The Viin


    Trystan was no longer surprised when things got worse; he was more surprised when they didn’t.


    “Fire!” Captain Jones screamed, and a cannonball flew at the pirate ship, hitting starboard. They were close enough that Trystan could see the pirates scrambling from the impact and hear them yelling.


    “Fire!” Another of their cannonballs flew, hitting the pirate ship harder as it drifted closer.


    The pirates began to swing from ropes onto their deck, leaping right into the fray, the crews shing with steel and fists.


    Trystan had had enough.


    If there was any time for you to obey me, this would be it, he reasoned with his magic. His magic. Magic that was meant to be under hismand was now something he needed to approach politely with patient requests. “If you don’t mind.” He gritted his teeth, and his magic—or the curse, or the gue on Rennedawn, something—had a sick sense of humor, because it listened.


    Dark mist flooded over the first man in Trystan’s path, a pirate with a red bandanna over his head and a beard so long it touched the middle of his chest. The man’s foot was alight in vibrant red, the pulse in his jugr glowing ck. With one flick of Trystan’s wrist, he could kill him, but another injury lit up in a new ce Trystan had never seen. A vibrant rainbow color, iridescent in appearance, over the man’s heart.


    To kill the man would be to snuff that color outpletely, and Trystan found the idea of destroying anything that resembled Sage…unfathomable.


    “I’m sick of being nice,” Trystan grumbled, flicking his magic at the man’s foot instead of his neck and rolling his eyes as the man dropped to the ground, crying out in agony. “Yeah, yeah, you’re wee.” Trystan waved at the man, moving past him to re and Tatianna, fighting with careless ease.


    re tossed out more green ink, sshing it into three men’s eyes at once. Joyously, it seemed. Her cheering being the first clue.


    Arge pirate approached Trystan with a yellowed grin. “I’m gonna bring your head to Benedict on a pike.”


    Benedict? “You’re working for the king?”


    “We’re mercenaries.” The man towered over him by half, even with Trystan’s considerable height. “We work for whoever pays the most.” A hand came up to stroke his long gray beard. “Care to counter?”


    “Certainly,” Trystan replied tly, the mist dancing at the man’s feet before paralyzing him in ce. “I can kill you slowly or quickly.” Unsheathing his sword, Trystan held the tip of the de to the man’s chest. He sneered. “Your choice.”


    The magic flooded over him, sweeping the ship and freezing all the pirates in ce, lighting their fresh wounds, their old ones, and their kill spots. But again, there was that rainbow glow over their hearts.


    There was something poetic in it, and Trystan would analyze it more…if he gave a shit.


    But for now, he really wanted to wipe the floor with these nipoops for getting in the way of his ns. “You all have two options. Shall I present them? Or dispatch you now?”


    No answer, just frozen bodies and perplexed faces.


    “Get back!” re screamed in the distance, and when Trystan heard it, his magic faltered, flickering its hold enough for several pirates to break free. They immediately sprinted for him, and Trystan knew he’d never be able to fight them all at once.


    He raised his de, knowing that he’d rather die fighting than be in already defeated. A battle cry rang from his lips as he ran for the first one, but another de whipped through the air,nding right through the man’s skull.


    The pirate dropped, as did Trystan’s jaw.


    The dagger sailed back in the direction from which it hade, and every head turned to see where itnded.


    Evie stood there, frowning, tilting the handle back and forth. “My aim was a little off.”


    Warmth diffused through every one of Trystan’s limbs, a phantom ache filling his chest. “You weren’t aiming for his skull?” he asked softly.


    Her eyes flickered below his belt, his body tightening in response as she grinned. “Farther south.”


    All the pirates winced and took three steps backward.


    Captain Jones interceded before any more limbs—or other appendages—could be severed. “Those who remain, surrender your weapons and line up!” Tatianna’s jovial father was gone, a hard-nosedmander in his ce, and the few remaining pirates tossed their swords onto the pile.


    The sweet smell of vani masked the scent of death. “Will he kill all of them?” Sage asked at his side.


    The prisoners fell into line as the captain read them their rights. Trystan shook his head. “No. Captain Jones is no pirate—he’ll follow thews of a seaman. Offer them a ce on the crew or a stay in the brig until the next port.”


    Sageughed lightly, and the sound caused a twinge in his chest. “You’ll probably say this is sad…but I think this is the best birthday ever.”


    Trystan didn’t find it sad.


    He found it fucking awful.


    “Why didn’t you say anything to anyone?” he asked, harsher than he meant to.


    Her cheeks turned pink as she averted her gaze. “It’s just another day.”


    Trystan folded his arms, raising a skeptical brow. “You filled one of our office cannons with confetti when it was Tatianna’s birthday, and we’re still finding scraps of pink monthster. You’re saying I suffered all that when you don’t think much of birthdays? An impressive feat of viiny, even I must admit.”


    A stray curly out of ce across her forehead, and Trystan’s hand itched to push it back. The wind did the work for him, and he found himself irrationally resenting weather.


