Page 85 of Take No Prisoners
In his dreams, Niall had convinced himself he could show Efren how much he cared. He would stay by his side and prove he was a far better companion, friend, and lover than Vadim. It wouldn't take long before Efren would forget all about the death weaver, or so he hoped.
Chapter 21
Efren
They arrived at the dock just as Beatrice pulled the skiff alongside the mooring post.
"Good morning." She waved. "Is Niall coming with us?"
Niall had tossed and turned half the night. After Efren had tried to calm him down with a mutual hand job, Niall had turned away from him and buried his head beneath a pillow for the rest of the night. At least he'd stopped moving, but it hadn't saved his mood from sinking once again.
"Why can't I come with you?" Niall frowned at him. "I'm part of your crew now. I should be by your side while the others are gone."
Efren ignored Niall's anger and latched onto his words. "You are a key member of my crew. As such, I need you to stay here and wait for Olivia to arrive on the south shore. I'll have Petri watch for her from the north. One of you will point her to the new docks to the west."
Niall dropped his gaze to the planks at their feet and nodded.
"We expect Coryn to sail from the east," Efren continued, "but she might be fast enough to attack at sea. IfStarlight Specterhasn't returned by noon and you've received no message from Tovey, I need you and Petri to take the skiff to find them. If you hear shouting or explosions, return to Horseshoe Island to get us."
"There must be someone else you can ask." Niall's voice was low enough his grandmother couldn't hear him over the water lapping against the dock.
"You're the only member of my crew who's still on the island."
Niall opened his mouth, possibly to argue, so Efren rushed ahead. "You're the only one I trust."
Niall usually puffed up with pride when Efren paid him a compliment, but his shoulders sagged instead. "I'll do it," he mumbled as he turned away from the dock.
Before Efren could reach for him, Niall straightened his shoulders and marched away. He headed south along the path that would take him to the back of the barracks and the beach beyond.
"You've made my grandson unhappy," Beatrice chided as he, Frost, and the children Niall had rescued boarded the skiff. She motioned him to sit across from her at the front of the small boat. Behind them, Frost started to walk the children through a guided meditation to calm them for the ride.
"I don't know what I did wrong," Efren said. "I thought we'd shared something special, but then he tossed and turned all night."
He expected Beatrice to pounce with an inquiry, but she silently stared at him until his cheeks burned. He looked away. "I'll talk to him."
"You will," she agreed. "He thinks you still love Vadim."
Efren could still feel the scar tissue over the gaping hole Vadim had rent through his heart, but it had mostly healed. He and the death weaver were speaking, which was unexpected and welcome, but he would never harbor the same desire for the man. Niall had replaced Vadim in Efren's thoughts.
"I don't love Vadim. I sometimes wonder if I ever did."
"You did." She patted his knee and pushed the skiff into deeper waters with a burst of wind in their sail. "It might not be the strongest of which you are capable, but it was the strongest emotion you'd known at the time. You've changed, Efren. I only hope you realize that before you break Niall's heart."
Oh, he knew. His entire mood had changed since he'd met Niall. Now, he caught himself grinning like a fool for no reason beyond something witty Niall had said. If he didn't find a way to hide it, Olivia would notice the moment she set eyes on him again. The strangest thing was, he didn't want to shirk from his crew's observation. They'd all conspired to push them together in the first place.
When he roused himself from his thoughts, they were already halfway to the barely recognizable island to the north. Efren eased the skiff's passage through the water, and soon they swung around to the northwestern side. He and Frost helped everyone else to shore and then grounded the skiff, concealing her beneath the underbrush to the north of the brook.
Beatrice provided them a simple path through the island's overgrown flora, and soon they were at the back entrance to the cave system that would take them to the council meeting hall beneath the giant sentinel oak. Efren no longer remembered the path by heart, especially since the earth weavers could shift them at will whenever they feared a breach. Jermain knew the way and led them to the meeting room within ten minutes of landing.
The banquet table was set with cold meats and pastries, a hearty breakfast without being overly fancy or wasteful. Frost helped the children fill their plates, but he took nothing for himself.
Neither did Efren. He wondered if Frost felt as nervous as he did. Efren would only vomit the contents of his stomach when Martiz asked Vadim the hard questions, like who gave the order to hang Willamina and her crew, and why it had to be him.
Efren didn't want Vadim to die, but that didn't mean he loved him. He enjoyed spending time with Niall far more. It seemed strange to put a name to his feelings when they were so new, but Beatrice was right. He needed to give the young man a reason to stay. He was in the prime of his youth, and gorgeous besides. He could attract anyone he wanted, but for some reason he'd set his sights on Efren. He might not deserve Niall's attention in the first place, but he would damn well fight to keep it.
Maybe it wasn't love, but it had the potential to be deeper than any of Efren's other relationships with his family, his crew, or any of his former lovers. Niall had quickly become his closest confidant. Efren thought he'd never trust anyone again after Vadim's betrayal, but Niall was easy to trust. Efren had no choice now that he could feel the beat of Niall's heart and the raw emotion churning in the tiny piece of his core he'd given Efren for safekeeping. Those feelings had nearly overwhelmed him the night before, and he'd buried them deeper within his core.
Fuck. He'd hidden from Niall's emotions. No wonder Niall was upset. Niall had given him a gift, and he'd refused to open it.
