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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

It may have been the exuberance of victory, but she smiled at him. A true, honest smile. Raiden’s expression slid off his face as he looked at her, and Celeste’s grin faltered. Had she done something wrong? He looked to the cards, sweeping them back into his hands.

“What shall we wager?”

Celeste stilled. She had nothing to bet. Even the clothes on her back were borrowed.

“It can be anything. A truth?—”

Celeste’s lips pressed into a hard line.

“A cookie?—”

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he laughed. Although she had nothing to offer, she wasn’t about to play this game for cookies like a fry .

“All right. How about whoever loses must grant the winner one wish. Anything that is within their power to give.”

A wish? It sounded a lot like her deal with the Sea Witch. But this wasn’t a siren deal. It wasn’t bound in blood and magic. It was only a game. What exactly could he ask her for anyway? Surely he knew she had little to give. Perhaps he would ask for her share of the treasure. Whatever it was, he likely wouldn’t live long enough to receive it—although she didn’t much want to think about that right now, not when she was enjoying his company. Anyway, she had won last time. Even if he was going easy on her before, she felt confident in her cleverness. So Celeste reached out her hand toward him, in the human way she now knew. When Raiden took it, his touch made her heart hammer.

“Deal,” he said, eyes flashing.

And somehow she wondered if she’d come to regret this. She took her five cards, her assurance growing with each move she made. Although the cards did not form as many patterns as they had before, Raiden’s expression looked downright murderous. He moved the cards back and forth through his hand, a wrinkle forming between his brows. It was terribly amusing watching him squirm. The prince clearly wanted to win. Raiden dealt more cards, and his mood only worsened. With a smirk, Celeste tapped him on his foot with her shoe. Teasing.

“Stop,” he grunted, not looking up from his cards.

She tapped him again. Two knocks. A knowing smile pulled at the corners of his lips.

“You’re incorrigible.”

Celeste shrugged and placed her hand on the deck face down.

“Fine,” he said, looking up and fixing her with a penetrating stare. “Show me.”

With a flourish, Celeste flipped over her cards, holding them out to him. Three cards with the same woman stared back at them, with two outliers. And that’s when a wolfish smile appeared on Raiden’s lips.

“I’d say I hate to do this, but I’d be lying.” He turned his cards over. All five had little red hearts on them and counted up perfectly.

Celeste’s face fell. The whole thing had been an act. A pang of betrayal came first, followed by a boiling anger. She tossed the cards onto the deck, and Raiden barked with laughter.

“I’m sorry I deceived you, love, but you were entirely too fun to play with,” he said with a grin. “And I wasn’t about to go easy on you when there was such an interesting prize to be won.”

Celeste folded her arms across her chest and waited, expecting him to announce whatever wish he wanted from her. A kiss perhaps. That sounded like him. Or perhaps something more sinister. The truth . But he did not ask. Instead, he gathered the cards, shuffling them neatly back together and returning them into his pocket. He took another long drink of wine, and this time, Celeste reached her hand out for it.

A look of surprise crossed the pirate’s face as he handed it to her, liquid sloshing. Celeste merely shrugged. After weeks of watching humans drink wine every day, her curiosity had finally outweighed her fear. She lifted the bottle to her lips and took a sip. The drink tasted more bitter than she expected. It was smooth, with a hint of fruit, but the flavor was dark and deep. She was surprised to realize that she rather liked it. With bated breath, Celeste waited, expecting a loss of intelligence or really anything to happen. But nothing did. She risked another sip.

“Hold on there, hero,” he warned. “Take it slowly and see how you feel.”

Celeste scoffed at his concern, lifting the bottle to her lips a third time to prove her point.

“Fine, go ahead.” Then his voice dropped low. “I just don’t want to be stuck taking care of you all night .”

