As Ode and Kane are reuniting, the Witch Queen Malika walks in, her arms filled with a cloth bundle tied with string. Mumbling awkwardly to herself, she tries to exit the room the same way she came.
Ode snaps her fingers, and the door behind Malika slams shut. The witch pales.
"Where were you?" Farzaneh hisses worriedly.
Malika grimaces and sheepishly holds up the cloth bundle. When she pulls the tie back, flaky baklava, grape-leaf-wrapped dolma, rice-stuffed bell peppers, Okami red bean paste rice cakes, and sugary Idriolan butter cookies spill forwards.
"Food..." Malika mumbles around a mouthful of squishy cinnamon dough. She swallows, still avoiding Ode's judgmental gaze. "I got hungry from guarding Aziz all night. And besides, they looked too weak to even hurt a fly."
Aziz gasps at that. "Excuse me? I'm plenty powerful."
The Witch Queen just takes another bite of cinnamon bread in defiance.
"That was irresponsible." Ode warns, glaring back at Aziz. "But so was claiming I didn't need a Champion."
Everyone turns to me, having shed my usual fish-scale jacket. Wearing simple şalvar, Idriolan hunting boots, and a gray tunic.
"Lucky, step forwards."
I do so, looking between Kane's imposing figure and Ode's lethal scowl. I bow my head, falling awkwardly to one knee.
"My goddess..."
My breath catches in my throat as she tilts my face up, pressing two enchanted dice against my ears.
"Lucky Dice. Like another son for me." Ode smiles and pulls me to my feet, clasping my arm in Rahasian soldier style. "I couldn't be prouder of a bloodier, more vicious fighter. Cruel when necessary, kind when the situation would otherwise call for you to flee. A good leader."
I bow, "thank you, my goddess."
She pulls me forwards, whispering with a serpentine smile. "I need transportation to Lune. Think you can captain a Rahasian ship?"
I make a face. "Legal and lawful types? I can certainly try."
"Good," Ode smirks. "I'd kill you and get a new Champion if you said no."
I laugh, nervous.
Why couldn't I have found a less terrifying goddess?
"I'll need a crew." I amend.
Ode smiles, the smile not quite reaching her eyes. Instead, there's something else there.
A wicked gleam.
"Oh," Ode chuckles with glee, "like they could say no."
***
Pirates,
Thank you for voting and commenting. Love you all, fam.
Wonder what's going down in Lune...
-Sophia
YOU ARE READING
A Pirate for the Dead Goddess (Legends of Rahasia Book 2)
Fantasy"Farzaneh..." I pull her to me, flinching when my sleeve rolls back, her eyes drawn to the markings. On my bare skin's a map revealing a different tattoo, one for every person I killed. I hate looking at the running tally of tattoos on my body. It r...
