Chapter 34: Kneading and Needing

Maeve

“If you wake up earlier, you’ll have a better shot of getting a real breakfast, miss.” Robbie was sitting on a crate, a thick canvas sail laid over his waist as he sewed a patch into it, the needle nearly as long as his hand.

I looked down at my bowl of cold sludge, which was the only way I could describe such a thing. It was oats, probably, with a hint of fly. I picked the fly out of the bowl with my finger, wiping it on the crate I was perched on and looked around, taking it all in as though for the first time

“Why does the Persephone use sails and not engines? I know this ship has power. I saw the electric lights.”

“No one can see us if the ship’s powered down.”

“What do you mean? A ship like this? It stands out, trust me.” I stirred my oatmeal, trying to find the confidence to take a bite.

“Captain Keaton is a traditionalist, you could say.” Robbie breathed, wincing as he pricked his finger with the needle.

“You mean a pirate”

“Aye, a pirate. He is. He can’t have other ships picking up on our location while were runnin’ goods, so we turn the engines off and power down when we don’t want to be picked up on radar, you see? That’s why he chose a Galleon ship when he went into this trade. Cruisers don t have sails.”

“How did he find this thing? Did he build it?”

“A story for another time, miss. Eat.”

I scowled down at my bowl. I was starving, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat it.

“How do you shift, on the boat?” I asked, saying whatever was coming to mind to cut through the boredom.

“That’s easy. We just turn into dolphins,” Robbie said, his face totally serious and focused on his work.

I opened my mouth, shocked, but then heard a snort from above our heads, where Troy was at the helm, his hands wrapped around the great wooden steering wheel with a crooked smile on his face.

“Whatever.” I said under my breath, stirring my cold oatmeal again.

“You should eat, Maeve.” Troy said, looking down at me. “I’m sorry.” i said to Robbie. “Do you hear someone talking?”

Robbie’s eyes went wide, and he puffed out his cheeks, shaking his head as he looked back down at his work. “What did you get yourself into, Troy?”

“Nothin’ I can’t handle,” Troy laughed, looking down at the compass in his hand before turning the wheel a fraction of an inch.

“Where is the real captain today? I’d like a private audience with him.”

“He’s likely in the infirmary, with Myla,” Troy said down to us, arching his eyebrow in my direction. He was trying to get a rise out of me.

“Stop talking to me,” i bit out, setting my untouched oatmeal down on the crate and turning my back on Troy, my eyes focused on Robbie.

Robbie scratched his beard, looking up at Troy for help. “Don’t leave me with this one-”

won’t talk to me. She needs someone else to

he was smiling, I could feel it. Damn

in on my friend”I began, giving

likely has other

talking to me,” I snapped, turning back around and fixing Robbie with a glare, sizing

swallowed, squaring his

wants a fight, Robbie,”

Kneading

shoulders tensing as I narrowed my eyes at him. “When can I

“He’s right there, miss,”

need to

can’t

to get word to

said, completely ignoring the fact that I didn’t want him to speak to me for the rest of

him,

he said nervously, looking

Robbie was sitting, frustration and pent-up energy coursing through my veins. I was going to get something out of someone. Someone had

she bites,”

at him

Robbie alone, Maeve. I’m the

nothing to say to

talking, though?” Troy gave me a smirk, shrugging

I had no qualms

the stairs, my hands clenched into fists so tight that my nails were digging into the palms of my hands. Robbie called for me, his voice shaky as he did so. Other crew members stopped what

nightmare. I was sick over it, of the

of control and taking pleasure in it. I pulled my arm back, thrusting it forward with every intention of socking him cleanly in the jaw when someone grabbed

here,” Keaton said, his voice

the lower deck. “She’s idle. She

looking me up and down before leaning to speak into my ear. “What did I say would

*I didn’t-”

don’t tolerate fighting

“He deserves,” I began.

You don’t realize the position he’s in

but he only tightened his grasp on my arm,

a step forward as though to break us apart,

Robbie on

squeaked, remembering my conversation with Pete the night before. I swallowed, shaking

Troy for being a right pain in the ass, Princess,” Keaton said as he leaned toward me again, his eyes wide

lip pushing past him and darting down the stairs toward Robbie, who looked up at Troy with

as I pushed through the doors leading to the

Who were these people?

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