The Raven Lord | Book I

V. The Goblet

The ship swayed and rocked beneath my feet.

The shouts of sailors and the commands of their superiors rang through the air as General Wrens guided me across the deck. The men who worked in the shadows knotting ropes, cleaning the deck, lighting lamps, were all Stygian. They were larger than the average Mortal, and brutish in strength.

My heart beat wildly as their eyes turned to me, some sneering, others smirking and laughing at their general's new catch.

"Shall we get to the payment?" Wrens laughed, turning to me.

"So soon?" I replied teasingly, if only to buy myself time. Wrens laughed and backed me into the side of the ship, my back hitting it hard. I flinched. "Where's the fun in that?"

"To hell with that! You look cold, my dear. My cabin is very warm."

Just as I had almost lost my composure and struck him, a gruff sailor with a hunched back called, "Captain! Ready for cast off, sir."

Wrens scoffed and turned to the man, "Can't you see that I am busy?"

"Waiting on your orders, sir," the man replied, his accent thick and foreign.

Wrens looked as though he would throw the man overboard. Finally, he sighed and turned to me. "Very well, I will take my leave then. The first room on the left, bottom of the stairs is yours, for the time being. I will send for you tonight."

With that, Wrens turned and shouted orders as he swept across the deck, the shadows going with him. I heaved a sigh of relief and made my way for the stairs.

"Hoist anchor!" A sailor called, and then I was descending into the dark.

﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀

As soon as the ship had left port, a storm struck. It was mild, but still required the attention of the general, so he did not call for me in the hours that I sat in the dank storage space he had called my "room".

Two barrels sat in the small space, and from the smell, they contained rum. I stayed in the dim room with nothing but the flickering flame of the tin lantern that I held to console me. The rain and waves beat heavily against the ship, but they did not break my concentration. My hours there were not wasted, as my mind flittered about, thinking of ways to ensnare my prey. He kept the goblet close, but not so close that it was obvious, Lex had said. Where would the general keep something so crucial to him?

A knock sounded at the door, and I was on my feet. Had he finally sent for me?

"Dinner," an accented voice called.

I opened the door and found the hunched sailor from before holding a tray of hardtack and pickles. I wrinkled my nose, moving to take the tray when he pushed past me.

"Nice room, eh? Best one in the whole ship, I would say." He cracked his back and stood taller, his hunch disappearing. The man was now standing tall, making the small space feel cramped.

I shut the door as I watched the strange man, a sense of realization dawning on me.

"You're kidding?" I rolled my eyes. "How did I not notice?"

"Aw, come on, it was convincing." Lex took the ratty wig off, sitting on the barrel with a heavy thud. "I make a mean pirate."

I took up my seat on the barrel in front of him, our knees touching in the cramped space.

"So this is your idea of keeping your eye on me?" I asked.

"Yes, and no." Lex smirked and messed his ebony hair. "Ciel has eyes on you from the shadows."