Live to Venture (#0)

14 | The Start of Adventure

"Hold out your hand a bit more, Bates."

Vallin rolled his eyes. "That won't work, lads."

"Better than nothing," Everson snapped back. He reached out his hand again, through the bars, attempting to use the toenail they'd peeled from Courtley's foot to pick the lock.

Vallin almost found the nerve to laugh, glancing over at the absurd situation. He spun around slowly, searching the bricks in the wall of his cell. He ran his fingers over the concrete.

He leaned down a little to examine the brick his finger had caught on. He peeled away the moss a little. More concrete.

Sighing, he turned back around to watch Everson and Bates pick the lock. Bates dropped the toenail, and it landed outside of their cell, just far enough from reach.

"You dimwit," Everson snarled. His fingers reached for the toenail.

Vallin snorted. "Courtley's got nine more," he offered.

"You're not a big help at the moment, Captain," Everson bit out.

Vallin leaned against the metal bars, resting his wrists over the rails. "You're not going to pick a lock with a toenail. You're wasting energy."

"Energy needed for what?"

Vallin shrugged. He grinned at his first mate. "She'll be back."

At that exact moment, the door at the far end of the hallway creaked open and slammed shut.

"See? I told you," Vallin said.

She neared closer, the moonlight reaching her body. Blood had dried over her jaw, and it trickled down her arms. Her clothing was scuffed, and mud was mixing with blood over her collarbone. She looked like she'd just been in a fight.

She smiled at Vallin's words. "Told him what?"

Vallin held her gaze. He didn't let his eyes fall on the key she was spinning in her hands. "That you'd be back." He was the one locked up, but he was also the one with the leverage. "I like the blood, stunner. Can I meet the person who did that to you?"

"Dead," she replied. "All of them."

Vallin's smile slipped, but only a little. She took a step forward, her expression dipping. He did not dare to move from his position against the bars, but when she leaned forward to wrap her fingers around one of them, they were uncomfortably close.

"My mother was just murdered," she told him.

"Condolences," he replied.

"But you knew that," she said.

"I didn't know that," he answered. He made a face that said, well, maybe I did. "I simply recalled that king's assassins are only contracted out to murder adults, which you've very recently become."

She leaned a little closer, her breath hot as she said, "Do you know what her death makes me?"

"I believe that makes you the boss, stunner," he said back. Vallin marvelled at his control. He was good.

She ran her tongue over a sharp canine. He remembered the sharp feeling of it on his lips.

She tilted her head slightly to the side, reading his thoughts. "Clever man," she said. She turned away from him. "You know, I don't quite really like this island after all—it's a little small." She spun around. "You know what I do like?"

"I believe you mentioned you liked my ship," Vallin replied. He caught Everson's gaze in the cell over. The rest of the crew was deadly silent.

She gave him a look, now a few feet away.