Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

AUGUST 25TH, 1666

T wo days after Yves took Rowan to meet Ana, Rowan decided to check on the progress of repairs on the Siren Song . He felt almost as if he'd been in a dream since arriving on Illusion, forgetting his worries and responsibilities when he was wrapped up in Yves's arms. The beautiful man's company was wholly distracting and intoxicating. Before Rowan knew it, so much time had passed.

"I don't see why this is necessary," Yves said as Rowan pulled on his boots. "Your first mate seems to be taking care of everything adequately."

"I like to be a bit more hands-on. I get restless if I'm not doing something."

"I wouldn't say we've been doing nothing ." Yves smirked, and Rowan felt a blush rising to his cheeks.

"Still, aren't you hungry to get back out into the open sea? Back to pirating? I never thought the Deep Water Demon would be complacent," Rowan teased.

A muscle in Yves's jaw twitched.

"I suppose I should check the Kraken 's progress as well," he sighed.

They made their way down to the docks, collecting Logan and Ga?l on the way.

"Where is Fox today?" Rowan asked. Though Fox and Ga?l had never actually said they were a couple, it was extremely obvious by the way they were attached at the hip. It was almost odd now to see one without the other.

"At the tavern with Henri," Ga?l answered.

The group separated into two landing boats which took them out to the waiting ships.

Ga?l eyed his captain as they stepped onto the deck of the Kraken . The ship buzzed with carpenters and other crew members working on repairs. Captain Yves seemed to be in a bad mood, but Ga?l couldn't think of why. The repairs were going well, and his fling with the Ghost Hawk was obviously quite active. Maybe he had the same things on his mind as Ga?l did.

The captain strode through the ship with Ga?l on his heels, checking up on the progress. He was cordial with the crew but they'd never been close like the Siren 's crew seemed to be. Ga?l thought maybe he held himself aloof on purpose to lend himself authority and maintain the mystique of his position.

Captain Yves stopped in the hallway after checking on the gun decks. Ga?l stopped short behind him, wondering what he was doing. There were no repairs happening here, and they were alone.

"Well? Say what you wanted to say then," the captain said without turning to look at him. He might be aloof, but that didn't mean he was unobservant. You couldn't become the most feared pirate captain on the sea without knowing how to read people. Ga?l cleared his throat; there was no use beating around the bush.

"I would like you to release me from service on the Kraken ," Ga?l said evenly.

The demonic captain turned to look at him now, anger flaring in his dark eyes.

"The answer is no," he said without hesitation. Without asking why Ga?l would decide to leave his home of several years so suddenly. The captain turned away as if the matter were closed.

"I think you misunderstand, Captain," Ga?l said. "I am only asking your permission out of respect. But I am going to leave whether you agree to it or not. "

Was that hurt he saw flicker across Captain Yves's expression? Surely not.

"Why?" he finally asked, deadly quiet.

"I want to join the crew of the Siren because of Fox."

"Because of Fox?" the captain repeated, as if he could not begin to fathom what the words might mean.

Ga?l stepped closer, appealing. "I love him. And I promised I wouldn't leave him again. Surely…" He hesitated. "Surely even you can understand that."

"Even I—" Captain Yves's voice was full of barely suppressed rage. Did he understand? Maybe. But he would never admit it. Ga?l wilted beneath his captain's intense gaze, but he did not back down.

Then just as quickly as it had sparked, Captain Yves's anger seemed to die.

"Do as you wish," he said, turning to glide down the hall once more. "I have neither the room nor the patience for lovestruck fools on my ship."

Would the captain deny himself even now? When anyone could see he was just as much a fool as Ga?l?

The town on the island of Illusion could barely be called a town, but it had a tavern, and that was good enough for Fox.

After Ga?l had told him that morning that he would be busy all day inspecting repairs with the Demon, Fox had commandeered Henri for an adventure. He wanted to make the most of the sunny day, and while Henri couldn't go exploring around the island itself, there was nothing stopping them from exploring the town. There wasn't much there—a blacksmith, a carpenter, the typical things that all small villages had. But by midday they ended up where every pirate ended up eventually, at the tavern.

The interior was packed mostly with crew from both pirate ships, having little to do while the repairs were being made. Cheers and raised glasses from their fellow Siren crew members greeted Fox and Henri as they entered.

They whiled away the afternoon, sipping their mugs of ale and mead and chatting with their friends about whether they would be leaving before the harvest celebration at the beginning of September .

No sooner had Henri excused himself to the toilet than another crew member slid into his recently vacated space on the bench next to Fox.

"Haven't seen you around in a while," Cyrus said, taking a gulp from his tankard. He was a gunner on the Siren , taller than Fox but shorter than Henri. Broad-shouldered with a face more disposed to frowning than smiling. And he used to be Fox's frequent bed fellow.

"Yep," Fox agreed. The others at the table had turned to their own conversations.

Cyrus shifted closer along the bench. Fox's back stiffened.

"So, when are you going to get sick of the new guy and go back to normal?" Cyrus asked casually.

Fox choked on his ale.

"What?"

"I said, when are you going to get tired of playing house and start sleeping around again?" Cyrus leaned forward a bit, hand resting on Fox's thigh under the table. "I'm getting impatient."

Gods, he hadn't formally broken it off with any of his ongoing flings when he and Ga?l had become a thing. He didn't think he needed to. He just assumed they would get the hint. What use was formally breaking it off when they hadn't been formally together in the first place?

He picked up Cyrus's hand gingerly between thumb and forefinger, removing it from his thigh as if it were a wayward salamander.

"We won't be going back to ‘normal.'" Fox laughed, keeping his tone light. "I'm with Ga?l exclusively. That's the new normal."

Cyrus frowned. "You'll get over him soon enough. You never could be satisfied with just one person."

Fox's lips thinned into an annoyed line.

"No, I really won't." Now a few of the others at the table were watching them. Among them were one or two of Fox's other former flings. Did they all feel the same as Cyrus did? Just waiting for his relationship with Ga?l to run its course? He scooched down the bench away from Cyrus's reach.

"I know it will be difficult to replace someone as amazing as me," Fox joked, pitching his voice so the others could hear. No use having this conversation more than once. "But you'll just have to try your best."

A few of their tablemates laughed, but Cyrus's scowl deepened .

"You'll come crawling back when we leave this godforsaken island," he growled.

"I won't be crawling towards you, however."

"You're in my seat." Henri's deep voice cut in before Cyrus could get another word out.

Cyrus looked up at the much taller man, still imposing despite his broken leg. His gaze flicked to the judgmental faces staring at him around the table. He got up with a huff, taking his drink elsewhere.

"I never liked him," Henri grumbled, retaking his seat.

"You don't like anyone I've slept with," Fox countered. Most of the others had gone back to their own conversations.

"I like Ga?l."

"Really?" Fox beamed, the unpleasant conversation almost forgotten.

"He seems like a good guy, and he can keep up with you which is surprising," Henri admitted. "But Cyrus has a mean streak. You better watch out for him."

Fox shrugged. "It's not a big deal. He'll get over it soon enough."

Henri looked skeptical. "Are you going to tell Ga?l?"

"Like I said, it's no big deal. There's nothing to tell."