    Like a headcase.


    Tatianna appeared at Evie’s side, throwing an arm about her shoulders. “I loved that confetti. It was very well done of you.” Tatianna’s pink-painted lips stretched wide, and she winked, then started healing the wounded members of her father’s crew.


    “You don’t like celebrating your birthday?” Trystan asked after a beat of silence, noticing how Sage’s eyes took on a faraway look that wasn’t dreamy but disheartened. He should move on; he shouldn’t care. This was a perfect opportunity to put more distance between them, to show Sage there was absolutely no future in which they were anything but work colleagues.


    But then she let out a low hum. “I don’t know. I don’t think anyone’s ever really tried.” Sheughed. “On myst birthday, Lyssa drew me a card that had the two of us on a sailboat, but I begged for no cake or singing. My mother struggled for most of my childhood, and I didn’t want to give my parents anything else to worry over. So, every year when my birthday passed, I found that if I didn’t mention it, nobody would remember, and after my mother left and Gideon…temporarily died…there was hardly anyone left to not mention it to.” She shrugged. “I suppose I pretended for too long and now I’m not sure what I actually want.”


    He stared at her hard, hating himself for asking, “Don’t consider anyone else’s opinion. If you could be celebrated on your birthday—would you want it?”


    “Yes.” Her wide-eyed gaze indicated that even she was shocked by her answer. “That is to say…I’d like to be celebrated. Even if it’s only once a year.”


    He didn’t move, his every muscle rigid, his face nk as he stared at her. Unnerving her, if the way she chuckled, wiping her hands against her skirts, was any signal.


    The silence broke when he growled, “Well, fuck!”


    Sage jumped and sped a hand to her chest. “Sir?” She reached for him, but he was already storming to the group of men gathered in the middle of the ship. Crewmen and pirate prisoners alike stared at him.


    Don’t do this, his conscience begged.


    Shut it, he ordered it. It’s her godsdamned birthday, and she wants to fucking celebrate. DAMN IT.


    “It’s my aplice’s birthday,” he called to the group, sounding as ridiculous as he felt, not daring to look back to see Sage’s response. “Wish her a happy birthday. Now.”


    “Trystan!” Sage squeaked behind him and paused. “Wait…aplice? Did you just promote me?” But he would not look. If he saw her eyes, he’d do more than wish her a happy birthday. He’d sweep her below deck and kiss her until she was senseless, kiss her until they both were.


    The crew was silent, the pirates staring at him like he’d lost his marbles. He was on the verge of losing more than that. “I said NOW!”


    A discordant chorus of “happy birthday”s sounded from every man on the ship, and Kingsley hopped up with one sign that read:


    Happy


    And another that said:


    Birthday


    Tatianna sprang into action. “Oh, yes! We should have a party! We’re stuck on the ship until tomorrow morning anyway. Dad?”


    Captain Jones was beaming, pping his crew to attention. “Take the prisoners to the brig! The rest of you, begin preparations!”


    “Oh, that’s not—” Sage started.


    “Evie,” Trystan warned, waving a finger at her still form. “Do not say it’s unnecessary.”


    Her mouth closed, her eyes shining with an emotion that Trystan didn’t dare name. It was far too close to something he knew he’d never have.


    One by one, the chained pirates passed him, thergest stopping to sneer at him. “The Viin my arse. You’re a soft little whelp with no backbone and a weakness for your whore.”


    Trystan didn’t respond at first, allowing the wretch to finish.


    “I got a birthday present for you right here, Wicked Woman.” The pirate took a chained hand and grabbed his crotch.


    The thread snapped.


    “Sage,” Trystan said low, not looking away from the pirate. “Does the fate of this man’s life impact the incidence board in any capacity?”


    “No, I don’t think—” Sage replied, befuddled.


    But Trystan moved before she finished, burying a fist into the man’s gut, dragging him to the side of the ship. “Aplice,” he yelled, not caring who heard, clutching the pirate’spels. “She’s my aplice.” He shoved the pirate half off the ship, holding him by only one hand as he said in a hushed voice, “She is mine.”


    He let go, watching the body hit the water.


    She is mine.


    Even if it was only in his heart.


    That is, if he had one.


    He called to the rest of the pirates, who were all gazing out to where theirrade had fallen. “We are going to sing happy birthday in the near future, and if I hear anything out of your mouths aside from those words, you’re swimming after him.”


    Furious nodding and murmurs of agreement followed the chained men as they disappeared below deck.


    A buzzing began in Trystan’s pocket, and he immediately moved to pull out the caller’s crystal. The gems had their uses, mostlymunicating with the Malevolent Guard. He’d told Keeley to update him with any necessary developments, but throughout their journey thus far, the caller’s ruby had remained silent.


    The amethyst that he’d left behind formunication with the office, however—that was going off incessantly.


    He held the gem to his mouth, Sage frowning at his side. Tatianna approached to listen in, and then re.


    Just in time for Rebecka Erring’s voice to echo through in rm.


    “Where are you? Everything’s gone wrong!”