Page 128 of The Worst of Them

He looked human with hair black as night and eyes like a void. But then his lips peeled back in a smile that revealed long, sharp canines.

Her breath caught, and she jerked away from the rail. As soon as she moved, the face disappeared beneath the surface as quickly as it had appeared. The water eased back into smoothness as though he’d never been there at all.

“What do you see?”

Cecily cursed, jumping so fiercely that she had to catch herself from tripping over her own feet.

Jack stood frozen next to her. “Are you fine?” he asked slowly.

Clapping a hand over her thundering heart. “Don’t sneak up on me.”

“I called your name several times, but I can back away and say it again if you like.” The edge in his tone was no doubt leftover from earlier, but her hackles rose nonetheless.

“Don’t be smart,” she grumbled, turning back to the sea. If he’d come here to fight, she wasn’t in the mood to be understanding or nice and would fight with him if he wanted.

He sidled closer, gazing in the same direction. “I’m not being smart. I’m cross.”

“Obviously.” She peered at him out of the corner of her eye. She hadn’t seen him since the conversation with his father. “Where did you go?”

“I’ve been stewing in our quarters so I don’t do anything foolish.”

“Like kill Fiero?”

It was an unfair jab, but he took it in stride. He drew in a long breath, composing himself before saying, “You can’t be surprised. I saw you dead.”

She gave a humorless chuckle. “I saw myself dead. Saw a girl die for the crime of simply looking like me, how lovely is that?”

“It’s awful to be sure,” Jack said. “And I’m not stewing over killing Fiero. It’s…” He sighed. “You sided with my father, and I didn’t understand why.”

“Because he was right,” she said, her own frustration mounting. “And you know it. Fiero didn’t kill me, and I would’ve gutted him if he’d tried. I’m not helpless.”

He scowled. “I never thought you were.”

“Agreeing with your father had nothing to do with him, really. I agreed because Jonah will do worse to Fiero than you could.”

“I know, but you—dammit.” His hand disappeared into his pocket, and then he held up a gold coin. “Thirty seconds.”

That earned a surprised laugh, but she held out her hand.

He slapped the coin into her palm, and his tone gentled. “I had thought you would be on my side, and thus I assumed you agreed with him to ingratiate yourself. I was wrong.” He swept his hand through the air as though to say, There you go. “And now I suppose I’m a bit…nervous over Jonah.” Then he admitted so quietly and quickly that it took her a moment to realize what he’d said, “And I’mafraidofghosts.”

The coin glinted dully as she turned it over in her hand. “Was that thirty seconds?”

“I’ll give you a key to my coffers.”

Knowing Jack Copson was genuinely terrified of anything melted away her frustration. “Was that why you insisted on killing him? Because of Jonah?”

“I’ll do anything for you,” he told her, “but I will do anything to avoid ghosts.”

She slipped the coin into her pocket. “I’m sure it’ll be alright. He wants Fiero. The rest of us didn’t do anything to him.”

Jack looked doubtful. “If Jonah is anything like us, he likely won’t care about the bodies in his way.”

Before she could respond, a man cried out from the crow’s nest. Jack looked up, shielding his eyes with his hand. Behind the helm, Copson did the same.

The man shouted again, frantically waving. “Mist approaching off the port!”

Though the air remained still, a white cloud rolled over the waves off the port, obscuring the dark water as it moved toward them. Within moments, mist had shrouded the Fortuna Royale in white.