Page 3 of Vicious Princess (The Trials of Death and Honor #1)

CHAPTER ONE

P resent

A moan slips past my lips, and I arch my back. Each masterful flick of Vasquez’s tongue over my clit coaxes me closer and closer to the edge.

I run my fingers through his curls, silky smooth against my skin. My hips roll, like the waves of the Nightmare Sea we’ve been sailing through for months. V grips my hips, pinning me in place.

His tongue is wicked, mouth relentless as he sucks and licks my throbbing clit.

“Oh, fuck,” I gasp when his fingers slide inside me and curl, caressing that sensitive spot.

A breath hitches in my throat. My toes curl as warm tingles travel up my ankles, knees, inner thighs…all the way to my burning core.

I’m thrown over the edge into the sweetest oblivion with such intensity, every muscle in my body seizes, then starts trembling uncontrollably.

V doesn’t stop tasting me right away. His tongue slows down as I descend the heights of my climax, until with one long, lazy slide, it stops. The gentle kiss he plants on the inside of my left thigh leaves tingles in that spot.

We’re surrounded by darkness in V’s quarters, the captain’s quarters, with just a few streaks of early daylight coming in through dirty glass windows above the bed. The sound of the waves crashing into the ship put me at ease.

V kisses his way up my body until our lips melt together. The taste of me on his tongue is intoxicating. I fist the hair at the back of his head and pull him closer to me as our mouths slide from one kiss onto the next.

“What a way to say good morning,” I whisper.

He chuckles against my cheek. “I wanted to make sure your last morning with me is memorable, sweetheart.”

I sigh. Something inside my chest twists into a knot, weighing heavy on me. With one last peck on his cheek, I wiggle from under him and get out of bed.

V gives me time and space to get fully dressed in my leather pants, white shirt, leather waistcoat, and even my gloves before he lights the oil lamp next to his bed. When every inch of my scarred skin is hidden away from the curious eyes of the world, I turn to face him.

He’s so handsome. It takes my breath away.

Vasquez watches me with dark eyes from where he still lies, with his arms tucked behind his head, lean muscles flexing under tanned skin riddled with scars. His are not as bad as mine, but he still has more than others.

He’s seen more life than others, too.

I cross my arms over my chest. “What?”

A cheeky smirk curls one corner of his mouth. “Nothing. I was just trying to imagine you dressed in Ezkai leathers.”

I purse my lips. “If you choose to stick around in Jaakii, you might get to see it.”

Slowly, all the cheekiness evaporates from his face, and he turns away from me to look out the window. The knot in my chest tightens.

“Staying in Jaakii is not my destiny, sweet thing. It’s yours,” he finally says, turning back to face me. He flashes a lopsided smirk. “But if you ever change your mind, you know how to find me.”

I snort and grab my backpack. All my belongings fit in this meager thing: a change of clothes, a bag of Ekiosh currency, a hairbrush, and a small folded canvas with smoldered edges, my family portrait—the only thing I was able to salvage from the fire that killed my family.

Next, I pick up my bow, with its quiver of arrows.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” Mom said as she handed the bundle of cloth to me.

With my eyes wide, I blinked at her. “What’s this, Mommy?”

“It’s time for you to have your own bow, one that belongs only to you,” she said with a smile. I was six. “Come on now, pumpkin, take it. Aren’t you curious?”

Excitement bloomed inside my chest like the wildflowers in the fields surrounding our house, the color of the sunset.

“All mine?” I said, ripping the cloth away from the sturdy bow. The shine of it, the sleekness of the wood, it blew my mind. “It’s so pretty, Mommy!”

“Yes, sweetheart. Every great Decarios with an affinity for weapons needs to have one. You have a gift not all Decarios possess. It’s very special.”

I roll my shoulders and push those bittersweet memories away.

“Before you head out, stop by the galley. Hawk will pack some food for you. Starting a new journey on an empty stomach is bad luck,” V says as I’m about to leave his quarters.

