Page 12 of Daughter of the Dark Sea
“I’m not surprised, I’d need to be high to be a pirate,” Kora scoffed at the alkaloid pipe. “Being a killer takes its toll on the soul. He probably smoked iridweed every day.”
Blake snickered, placing the pipe on the top of the desk. “Actually,” he picked it back up, “probably best to leave this here. Erick will only blame me if he finds iridweed powder on the ship.” He placed it back in the drawer, slamming it shut, and she winced at his reaction.
It was a mystery where the drug was being funnelled from, or where it was grown, and no one knew what plant it resultedfrom, only that it spread through pirate vessels like wildfire. The empire didn’t care, as long as it didn’t reach their lands.
She flipped through multiple drawers as Blake shifted to the ruby chest, inspecting it.
What in the—
Every drawer was clean, aside from the pipe and a small bag of silvers. Not even a ledger, or a weapon. Gods, not even a crumb of a sea biscuit. Kora collected the blood-stained papers on the floor.Was that . . . poetry?Whowasthis pirate captain?
Frustration boiled beneath her skin, andshe peered at Blake by the beautifully crafted chest. Intricately woven rubies of various sizes and cuts covered the gold, the lid fastened shut with a golden, heart-shaped lock.
“Have you ever seen so many rubies before?” She joined Blake, grasping the lock, turning it over.
“No,” he mused, “nor ones this . . . exquisite.” He shuffled to her right and rifled through Cannon’s still body. “Aha!”
He retrieved a dual-pronged golden key from Cannon’s inner breast pocket. A twisted heart-shaped bow, with a solid ruby held in its centre—and it was coated in Cannon’s blood. Kora paled as Blake unlocked the chest, wiping the blood absentmindedly on his jerkin. The chest lid creaked open and she peered inside, eager to see what treasures would be hidden in a pirate captain’s quarters.
Gold. So much gold.
A rare metal in these lands. The chest was filled to the brim with wealth fromDemon Sea Siren’s plunders. Trinkets and jewels from both Aldara and Talmon, and even dark stones from the far-off marshlands of Otrovia.
“Oh . . . my,” Kora whispered in awe. Blake audibly swallowed as he picked up a gleaming silver goblet hidden amongst the gold. Its stem and bowl were lined with swirling moonstones and pearls.
“Galen,” Kora observed. These riches and treasures had come from Galen. “But why is it in a ruby chest? That’s the witches’ stone.” The witches kept to themselves in the Shannara Territory, threatening any who dared to enter. The empire had secured a treaty with them during the Galenite War, ensuring neither party could disturbthe other.
“This isn’t a coincidence, if the wenches are involved,” Blake grunted. He could never call themwitches, referring to them instead as wenches, because of their savage nature. They roamed through the remaining pieces, picking out anything that remotely resembled the mysteriously misted island of Galen.
“What should we do with this? We can’t give our crew bounty from Galen.”
Kora’s head pounded at the thought of amending the ledgers over this. She’d certainly be caught if her ledgers indicated Galen wealth. The empire would leap to check her plunder records and discover a year of missing treasures. Blake assembled a third of the treasure containing the Galenite moonstone in a pile on the floor, and ripped golden fabric from the bed to conceal it in.
“We’ll hide this.We need to show it to Erick when we return. He’ll know what to do.” He tied the craftily made knapsack into a knot, hiding the silver treasure inside. Kora curtly nodded and went to close the lid of the chest when something dark and glimmering caught her eye.
She gingerly picked up the trinket and studied it. A talisman necklace, with a thin, dark-steel chain and a delicate oval-shaped pendant. Like a teardrop, with a hollow centre. Individual, spiralled columns intricately connected around the pendant, and light glinted off the midnight-blue hue, stark against the rubied chest. A small smile formed on Kora’s lips as she traced the curves and spirals. It reminded her of the dark depths of the ocean.
“Take it,” Blake studied her, and she blushed. “You never keep anything for yourself.”
Kora shook her head. It could go to one of the crew. They needed it more than she did, and could sell it to feed their family for a few weeks. He strode over and gently took her wrist, unfurling her fingers.
“If you won’t take it for yourself,” he placed it over her head, his green eyes glinting, “then please, do me the honour of accepting it as a gift.” The metal cooled her flushed neck as it settled on her pimpled skin, and the metal teardrop nestled comfortably between her breasts.
“Well, if you insist,” Kora smiled.
Her breath caught at the intensity of his green-eyed gaze against the red hue from the glittering, ruby chest. She nibbled her lower lip and Blake’s stare snagged from where the talisman lay snug on her chest, to her pert lips. His hands glided from the chain to her throat, gently stroking her flushed skin, up to her jaw, tracing her lips.
His mouth swiftly followed as he tugged Kora into a passionate kiss, his stubble tickling her skin. One hand cupped her jaw whilst the other pressed against the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. Her hands ravaged the obsidian lengths of his hair, making him moan. His lips parted, inviting her in, and her tongue flicked out, savouring the taste of him.
It’d been too long. Hot, tiring days out at sea together, unable to touch yet always in proximity. It’d been torture for her, and stealing moments like this stirred a fire deep within her core. Their passion burned in the shadows, filled with secret glances, light kisses, and subtle caresses. Romance was forbidden between officers, yet their hearts longed for each other. Not to mention Erick’s insistence on separating them, stating Blake was dangerous, and would get Kora into trouble.
It only spurred her on, and a defiant ember sizzled between her legs. “Blake,” she groaned his name against his mouth and a visible shiver ran through him. “We can’t . . . not now . . . nothere.”
She reluctantly pulled away, her hands resting on his sculpted chest, and his heart pounded underneath her fingertips. She pointed at the two bodies and he sighed with frustration.
“My timing is never great.” He rested his forehead against hers. “Soon, myasterya.”
Kora rolled her eyes at Blake’s infuriating nickname for her from the old language. Hisshining star. Despite its disappearance, a few words from the old world of Devania had survived history.
