Chapter 13: The Hunter at the Door
The sound of approaching footsteps sent a jolt of pure electricity through Elena’s limbs. She didn't have time to think. She lunged for the bed, sliding onto the cold floor and dragging herself into the cramped, dark space beneath the frame.
She pressed her cheek against the dusty wood, trying to shrink into the shadows. Please, please, please, she prayed, her eyes glued to the sliver of light beneath the door. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to regulate her breathing, but her lungs felt tight, as if the very air in the room was being sucked out.
The footsteps stopped. Right outside.
The doorknob rattled violently. Elena flinched, a sob catching in her throat as she clamped both hands over her mouth.
"Why is this door locked?" Lux yelled, the sound followed by a heavy THUD as he kicked the wood. The door groaned on its hinges. Tears began to track through the dust on Elena’s face.
"There are dead rats in there," Kai answered, and Elena heard a soft, mocking laugh. "The smell would turn even your stomach, Lux. I keep it bolted so the stench doesn't ruin my dinner."
"Then why don't you make your crew clean it? Or are you losing your grip on them?"
"There is no time for housekeeping when we’re outrunning the Navy," Kai retorted. "Unless you want to pick up a broom yourself?"
"Unlock the door, Kai," Lux hissed, the playfulness gone. "Unless you're hiding something more valuable than vermin."
"Fine," Kai huffed, the sound of jingling coins or keys following. "I lost the key in the scuffle at the last port. If you’re so desperate to see a pile of rotting furs and rodents, kick it down. I don't give a damn about the carpentry."
BOOM. The first kick sent a vibration through the floor that Elena felt in her teeth.
BOOM. The wood splintered. Elena curled into a ball, her eyes wide and stinging with tears. If Lux found her, she knew instinctively that the "politeness" of Kai would be a distant, cherished memory. Lux wouldn't treat her like a guest; he would treat her like a map to be torn apart.
With a final, violent crash, the door flew open, hitting the wall with a crack. Two pairs of boots entered the room. One pair was polished, expensive leather—Lux. The other, heavy and worn—Kai.
Elena held her breath until her chest ached, watching the polished boots move toward the center of the room. They stopped just inches from where her fingers were pressed against the floorboards.
"It’s just a bedroom," Lux scoffed, his voice filled with disappointment as he surveyed the sparse, messy quarters. "And a horrid one at that. You live like a dog, Kai."
"I told you so," Kai retorted, his voice tight. "I told you to go and look for what you seek elsewhere. Are you satisfied, or do you want to check under the floorboards for my spare socks?"
"You did lie about the rats," Lux noted, his boots pivoting toward the bed. Elena’s heart stopped.
"I was embarrassed to admit I lost the key to my own quarters," Kai said quickly, stepping into Lux's line of sight. "A captain without a key looks weak. I’d rather you think I’m a slob than a fool."
"Kai, the infamous pirate... embarrassed?" Lux chuckled, the sound cold and hollow. "The great 'Scourge of the Seas' worried about his image?"
"You find it hard to believe?"
"No," Lux said, the sound of his footsteps finally moving back toward the hallway. "I'm amused. It makes you human. And humans are so much easier to break."
The door didn't close, but the voices faded as they moved back onto the main deck. It was several minutes before the ship stopped shuddering and the sound of Lux's vessel detaching echoed through the hull. Only then did Elena let out a jagged, broken sob, her forehead dropping to the floor in the darkness. She was still a hostage, but as she listened to Kai’s voice barking orders to his men above, she realized with a terrifying clarity: she’d rather be his prisoner than anyone else’s prize.