Blood & Iron by Chris A. Jackson

Author:Chris A. Jackson
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2014-06-25T04:00:00+00:00

The stout rap at his cabin door snapped Phinneus up from a deep sleep. The lamp had burned low, and the grey of predawn had just begun to invade the cabin through the draped stern gallery windows. He felt as if he’d slept for a month. He stretched, and his second surprise of the morning stirred against him. Hawk lay snug against his side, their legs entwined, her head on his shoulder and her hand lying on his chest. She blinked up at him and smiled.

She stayed, he thought, returning her smile.

“Good morning,” she whispered, untangling her legs from his and stretching under the thin sheet.

“Good morning to you.”

Another knock sounded, more urgent this time.

“Captain?” It was Walls’ voice.

“Just a moment!” Shae slipped from the bed, grabbed his trousers, and looked around.

Hawk’s sword belt still hung beside the door, and her clothes were strewn over the chairs. He cocked a questioning eyebrow at her. There was no real way to hide her presence, but she tried to keep her visits discreet. Neither of them held any illusion that their relationship was a secret from Talion’s crew, but whether due to respect for both of them or blatant fear of Hawk, not a single rumor or lewd joke about the captain and first mate had ever been heard aboard the ship. At least, not to Shae’s knowledge.

“Just answer it.” She slipped out of bed and wrapped the sheet around herself. “Walls already knows, and he’ll keep his mouth shut.”

“No doubt.” Either that or Hawk would cut him a new one. He pulled on his trousers and opened the door partway. “What is it, Walls?”

“You’re needed on deck, Captain.” The quartermaster’s one good eye flicked past Shae’s shoulder to the scabbard cutlasses hanging only a foot away, and he swallowed. His ever-present companion, Stubs, peered past Shae, eyes wide, a tentative “Hoot-hoot” escaping his pursed lips. “We got troubles.”

“I’ll be right up.” He started to close the door, then turned back and fixed his quartermaster with a stern look. “Oh, and Walls . . .”

“Aye, sir?” Walls met his captain’s gaze without flinching, but then, the quartermaster had been known to charge right into a barrage of grapeshot.

“Best rouse the crew early. Cold breakfast, and forego the usual morning routine.” He heard the scrape of a chair behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see Hawk had already donned her leggings and was pulling on her bodice, her back to them. He turned back to Walls and kept his face carefully neutral. “We won’t have time to swab the decks.”

“Aye sir.” Walls saluted and walked away. Stubs, however, gave a loud hoot and an ear-splitting screech before the door closed.

Shae went to retrieve his boots, shirt, and jacket. Hawk had finished with the clasps on her bodice and sat on a chair, working on her high boots.

“A pity.” She fastened one buckle and reached for the other boot.

“What?” He pulled on a shirt and stomped into his right boot. The other had somehow found its way onto the dining table.

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