Lock (33 page)

He lay for several moments, nearly asleep. Sparrow curled up beside him and kissed his cheek.

“I owe you, girl,” he murmured.

“One day I intend to collect.”

“You can wager on it.”

* * * * *

Rino spat a mouthful of stew into the sea, wiped a gnarled hand across his mouth and narrowed his eyes in Sparrow’s direction. “Tastes like shit.”

“I can only cook with what you give me.”

“Put more spice in it. Cover the taste of the eel.”

Sparrow snatched the bowl from his hand. “Too much spice is not good for your stomach.”

Rino grasped her upper arm and ran a tongue over his lips. “Just do what I tell you, woman.”

Sparrow tugged away and walked below deck, an unsettled feeling in her breast. They’d been on the ship for almost a week, and neither Rino nor the other men had touched her. Oh, they made rude comments and the occasional bawdy gesture, but she attributed the lack of serious assault to Lock’s presence. Even the Captain knew better than to push her too far. He knew Lock had little choice but to obey him, but Sparrow sensed a part of Rino didn’t want to risk inciting Lock’s wrath. Perhaps Rino was beginning to relax and realize she and Lock had little choice about his treatment of either of them. He kept Lock so busy that even on board the ship, she scarcely saw him. When she did, her worry only increased. Though he never complained, he didn’t look well. She knew his ribs hadn’t healed and had probably worsened due to heavy labor. He needed rest, but she knew he wasn’t about to get it any time soon. Lock had said he wouldn’t have been able to ride fast or far enough to escape the Empress’s guards, but surely the work Rino forced on him was worse than riding would have been. Still, according to Lock, they were far safer at sea than on land. Sparrow wasn’t so sure.

I wish I could put poison in Rino’s stew
, Sparrow thought as she stepped into the galley. The water was rough that morning, but the motion didn’t affect her. If she hadn’t been so miserable, she would have enjoyed sailing—not stuck below, but up on deck with the salty wind blowing and spray from the water cooling her face. During a few brief moments with Lock one afternoon when he’d called her to the rail and pointed to dolphins playing in the water, he’d said she was a “born sailor.” She’d been a bit concerned about seasickness at first, having heard awful stories about it from Shea-Ann. Fortunately ship travel agreed with her.

“Complaining about the food,” Sparrow muttered as she dumped handfuls of spice into a smaller pot of stew, just for Rino. “I’ll burn his filthy tongue off. Maybe his insides will rot out. Putrid bastard.”

She paused and shook her head. Her tongue was becoming as vile as the other crewmen’s.

“Eh there, girlie.” The ape-like man stepped into the galley. A red scarf tied at his nape half concealed his stringy black hair. His short legs were covered in cutoff pants that made them appear even shorter. He made an almost comical character, but Sparrow had to admit she rather liked him. He never spoke to her rudely and often volunteered to bring her buckets of water and fish to cook with.

“I told you my name’s Sparrow.” She cast him a half smile.

“You ain’t never called me Ilias.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry, Ilias.”

“No matter.” He shrugged and stole a chunk of fish from the pot. His eyes teared as he spat into his hand. “Bloody hell! Too much spice, don’t you think?”

“Captain’s request.” She touched his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I made a special pot just for him.”

Ilias dropped the chewed food from his hand back into the small pot and winked. “Don’t tell him I done that, Sparrow, else he’ll toss me over.”

“I won’t say a word.”

* * * * *

“You know what I hate most about you, Lock?” Rino leaned against the foremast, watching Lock as he mopped the deck.

“If I don’t ask, are you still going to tell me?”

“I hate how you always thought you were so much better than the rest of us. You were never just interested in spoils and cargo like normal people. You stopped at places and
talked
to
people
. Thought you were so smart cause you can read and write. You thought yourself royalty, and you’re the worst of us all. No matter how many languages you speak or whether you know the history of the bloody Kennas, you’re still nothing but an Archipelago whore, no better than the bitch who spat you out of her pock-ridden chute.”

“The pocks she had she most likely got from you, Rino. I get a clear memory of two years ago. You standing in back of a SothSea tavern pissin’ enough fire to keep a lighthouse burning for a year.”