She sputtered and coughed, caught off guard by his words. Raiden laughed, drawing closer to pat her on the back until her fit subsided. But when she finally finished, his hand remained warm on her upper back. She did not move away. They both remained still, like two duelists waiting to see who’d draw first. Silence enveloped them, and Celeste risked a glance at the stars hanging above. Something about them looked different somehow. Brighter. And as Raiden’s hand slid from her back across her shoulders, a star fell.

They passed the bottle between them until Celeste began to feel the drink’s effects. It started in her head. A faint buzzy feeling at the crown, as if someone had filled it with wonderful, swirling clouds. She didn’t feel stupid, but how was she supposed to tell? The Admiral made an appearance, trotting over to them and curling up against Celeste’s hip. Her hand fell upon his head, and she stroked her hand through his curls.

“The four daughters look especially bright tonight,” Raiden remarked.

Celeste couldn’t help but smile, pleased he remembered her correction from their first night on the ship. Much had changed since then. She recalled how horrible she felt in her body. But somewhere along the way, she had grown to love her odd legs. How strong they had become. She loved learning new things about the humans and spending time with Kiyami and Nasir. Even Torben, with his endlessly loud nature, had found his way into her heart. She would miss them when she went home.

A cold wind cut through the fabric of her shirt, sending a chill through her. Raiden pulled her closer, tucking her against the warmth of his side. It was a perfect fit, and she did not stop herself when her head drooped against his shoulder.

I’ll kill him later. What are a few more days? And then I’ll be home , she reminded herself, hoping it wasn’t a lie. But for the moment, she couldn’t picture a place she’d rather be. And with that traitorous thought, Celeste slipped into a blissful and dreamless sleep.

* * *

When Celeste woke in the morning, she was in her room. A thick red blanket was tucked around her, one she recalled seeing on the captain’s bed. It had been the best sleep she’d had since the Admiral visited her. Of course, she’d slept through her chance to kill the prince, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel anything but relief about that.

When she joined the crew for breakfast, she found one more reason to be thankful she hadn’t left just yet.

“Doesn’t Velluno’s summer festival begin today?” Bastian asked.

“It does,” Nasir said.

To Celeste’s relief, Raiden had not mentioned their night together. Ordinarily, he sat beside Bastian, the two joking and chattering through most meals. But today he had chosen to sit beside her. With every move Raiden made, his sleeve brushed her own.

“What’s the summer festival?” Kiyami asked.

“Ah, I forget you haven’t been in Ethoria long,” Bastian said. “For two weeks in the summer, Ethorians celebrate the season.”

Torben grinned. “They party for days on end! It’s almost as fun as celebrations in Yenri.”

Kiyami considered this as she took a bite of dried meat. The supplies were limited lately, so breakfast consisted of a small amount of dried fruits, nuts, and meats. And if you were Torben, it also included ale. “So what happens during this celebration? Is it going to be a problem for us when we port?”

“A problem ?” Torben laughed, “It’s a gift! We shall drink, eat, dance, watch parades, and in the evening, there are bonfires and fireworks! Your Ethorian god must be smiling on us.” The last part he directed toward Bastian, Raiden, and Celeste. Perhaps they all assumed she was Ethorian. It made her itch. Another lie added to the endless pile separating her from them. But she couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement when hearing about this festival.

“The port will be busy, but it shouldn’t impact us too much. Shops will still be open. It just might take a little more time. We’ll be able to grab some men and gather the supplies quickly. We won’t have to lose more than a day if we’re quick,” Bastian said.

The group fell into conversation, planning who should go where to get what. All the while, Bastian and Raiden made very little eye contact.

After breakfast, Celeste dove straight into her work. She went over the new course with Raiden and helped Kiyami navigate toward Port Velluno. After lunch, she trained with Kiyami, who decided to introduce sparring. Celeste beamed at the news. Because Kiyami felt it best to watch to give Celeste feedback, she suggested Celeste partner with someone else.

Raiden volunteered.

“I’m not sure you should be sparring, Rai.” Kiyami crossed her arms. “If I recall, you were just shot days ago.”

