The Priestess' Affair [Books 1 &2]

𝐗. 𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬

-HIM-

"Where is it?" I asked calmly.

"Where be wha'?" The pirate answered. I raised an eyebrow at him before glancing at Lars. Lars signalled another man who dragged a crew member of the pirate out of the cabin. His clothes were tattered, and his face was swollen due to all the punches it had taken. The pirate watched his crew member uniting with the sea.

"You know well what I'm talking about. Where is it?" I tried again.

"I said I don't know," He gritted, glaring at me. That's all he could do then— glare at me because he was tied to a pole while his precious crew members were being probed separately inside the cabin by my men. 

I glanced at Lars again, who signalled one of our men, who in turn dragged out another of the pirate's crew members before putting him on the plank as well. I didn't miss the flicker of despair in his eyes as he watched his crew member jumping into the water.

"That was your son, wasn't he?" I asked grimly.

"Ye're messin' wit' the wrong scallywag," He dared to threaten me. I straightened up from the railing without taking my eyes off him and stalked towards him. He swallowed hard, regretting his words. 

"I'm certain that you know about its whereabouts," 

"I 'ave nah a single idea wha' ye're natterin' about!" He persisted. Without wasting another word, I glanced at Lars again, and soon enough, another crew member was walking on the plank. The earlier look of despair deepened with a flicker of vengeance in his eyes. 

"You lost two sons today just because you don't want to tell me where it is," I declared.

"I told ye... I am swearin' it on me sons that I dunno wha' ye're natterin' about!" He roared. I pinned him with my fatal stare before stalking closer to him. The stale odour of liquor combined with morning breath washed over me. It almost made me sick... so sick that I wanted to drench him in the sea a couple more times before continuing with the probe. 

"Mad Arc gave me your name. Now, are you going to make me believe that Mad's lying?" I inquired calmly. I saw a flash of fear in his eyes upon mentioning that particular name. Something else flashed in his eyes momentarily, but it disappeared before I could inspect it properly. 

He knew something...

"Seems like you wish to see the rest of your crewmember walk the plank," I noted. 

"Wha' did Mad Arch tell ye?" He asked hesitantly. 

"He said your ship was in the Monklam waters that night," I informed him.

"I was thar that night, but that doesn't mean that I know about it. Monklam waters are full o' archipelagos, a good spot fer hidin' fer us pirates aft a good loot, if ye ask me. But 'twas nah us that night; I swear it on me sons lost t' the sea. Thar was someone else thar that night," 

"I suppose I didn't establish this before," I said, inching closer to him until I was towering over him. I saw him briefly shake with fear as I dug my eyes into him and added, "Mad saw your ship racing away from the place of incident... he said, it was as if you were running from something,"

He swallowed hard. I clutched his face and forced him to look up at me.

"You know something," I gritted. "Need I tell you of our ways that make even a deadman talk?" He dragged out a ragged breath at my words. "What happened that night?" I demanded, digging my fingers into his cheeks. 

"'twas around midnight; we be hurryin' back t' the Rumrunner's port aft bein' chased by the Somirean navy when we saw two ships," He finally seemed to be getting to the point I needed him to be at.