Avarice of the Sea | | b o o k 1

17: Cruelty of Love

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:  C H A P T E R  S E V E N T E E N : 

 I wanted so badly to warn Cody, but I couldn't find it in me to ruin whatever twisted justification he had for following his father to the ends of the world. He believed in his father, and I couldn't break that. Not now.

After the meeting with Avarice and Conroy, I left the cabin and found Cody nearby the the mainmast sitting atop one of the crates. Nash stood in front of him, looking up to where Harv perched himself on the boom, tossing an empty canteen back and forth with him. When I approached, though, Nash lost concentration and ended up being struck with the canteen on the back of his head.

"Eh, watch yerself!" he shouted, glaring up at the Monkey as he swung down and kicked his foot dangerously close to Nash. He leapt out of the way, giving room for Harv to jump down and stick the landing.

I drew myself up to look as composed as usual, knowing that Cody's eyes were on me, hoping to find what he didn't know somewhere in my expression. I forced a smile when Harv came up next to me and clapped his hand on my back. "How'd it go?"

"Fine. Nothing I didn't already know," I admitted. He gave a deep sigh that merged into a yawn, reaching a hand back to stretch out his body.

"I dunno 'bout you, but I'm spent. You can find me in my bunk," he said, giving me a squeeze around the side that nearly took my breath away. I laughed and shoved him off, moving away to stand near Cody. Nash poked fun at him, saying how there was still enough moonlight to party more. Harv shooed him away and left to disappear into the hold, leaving Nash to find some other poor victim. At first he looked towards Cody and I, but the look on Cody's face was enough to send Nash over to the rest of the crew gathered around on crates and barrels, drinking and singing along to a pirate chantey.

"Are ya sure yer okay?" Cody asked when I started to walk off towards the hatch. Harv's idea wasn't half bad—I was exhausted from the night.

"Yes, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me," I said, waving a hand at him before taking the first two steps down the stairs. He hesitated for a moment before following after me. In the hold we found a few of the men turned on their sides, slouched over their hammocks. There was little light down here, and with everyone so immersed in slumber, no one noticed Cody and I slip down the lane and to his quarter door.

It was chilly in the ship, and I found myself prancing from foot to foot as Cody lit one of the lanterns and searched for a spare blanket in one of the cabinets. He came up with a hand-woven wool blanket that he promptly tossed around my shoulders like a cape. I smiled up at him, reaching up to grasp his wrists while his hands tugged at the corners of the blanket.

"Ya know," he started, a slanted grin on his lips, "I think it might be warmer under the covers."

I laughed and nudged him in the arm, blushing all the way up to the tips of my ears. "Oh be quiet, you're ruining the moment."

He chuckled under his breath, drawing his lips close to mine so that I could practically feel the prickle of his stubble against my skin. I brought my icy fingertips to his cheeks, and guided him closer for a smooth, gentle kiss. Being with him like this made my entire body sizzle like the cold wasn't even there, but it burned deep in my chest like nothing else.

It was awfully cruel of me to like Cody as much as I did.

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