Rino laughed long and loud. “Then I been with your mama for sure. You was probably born pissin’ fire. How’d you end up with that pretty little girl of yours? She’s got the muscle of a farmer but the manner of a Lady. How did you convince her to buy you, or do I even want to know?”

Lock glanced at the deck, his hands tightening on the mop. Two seconds it would take him to ram the handle up the Captain’s ass. Two seconds to start a brawl that would end in someone’s death. Two seconds that might leave Sparrow at the mercy of Rino.

“You know what I think, Lock?” Rino grinned. “I think that little girl means more to you than a good bed-warming. I think she’s got to you.”

Lock glared into Rino’s eyes. “I think now’s a good time to stop talking about her.”

Rino whistled. “I don’t believe it. You’re moonin’ after a woman who bought you as her
slave.
You know she really can’t think you’re good enough for her. Women like that bed down men like us for one reason, Lock, and I thought you’d be smart enough to know it. She thinks you’ll show her something wild, and I’m sure you already have. She’ll get bored of you and look for someone else to fill up that innocent side of her with stone-black lust.”

“Has it really been so long since you’ve had a woman that you spend this much time thinking about her?”

“Feeling for a woman can kill a man, Lock. Remember that.”

Lock watched Rino as he sauntered away.
Feeling for her surely can kill a man, Rino, and I think that man will be you
.

* * * * *

Sparrow nearly stumbled as she hung pans on the metal hooks in the galley. The sea felt especially rough that night. Above, the crash of thunder joined the sound of waves smashing against the side of the ship. It had been hours since she’d last seen anyone, and in spite of the storm raging above, she needed to find out what was happening.

She no sooner stepped on deck when the wind struck her, strong enough to nearly push her back below. Fat drops of ice-cold rain shot from the black sky. Crewmen scattered across the deck, securing the sails and checking the ropes on cargo.

“Turn her about!” A familiar voice bellowed from the crow’s nest. Sparrow glanced up at Lock who clung to the mast with one arm while the other pointed to a small island of jagged rocks in the distance. “Move! We’re going to run aground!”

The ship swung fast. Sparrow grasped the rail, her heart pounding as she nearly fell overboard.

“Sparrow!” Lock shouted. “Get back below! I—”

He stopped speaking, his eyes fixed on the distance. Sparrow as well as many other crewmen glanced in the direction he was looking. A spiral of wind, even blacker than the sky, churned across the sea.

“Goddess help us,” Sparrow murmured, clinging harder to the rail as an enormous wave crashed over the deck. She closed her eyes tightly as water soaked her. Her fingers slipped, but she managed to hang on.

Someone grasped her waist hauled her toward the hatch.

“Get below, Sparrow,” Ilias told her, his brown eyes worried. “This is bad.”

He joined the others, and Sparrow glanced up at Lock. The crow’s nest swayed precariously, and she wondered how he still held his footing after the last wave.

“Get out of our way!” Rino brushed by her, almost knocking her down the hatch. The Captain paused, grasping her arm and hauling her back on deck. “Second thought, we need all the hands we can get. Check those knots.”

He flung her between two crates while she plotted his death.

A bolt of lightning ripped through the sky and struck the topmast. It splintered and crashed onto the deck, pinning a crewman beneath. Sparrow gasped as the man’s terrified eyes fixed on hers, blood spurting from his mouth and nose. The mast had crushed him from the middle.

The tornado whirled across the sea, rising high then dipping to touch the waves. Another wave covered the boat. Sparrow felt the water pushing her across the deck. She reached for a loose end of rope and held fast. She looked up to the crow’s nest and felt her stomach drop to the bottom of the sea. Half the rails were ripped away and Lock was no longer in it.

A body suddenly covered hers. Teeth tore at her ear and a hand buried in her hair.

Rino’s breath hissed close to her cheek. “Think we’re rid of him, girlie, and when this storm is over, it’ll be you and me.” He punctuated his last words with painful thrusts of his cock against her backside.

