Page 24 of Take No Prisoners
Niall nodded. "He's an orphan, like me. Seekers are just like everyone else conscripted into the military. They don't have much choice."
Efren had never thought about it that way. He supposed that was true. Coryn paid well for their skill, but she could blackmail or bully them into service just as easily.
"I'm glad he's safe, then. I just wish Vadim wasn't walking about my ship like he owns her."
"You quickly dispatched his ship," Niall said.
That was the problem. Vadim had wanted to be captured. He was hitching a ride to Aquarion. Efren only hoped he didn't intend to kill the council and everyone on the island when they arrived.
He would have to wait and see, though. Questioning the sailors took top priority once he was back aboard and wearing freshly washed clothes. Niall followed Hannah to the crow's nest to practice some basic weaves, or so they promised. No bolts of lightning hit the deck, at least, so Efren followed Vadim and Klaus to their corner of the hold with his captain's chair.
After a brief discussion, they agreed to question Vadim's former crew one at a time. A moment later, Stan led the first sailor to them.
"Drop him on Loggerneck," Vadim said before Efren asked the first question.
The man sneered at Klaus, who sat in the open doorway of Vadim's original crate. Vadim rested against the side of the new structure, only the two thin pieces of board separating him from Klaus. Most people would fear being that close to a death weaver. Klaus looked too tired to care as he glanced up at Vadim.
"He didn't hurt me."
"What have you got to say for yourself?" Efren asked.
"I don't give a shit what you do to me. Coryn's going to kill me, regardless. I gave my word I wouldn't let this bastard anywhere near pirates. We were supposed to sail for Stony Eel Island, and instead he set sail for Hearthstone."
"Stony Eel Island?" Efren asked. "What the hell is there, besides a bunch of seals?"
"Not important." Vadim's tone was as cold as his gaze. "Loggerneck for this one. Next." He had his glove off before the man had climbed the stairs to the deck.
"What are you doing?" Efren knew exactly what Vadim's bared hand meant, but he wanted to hear him say it.
"When they signed on as my crew, they consented to forfeit their lives if they displeased me. They have greatly displeased me." From Vadim's smile, Efren thought quite the opposite. Killing them would bring him great pleasure, especially when Klaus stared up at him in awe.
"Fuck's sake, can't you just let them disembark, to give some semblance of decorum?"
"Decorum for whom? You know my true nature. I'm a death weaver and a pirate."
"You haven't been a pirate in five years." Efren couldn't keep the contempt from his voice.
Vadim ignored him. "Besides, it will take too long to ferry them to the island. Better to toss them in the sea." Vadim rolled his eyes as he inhaled and held up his hand. The air in the hold chilled as though an ice weaver had spelled it, and a body thumped to the deck above.
"Gods damn it, Vadim!" Hannah yelled. From the sound of their voice, they were no longer in the crow's nest.
"You'd better go check. I might have missed and killed your precious Niall."
Klaus jumped to his feet, his fingertips brushing Vadim's arm, still bare after the ocean bath, before he recoiled. "You wouldn't!"
"First, he didn't give consent the first time, so I doubt he'd let you kill him now."
Vadim smirked, and Klaus blushed as he sank back to his haunches on the floor.
"Second, you can't kill him if you expect to curry favor with Beatrice."
Vadim hid his surprise with a grin, but Efren knew him too well. "You believe me."
"I wish I knew why you needed to sink Coryn's largest ship for a ride back to Aquarion, but yes, I believe you."
"You were supposed to steal or scupper her, not drop her to the bottom of the ocean."
"Tovey was a bit overdramatic with the fireballs," Efren agreed. "Hannah also mentioned their waves and lightning were revenge best served cold."
