“If you’re smart, you’ll stick around here and get in some sword practice.”
“And what if I’m not?”
Agor shrugged, clearly disappointed. “I admit that I’m relieved you’re this bad at swords. The way you threatened Devlin earlier, I thought maybe you meant what you said.”
I had meant it. Every word.
Agor stepped closer to me and continued, “You should know that I watch Devlin’s back. And someone’s watching mine. And so on down the line. But nobody’s watching your back here, so if you try to carry out that threat, it’ll be the last thing you do aboveground. You understand me?”
I understood perfectly. If I went after Devlin, I would follow him to my grave.
Agor left me there, taking most of the pirates with him. As they strode away, I saw Imogen carrying some flowers toward a tree. She shook her head at me and I turned my back on her. I refused to allow her to think I needed her help. When I looked a moment later she was gone.
Erick and Fink had also stayed behind with me.
“You were terrible out there,” Fink said.
“Thanks.” It was too bad I’d been rewarded with so many bruises, because otherwise my performance would have made a funny story one day.
“What about my thieves in Carthya that night?” Erick asked. “You fought them.”
was next at my side. “No one’s ever spoken to Devlin like that before. But the crazy thing is I think he admired it.”
“What now?” I asked.
Agor began leading me down a path. “We eat first. Then Devlin will want to test some of your skills.”
“Fink’s still locked up. Is he going to that hut now?” I’d put up any fight necessary to keep him from getting branded.
Erick shook his head. “Fink’s too young. Maybe in a few years.”
“We let him out,” Agor added. “He’ll join us at the meal.”
Minutes later we arrived near the kitchen, where several long tables were set up for meals. Fink was already waiting at one and motioned for us to join him. Apparently, he’d already heard what had happened inside the hut because as soon as he saw me he leapt to his feet and grabbed my arm. “Congratulations!”
I yanked it away with a gasp as his fingers inadvertently pressed near the burn. Fink’s eyes widened when he saw the branding, maybe with a new appreciation for what it meant to become a pirate.
“Yes, congratulations.” I turned to see Imogen standing behind us. She held a large pot with a ladle inside and must have been dishing up stew for the other men. “You got what you wanted, then?”
I barely looked at her. “You know what I want.”
“And you know how to get it.” Imogen frowned at me and moved on without putting any stew into my bowl.
Fink had a full bowl and grinned at me as he sat back on the bench. “It would help if you used words like please and thank you.”
“Then I’ll thank you to please stay out of my business,” I said, squeezing my way onto the bench.
The dark-haired girl I’d seen earlier came by a minute later with another pot of stew. “You’re new here?” she asked, ladling a large scoop into my bowl. “I’m Serena.”
“Stay away from him.” Imogen instantly appeared beside Serena.
“I was just saying hello.”
“He’s the one I told you about, when he came to the kitchen.”
Serena raised her eyebrows. “Yes, I know.” Imogen’s warning only seemed to improve her opinion of me.
I tilted my head, not sure exactly what Imogen had accused me of, but it had obviously worked to divert any suspicion away from us.