Page 13 of A Reckless Indulgence

“Was it a tattoo?”

“I don’t need magic to stay informed of your activities.” Boredly, she twirls her quill, never looking up from the page. “Your unpredictability has become predictable.”

“So that’s a yes?” He finds an oversized vest on the line and tugs it over his ripped clothing. “Some new ink showed up on you, and you went running to Heathen?”

For the first time, Cypher’s chilly gaze meets his. Her bird stops preening to give Cav a disapproving glare.

“Or maybe you have all the subtlety of cannon fire,” Cypher snaps. “Maybe everyone on this ship knows what you do as soon as it happens — sometimes before.” Her head shakes, tension knotting through her shoulders. All this bickering belies the root of the problem, but now, it’s cracking through the surface. “Why would you go after Roderick on your own? That was senseless. He’s dangerous, Cav.”

“Not anymore,” Cav grumbles.

Cypher doesn’t laugh.

Loathe as he is to admit it, the answer is very simple. “He tried to hurt Briar. He tried to hurt you.”

Cypher shifts uncomfortably. She won’t look at him now, still shaking her head and hunching deeper over her notebook. “You shouldn’t have done it.”

There’s no use arguing. From what little he knows of Cypher’s hex, she keeps everyone at a strict distance. It wouldn’t matter either way; the two of them would be at odds regardless of her curse. They never see eye-to-eye. Even this brief conversation has put a strain on the meager camaraderie they have.

Without another word, Cav tosses the wet rag aside and crosses toward the captain’s quarters.

The curtains are drawn tight, blocking out any clues as to what’s waiting for him. He sidles up to the window, pressing his ear to the glass and straining to hear.

Nothing. That’s telling. He knows exactly what’s going on behind that door; Heathen, sitting rigidly at their desk, glaring into the distance as they stew over what to do with Cav.

He tilts his neck and groans when it cracks. Gods, his body’s fucking sore. Every part of him yearns for his bed, but there’s no avoiding Heathen. As soon as she hears he’s onboard, she’ll be rapping on his door.

Another crew member emerges from below deck. “Cavalier!” Sweeney gasps, drinks sloshing in surprise when she sees his face. “What happened?”

Cav only smiles, wincing when the wound in his lip reopens, and tilts his head toward the coffees. “Who’s that second one for?”

Sweeney’s blinks are thick with sleep. “Uh — Cypher?”

Perfect. An opportunity for Cav to reestablish the barbed wire between them. “She prefers tea.” He reaches for one of the cups. “I’ll take this off your hands.”

Blearily, Sweeney nods, and Cav plucks the drink before he pushes through the captain’s door behind him.

Much like everything about Heathen, her quarters are meticulous. Nothing is out of place. The furniture is built-in or bolted down, and the sparse decor gives little insight to the captain themself. A large window spans the back of the room and looks out across the ocean. On the left wall, a bookshelf is arranged by size and topic with a smattering of glass jars along one shelf. A large curtain hangs on the opposite side, obscuring the captain’s bed from view.

At the center of the room, Heathen sits behind a wooden desk. In the dawn light, their banshee appearance is even more intimidating. Bones press up through the fat and muscle of her body, her skin a mixture of white skeleton and darker shading. Her dark hair is cut short, bangs obscuring her opalescent eyes and the displeasure honed directly at Cav.

He forces his smile wider. “You’re up early.”

Heathen points toward one of the chairs facing her desk.

Cav moseys across the floor with his tail swishing behind him. He deposits the mug onto a coaster and eases down into one of the seats, inching the proffered coffee toward her.

If he acts like nothing’s wrong, then nothing is, right? Never mind the bruises blooming on his face. He prays there’s no remaining blood on his teeth when he beams. “How was your night, Captain?”

“Not nearly as exciting as yours.”

SIX

Cav

Cav’s smile falters. “Straight to business, huh?”

“Why did you go after Roderick?”