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THE STOCKIER ONE OF the two pirates thudded across the floor to haul some empty barrels. He ignored Caelina and Stellan altogether.
Caelina met the gaze of the first one who seemed vaguely interested in her and she saw an opportunity to deal. “I wish to speak to your leader regarding our unlawful detainment.”
‘Gold teeth’ looked befuddled. “Your what now?”
She cleared her throat to go on, her voice clear and succinct. “I think we should be able to negotiate some terms if you were to let us go. I am certain your leader will be interested to hear what we have to offer.”
Stellan mocked her with an incredulous face. “What do you think they are, pirate diplomats?”
Caelina shot him a dark look before meeting the pirate’s gaze again.
Still grinning, he stepped closer to tower over her. “I think whatever you have to offer will not interest the captain. We’ve already got what we want.”
The stocky pirate hissed from across the hold. “Oy, stop yapping and help me with these. We’ll be docking to pick up the captain shortly.”
Caelina’s eyes lit up. “Docking? Docking where?”
‘Gold teeth’ replied with glee, “The captain’s island.”
The stocky pirate shushed him. “Shut up, Foy! Do you want the captain to smack your ass again? Haven’t you learned from last time? Or would you actually rather lose a leg like Smythe? Or worse?”
A tremor of fear flitted across his face at this prospect but Foy hissed back, “What does it matter? We’re gonna kill them anyway, right?” His eyes gleaming in eager anticipation, he rubbed his hands together. “Torture and kill them, right? They’re hostages.”
The stocky one was not amused. “The captain decides what to do with them. Not you.”
Tamping down the creeps crawling across her body, Caelina still couldn’t help the revolt on her face, but she stuck her chin up. “Tell your captain we are still open to negotiating.”
Foy gave her another grin. “Don’t you worry. We’ll be arriving soon. In the meantime, keep sitting pretty.” He gave Caelina a wink before both pirates whirled around to walk back up the staircase with the empty barrels, disappearing through the trapdoor before it shut again with a heavy thud.
Forcibly shaking off her terror in the once-again darkened space, Caelina sagged where she sat. She’d always aced diplomatic resolution lessons, and although she’d obviously never had to use them in practice before, she was sure she didn’t like the options that remained once diplomacy failed. She hoped the pirate captain would be a more reasonable, not to mention coherent person to deal with.
But Stellan couldn’t help a chuckle under his breath. “You were trying to negotiate with these ruffians? Do you seriously live under a rock that you can be so naïve?” His velvety smooth voice dripped with ridicule.
Her ire rising again, she gave him a suffering look. “Oh, what, as opposed to your go-to?” she suggested. “You were going to hit one guy then the next guy then the next guy. How inefficient.”
“These types of people only understand fists,” Stellan informed her. “Not words.”
Caelina rolled her eyes.
Despite now being her husband, Caelina still knew virtually nothing about Stellan, except for the fact that he was an above-average Fae warrior. The ones in their village were mostly ‘brawn, no brain’ types and she was content to assume that he fit the mold perfectly. In which case, she supposed it made sense that he would relate to scruffy pirates more than decent Fae.
Caelina shifted in her seat once more. Her butt was numb from sitting on the wooden floor, being that they must have been on the boat for a good few hours already. But her movement tugged on the chain they shared, yanking painfully on Stellan’s arms behind his back.
“Ow! Be careful!” he complained.
“My butt is killing me!” Caelina whinged. “I need to get up.”
“Slow it down then and let’s do it together,” he told her. “You’re going to dislocate my arms.”
“Fiiine.”
“What do you think these people want?” Stellan ventured as he got to one knee before straightening up.
Wobbly on her disused legs, Caelina made a face as she stood. “Probably me,” she supplied. “I’m about to ascend as High Fae leader of the Priori people, not the mention the entire Fae lands. They must be from some other island village that has some sort of grudge with us.”
Her relief upon getting up was short-lived as she couldn’t reach to massage her sore muscles. She leaned back against one of the poles to maintain her balance as the ship rocked against the waves, her movement rattling the chain.
Stellan’s sharp eyes traveled up the brace where the chain was mounted before furtively assessing their surroundings. “I think there’s only one way up to the deck from down here.”
“Fantastic.”
He tossed her a look. “You’re a mage—reputedly the strongest in our village. Can’t you magic us out of here?”
Caelina flinched in offense. “What the hell do you mean by that—‘reputedly’? I am the strongest mage in our village.”
“Then do something.”
She made another face. “My hands are bound, genius. Perhaps our priority should be to release my hands so I can use my magic to blast us out of here.”
He cast a glance around. “Well, do you see anything down here that can help break you out of them, perhaps a sword or an ax?”
Squinting in the dim light, the most she could make out in the dank hold were chains strewn about the floor and more barrels. “All the weapons must be up on the deck with the pirates.” She wrinkled her nose, looking Stellan up and down. “You’re a warrior. Can’t you just kill them all?”
His response was measured. “I can probably fight some of them but not all of them,” he stated. “We don’t know how many of them there are. Besides, we don’t even know where we are either. Even if I kill all of them then who’s going to sail the ship? I don’t know about you mages, but as a warrior, most of my training was for things on solid ground.”
Caelina sighed. “This is what I keep telling my sister. Warriors are like hammers. You only serve one purpose, and with no nails around, you’re useless. And your skills, while acutely honed, are exclusively meant for destruction.”
Her insult not even the slightest bit veiled, Stellan turned offended eyes back at her. “I forget how arrogant mages are. If you must know, not everything I do is destructive.”
Disinterested, her eyes were trained up toward the pulley system holding the chain. “Oh, yeah, like what?”
“I was always pretty good at woodwork and craft,” he boasted. “I’ve built many useful things. My grandparents thoroughly enjoy the rocking chairs I’ve made, the village is littered with my excellent ladders, and I also helped construct that pipe organ for the temple, if you must know.”
“Pipe organ?” Caelina echoed.
Caelina loved the pipe organ at the temple. It had such a rich, vibrant sound enhanced by the acoustics within the temple itself. It was a little shocking to discover that Stellan had anything whatsoever to do with that beautiful instrument.
Music had always been Caelina’s first love. Ever since the first time her parents had taken her and her sister to see the orchestra.
Then when her parents passed away, Caelina had been so distraught that the only thing that gave her solace was her mother’s collection of chimes in the big tree behind their house. Each beautiful set of chimes had a unique sound and she could always tell them apart. Neighbors complained they got too loud during windy storms but whenever Caelina heard the tinkling of her mother’s chimes, they always comforted her and set her at peace.
The tree also served as an homage to her parents, and every year on the anniversary of their death, the villagers would hang up a brand new set of chimes to honor her mother, and the collection kept growing. The gesture always touched her heart.
Stellan was watching her face as she had lost herself in thought. “What?”
Not willing to share, Caelina pursed her lips. “Nothing.”