* * * * *

Panting, Lock released the sail and dropped onto the slippery deck. Gut feeling had told him to abandon the crow’s nest before the next wave hit. With the help of the knife he carried in his boot, he had managed to climb down the sail. He glanced around for Sparrow, the wind and rain rendering him almost blind. He bellowed for her before another wave crashed over the deck. Grasping the wooden rail, he managed to keep his footing as he saw several men tumble overboard into the dark, churning water.

“Sparrow!” he bellowed again. The pounding of his heart caused his ribs to ache even more. Once again, his nightmare—
his vision
—was coming true. He’d been unable to protect Sparrow from what he’d foreseen.

Suddenly, he caught sight of her lying on deck, covered by Rino’s hulking form. Her fingers stretched for a slab of wood splintered from one of the fallen masts. She smashed it across the Captain’s face. He fell aside. As she scrambled across the deck, he reached for her ankle and dragged her toward him.

Lock ran across the neck, but the ship tilted and he caught the mast to keep his footing. Sparrow and Rino struggled together. He saw Rino wrap her hair around his massive fist and pull. Ignoring the pain exploding across his ribs, Lock dove at Rino, his hands clutching the Captain’s thick neck as he squeezed while his knee rammed into Rino’s ribs.

The redhead bellowed in pain and rolled backwards, freeing Sparrow. Lock held fast as the men skidded across the deck. Another wave struck, and they slipped toward the rail. In the skirmish, they’d changed positions and faced each other, each with his hands around the other’s neck. Rino’s green eyes spat hatred into Lock’s, but the look only flared Lock’s rage. Since he’d stepped on board, he’d wanted to kill Rino but had managed to hold his temper until he’d seen the Captain on Sparrow.

Around them men shouted and thunder clapped. The wind was overpowering as the tornado neared. As Lock and Rino grappled, the ship tilted again, flinging them both overboard. Amazingly, each caught the rail, his feet dangling.

“Lock!” Sparrow shrieked and leapt toward him. His heart nearly burst through his chest in fear of her slipping, but the ape-like crewman caught her waist before another wave crashed.

“Son of a bitch!” Rino bellowed at Lock, his voice nearly lost in the wind. He kicked Lock who was grateful his broken ribs were on the other side. He doubted he could have held the rail otherwise. His leg lashed out in a kick, the ball of his foot striking Rino in the head. The Captain lost his grip and fell into the sea.

Summoning the last of his strength, Lock pulled himself on deck where he sat on his knees, panting, every breath painful. He crawled toward Sparrow and Ilias as the tornado approached, dipping its funnel into the water. Rino disappeared into the heart of the fierce, black storm. The crew clung to the ship, everyone watching in terrified silence, waiting to be blown apart by the tornado. It passed them and continued across the sea.

“Lock!” Sparrow reached for him. He pulled her close, resting his cheek against her wet blond hair.

If any gods or goddesses exist, thank you
, he thought. He glanced at Ilias who sat with his back against one of the crates, looking bewildered. “Thank you,” Lock said to the man.

Ilias shook his head. “Couldn’t let her go over. She makes the best squid of any cook we’ve had…Captain.”

Lock glanced around, aware that most of the men were watching him, waiting for his next action. He’d killed Rino, and by the unwritten laws of the SothSea pirates, he was now the Captain of the Lady Fire.

* * * * *

Though the tornado had passed, the sea was still fierce and Sparrow stumbled as Lock guided her below.

“Where did you put the bag from Shea-Ann?” he asked.

“In the galley.” Sparrow pressed a hand to her ear, feeling warm blood against her cold fingers. She still felt the sting of Rino’s teeth, and she shuddered with horror and disgust.

“Sit there.” Lock, still holding her hand, brought her to a corner of the galley.

“Are you all right?” she asked. “I thought you were going to fall overboard with Rino.”

“Not from the lack of his trying.” Lock stooped beside her and chose a jar filled with herbal paste. He gently took her face in one hand and tilted it sideways so he could better examine her ear. She wondered how he could see in the unlit galley, since they dared not light a lantern while the storm still rocked the ship.