with few friends or family, the idea of marrying a man who could actually protect her was the greatest lure of all.

Perhaps with time he’d even help her wage war on Arnaldo and take control of the Titans of the Deep.

She’d be The Sea God once again and they’d have their own seaborne empire.

Whatever the case, she no longer thought marriage was a terrible idea.

Maria Astria Julia lost something of herself that night, though she wouldn’t realize it until much later.

Loneliness.

She was no longer alone.