“I was shot in my left arm. My sword arm is fine.” He grinned.

Even with his assurance, Kiyami ran belowdecks to check with Nasir. Nasir agreed Raiden shouldn’t be fighting while injured, but given he would only be practicing at a rather slow pace, he saw no harm in it.

Celeste could see some harm in it, just not for him . Everything about Raiden was distracting to her today. From the way his dark hair clung to his forehead to the way his muscles moved beneath his shirt as he got in his fighting stance before her. Turning her gaze away, she tied her hair back at the nape and drew her own sword. Much to her surprise, he did not smirk or open his mouth to tease her as she lowered into her fighting posture.

“Wider stance, Celeste, and check your balance,” Kiyami said.

Celeste did her best not to flush as she made the proper adjustments. She could feel Raiden’s steady gaze burning into her skin.

“Raiden, I want you to react to her and keep her moving. Don’t put pressure on her yet.”

He nodded, and Celeste lifted a brow in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to take this seriously, but she was rather thankful he was.

“Begin,” Kiyami said.

Raiden advanced but did not strike. In response, Celeste retreated a step, keeping the same distance between her feet as she was taught. She took a step to the side. He followed. With a swing, Celeste swiped toward the side of his torso. But it was easily met, the swords colliding with a clang. He took a step to the side, and she followed. Everything on the ship died away until there was only the two of them, circling each other. There was no leader in the dance and no follower.

Raiden jabbed his sword toward her, and she twirled out of its path, swinging her own sword in retaliation. He met it at the last second with his own, and the steel of the swords slid against each other with a satisfying hiss.

“Maintain distance,” Kiyami’s voice drifted to her.

Celeste hadn’t realized it, but they’d been drawing closer to each other. As if he were the moon and she were the helpless tide. Raiden lowered his sword, waiting for Celeste to make the correction. Shaking out her arms, Celeste drew back and lifted her sword to his throat to check they were once again far enough apart not to injure each other. A knifelike smile appeared on Raiden’s face as his eyes slid down the length of her sword to rest on her face.

“Your move,” he said.

She lunged, hoping to catch him by surprise, but with one swipe of his sword, he knocked her attack away. She stepped toward him again, careful to maintain their distance, first slashing from the right side, and then the left. Each blow he met easily as she backed him toward the side of the ship. Celeste jabbed once more, and he sliced his sword down in a twirling arc, knocking her sword back to her side. But as he did so, his heel knocked against the side of the ship.

“You’re improving,” he said, taking a step toward her and away from the ship’s banister. Celeste raised her sword back to his throat with a grin, warning him not to step closer. His dark brows raised an inch in surprise. He took a look around himself. Before she could react, he leaped onto the ship’s banister and took off. Celeste’s mouth fell open, and she looked over at Kiyami for assistance.

“I thought you were helping her train, Captain.” Kiyami laughed.

“I am.” He stopped to look back at Celeste with a smirk. “The first lesson is to never trust a pirate to fight fair.”

With a roll of her eyes, Celeste raced after him, but he was faster. He grabbed a rope and swung across the deck, landing behind her. She spun to face him, and he swiped at her, his sword passing so close she had to jump out of its path. They fell into a new dance. The movements were invigorating. Her eyes shone bright with excitement. Every step, and every slash, they matched each other. Celeste almost forgot about the lesson. All her attention was on her opponent, and he looked at her as though there was no one else. He never pushed too much or tried to corner her. But he challenged her. He would begin a pattern only to break it, to test if she were paying attention.

Eventually, her arms grew tired, and the muscles in her thighs sang. Raiden must have noticed, for his tactics changed. He started to make his movements more erratic and difficult to keep up with. Multiple times he would switch directions quickly, making her almost lose her footing. But Celeste was familiar with training like this. It was always when she started reaching her limit that she needed to push further. That’s when the real work began. They continued, moving across the ship until Celeste began making foolish mistakes. When she missed an easy parry, Kiyami at last interrupted them.

“That’s enough for today.”

