Element [The Darkling]

Chapter Twenty-Six

Tolya led me into a smaller room below deck, where a large table sat in the middle of the room. A large part of the crew gathered around that table, facing Sturmhond. Mal and Alina stood closest to the Captain, Tamar on Alina's other side, while Maggie leaned against the other side of the table.

Tolya sat on the corner of the table and I stood beside him. His shoulder brushed up against mine, and I bit my lip, trying not to think about how much I liked him in such a short amount of time together.

I was the worst person on the planet to be thinking of this right now, after everything.

He's a bloody pirate.

"Thanks to navigation from our Summoner's tracker friend here," Sturmhond said, looking at Mal. Alina and I grinned, while Mal rolled his eyes. "We've traversed the Bone Road to the island Jelka. As for the Sea Whip, we have some storybook drawings, no telling what it really looks like. Rule of thumb for the unknown," Sturmhond reached behind him, going over to the curtain that lined the wall. He grabbed the rope and yanked on it. The curtain opened, and my jaw dropped to see tons of weapons spread across the wall. "Come prepared!"

"Bloody-" I gaped. Tolya chuckled beside me.

"Are all pirates this well armed?" Mal asked.

"Privateer," Sturmhond corrected.

"I don't know the difference," Mal muttered.

"The difference is I have a license. And a healthy love for innovation." Sturmhond added. Behind him, crew members were starting to take their pick of the weapons.

"If you learn his name maybe he'll remember the difference." I commented with a smirk, making everyone laugh.

"Gadgets, marvels, things that go boom," Sturmhond gestured across the wall. "Anything pique your interest?" He asked Mal.

"Yeah." Mal replied immediately.

"Well take it." Sturmhond said. "For our excursion." He explained. Mal stepped forward, grabbing one of the harpoon guns. Sturmhond laughed. "Fabulous choice. You have excellent taste in weaponry, Mal." I shared a grin with Tolya. He knew his name the whole time. "The cable's Fabrikator made. Tensile strength of eighty thousand. Yield, fifty."

"Impossible." Mal and I chorused. My interest was piqued as I rounded the table, moving between Alina and Mal to observe the weapon.

"When people say 'impossible' they usually mean 'improbable'." Sturmhond replied.

"Not me," Mal replied with a chuckle. "It's-"

"Incredible." We chorused. Alina rolled her eyes with amusement next to us.

"I designed it myself." Sturmhond said proudly. "In fact, my inventions are all around you." He leaned forward with a teasing grin. "You just have to know where to look." He whispered. "Anything for you, darling?" he asked me.