Page 33 of Crossbones
“Dear brother, why do you always think I have an angle?”
He falls into step at my side and I’m reminded just how different we are—like oil and water. We’re the same height but he has Father’s looks—dark hair, nearly black, that he wears slicked back without a hair out of place; a sharp, clean-shaven jaw; and full lips, continually tugged down into a frown. The only thing we have in common are Mother’s piercing blue eyes. We’d never really gotten along, but afterthe scandal, well, there are some things you just don’t come back from.
“I never took you for a pirate hunter,” Aldric says. “At first I thought you’d run away to avoid your wedding, but I think it’s something else.”
I frown at the mention of the pending nuptials. “I was partying around Carmine when I saw him, nothing more,” I shrug. “Figured I may as well tip off our people.”
Aldric doesn’t believe me, he’s a lot harder to fool than our father.
“A messenger came by here a few days ago with a ransom demand. Said a group of pirates was holding a De’Vero noble and we had two days to pay them before they killed him. They gave a very accurate description of you.”
I can feel his eyes burning into the side of my head but when I don’t say anything he sighs.
“Cut the bullshit—I know it was you.” He grabs my sleeve to stop me, forcing me to face him.
“What were you up to, Caspian?”
I tilt my head at him and attempt a smirk but my good mood is gone, along with my patience.
“Nothing, brother, besides of course being—what did you say that time at dinner? Ah, yes,irrelevant.”
“But you’ve been sailing your own ship—why?”
I shouldn’t be surprised he knows this but it’s still irritating.
“Can you fault a man for his love of the sea?”
He frowns at me and his eyes sharpen. “If that’s all I thought it was…but you are up to something, Caspian.”
“Please…all I do is hide behind my cowardice—your words too by the way—and spend my time getting as drunk as possible. I don’t have time for scheming.” I pull my arm from him and continue walking, waving my hand over my shoulder at him. “I’m too busy running from responsibility, remember?”
“We both know that’s bullshit,” he calls after me.
I turn and walk backwards, throwing my arms wide and sneering at him.
“But you so love to paint that picture of me—I would have assumed by this point, you’d believe it yourself.”
Aldric narrows his eyes at me. “I’ll find out sooner or later, Caspian.”
I shake my head and dismiss him. “Paranoia doesn’t suit you, brother!”
JAMES
I don’t know what to expect as the guards escort me out of the castle depths, but it certainly surprises me when we stop at a set of double doors that don’t lead to the throne room. The guards posted outside push them open and we walk into a large study. The warmth of the fireplace crackling across the room is a welcome relief from the damp bowels of the dungeons. The smell of books, ink and—something else, permeates the space.
Caspian has his back to the door as I walk in. “Leave us.”
The guard hesitates for only a moment. Caspian peers over his shoulder; his stare hardening in a way that leaves no room for arguing. It’s that same arrogance he’d displayed on the ship except this time, I know the reason he carries himself like this.
The guard bows and retreats, closing the door with a soft click behind him. Caspian resumes perusing the books before pulling one from a shelf. He flips through it and stops on a page before making his way over to his desk. He takes a slip of paper and marks the page before closing it and setting it down. Only then does he turn his full attention on me, his amusement back in full force. He crosses his arms over his chest; his eyes glint in the soft light as he takes me in.
His attention catches on the fresh cuts on my face, courtesy of the guards earlier, and as his eyes travel down my body, his amusement fades and his mouth tightens with displeasure at the state of me. Seeing him again is making my blood heat in irritating ways and I don’t like how those eyes feel almost possessiveof me.
“I was right,” I say.
Caspian’s attention lifts and a genuine smile appears on his face. The shadow is still there behind his eyes but I can tell he’s trying to mask it.
“Looks that way,” he chuckles. “Not justanyDe’Vero noble though.”
