Swashbuckling in the Dark

Chapter Twenty-Six

A/N: Nice and short chapter today. But it's all from Dark's POV!

When he woke he was still so exhausted it took a minute before he could crack his eyes open. Late, burnt-orange sunlight blinded him the second he did. Groaning, he tried to fling his arm across his face to shield his eyes, but it was stuck. As gently as he could, he pulled his arm from underneath her and rolled out of the bunk.

A hasty search for his clothes was a struggle; he could barely stand up. Eventually he settled on a hands-and-knees search, trying to ignore the pounding in his head. Clearly the rum hadn’t worn off yet.

A soft feminine groan made him look up. The pretty, very naked blonde woman in his bed sat up and stretched alluringly. Dark rubbed his knuckles over his bleary eyes. The rum definitely hadn’t worn off yet.

The blonde noticed him trying to find the arms of his shirt and smiled. She let out a spew of foreign words that made zero sense to him, cocking her head to the side.

He chuckled awkwardly. “Ah…sorry, sweetheart, I didn’t understand that.”

She furrowed her brow in confusion, asking him another question in the same language. At least, he assumed it was a question.

Their one-sided conversation was interrupted by someone pounding on the door.

“Dark! You lazybones, get outta bed!”

The door of the first mate’s cabin swung open. It was just Ozzie—a grizzled pirate with no manners, no eyes, and no last name. Ozzie’s fiery beard bristled as he entered the room, his bum leg clunking along as usual. If ever there were a pirate who embodied both the best and worst luck a man could have, it would be Ozzie.

“I am out of bed, Oz,” Dark pointed out, stumbling as the ship pitched suddenly.

Ozzie raised a hand and grabbed a nearby beam to steady himself. He didn’t need to see it to find it; he knew the ship better than anyone. “Ye’re a liar, too, then, as well as a lazy rat.” Ozzie raised his delicate nose and sniffed, then spat sharply. Somehow, the glob of spittle always managed to land directly between Dark’s boots.

He scowled at Ozzie. The blonde woman let out a quiet giggle. Ozzie’s untamed eyebrows rose. “I ain’t never seen yer ugly mug, Dark, but I wager ye must have some blessings. Hello, beauty,” he called to the foreign woman.

She clambered out of the bunk, searching for her own clothes.

Dark turned to Oz, arms crossed. “You can tell she’s beautiful, aye?”

“Oh, aye. A lassie’s laugh gives away ‘er loveliness.”

Rolling his eyes, Dark followed the unfortunate old pirate out of the first mate’s cabin. The sun was high in the sky; the captain would not be happy with his late rising.

Luckily, they were still docked, so the young woman was able to get back home without incident. Ozzie clunked along the deck, greeting the crew, Dark in his wake. The men gave Dark a wide, respectful berth. The pair were among the oldest members of the crew. Ozzie stopped next to the quarterdeck stair; the steep climb was hell on his bad leg.

Dark climbed up nimbly, nodding to the helmsman before he joined the captain at the stern. The man was busy staring out at the sea, as usual.

“Decided to come to work, did you?” Grimm asked, keeping his voice low.

“Aye,” Dark replied, keeping a cautious arm’s length from his captain’s side as he joined him.

The anger in Grimm’s shoulders abruptly melted away as he turned to Dark. He gripped his first mate’s shoulder in a friendly way. “How did you enjoy the island?”