Scorpius (Stars and Sails, Book 2)

Four

The Princess of Aysesreve was still docked at Longport. Silas Noble hadn't returned. If he had, he would have come back for his ship. Sabik didn't know a lot about Silas Noble, but he knew that he wasn't the kind of man to abandon his crew or his ship. The Pirate Syndicate had kidnapped Silas Noble, or at least that was the conclusion Sabik had come to when Aiden showed him the empty vial. Helioflorum, and some other mystery components, were used to create a drug that completely erased the memories of people. Naqi was one of them.

The deckhouse was small. It had six benches that had been used as cots. There was a small galley area and a little table that butted up against one of the cots. Everything was made of polished wood the color of amber. It was pretty; much sturdier looking than the old Coronis, but much less comfortable.

Sabik carefully set the pot of helioflorum on the galley counter and slid his bags of clothing and medical supplies off his aching shoulder. The helioflorum plant was sprouting. It looked less green than he had hoped, but he didn't know the first thing about cultivating drugs. He pushed it under the skylight. That might be better.

"Can you help me?" Jade grunted from the main deck. She lowered a few bags into the cabin. Sabik stowed them away. She hopped down the ladder with his medical kit. After setting it on the counter, she poked at the Helioflorum sprout. Grimacing, she pushed a loose piece of red hair out of her face.

"Do not touch that," Sabik said, pushing the plant away from her. She quirked a brow. He never knew what she was thinking. Her face always looked like she was judging him too harshly. Recently though, after much observation, he had come to determine that this was just the way she happened to look. After all, he had a long list of misdemeanors. Surely she hadn't the time to judge him for all that.

Sabik crossed his arms and stayed where he had stowed the bags, in the far corner of the room. He had been hoping there was a way that he could leave without speaking with her. It was probably easier that way.

Jade ran her hand across the inner side of the hull and looked out of the porthole. On a ship this small, the waves crashed right up against the porthole when it sailed. It was a clear day and the ship was still docked, so he didn't feel claustrophobic yet. "She's beautiful," Jade said. "Are you sure you can sail her by yourself?"

Sabik's face softened for only a minute before he pulled his countenance back into something more serious and grounded. What was she suggesting? That he was incompetent? "I will manage." If he was telling himself the truth, he was a little worried. "Do not worry about--"

"Amelia Rose is just gathering her things. She'll be over shortly," she said. Sabik rose his eyebrows at the interruption. She unbuttoned the cuffs of her shirt and rolled them up to her elbows. "The figurehead looks like her, does it?"

He scratched the back of his head, pulling his fingers through his wavy short hair. He pulled at a tangle. "I noticed that." He stepped towards her but stopped to point at the ladder. "I must start prepping for the departure. I should say goodbye."

Her hip holsters had slid sideways. She tugged at them, straightening them back out. He'd never seen her without her weapons, not even when she came barging into the infirmary in the middle of night, after drinking too much. "You're leaving," she said.

"That is why I'm here, yes."

Jade rolled her eyes. "You're such a prick." She stepped back, looking away. "You just never told me why."

Sabik grimaced, turning around to busy himself with filling the pantry with food. He started loading jars into the cabinet, his pace matching his anxiety. "Um...," he paused trying to collect his thoughts. "I just miss my brother."