Sea Of Treason, Pirate's Bluff #1

Plan To Make A Plan

Whitely 

The crashing of waves and gentle lull of a rocking ship put my body at ease despite the fact that I'm bound by itchy rope and headed towards a crew that very well may disembowel me.

Or maybe it's Bluff's hand in mine that keeps my anxiety at bay.

I don't know how long I slept, but when I finally open my eyes the sun is high in the sky, the crew bustling about us sending side eyes our way as they work. Apparently no one trusts Bluff, roped or not.

"Bluff?" I whisper.

"You're finally awake?" he asks, amusement in his voice.

"How long did I sleep?"

"Hard to say. But awhile, it seems. You were talking in your sleep. It was cute."

I groan, not sure I even want to ask what I said.

"Funny because I didn't sleep a wink."

"When's the last time you slept?" It had to have been a while, we've been on the run for far too long.

"Not sure. But—unlike some people— I can't relax enough for sleep in a situation like this."

I smirk. I don't know how I slept either. Just happened.

The crew walk with their backs straighter as they pass us, eyes alert and darting around. Tension lines their necks and faces, seemingly uncomfortable with any conversation between us.

"They seem just as uptight," I say, noting a small black man limping past, narrowed eyes pinned to me.

"They should be," Bluff whispers.

I pause for a beat, not wanting to give anything away if he has something in mind. "You have a plan?"

"A plan to make a plan. But that won't surprise these guys. I'm going to need something more."

"Like? Can I help with something?"

"You're my complication, to be honest. I could get out of my binds and hide among the crew. They'd have no way of knowing who I was if I played my cards right... but I can't hide you. And you're worth more than I am."

My eyebrows pull down at that. "Why?" I say after a beat. "What is my value, Bluff?"

He's quiet for several long moments. I'm just some girl whose father schemed a pirate. I can't be worth as much as all this. I can't be worth more than a shapeshifting boy who can potentially call sirens at will...unless there is something I'm missing. Something big.

"Is our time of honestly already over?"

He lets out a long breath through his nose. "I'm just not sure now is the time...we need to get out of here. And this... is complicated."

I bite my lip and pull my hand farther from his under the guise of stretching. I am rather sore from sitting in this strange position for hours, shoulder bend strangely behind me.

"I'll tell you. I promise. But can you trust me enough to wait?"

I don't know if I trust him. I don't know how much a promise means to him. But he's right about one thing—our top priority is getting free. If we can do that, it won't matter what I mean to Captain Simon. It may not even matter what I mean to Bluff.

"If we can get free, the rest won't matter, I suppose."

He takes in a long breath before responding. "There's a lot I should tell you. Let's just make sure we have enough time left in our lives to do it."

"Okay," I whisper.

"While you were sleeping I got a little more information," he says under his breath. "We're set to meet Simon on an Island north of the Bahamas which is two days sailing from here."

"Any word about Rosemera?"

"Just that Simon sent a letter with blood on it, a lock of her hair and the handkerchief she wears."

My stomach sinks. "That doesn't sound good."

"It sounds wonderful to me." I wish I could see Bluff's face from here, talking back to back makes it so much harder to understand the nuances of the conversation. Is he smirking right now?

"How exactly is that wonderful?"

"It means they don't have her. Probably never did."

I blink. "How do you know?"

"I'm the king of Bluff's. I know one when I see one." This time I don't need to see the smirk to know it's there.

"You're enjoying this too much."

"You have to realize that Simon has developed a reputation. He's cruel. His main goal is fear. He enjoys hunt as much as he enjoys causing pain. There is no chance he'd send a lock of hair. He'd send in a finger. An ear. A slice of the tattoo on her neck."

I shiver.

"Unless he doesn't really have her. And that handkerchief--she left it behind in some alleyway after we stole her dress. Think she wore that into the ball? Not a chance. She was hesitant to leave it, trust me. But I'm certain it was not on her when Simon came."

My heart leaps to hear all this evidence. Rosemera isn't really in trouble!  And Simon doesn't have any real leverage. "Can't you tell the crew all this? If they know Simon doesn't have Rosemera they won't turn us over."

"Unfortunately, I have also developed a reputation. Comes with the name, I suppose."

Bluff. "They'll assume you're lying."

"Aye. Telling the truth on a pirate ship, doesn't generally get you far. You have to do things on your own. But it does mean one thing: I'll have no issues doing whatever it takes to get us free."