Page 60 of Spar of Hearts

The door creaked and bowed as dark claws and ebony fingers shoved between the slivers on each side of the door. Roderick bolted upright as a fierce growl emanated through, then shot to his feet as the door was torn off its hinges with a deafening crack. The bar lock thudded to the floor.

Ornella’s braids flew behind her as she stormed in and yanked him by the collar.

“You are going to eat,” she growled, wolfish eyes glinting mad. “Now.”

That wasn’t a question.

Ornella kept him prisoner in her unnervingly strong yet motherly grip, wolfish eyes locked dead ahead. Octavio was nearly at his heel as they walked toward the galley.

Roderick gulped. This wasn’t just a dinner. Ornella was the first mate. Had Anya ordered her to fetch him so she could punish him publicly? Hear him out for show and then throw him in the brig?

It hardly mattered. He deserved either or both.

Octavio shut the door as they crossed the threshold. That wasn’t a good sign.

Roderick parried his eyes around the galley. It was long past dinner. The moon was casting silver light on the rolling waves. Bernard leaned against the wall with a mug in hand. Annette was wiping tables clean from the last group of sailors. A cup of water, bowl of stew, and a buttery-looking roll were neatly arranged at the spot Roderick always sat. His stomach twinged, mouth watering at the sight.

Pathetic. It’s only been three days.

“Eat,” Ornella commanded, pointing to the stew.

It would be more pathetic to refuse like a petulant child. He took a seat, alternating small bites of the roll and stew. Octavio sat across from him, quietly flipping through a beaten-up tome titled Mid-Level Magic. The knight wasn’t exactly a learned man, having joined the squires at sixteen to help keep a roof over his family’s head. Roderick chewed slowly, watching Octavio run a finger along the same sentence over and over. When had he taken up such an interest, and why?

A twinge of guilt nipped at him. He’d been so caught in the thorny thicket of his mind, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a normal conversation with Octavio. How was his family? Was he still interested in Lady Rowan? Was she the reason he was studying magic?

Roderick’s appetite roared to life with each swallow. Soon, he was wiping the bowl clean with the last piece of the roll.

“There. I ate.” He swiped a hand across his mouth and stood, scraping the chair on the boards. “I’ll be going now.”

Before I do something else I regret.

“No.” Octavio slapped the book shut. “We’re going to talk about the other day.”

“There’s nothing to speak of. You saw what I did.” He shoved his chair in and made for the door. Annette stood in his path, rag in hand.

“My Lord, we’re worried about you.” She wrung the cloth in her hands. “You didn’t seem like yourself that day. We miss seeing you in the galley, on the deck…” She sniffed.

Bernard slipped an arm around Annette. “Please don’t shut us out. Let us help.”

“Why do you care how I’m doing?” Roderick muttered. “You’re not being paid to care. There is no need to go above and beyond for my sake.”

“This is not about money,” Ornella added, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You are a part of our pack.”

He shook his head. “I’m hardly worthy of such a thing.”

“Oh, I see,” Bernard mused. “You come from a perfect family where no one ever fought. No one ever had a bad day.”

He scoffed. “Far from it.”

“Then you understand why we insist it to be true.” Ornella smiled. “We are here for each other despite our mistakes.”

“We won’t ask you to howl with us though. Unless you want to!” Bernard laughed.

“No one wants to hear that, trust me.” Octavio jabbed him in the ribs. “The Commander’s got terrible pipes.”

“How about a pint while we talk?” Annette chirped, whisking to the kitchen before he could protest.

They arranged themselves around a table, shoving extra chairs on the end for Annette and Bernard. Annette scurried back and forth, bringing two pairs of frothy ales and a cup of tea for herself. Smiling, she settled into the chair and leaned on Bernard’s shoulder. The baby squirmed under the wrap on her chest, nursing quietly. Two lanterns hissed and glowed at both ends of the galley. The ale in his mug shifted as the ship gently listed side to side.