Page 51 of The Sea Witch
“It won’t end well for you,” he said softly. “For pirates, it never does.”
“Have some imagination.” She poured herself another mug of ale before silently offering to refresh his own mug. At his nod, she poured a healthy amount of ale. “Some buccaneers die in bed, surrounded by wealth and luxury. Or become governor, such as Woodes Rogers.”
“Fortune doesn’t smile upon exceptions. It’s merely proof that anyone, even a murderous scoundrel, can exploit the world to their advantage.”
She was silent, and then said quietly, “Even if you find the pirate responsible for your father’s death, you’ll have to sail forward. Say you get your vengeance, in whatever form it takes, it changes nothing about the past.”
His jaw set. “That’s a concern I’ll face when I get there. Until then, it’s the course I know.”
She stood from the table and walked to the window that ran the length of the stern, giving her cabin a view of the sea churning behind the ship. TheSea Witchwasn’t the largest brigantine, and she cut a clean line through the water, so she had a narrow wake.
“What’s at the end ofyourvoyage, Sailing Master? If you locate and punish whoever’s responsible,ifyou get off my ship, then what? More esteemed service to His Majesty? A pension and a quiet life in a seaside villa when gray threads your hair? I hear tending roses is a favorite thing to do, when you’re no longer at sea.”
“You’ve no idea what I hope for.”
Her lips twisted, wry. “Many sailors turn buccaneer when they learn the terms of pirate articles. Good pay, decent working conditions, and extra coin if they’re hurt or maimed and can no longer serve on the ship. In one year, I’ve had only two occasions to flog members of my company. Once for hiding a share of booty for themselves without reporting it.”
“The second?”
She turned to face him, and he was watching her carefully, his attention sharp and purposeful.
“Torturing a captive.” She tilted her head. “That’s a look of astonishment if ever I’ve seen one. You believe we’re a lawless band of vicious thieves.”
“Piratesarevicious thieves. There isn’t a single one free from that charge.”
“Painting with a broad stroke, when you’re blind to the details. A handful of days ago, you hadn’t even met a female pirate.”
He pushed back from the table and walked slowly toward her, giving her fair chance to move away and place distance between them. Yet she stayed where she was, allowing him to cross the breadth of the cabin until he stood in front of her. She was within striking distance—they both were. It would be simple enough for him to lash out, perhaps wrap the length of chain between his manacles across her throat and pull hard enough to steal her words and her life.
She had a dagger in her sash. She could have the blade in her hand and through his windpipe before he could blink. She could force the air from his body, suffocating him.
A current of fire ran through her body. It intoxicated her to test this possibility, and press against the danger that vibrated between them.
“There’s no reason to do it,” he said lowly. “To take up a profession rife with men who are, in your words, a lawless band of vicious thieves.”
“Inyourwords, murderous scoundrels. My company is entirely composed of women.”
“By design.”
“Ask anyone aboard theSea Witchthe same question: what have men ever done for you? You’ll get the same answer: nothing good.”
For the remainder of her days, she’d see Ellen’s lifeless formswaying gently in the late fall breeze, or how the line of torches had made their way toward the harbor.
“Curb your tongue,” Samuel used to hiss when they were amongst the other villagers.
Other voices echoed: the upstanding men of Norham, coming to arrest her, kill her.
To her surprise, Ben didn’t scoff. Instead, he rubbed at his chin, considering what she’d said. “To becomepirates.”
“As opposed to what?” She set her hands on her hips as she stared up at him. “Meek wives. Doting daughters. Spinster sisters dependent on someone to clothe and feed them, and give them a place to lay their heads each night. Robbed of the magical gifts we were born with. Forced to be ordinary, to besafeto men and their pride. Hunted and killed if we refuse to comply. Aboard theSea Witch, we answer to ourselves alone. The only boundary is the endless limit of the horizon.”
“Pursuing such a choice can only result in your death.”
“Death is the result for everyone, not just pirates,” she returned. “Whether we are sainted Madonnas or fallen whores, we all die. And if you’re a witch, it’s almost certain your life’s cut short. This way, no man tells us who to be or how to live. I doubt you can say the same.”
He jabbed his finger toward her. “The law is master overallof us, including you and your renegade band of women.”
“Laws that benefit some but harm more are no laws to me. If that means sailing to the fiery gates of hell sooner rather than later, I know the better option. Where I was from, there were laws against witches, but simply because a law exists doesn’t make it just.”