I glance at him over my shoulder. “Aye, Captain.”

With a heavy heart, I close the door behind me. I’ve been with V, sailing from Wetra to Ekios, for twelve months. All this time, I’ve known this day would come when we had to go our separate ways.

Yet, now that the day is here…I don’t want to leave.

That’s what you get for forming attachments when you’re not supposed to. I should have been smarter with Vasquez, kept my distance instead of allowing him to make his way under my skin.

Into my heart.

Now I have to add another tombstone to the personal graveyard I built deep within me after my family tragically died. I’m not sure how many more graves I can manage.

You’re a Decarios. Your heart should be made of steel.

Despite the early morning, the main deck is full of life. Quite a few of V’s boys are early risers. Early drinkers, too.

Hobbs, a redheaded dwarf with a beard long enough to reach his knees, brings a half-empty bottle to his lips and takes a few gulps of spiced rum.

“Morning, boys,” I say, passing the group huddled around a low makeshift table they bring out to play cards and dice. “What’s the game today?”

Hobbs burps and then flashes me a crooked smile. A few of his teeth are missing, replaced by golden ones instead. “Mornin’, sunshine! We’re just about to start Bloodiamond. Care to join us for a round?”

I pause, eyeing the cards Hobbs is shuffling between his crooked, dirty fingers. Any other day, I would pass on it. But today…nostalgia tugs on the strings of my heart, and before I know it, I’m sitting on one of the barrels with my own hand of cards.

Crawler, one of the only two fae in Vasquez’s crew, jerks his chin at me, his only eye pinning me with a glare. “We playin’ for gold, gahin . So you better be ready to empty those pockets.”

Gahin . A word that means all the things I wish to forget about myself.

An outsider.

An outcast.

One who doesn’t belong no matter where they go.

Ignoring the slur, I lift my chin. “How much is the buy-in?”

Crawler opens his mouth to answer, but Hobbs beats the fae to it.

“Three gold coins for a pretty one like you,” Hobbs says, without even bothering to look up from his hand.

Jarry, a tall and broad human with a few missing fingers from one too many fights, takes a swig from Hobbs’s bottle and says, “Winner takes all.”

Eyeing me, Crawler puts a ball made from fermented tobacco leaves between his stained teeth. He works it between his molars, and the stench of smoke envelops us.

I scrunch my nose but don’t say anything. Anger slowly rises to the surface, but I swallow it down.

For now.

Vasquez and some of his boys, like Hobbs and Hawk, might have accepted me as part of their crew, if only temporarily. But most of Vasquez’s crew never approved of having a stray like me on their ship.

Crawler makes sure I know how he feels about me every moment of every day.

If not for Vasquez, he would have pushed me off the ship a long time ago. And I would have sliced his throat in his sleep.

“Nine of Bones,” Hobbs says.

“Six of Cups,” Crawler mutters, rearranging the cards in his hand.

“Twelve of Dragons,” I say.

Crawler’s gaze flicks up, and he narrows his eyes. Keeping his gaze, I pull the card from the top of the deck and lay it facing upwards next to it. Twelve of Dragons.

I try not to get my hopes up so early. But, damn, what a great thing it would be to wipe that smug look off Crawler’s face when I win.

Crawler is next to draw a card. Three of Bones. I might still win. Hobbs pulls out a Six of Dragons. My hopes of a win dwindle. When Jarry pulls out the Three of Cups, all my hopes are gone.

I keep my face neutral, though. Nothing worse that revealing your cards, especially with these thugs.

My turn. I pull out a Six of Dragons. Hobbs picks up the last card and slams it down. Seven of Cups.

Man, I suck at Bloodiamond.

Crawler slams his cards on the makeshift table so hard, it almost collapses, and he hollers loud enough to wake the rest of the ship.

“Today’s my lucky day, tit suckers,” he says.

Hobbs rolls his eyes and tips his bottle to his lips, gulping down the rum as if he’s drinking from the fountain of youth. Jarry mutters curses under his breath while he pushes all the gold towards Crawler.

