Corvus (Stars and Sails, Book 1)

Forty-five

Jade stepped out onto the gallery. The wind blew harder, messing with her ponytail. Jade's eyes widened and her heart lurched when she saw the sinking vessel off the coast. For a moment, she thought it was the Coronis, but the Naval flag was still strung in the mast. The Alphard was close by, listing, but not sinking. Hopefully Amelia Rose and Payne made their way back—if that was even their doing at all.

Fairburn wasn't looking at the lockbox anymore. His hands gripped the railing as he stared out at the scene unfolding in the bay. Jade pushed the panel closed, drawing Fairburn's attention to her. He stood up straight, his forehead red and his eyes darker than usual.

"I'm impressed," he said.

Jade was already in fighting stance, her hand wrapped about the hilt of her cutlass. "Save me the surprise," she said.

"You think too highly of yourself," he replied. Not an ounce of him was at the ready prepared to fight her back. Was he tired or was he really not that scared of her? "Not even your father had the jewels to do something like that."

"I didn't do it. How could I?"

Fairburn turned and withdrew his sword. There was no mistaking the elegant bejeweled pommel in the sunlight. Everything he had was rich. "You're here to settle the score?"

"You could say that," Jade replied. Her fingertips were already burning. The anticipation was building. She could kill him. Right here, right now, she was going to kill him. She raised her sword.

"Harris—" he put his hand out to stop her, and she did, for whatever reason. "Let's just talk it over. One of us is going to stay here. Forever. And it's, well in every outcome I've calculated, it's you."

"I'm not dying here."

"But if you did, would you be happy with that outcome?"

"I'm not—I'm not dying here."

"It's funny. You tell a lie so often you start to believe it," he said. "Don't do this to yourself. Not if you're not ready to die. That's just reckless."

"Stop." Her voice cracked and her face scrunched up. "Don't you dare get in my head like this. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not dying."

Fairburn laughed softly, drawing his attention out to the bay. His ship was almost fully submerged by now. Jade couldn't help but take in the haunting beauty of it.

"Fine. That's on you." He shrugged. He gestured towards his sinking ship. "Amazing, isn't it?" he said.

Jade watched as the mast dipped beneath the surface. Giant bubbles rose, breaking in the waves.

She turned her attention back to Fairburn just as he raised his sword in the air. She drew her sword, but the pommel of his slammed into her forehead before she could react. Wincing at the pain and the daze, she slumped onto the ground. She blinked away the confusion and stumbled up, blocking the panel to the lantern room. Something wet tickled her nose. With the crook of her arm, she wiped her face. The ornamental pommel of his sword had cut her brow. A stream of blood trickled onto her lip. She wiped it off with her sleeve.

"You bastard." She couldn't help but offer a pained grin. It was almost comical how easy he caught her off guard. Fairburn followed her hand with his eyes. His smile got even wider. There was one thing he liked more than getting over on people. He loved praise, even if it was the kind of praise that the King would have you beheaded for. And that was the admirable bit about Fairburn. Both he and the ailing Durantan king were bastards, but only Fairburn was proud enough to admit.

"I wouldn't call someone a bastard if I actually were one." He extended his arm and touched the lantern room, just to remind her how narrow the gallery was. "One day you'll regret this fight. Swear to you, Jade Harris, one day I'll be sitting on a throne. One day I'll bring you out to the shipyard and string you up by your neck with every other filthy pirate traitor I can find." He smiled. "Maybe that's today. I don't know. You're so pathetic, thinking you can get one over on me. When I finally watch you die, I'll savor it."