Celeste couldn’t tell if they had been sparring for minutes or hours. With a blink, she stepped away from Raiden, breaking herself from the spell.

“Good work,” he said, chest rising and falling slightly.

Celeste sheathed her sword and bowed her head in thanks. He had been the perfect partner. She felt guilty for assuming the worst of him earlier.

“You’re welcome,” he said with a dazzling smile.

* * *

Mere hours passed before the shadow of Port Velluno appeared on the horizon. Even with the sea breeze, the air was oppressively hot. The shrill sound of seagulls rang out as they approached. Many of the crew pressed against the ship’s banister, cheering as the cliffs of Velluno drew closer. Kiyami manned the wheel as usual, with Celeste close beside. Soon she could see tiny humans running about the town, preparing for the festivities. There also looked to be a gaggle of giggling girls clustered beside the port, waving at sailors as they docked. One of them blew a kiss to Raiden, who mimed catching it and clutching it to his chest before throwing a look at Celeste. She rolled her eyes.

“Velluno has the best wine in Ethoria,” Torben told anyone who would listen.

“My mother told me stories of Velluno,” Kiyami told Celeste, her eyes shining. “She said they had the most wonderful food, and the people kissed each other hello.”

“That much is true,” Raiden said from Celeste’s other side, a coy smile playing on his lips. “The locals are very friendly .”

Celeste pulled her eyes away from the town to give him a disgusted look, but his smile only widened as he leaned casually against the ship’s banister. Her scowl deepened, and she could not explain why. But she was certain it was his fault. With a sigh, Celeste raised her hand to playfully push him, or perhaps not so playfully. But he caught her wrist.

“Oh, don’t worry, love,” he said, his voice a caress. “I’m all yours for today.”

She tore her arm from his grip and turned to look at Kiyami, who tried to hold in a laugh.

“Baz and Rai split the crew into groups so we could grab supplies quickly. Nasir and Torben are obviously together, and I need to go with Bastian because he wants my help getting the right wood for repairs.” She tried and failed to hide her smile as she finished. “So that leaves you and our captain here.”

It was a setup, and Celeste knew it. Much to her dismay, the growing tension between her and the captain hadn’t gone unnoticed by the rest of the crew. So now she was stuck with him for the entire day. Incredible . Her decision to not kill him on land remained steadfast. She would not be giving local law enforcement any reason to lock her up again. But she dearly wished to wring his neck.

“Don’t worry. We’ll all meet up before it gets dark to celebrate together.” Kiyami squeezed Celeste’s arm in reassurance.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Celeste’s lips. The gesture reminded her a lot of her sister Sephone, and how she comforted her when their parents would make a hurtful comment. Celeste wondered if Sephone knew what had happened to her.

Velluno quickly came into focus. The town looked so different from Port Romsey, vibrant and pulsing with life. Buildings painted in brilliant colors that reminded Celeste of sunrise crowded along the lush green cliffs, nearly stacked on top of each other in a way that reminded her of Staria. Their flaming reds, burning oranges, and bright yellows contrasted with the white beach and turquoise sea. The water was so clear here that Celeste could look through to the bottom and see the colorful fish that swam there.

And music.

It was faint, but Celeste could hear music coming from the town. Weaving and hopping from note to note in a happy tune. A song so different from the ones she knew.

When she was able to see the people better, her heart stilled. Everything looked beautiful, but it still was home to humans. A few looked likely to prey on the weak and vulnerable, just like in Port Romsey. Her breathing grew ragged, and her hands shook.

This will be different. I’m not defenseless now , she tried to tell herself. Her sword training should have made her feel a little more confident in herself, like Kiyami—at least now it didn’t fly from her hands every time someone hit her—but apparently not much had changed.

A small tugboat approached their vessel, and a man waved from it. Kiyami threw him rope, which he secured before he began pulling the ship behind him toward the docks.

“Our escort has arrived!” cried Raiden. “Velluno awaits.”