Page 33 of Virelai’s Hoard (The Dagger & Tide Trilogy #1)

Sable

As soon as she stepped foot on deck, Sable knew something was wrong. The others did too, the expedition group gazing around frowning, eyes darting in every direction to pinpoint everything that was off.

Sable did her own silent assessment, tacking up an ever lengthening list. Ripped sails, cut rigging, scuff marks on deck, smoke coming off a burnt barrel.

And, most telling of all, the really guilty expression on Kittredge’s face.

She, Riley and Eryx approached them slowly, like dogs waiting for a beating, shoulders sagging and hands worrying at their clothes.

Sable met Riley’s eyes. It only took a split moment for Riley to look away.

This wasn’t good.

“What happened?” Calla asked, her flinty gaze set on the three of them.

“Well, uh…” Kittredge trailed off, trying to find the words.

Riley and Eryx didn’t seem very inclined to intervene, and Sable could see Calla was losing patience by the moment. Frankly, Sable also wanted to know how their ship got in such a state in the time they were all gone, and shuffling their feet would not gain them much sympathy.

“The captain asked you a question,” Sable intervened before Calla had to, her own voice hard. “I suggest you answer, and you answer fast.”

It was Merrow who saved them. Setting a reassuring hand on Kit’s shoulder, he spoke up, “Pirates.” Sable’s eyes zeroed in on the bloodied bruise on their navigator’s forehead, and she stiffened.

“The Stingers, by the looks of their flying banner.” Merrow glanced at Eryx, who nodded their head in confirmation.

“They snuck on board, too many of them for us to put up a fight, and… they seemed to know exactly what to look for, and where.” He paused, then met Calla’s gaze.

“Captain. They took the first clue. And some supplies. That’s all they wanted, by my assessment. ”

“ This is what happens under your fucking leadership,” Venn snarled, shoving past Calla as he stormed off and below deck.

Everyone was silent for a moment, then low murmurs erupted among the crew.

No one followed Venn. Sable narrowed her eyes at the three guilty-looking pirates.

Riley shifted on her feet under her gaze.

If Merrow was right, they had no reason to act this suspiciously. Which meant he was covering for them.

Calla’s voice cut through the air like sharp glass. “Why did no one sound the bell?”

Kittredge mumbled something, looking down at her feet.

The captain walked right up to her. The other pirates scrambled to get out of her way. They could all tell this wouldn’t be pretty. “Speak up,” she said, her voice quiet but clearly heard. Her tone left no room for anything but obedience.

“We didn’t see them,” Kittredge repeated herself, louder. Then she swallowed, not looking at Calla.

“And why is that?”

How could they miss a whole ass pirate ship sailing up to them? Thorian wanted to know that too, by the way he folded his arms and stared at the three of them expectantly.

“There was no one on deck,” Eryx came out with it, drawing Calla’s attention.

Their voice was soft, but they were the only one of the three daring to meet her gaze head-on.

“We were down in the hold, playing dice. We didn’t think anything was going to happen, and we were wrong.

We should’ve known better– I should’ve known better.

It was my idea. I just wanted a distraction…

from Pip and everything that’s happened.

” They drew in a quick breath, bracing themselves.

“Kit and Riley couldn’t say no to me. I’ll take whatever punishment you see fit, captain. ”

Calla studied the young pirate for a moment, assessing, missing the way Kittredge’s lips parted in surprise, Riley’s wide eyes as she stared at Eryx.

Eryx, who was covering for the other two, and had just offered to take on three times the punishment.

More murmurs, and now the crew looked at Eryx differently.

Not awed or fearful or uncomfortable, but with respect.

That respect thrummed through to Sable, too.

Before the captain could speak again, Kittredge shoved herself between Eryx and Calla, finally meeting her gaze.

“They’re lying,” Kit said. She threw a sweet, grateful smile over her shoulder.

“Thanks, Eryx, but I’m not letting you get the fall for this.

” She looked back at Calla. “It was my idea. Eryx didn’t even want to go along with it, but I…

” She shrugged helplessly, not saying what everyone already knew.

“I didn’t want to leave them alone on deck. I’m sorry, captain.”

Calla flicked her gaze between Eryx and Kittredge, then turned to Riley, raising her eyebrows. “Is that the whole truth, or do you also have something to add?”

Riley shifted on her feet and shook her head. Her eyes never stayed in the same place for more than a split moment. Skittish. Just like during her first days, looking for escape. Sable knew that look.

“Did anyone else get hurt?” Calla asked, looking at Kit again.

“No, they weren’t out to hurt us,” Kittredge said. “They locked the door on us and then they just… left.” Her shoulders tensed up, waiting for the blow that was sure to come at any moment.

Sable braced herself for it, too. The three needed consequences. There was no question about that, but she hoped Calla wouldn’t be harsh on them. The way this played out was lucky, in a way. If the three had been on deck, they might have come back to three more dead bodies. Three more funerals.

“So, you’re all saying,” Ignatius cut in, stalking towards them like a predator. “That while we were out there risking our lives,” he flung his arm out toward the mist still surrounding Wraithspine Isle, “you saw fit to skirt your duties, get drunk, have a little fun escapade under deck, eh?”

Their cannoneer’s indignation spread through the rest of the crew like fire. Previously sympathizing looks turned hard.

“I say we throw them overboard, make them spend the night on the island. That way they can appreciate what we went through out there,” Ignatius spat.

