Page 46 of Queen of Whispers and Mist

SHADOW

Calypso sat on a flat rock, head tipped toward the sky, hair spilling down her back, fanning her face with her tricorn.

“I’m surprised you managed to keep hold of that,” Shadow murmured as she joined the other woman.

The captain opened one eye and offered a grin. “That’s what we refer to as a priority. What’s a pirate without her hat?”

Shadow chuckled, taking a seat beside her in the sand. “Forgive me for saying so, but you don’t seem very upset, considering.”

“Considering my ship has sunk and my crew is lost at sea?” She smiled at Shadow’s stricken expression. “I’m not heartless, I simply know my crew, and I know these waters. Some might be truly lost, and I will mourn them deeply. But I have no doubt many, if not most, survived. As for theRevenge”—she shrugged prosaically—“it wasn’t mine to begin with. Just a placeholder.”

Before she could ask what the captain meant, Bronn and Ronan joined them.

“Any news?” Bronn asked.

Calypso shook her head, her brow furrowing slightly, hinting at far deeper emotions than she outwardly expressed. “Jagger and Buttercup haven’t returned, but I expect they will soon.”

“What makes you think so?” Shadow asked.

Pointing to the sun, Calypso said, “They’ve already been gone for a couple hours. They would have turned around by now to ensure they didn’t get lost or cut off from us. Anything more than an hour's search without the full party in unfamiliar territory is asking for trouble. We’d rather take our chances walking blind than get separated.”

Ronan nodded as if he understood exactly what the captain was getting at. Shadow might be more familiar with working alone, but even she appreciated the reasoning behind such protocol. What made less sense was what came after. Camping for one night, even two, was easy. But what would they do longer term?

“What’s the plan?”

“What do you mean?” Calypso asked with a slight frown.

“They return, we find a place to make camp, then what? What will we do about food? Long-term shelter? Are we going to search the island in the hopes of seeking out help, or are we waiting for someone to come rescue us?”

Calypso pressed her lips together. “You’re not used to taking it easy, are you? Islands are notorious for relaxation and downtime. Perhaps you should see this as an opportunity for a vacation.”

“A vacation,” Shadow repeated.

“You’ve never taken one, have you?” Ronan asked, amused.

“What gave me away?”

“How you said the word as if you’d never heard it before.”

She crossed her arms, her cheeks and neck suddenly hot. She was aware of the term, obviously, but she hadn’t actually participated in one. The idea of downtime with nothing to keep her busy sounded terrible. What was she supposed todo?

“And I bet you take them regularly?” she scoffed.

“No,” Ronan said, to her surprise. “Never. I can’t remember the last time I so much as took a day off.”

“Me either,” she murmured.

“Did we just find common ground?” Ronan asked with exaggerated shock.

Shadow took a fistful of sand and flung it in his direction, much to the captain and Bronn’s amusement.

“Do they remind you of anyone?” Calypso asked beneath her breath.

“Are you referring to us, by chance?” he returned with a fond smile.

“Back when we first met. I could barely stand to breathe the same air as you.”

“What changed?” Shadow asked, curious despite the fact that they were mocking her.

---