Page 67 of The Pirate Queen of Ruin
Delphini runs her tongue over her teeth as she stares at Lovette. Again, right before it happens, I have the sense to slap my hand over his stupid mouth. The wet clap echoes around the building as she yanks the knife from his thigh. I force his head down to make him look at the blood pouring from his leg. For the first time, he turns a colour other than red.
“Is Miles planning something?” I demand.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He is mocking us, in his final moments he thinks this will somehow make it easier for him.
“Does your buddy know anything about this?”
“No, took the money and ran. I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
When I look up at Delphini again, I can see the faint glow peeking through her chest. The grip she holds on the knife is so firm her fingers are shaking.
“Is Miles planning something?” she asks.
“Eat shit.” Even as he says the words he gags.
Delphini lunges forward and the blade slips through his ribs. A perfect strike.
“He’s going to kill…” Pat gasps, but doesn’t finish the threat.
Pink light filters through the building and in a blink again it’s gone. She has fed another soul to our patron, another pillar of her revenge has crumbled. Delphini’s shoulders rise and fall quickly, her curls covering her face. I hold my breath, waiting, wondering if I am going to have to steal a boat this time to get us home safely. Her hand jerks, the distinct sound of wet meat being roughly sliced, covering up my sigh of relief. She removes the blade from Pat Lovette and stumbles back.
Her hand is covered in blood, the front of her dress is also splattered with it too. Each breath she pulls in has her chest and shoulders rising like she has swum the length of the bay. I try to call out to Love, but they are silent. I stare at my human, wondering if Love’s power will overwhelm her again.
She dabs her free hand over her face and relief washes over me.
She’s okay.
“You got a little.” I look down at her dress and she follows.
“For Love’s sake.”
Chapter twenty-three
Orthia
16 Days
PatLovetteshouldn’tbehaunting me. His pathetic threat and his weak promise should not be echoing around my skull, but they do.
The ease of it all grates against my skin as I sit at my desk, locked away in my quarters after returning to the ship to peel away these new clothes. The need for comfort, the urgency to hide myself, was so strong I abandoned Delphini at the door. The silk around my throat had turned constricting, stealing my breath away. While I stare at the wall of obituaries behind my desk, my finger traces Love’s mark. The swirl of tentacles around my throat keeps me in a singular piece now, instead of two.
“They know not who they are battling, heart. Do not doubt the abilities of our sweet one.”Tentacles move beneath my skin, and the addictive touch of suckers on the inside of my wrists and neck eases my thoughts, but not completely.
“It’s not-” I don’t know what I am going to say. My worries for Delphini are not that she is incapable. Myomphaloshas proven to be steadfast and strong, beautiful beyond measure and yet so hungry for blood that I wonder what life would be like to serve her, to bring her sacrifices to feed on. “It’s not her, Love. It’s me. I’m failing her at every turn because of my actions. What if next time I rip a head off instead of his hair?”
“All know the risk,”they rumble.“She has done well and should be rewarded. There is much more that will come before her revenge is complete. Take these moments.”
I purse my lips. Love goes silent, leaving me to ponder their ominous message. It now mixes with Lovette’s words. Humans make everything complicated. One slip, and they could accidentally kill themselves and ruin Delphini’s revenge. Is he going to try and kill her or himself?
The knock at my door reminds me of my promise, of the reward my human has earned.
Delphini blinks when I open the door, wrapped up tight in her silk robe with her curls piled on top of her head. Her eyes wander from the flush on my face to my bare throat. The exposed skin burns under her gaze and yet I want to expose more of me to her, to feel that burn cleanse some part of me that has been ruined for all time. She licks her lips like she knows I want her to feast upon me.
I take my time to look at her, from her sandals to the gap in her robe that exposes Love’s mark on her chest.
Delphini crosses her arms under her breasts. Nipples press against the stretched fabric now. “Ready? Nargol says you watch sometimes, but I’ve been dying to at least have a soak, so we could ignore them or watch or…”
She trails off, her finger pulling on a loose curl and twisting it around her finger as she stares at me now. That little coquettish action is my undoing. Finally, it’s mine.
