Page 27 of Tik-Tok

“You can’t die,” he murmured to himself.

He’d done too much for this portal to fail now. But … not only that. He genuinely wanted North to be well. To live and sass him another day. Maybe he would even cut her some slack.Or not.It was amusing getting a rise out of her. More amusing than usual.

With a sigh, he shifted to touch her forehead, ensuring the fever was still at bay, and settled back to stare at the ceiling. His thoughts continued to bounce frantically between North’s health, Rizmaela’s betrayal, and what was happening onThe Temptress. Rizmaela’s actions were bound to affect morale, if nothing else. It should be the least of his worries. Itwas. But his crew was his family…

His eyes slid shut and he forced them open. Again and again. Until the worries had drained him too much to fight the pull of sleep.

It wasn’t clear how long he’d slept before jerking awake. He spun and reached out for North, only to find her staring at him. His hand froze before making contact with her forehead. “North?”

She shifted in an attempt to push up on her elbows, but Tik-Tok placed his palm on her forehead, holding her down. A small huff left her mouth, followed quickly by a groan. “What happened?”

Tik-Tok removed his hand, satisfied that her skin didn’t feel overheated, and sat back on his haunches. “You don’t remember?”

“I…” North scowled and gingerly poked at the bandage on her chest. “Rizmaela stabbed me.”

Tik-Tok nodded. “How do you feel now? Should I call the healer?”

“I feel stiff,” she said, moving slightly as if testing herself. “My chest aches like I was punched. Hard.”

“Punched is better than stabbed,” he said with a smirk.

She glared at him. “Did you know?”

“Know what?”

“That my father killed her husband.” Her hands gripped the wool blanket. “That’s why she wanted me dead.”

Tik-Tok’s eye twitched but fought to keep the surprise from his face. Rizmaela only knew that North was Tin’s daughter because he’d mentioned it—but the dwarf had known that they needed her. Rizmaela had set her selfish revenge ahead of the portal—a portal that would earn everyone on his crew a hefty payday. Rage filled him, churning and thickening in his veins. He wished he hadn’t killed Rizmaela already so he could take his time. Make it hurt. Tin murdered her husband—so fucking what? That wasn’t North’s fault.

“I didn’t know,” he said, meeting her eyes. “Even if I had, your father’s deeds aren’t yours. You’re innocent and her vendetta was with him—not you.”

North studied him for a moment before nodding. “Where is she now?”

“Dead.” His lips curled into a snarl, before he forced himself to calm down. There was no changing what had happened. He didn’t want to frighten North with his anger. He peered down at his hands and sighed. “I owe you an apology. You nearly died when I promised you would be safe with me and my crew.”

“You also said there was no telling what could happen because you’re a good-for-nothing pirate,” she grumbled.

A short laugh escaped him. “I’m fairly certain you’re twisting my words.”

“I’m fairly certain my words aretrue.” She looked around the room, licking her cracked lips. “Is there any water?”

Tik-Tok was on his feet in an instant, pouring water from a ceramic pitcher into a glass. Wordlessly, he lowered himself on the edge of the bed and helped her sit up, letting her lean on him for support as she drank. When she finished, he refilled her glass and she drank again.

“Do you need anything else?” He settled her back onto the pillow and tugged the blanket into place, both to hide her mostly-bare chest and keep her warm. “Are you hungry? I’ll find whatever you’d like.”

“I’m tired,” she whispered. “Have you been here with me this whole time?”

He shrugged. “It hasn’t beenthatlong. Less than a day.”

“You must really want me to open that portal,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Where does it lead anyway?”

“I don’t know exactly, but I know I need to go. It’s the only thing I want.” Tik-Tok sat on the floor again, resting his elbows on his knees. Everything he’d done was for the portal. His entire life. Heneededit open so he could claim his revenge. “But, if you think that’s the only reason that I’ve taken care of you, then you’re wrong.”

“Then why?” North turned her head, meeting his red eyes with her brown ones. He’d imagined that gaze in a thousand different faces. Obsessed over what silver-haired female would possess them, but somehow, he’d never imagined North.

Tik-Tok ground his teeth. Did he want to tell her? To open up about his own pain? It was dangerous to let this female in when she so clearly wanted to escape him, but he couldn’t stop the words from leaving his mouth.

“I told you I cut it off myself,” he said in a deeper-than-normal voice as he held up his gold arm. “But what I didn’t tell you was I tied a thin iron wire around my upper arm and tightened it with a block of wood. It took hours, and I lost consciousness twice.”

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