The Clockmaker and the Pirate - EVERMORE BOOK 1

Chapter 16 -- The Lair, 29 July 1650

A/N -- sorry if these author's notes are annoying, but I had a really rough day today and it would make it a million times better if you guys left loads of comments <3 love you
Austin

Kirstin finally delivers on her promise and Mitch and I are taken to a different room later that day. We aren't fed again, which Mitch complains about (for my sake, most likely), but honestly, I'm not hungry. It could be the Alvarados' magic, or it could just be that my burning hatred for Kirstin is keeping me sustained on its own.

We're brought to a room with lots of windows that overlook the bay. Kirstin's lair is on an Island here, and from this area we can see out into the ocean. It's a nicer room, for sure, but it stops being so nice when Kirstin ties us up.

Mitch and I are bound to sturdy chairs by reinforced ropes, close enough to each other to make conversation but too far to touch. I want to complain, but I'm not sure what good it'll do me. Besides, my hands are tied behind my back anyway.

Kirstin leaves us tied up by ourselves for a while, and this time, I'm not really in the mood to make small talk. Not that Mitch telling me about his abusive partner and adopted immortal daughter is small talk, but you get the idea.

Mitch and I sit in our chairs, strapped in tightly, for what must be a couple hours. I don't think about much; my mind has been kind of run numb. The side effects of the hallucinations are probably still affecting me.

I do my best to focus on what I'm going to say to Kirstin when she comes back. How am I going to casually bring up the idea of this mystery object that's supposedly worth a million Sapphires? She has no reason to trust that I'll even give this object to her if I find it.

What if I gave her something that I cared about that would act as a sort of insurance? I could do that, but every valuable thing I'd ever owned is still back at the orphanage.

I scoff. I didn't actually own anything of real value back in London. I have some expensive watches that I could give her as insurance, but I doubt she'd be interested. Sighing, I try to mentally make a checklist of other things I have. I don't have anything that I care about, I quickly realize.

Well, that's not true. I do have something that I care about more than anything, but I'd never, ever leave him here by himself, especially in the clutches of Captain Lewis.

My head hurts. I close my eyes and wish I could massage it, but unfortunately, moving my body at all has become a bit of a luxury. Why is she keeping us here, anyway?

I wonder if I could fall asleep while tied up in ropes. My eyes are closed, but now my head is pounding to the beat of my heart, my brain rattling inside my skull.

"Good evening, my friends," says an all-too-familiar voice which I've grown to hate. Kirstin throws open the door to our room -- actually, I think the word 'cell' would be more fitting. She's wearing a completely new getup; a frilly, sparkling shirt and an obnoxious cape that looks like it's been bejeweled with lots of different rare emeralds and gems.

Jesus. It's no wonder she's in debt.

Mitch and I, once again, don't speak to her or acknowledge her.

"Oh, what's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Kirstin giggles as she sashays closer to us, her gaudy outfit trailing behind her. "Look, there's no reason that we can't go back to being buddies, you know. No hard feelings?"

Mitch sighs. "Fuck off, Kirstin."

Kirstin tsks. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's pronounced 'Captain'."

I can see Mitch twitching from anger in his seat. "I was never your friend," he says.

Kirstin laughs. "Oh, that's funny, because I seem to recall you saying something about me being 'a lovely addition to the crew'. Did I get that right?"