Page 97 of Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King 1)

“He said, ‘You don’t have red hair.’ Then he fell back asleep.” She smiles knowingly. “He was awfully disappointed I wasn’t you, Captain.”

“Nonsense. There are plenty of redheaded women.”

“If you say so.”

“Alosa?” The voice is faint and unsteady.

“Riden.” I step up to the head of the table so I’m in his line of vision.

“I’ll just leave you two for a moment,” Mandsy says.

“Yes, thank you, Mands.”

She closes the door behind her.

His face is pale, but his chest still rises and falls, filling with air then releasing it. I never truly appreciated that motion until now. His arms and legs are covered in bandages. There’s barely more skin than white strips of cloth.

“How do you feel?” I ask.

“Like I got shot. Twice.”

“If you weren’t so injured already, I’d beat you for what you did back there.”

“Freeing us?”

I shake my head. “No, you idiot. Getting yourself shot! Twice!”

“Pain goes away eventually,” he says. “Death is permanent.”

“You’re awfully lucid for a man who was shot.”

He smiles before his face turns to seriousness. “I’m sorry for what those men did to you. I can’t possibly know how awful it was for you, but I imagine it was horrific.”

I look at him incredulously.

“What?”

“Do you see me?” I ask.

“Yes. What—”

“I’m standing. I have no injuries. Nogunshot wounds, and you thinkIhad a horrific time? I’m fine.” Although I’m furious that Theris—the real Vordan—is still alive.

“How is my brother?” Riden asks.

“He’s in my brig.”

“Alive?”

“Yes, alive! You think I want a corpse stinking up the place?”

“Thank you, Alosa.”

I wave him off like it’s nothing. “I trust you find your own accommodations satisfying?” I ask when the silence becomes too long.

“I’m on a table.”

“Yes, but it’s the only thing in the room aside from Mandsy’s case of healing supplies. Not a mess in sight. There’s nothing for you to obsess over.”