“One day old Never Never decided to break one of his nevers and attack me. Came at me with a spear.” The Black Thorn paused and Elaina glanced towards Rose, but the woman was staring out of the window again. “Wanted to make a bigger name fer himself, I reckon. Fuckin’ fool. Sure knew how to bleed though.”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard that one, dear,” Rose said sweetly.
“Aye,” the Black Thorn said with a laugh. “Well, the list of folk tried or tryin’ ta kill me seems ta be growin’ daily. If I told ya every single one we’d never never get the bloody Wilds under control.” He turned his one-eyed gaze back to Elaina. “So, why are you here?”
Elaina took a step forward and glanced once more at Rose before addressing the Black Thorn. “My da wants an alliance with Chade.”
The Black Thorn let out a groan, rolled his eye, and scratched at the burnt side of his face all at the same time.
“You’ll have to forgive my husband,” Rose said. She made her way from the window to the desk, cradling the bulge in her midsection. “I’m afraid he detests peace talks. Much more suited to putting axes in things, really.”
Elaina eyed the man’s axe and wagered it had been put into a great many things. “Which one of you’s in charge?”
“I am.”
“She is.”
Elaina focused on Rose as the woman perched on the desk, and darkened the room with a radiant smile. “Tanner’s willing to let your ships pass through the isles untouched. Any of them bearing your endorsement. It’s the same deal as the Guild gets.”
“So it is, and an excellent deal at that. There’s a reason those Acanthian merchants are so fat, and at least part of it is their permission to sail through the isles unmolested.” Rose fell silent, looking Elaina up and down.
Elaina was starting to feel impatient. She wasn’t built for negotiations and treating with folk. She was built for action, for piracy. She hated to admit it, but her father would have been better off sending Blu.
“Do you want to know the terms?” she said.
“His terms?” Rose said.
“Aye.”
“Not particularly.” There was something in the woman’s eyes that gave Elaina the impression Chade had been a safer place when it was ruled by thieves and corrupt politicians. “But I’ll take a guess at ships, crew, and weapons. The same things Drake Morrass recently asked from us.”
The Black Thorn snorted. “That man is a fucking demon, and I should know. I fought a bloody army of them.”
“A very handsome demon.” Rose grinned at her husband.
“Don’t matter what Morrass offered,” Elaina spat. “Bastard is dead.”
That made both Rose and her Thorn pause, and Elaina felt the weight of all three of their eyes pressing down on her. It seemed both of them could give a glare when they wanted to. Elaina shifted her footing, but under such scrutiny she couldn’t find a comfortable spot.
“Did ya see his body?” the Black Thorn said.
“No,” Elaina's voice broke a little. She realised her mouth was as dry as a desert.
The Black Thorn snorted. “Then he ain’t dead. Fucker is harder ta kill than… uh, me.”
Rose picked up a bottle from a silver drinks tray and poured dark red liquid into a cup before sliding off the desk – gracefully, given her swollen belly – and approaching Elaina.
“We’ve been horribly rude, haven’t we?” Rose handed the cup to Elaina. “Come, sit down.” She took Elaina’s spare hand and guided her to one of the sofas lining the walls. She sat without a hint of effort and pulled Elaina down next to her.
“It’s ice wine, Captain Black,” she said. “You sounded thirsty.”
Elaina sniffed the cup and wrinkled her nose at the acrid smell, but she supposed that if they wanted her dead then poison would be the last method they would use. With that thought in mind, she raised the cup to her lips and took a deep swallow. It was a pleasant taste, some sort of fruit she couldn’t name, cool and refreshing on her tongue and throat.
“Thank you,” she said. It dawned on her that she was more than a little out of her depth. “Morrass is dead. I set it up myself.”
Rose’s dark eyes bored into her own blues. “Do explain.”
“I set up a meet between Morrass and my da,” Elaina continued, ignoring the worry in her gut over the fate of Keelin Stillwater, whom she’d also sent to the meeting. “My da ain't about to let Morrass walk out of that one. He’s been wanting the bastard dead for somewhere close to forever.”
“A very bold statement, given you have no idea of our affiliation with Captain Morrass.” Rose's voice was so sweet it was almost a purr. “Are you aware my husband has worked for him in the past?”
“Hey,” the Black Thorn said, wearing a look that might have been affront. It was hard to tell underneath all the scarring. “I didn’t know I was workin’ fer him. You knew it was him when you were fuckin’ him.”
Boldness had always been one of Elaina’s strengths, and she decided to stick to it. “Doesn’t matter a drop what happened in the past. Right now Tanner Black is offering an alliance, and that’s all that matters.”
“I will not ally Chade, nor the Wilds, to Tanner Black,” Rose said.
Elaina snorted out a laugh. “Siding with Drake then? Seems a poor choice to ally with a dead man.”
“Let her finish,” the Black Thorn said. “She gets this look in her eyes when she’s got more to say.”
Elaina looked back at Rose to find her smiling. “I will not ally ourselves with Tanner Black or with Drake Morrass. I will, however, form an alliance with Elaina Black.”
“What?” Elaina said, more than a little shocked.
The Black Thorn let out a rasping laugh.
“I have no intention of allying myself with Tanner or with Drake,” Rose continued. “One is evil and the other… well, we all know what sort of a man Drake Morrass truly is, alive or dead. The Pirate Isles will have what ships and soldiers I can spare them as long as you are part of it, Captain Black. They will sail for you and fight for you, but not for your father. Do you understand?”
Elaina barked out a laugh. “No.”
Rose sighed. “Men have no idea how to rule, dear.”
Elaina glanced at the Black Thorn to find him nodding.
“Whoever moulds your Pirate Isles into a throne will need either a queen or an heir, and you can be both.”
Elaina had a vision of being Drake Morrass’ queen, and it was not a pleasant one. “Morrass is dead and Blu is Tanner’s heir, not me.”
Rose shrugged. “Accidents happen.”
“I…” Elaina started, but realised she had no idea what she was going to say. “Uh…”
Again Rose laughed, and the sound echoed around the large room. “You need some time to come to terms with the idea. I understand. It will take time for me to assemble the ships and crew.” Rose stood and pulled Elaina to her feet, guiding her towards the door.
“Take a few days to think about it, and when you come to terms with the offer and realise how much you truly want it, return and we will make it official.”
Rose opened the door. The little woman in the cavalier hat was standing outside again, a sneer plastered to her face.
Elaina turned to find Rose smiling at her. “I do hope ours will be a long and fruitful relationship, Captain Black.” The woman stepped close and kissed Elaina before ushering her out through the door and shutting it behind her.
Elaina stood in the corridor like a mute fool, wondering at the offer that had just been laid before her.
“She has that effect on most folk,” said Henry the Red. “Ya should see her negotiate with men.” An ugly laugh escaped the woman’s lips. “Come on. Fancy a drink?”