With a sigh, I rise and sling my bag over my shoulder.

“I hope your luck in Ekios will be better than your luck with cards,” Crawler says to me as I’m walking away.

My steps falter, anger bubbling so hot and thick, I almost choke on it. I’m tempted. Oh, how tempted I am to put that motherfucking ass in his place…

Before I get ahold of my temper, I open up my senses. My anger helps me focus on him, draw out all the other emotional noise around me. The snakes of pure, hot-as-molten-lava rage slither towards Crawler, eager to make him suffer.

Just as they’re about to strike, my whole body tense, a familiar scent of salty sea wind mixed with spice tickles my nose.

“There you are, sweet thing.” V’s smooth voice snaps me out of my anger, and the snakes retreat. I blink rapidly, looking up at him. Vasquez tips his head to the side. “You sure playing Bloodiamond on an empty stomach is the best idea?”

I scoff. “It would be, if some of your boys weren’t fucking assholes.”

Vasquez chuckles. “Professional hazard. When one spends enough time being lulled by the sea, away from the civilized world…well, it makes an impact. Besides, you know how fae are. Snark runs in their blood.”

I glance at Crawler over my shoulder, then back at V. “Promise you’ll come find me if you ever feel the lull of the sea messing with your damn mind so you don’t turn into one of those assholes.”

“You have my word.”

V hands me a little package wrapped in cloth.

It’s warm in my hands, and it smells divine.

“Hawk just made a batch of freshly baked bread. I made sure he packed your favorite cheese, and some dried meat, too,” he says.

“It’s not much, since you know I have many mouths to feed, but it should hold you over until you find Kazh. ”

My chest swells with warmth. I smile at the bundle of food. “Thank you.” I look up, and our gazes meet. “For everything. If not?—”

Vasquez presses a finger over my lips. “Don’t sweat it, Nix. I know.”

I’m grateful he understands what I meant to say. I’m not good enough with words to convey how deep my feelings for him are.

“Here,” he says and pulls out a map that’s been tucked in his belt. “It’s old. But I don’t think Jaakii changed that much since it was drawn. So it should still be accurate.”

I nod and take the map. He watches me stuff his offerings into my backpack. When I remove my bow and the quiver from my back, he frowns.

I hold them out for him. When he doesn’t take it, only stares at the weapon in my hands, I say, “Take it. Consider it a payment for your help getting me from Wetra to Ekios.”

V shakes his head, his brown curls bouncing. “Absolutely not. I know what this bow means to you. Besides, I don’t need payment.”

He’s right. But this bow represents the path I was supposed to walk. The person I used to be.

The person I’m not anymore.

I’m not the girl my mom and dad were proud of, the girl my sisters could rely on.

I don’t want the reminder.

“Then consider it a parting gift,” I say.

“Something to remember me, and our time together, by. It’s a rare weapon, made by the best weaponsmith in Wetra.

You can spin the tale of how you acquired it by attacking a royal ship and stealing it right from under the royal commander’s nose.

I know how often you eye it when you think I’m not watching. ”

At that, V smiles. Hesitantly, he takes the bow and the quiver. V hooks a finger over one of the many straps on my vest and pulls me into his chest.

Our lips meet for one last time, quick and chaste. It’s bittersweet.

When he pulls away, he says, “Remember me when you’re the most powerful human Decarios in all three continents, sweet thing.”

In his eyes, deep as the darkest place in the ocean, I can see an alternative future for us. One where I remain on his ship and dedicate my life to sailing the seven seas with him, in pursuit of adventure.

Where I’m free from grief, pain, and desire for vengeance.

It’s tempting, I can’t lie.

But it’s not my path to walk. I don’t belong here, on this ship. I never did. From the gentle caress of his fingers on my cheek—a silent goodbye—I know Vasquez understands that, too.

That’s why he doesn’t stop me as I turn away and make my way off his ship, into the unknown.