Sable blinked. That was harsh , even for a frustrated old man such as him. “You can’t be serious,” she said.

“Oh, but I am. Captain?”

Calla looked to the three, then to the rest of her crew, frowning. Sable didn’t notice any hint of anger, just a defeated sigh before she said, “Unless the rules changed while we were on the island, I believe punishments are in the quartermaster’s purview. Thorian?”

He nodded sharply. Some of the angry murmurs settled.

They all knew Thorian to be tough, but fair, and the crew wasn’t malicious.

They just wanted justice to be done, a lesson to be learned.

Because next time a mistake like this happened?

Someone might pay for it with their life.

Subtly, Sable nodded to Calla. Perhaps she’d been worrying for nothing.

She didn’t know what had happened back there, with Draven, but Calla had come back out of the jungle more in control than she’d gone in, more clear-headed.

They all waited as Thorian stood in thought, weighting the situation. Even Ignatius laid down his aggression. The quartermaster shrugged his shoulders once he was done thinking, arms still folded. “Think five lashes each oughta do it.”

Silence settled amongst the crew. Ignatius seemed pleased, but Sable caught more than a few of the other pirates shifting on their feet.

Nyxen, in particular, seemed about ready to say something, glancing at Kittredge in concern.

Merrow pursed his lips, silent. Sable herself glanced at Riley.

Her cheeks drained of all color as she stared at Thorian, at his thick, corded arms, probably wondering if he would be the one delivering on the lashes.

It took a beat for Sable to realize no one intervened because they were expecting Calla to. This was too harsh. Surely the captain was going to say something.

Calla looked at the three, face blank, then at Thorian. Slowly, she nodded her assent.

Thorian nodded back sharply. He called for his whip to be brought over. And rope. “Best get it done and over with, yeah?” he said to no one in particular. Perhaps to himself.

Sable blinked at Calla, incredulous. She was going to allow them to get whipped for this?

By Thorian ? Even if he held back, he was still part giant.

Those would not be regular lashes. They’d break skin, expose the flesh, bathe their backs in blood.

There were high chances the wounds would get infected, too, even if cared for by their carpenter-turned-surgeon.

All three of them had been dumb, yes, and consequences were needed, but this? It was too much.

Thorian, whip in hand now, tilted his head at them. “So, who’s gonna be first?”

Everyone else just watched. Ignatius didn’t even do that, averting his gaze away when Eryx flinched at Thorian’s every movement. The bastard . He was the one who’d asked for this in the first place, and now he couldn’t even look.

“I’ll go.”

It was Riley. She jutted her chin out, defiant, though her hands betrayed her. Sable could see them shaking from where she stood.

For a moment, Sable pictured the scene. Riley taking her shirt off, the lash of the whip in the air, the following cries, her knees buckling under the force of them. The blood.

Her fingers tightened into fists, and before she realized what she was doing, she was standing between Riley and Thorian. “I don’t think so.”

She ignored the way Calla’s intense gaze prickled on the side of her face and met Thorian’s eyes head-on.

“I don’t know who got on your wrong side today, but mere foolishness doesn’t beget this kind of punishment. Cut it out.”

Thorian raised his eyebrows. “Last I knew, you weren’t the captain, Sable.

And cap’ said punishments are my purview.

Ship got crippled, storage got raided. We don’t even know if we have enough supplies to last ‘til the end of the trip, and we can’t stop anywhere to restock and repair because there isn’t anywhere to stop.

” He took a deep breath, his voice low and steady as he continued on, “If you weren’t aware, we’re in uncharted waters, where at any moment a savage storm or sea monster could sink us to the bottom of the sea, and we apparently have competition breathing down our necks, who’ll show up again to finish what they started before long.

These three deciding that rules don’t apply to them might’ve just doomed us all.

Five lashes is nothing compared to what they deserve. ”

Sable shook her head, despite knowing that on any other crew?

He would’ve been justified. But not on this one.

On this ship, they looked after each other.

On this ship, they all knew Eryx was still mourning the death of his friend, Kittredge had been out of her mind with boredom following her injury, and Riley was–a mess.

An endearing mess who still hadn’t gotten accustomed to life on the sea and all the rules, but she was still one of them, carving a place for herself.

Mirroring Thorian’s stance, Sable folded her arms. “You’re not whipping them, Thorian. Out of the question.” She finally met Calla’s eyes. “You know this isn’t right, Calla. Fucking say something.”

Calla looked at her, then at the rest of her crew, who were shifting on their feet and murmuring among themselves.

Nyxen’s jaw was set hard, his knuckles white as he gripped the handle of his sword, though he said not a word.

Gadrielle stared at the captain intently, as if trying to communicate without words.

Eventually, Calla sighed and waved her hand. “She’s right, Thorian. There will be no lashings. Not for this.”

Thorian looked like he wanted to say something, but ate his own words.

Then his lips spread in a smile more terrifying than the whip in his hand.

“You’re gonna wish you’d gotten the lashes by the time I’m done with you.

” He shrugged. “Would’ve hurt more, but it would’ve been quick, at least.” He looked around the ship, raised his eyebrows.

“Guess who’s gonna deal with this mess single-handedly now?

Cap needs some time to decipher those clues she found, anyway.

The Moonshadow better be shining bright as new by then. ”

Someone gulped. Nyxen patted Kittredge on the shoulder in sympathy.

As the crew dispersed, someone touched her shoulder, light and uncertain. Riley.

“Can we talk?” she asked quietly, an odd expression on her face.