On These Black Sands by Vanessa Rasanen

Author:Vanessa Rasanen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crab Apple Books
Published: 2021-10-08T21:55:30+00:00

27

Declan

They were wasting their time here in this port, and that bothered Declan. They’d been here two days, and while Mikkel had found another twenty men to fill in their ranks, he still didn’t have the information he needed. Mikkel was back on the ship, getting the new crew situated, and here Declan was, counting down the last hours of their final day in port with nothing to show for it.

He kicked the cobblestones with his boot as he leaned, arms crossed in front of him, against the porch railing of Michaelson’s Pub. It wasn’t the best establishment in the port—that was Lucy’s—but having sent Aoife there when they’d arrived, he had no desire to see her, no matter how superior the fare was.

Still, no matter how he tried to ignore it, some part of him wondered how she was doing and if she had settled in all right. It was better this way. Even if ill manners got him more grief from Tommy than he would have liked, at least Tommy had successfully gotten the hint and backed off about the lass.

He didn’t have the luxury of relationships. That was for other men on distant shores. Not for pirates. Their relationship was with the sea, and maybe with the goods they took off others’ hands.

This was what he wanted. Solitude. No responsibility. No ties or connections.

Then why are you doing all this for Cait then?

A groan rumbled in the back of his throat. He’d been asking himself that question since they’d left Cregah.

Technically he had never actually agreed to do this for Cait. She’d assumed. And should he somehow manage to retrieve the dagger from the Black Sound, there was no contract—written or otherwise—between them requiring he hand it over.

But could he betray his sister like that? That was the question. She’d given him so few answers, so little information. And though he knew it was for his own safety and the safety of her people, it stung how she didn’t trust him.

There was no need, however, to make up his mind yet on the matter.

First get the fae.

Then get the dagger.

Then decide what to do with it.

But that first step was proving to be a great deal harder than he’d anticipated.

Movement came from his right, before the clearing of a throat announced who approached.

“Any luck?” he asked as Tommy came up beside him and mimicked his relaxed stance against the wooden rail.

Even after days of disappointment, the man seemed to be in good spirits, serious but not downtrodden.

Unlike Declan.

“Luck’s got nothing to do with it, Captain.”

“Any developments then?” As annoyed as Declan was, he had to admit he was thankful to have someone as steadfast as Tommy beside him, someone even-keeled. It was one of the main reasons he’d asked him to be his quartermaster in the first place. That and because Tommy was the only other pirate he trusted.

“Just a few tidbits here and there. Nothing concrete. And all the stories and rumors we’re gathering contradict each other.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.