Unbroken (The Pirate & Her Princess Book 2) by Alli Temple

Author:Alli Temple [Temple, Alli]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-05-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

It was only later that I remembered the pouch on the deck. It was surprisingly lighter than I anticipated when I picked it up. I’d expected a stone, but instead the contents were a fine powder.

“Do you know what this is?” I asked Maro when they joined me in my cabin later.

They took the pouch, sniffed it, then threw it back on the table. “Nothing good. Did your brother not tell you what it was?”

“He said it was moss jade.”

Maro spat. “Then you’re a fool, Captain.”

“What?”

“Where is he now?” They rose, prowling the confines of the cabin like a caged tiger.

“Somewhere down below.” With George, my mind added helpfully, though I had no rational reason to think they had stayed together once we’d been underway. I hadn’t seen George either though. My heart still clattered in my ribs at the image of her tumbling to the stones, the man’s hand wrapped around her scarf.

“Ender!” Maro called out the cabin door. “Bring the thief. This is your last warning,” they said to me. “If Serala doesn’t have the map, we’re done with this game.”

“You don’t get to make that decision.”

“The time for you to make them is coming to an end. Captains rely on the trust of their crew, and mine is getting desperately thin, Cinder.”

“You weren’t there,” I said.

“When?”

“With George. When she—” But I couldn’t even put it into words. Too many events crashed together like a ship on the rocks. In the alley. At Davi’s. Even on the beach with Lady Amelia as men on horseback had borne down on George while I’d been frozen in the longboat. The prince’s hand in her hair as he’d dragged her away from me.

When exactly did I mean?

“Captain.” Ender knocked gently on the cabin door. “Your brother.”

Maro hurled the pouch at Whit as he entered, and it bounced off his chest. “What is this?” Maro rarely lost their temper to this degree. They nagged at me, contradicted me, and they had opinions and lines they would not cross, but they were rarely truly angry.

“Hello to you too.” Whit grinned through gritted teeth.

“Answer the question,” I said, though the situation was already beyond my control.

Silence filled the cabin. Whit moved slowly, bending by degrees until he was able to reach the floor where he picked up the pouch. He dropped it to the table once again, and when traces of powder spilled onto the wood, he dragged a finger through it before pressing it to the inside of his lip. Maro hissed. Whit sighed and slouched onto my sofa, tipping his head back.

“Moss jade is also known as green lady,” he said, staring up at the ceiling.

“I thought it was a stone,” I said.

“It’s actually made from hardened tree sap.” He laughed softly to himself. “But more importantly, it’s a powerful drug. Ground up and taken in small quantities, it can relieve pain and provide a sense of euphoria.”

“It’s a poison,” Maro said.

Whit opened one eye, lips curling in a bemused smile. Already, the tension in his face had slackened.

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.