*MATURE FANTASY*
Bound by fate, torn by betrayal.
Their souls are intertwined.
She is his mate, and he is hers, whether or not this is something they want.
Elara has spent her life hiding from the oppressive forces of the Light, a powerful cult th...
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The ship was eerily quiet in the dead of night. The only sound was the gentle lapping of waves against the hull. I couldn't sleep, my mind restless with thoughts that refused to settle. With a sigh, I slipped out of my quarters, craving the cool night air on my skin.
As I made my way above deck, I noticed a figure standing by the railing, silhouetted against the faint moonlight. Even in the dark and from a distance, Rylan looked... appealing. The way he leaned on the railing, the flawless dominance that rolled off of him in waves as vast and powerful as the ocean beneath us. He didn't seem like someone who belonged on a ship as a lowly crew recruit, certainly not someone to scrub latrines. I nearly laughed at the thought, wondering what he thought of that specific duty. Maybe he regretted wanting a lift among a pirate ship.
"What are you doing out of your sleeping quarters?" I asked, approaching him cautiously. My hand strayed to the blade sheathed at my side, just in case.
Rylan turned to me, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Difficult to sleep with a symphony of snoring men surrounding me," he replied, gesturing vaguely back towards the crew quarters. "Not to mention the stench."
"You'll get used to it," I said, coming closer and leaning against the railing beside him. This man had suddenly entered my life, my home, mingling with my crew and I knew nothing about him. All of that made him a threat. He said he was not a conjurer, and showed no sign of a gift when he was burned, yet I was cautious to believe that. My gut sensed his strength. He emanated too much power to not wield abilities.
He glanced at me, surveying my face. The look in his gray eyes was as if he was trying to uncover my secrets in return. "Your confidence with a blade," he began, "does it come from training with anyone in particular?"
I furrowed my brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Were you trained by a Silver Blade?" he asked, his voice lowered as if to not be overheard.
The question stunned me. I was taken aback by the mention of the order in relation to me. "Why would you think that?" I asked, trying to keep my tone steady. The Whispering Gale and our crew had visited the Silver Blades before. Our ship was one of the few they would do business with and trusted to employ. But those visits did not allow for enough time for any form of true training. What Rylan insinuated would have had me spending a suitable length of time there, and the order did not welcome outsiders in that manner. My heart began beating harder.
He nodded towards my boots, the ones I always wore. Boots that were expertly made with hidden compartments to conceal several blades. They were created by a Silver Blade shoemaker. "Those," he said simply.
"What of them?" I demanded.
He smiled with a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Let's just say I'm trying to get to the Silver Blades, remember?"
