The Pirate and the Amber Cat 3
Chapter 3
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Cortleno returned shortly and with him came a teen boy who placed a plate of food on the small table. He looked with curiosity at Suili under Cortleno's watchful eye, but took his leave without speaking.
Cortleno shut the door and gestured to the table. "Eat, Suili. It's sausage and ginger," he added when she made no move from where she stood at the bed post.
"I'm not hungry."
He shrugged, and then found a dark bottle from a locked cupboard near the mantle. He took a long drink, watching her, and then held it out to her.
She shook her head.
"Please yourself," he said indifferently. He took another bottle from the shelf and put it by the plate on the table. "Gooseberry wine from Hemtitti. It's not strong."
She held his stare as he lit another hanging lamp.
"When will Juriz be back?"
She stalled answering for a long moment, unwilling to aid in her own tragedy. He was about to ask again when she said, "I don't know."
"I believe you do."
She stood her ground, resfusing the urge to move away when he stepped nearer. "Think what you like, Captain, but I do not know." She watched his steely blue eyes drop over her slowly, making her both angry and blush deeply.
"We'll have to send him something. To prove you're here."
She frowned at the smell of the whiskey on his breath. "He'll have you drawn and quartered if you touch me."
He nodded, setting the bottle on the table. "And well he should, too. At the very least."
She stepped back as he took the long knife from his belt. She lunged away as his hand grabbed her hair and then moved to her neck as she struggled to pull away. Her fingernails dug into his arm as he brought her closer.
"Hold still, Suili," he said when she resisted. "I just want the braid."
She tried to push from his as the hand on her neck slid down her back, anchoring her against him.
"You can't cut my hair," she said through gritted teeth.
"Would you prefer an ear?"
She felt a tug and saw a thin braid in his hand.
He released her and she backed quickly away.
"He'll kill you!" she bit out, touching her neck and glaring at him.
"If he doesn't cooperate, we'll send him a finger next time."
She stared at him in horror as he holstered the knife, looking at the red carnelian beads still attached to the braid.
He looked back at her, stepping closer as she retreated. "Do you have another braid?"
"You don't need two. One is—"
He reached to the other side of her head and found the braid. "Take it out."
She tried to pull the braid from him. "Why do—?"
"Take it out or I'll cut it out!"
Suili withdrew as he relinquished the braid, surprised at the venom in his tone over the beads. Her fingers nimbly removed the stones and plait, leaving the auburn hair crimped.
He held out his hand.
She hesitantly gave him the beads.
He stepped away, appraising the braid he still held.
"You should change your clothes," he said with more temperance. He put the braid on the mantle and finished the bottle of whiskey, watching her smooth her hair with nervous fingers. "You smell like a lamp wick."
When he had moved to the far end of the room, she sat timidly at the table, her eyes following him. She looked at the plate before her when his back was turned. The aroma of the ginger and meat stirred her growing appetite. It was a strangely appealing meal, uncommon to her normal diet. She took a small bite, and then sampled the spinach and noodles as her hunger flourished. She broke open the roll of black bread.
He opened the window by the door, admitting a warm breeze into the stuffy room.
Suili felt it immediately and looked up from her plate to see him drop the carnelian beads out the window. With the breeze came the smell of pineapple groves and sounds of village night activity. She looked longingly past him at the small lights from town.
Her attention flicked to him. "Will you open them all?"
He shook his head, pulled off his shirt, and tossed it on a wall hook. "Not tonight. How long will Juriz be gone?"
She swallowed the sausage and looked at the bottle on the table. "Is there any water?"
"Answer the question."
She ate in silence for a moment under his heavy scrutiny, making an effort not to look at him. He leaned against the window and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I told you already, Suili, how long you stay here depends partly on your participation."
She returned his attention and took a deep breath, consenting. A little cooperation may get her further than defiance. "He's been gone for almost a month. A Ulliran month," she added, figuring the difference between Ullira's ten-day week and the seven-day week used by two other continents.
He nodded. "When is he to come back?"
"I answered you, I don't know." She saw that he did not believe her and her gaze went back to the plate. "I really don't know," she said tiredly.
Her eyes lifted as he went into the first room and returned almost immediately with a pottery jug that he set on the table.
"There's your water."
She poured her mug full as he went back to the window. From the low-beamed ceiling he unlashed a hammock and tied it to a truss by the fireplace wall. It crossed the door effectively.
She watched this with a mixture of relief and hopefulness, her eyes resting on the small points of red her fingernails had left on his forearm earlier. She finished eating and drank three cups of water before he extinguished both lights. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the darkened room. She heard the hammock creak under the beam.
In the scant light that fell from the clouded twin moons she could see him. He stuffed a pillow behind his head, watching her at the table.
After a moment she went to the bed and sat at the head of it, drawing her knees close and pulling at the top blanket. She could see his outline by the door.
"There are slips in the closet, and a pelisse," he said quietly as a bobwhite called through the still night.
Suili made no remark, curled against the headboard, watching him intently. Her back sagged against the black walnut wood, the mattress feeling especially comfortable despite the situation. A soft breeze cooled the room slowly.
Her thoughts turned to plans for escape, but sleep engulfed her within moments.
PG13. #romance #cleanromance #teenromance #YA #fantasy #pirateromance #pirates #ambercat
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