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“I don’t think they were fed on those ships,” I tell my husband as his fingers stroke along my arm. “You’re going to have to fish tomorrow to feed all these hungry bellies.”
“I can do that.” He presses a kiss to my temple. “Did you have fun today? You were very convincing.”
“A lot of fun. It occurs to me that we don’t need this gold nearly as much as our new friends do.” I point at the rescued slaves. “The fun is in the stealing anyhow.” After seeing all the riches that pour in from our piracy, I’m less excited about pretty, sparkly things. It’s more fun to give them away to others and to watch them light up with delight. I’ve got a few particularly jade-encrusted pieces I’ve kept aside for Balo. It’s become a tradition for him to give me jewels with rubies and for me to give him jade or emerald. It started when he joked that the red gems matched my hair, so I gave him green for the same reason. Never mind that we both have the same hair color.
The flotilla probably thinks all humans are as silly as the two of us when we get together.
“You want to give all our ill-gotten goods to the slaves?” He just chuckles. “If we keep doing that, my lovely wife, we’re going to be the poorest pirates in all the seas.”
I snuggle in his arms, loving that I’m cocooned in his embrace. There’s nothing quite like a four-armed snuggle to make you feel truly safe. “You’re just a
“Not a
I muse as I admire Lady Dywan’s ring on my finger. “I might. It’s a good reminder.”
“Of what?”
I turn to gaze up at my husband. Five years together, and I never grow tired of looking at him. The proud sail atop his head is a little taller, his cheeks a little leaner, but otherwise he’s as hard and unyielding-looking as the day I met him. Ranan still misspeaks from time to time, but I’m confident in my place at his side, and we’re able to laugh off the worst of it. “It reminds me that pretty words are nice, but sometimes you’re better off picking the sea monster.”
“I’ll show you sea monster, wife,” he snarls, and then tickles me ferociously.