Nerdy and the Beast
Chapter Four
“Did we really need to bring the little vanilla crumpet along?” Natasha tossed her hair as Liam joined her and Kamon at the ship’s railing. They had just sailed out of the Mistgrove Harbor and were entering open waters.
“Her predecessor had a journey all mapped out to get to Cantaciras,” Liam replied. “The easiest course of action was to bring her, and therefore all his meticulous notes. Knowing how much you love your own skin, I imagine you want to get there alive.”
“We can’t have her suspecting that anything is amiss,” Kamon said. “I want you to keep close to her and keep her distracted.”
“Me?” Liam protested. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Don’t play the fool, Bardot. Use that pretty face of yours to keep her off our trail.”
“You think I’m pretty? Why, Viper. I’m blushing.”
“I will throw you overboard.”
“I’m pretty sure if Liam tried to make a move on that girl, she’d faint,” Natasha snickered.
“Well someone has to keep her distracted. I don’t want her overhearing things she shouldn’t-“
“You could just tell the crew to keep their big mouths shut,” Liam suggested.
“-so if Liam doesn’t do it, then I guess you have a new hen to cluck with, Tash,” Kamon finished, giving Liam a warning glare before turning his attention to Natasha. She looked like she’d swallowed a whole lemon.
“I don’t want to be friends with her,” Natasha pouted.
“Well I can’t trust any of the other men to do it. I suppose I could-“
“No,” Liam interrupted loudly, this time earning a glower from Kamon and Natasha both. “That won’t be necessary. I’ll handle it,” Liam sighed. All he wanted was some peace and quiet on the open sea, but despite the Sin Sector’s best efforts, he hadn’t lost his conscience entirely and he couldn’t subject any innocent person to Kamon’s presence. The man was a brute with an unpredictable temper.
Kamon nodded, satisfied that his orders would be followed, and disappeared into the captain’s quarters. Liam was left alone with Natasha. She leaned on the rail, pretending to ignore the glances of the other men on deck. Liam just looked at her in exasperation.
“What do you want now?”
“I thought you’d enjoy some more interesting company before you have to go off and try to charm that little bookend.”
“I’d love some interesting company,” Liam agreed. “Do you know of any on board?”
Natasha pursed her lips. “So testy. You used to enjoy my company.”
“And then you betrayed me. Several times. I suppose you’ve conveniently forgotten that.”
“Darling I was just doing what I had to. A girl has to survive somehow.”
Liam gave her a glacial glare. “What you do, Natasha, has nothing to do with survival. You like picking up new toys and then breaking them. I once saw you kick a stray puppy for your own amusement.”
He did not add that he had taken said puppy home, cleaned him up, and left him on the porch of a family with several children who took him in. It wasn’t the sort of thing members of the Viper Pit did; in Kamon’s mind kindness was weakness. He’d had people beaten senseless for being too soft.
“And I suppose Laure and Ivan were just survival too,” Liam added coldly. Natasha didn’t even have the grace to look guilty. She just studied her nails, unfazed.
“You know the rules, Liam. You don’t leave the Viper Pit unless Kamon says so. You knew the risks when you tried to run. Besides, Laure is alive.”
“It’s no wonder you ended up with Viper. You’re just the poisonous, slithering queen of darkness he needed.” Liam turned away from her in disgust, going to look for Emma before one of the oafish thugs on board blew their cover or broke one of her fingers. He found her hovering near the bow, looking anxious.
“I was just taking in the view,” she said. “The crew seems...well, they’re a crew.“
“Just...try not to talk to them too much,” Liam advised. “They’re very focused on their work.”
“The navigator is quite beautiful.”
“Oh, she’s a lot of things.”
Emma looked startled at the bitterness in his tone and he remembered that he was supposed to be keeping her from forming any suspicions about their real intentions. He cleared his throat, trying to push aside his sour mood and be charming.
“So, have you ever gone on an expedition for the museum before?”
“Oh, no. I’m new to all of this. I haven’t even spent much time on ships at all. This must be old hat for you by now though.”
Liam looked out over the expanse of water, remembering how much he’d longed for adventures exactly like this one as a child. He had forgotten those dreams, buried them down deep and left them for dead. But he felt a faint stirring of excitement at the prospect of finding lost treasure.
“I still get a thrill at the start of a voyage,” he replied. “You never know what you’re going to find, out there on the horizon. The song of adventure stirs men to sing, each a different tune.”
“Eliot T. Fleming,” Emma said, smiling. “He’s one of my favorite poets. Very underrated.”
“My mother used to read us Fleming poems before bed,” Liam said, trying not to sound wistful.
“How lovely.“
Liam dragged his gaze away from the ocean and shook away memories he didn’t want to think about right now. “Let me show you to where you’ll be sleeping,” he said.
“Her predecessor had a journey all mapped out to get to Cantaciras,” Liam replied. “The easiest course of action was to bring her, and therefore all his meticulous notes. Knowing how much you love your own skin, I imagine you want to get there alive.”
“We can’t have her suspecting that anything is amiss,” Kamon said. “I want you to keep close to her and keep her distracted.”
“Me?” Liam protested. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Don’t play the fool, Bardot. Use that pretty face of yours to keep her off our trail.”
“You think I’m pretty? Why, Viper. I’m blushing.”
“I will throw you overboard.”
“I’m pretty sure if Liam tried to make a move on that girl, she’d faint,” Natasha snickered.
“Well someone has to keep her distracted. I don’t want her overhearing things she shouldn’t-“
“You could just tell the crew to keep their big mouths shut,” Liam suggested.
“-so if Liam doesn’t do it, then I guess you have a new hen to cluck with, Tash,” Kamon finished, giving Liam a warning glare before turning his attention to Natasha. She looked like she’d swallowed a whole lemon.
“I don’t want to be friends with her,” Natasha pouted.
“Well I can’t trust any of the other men to do it. I suppose I could-“
“No,” Liam interrupted loudly, this time earning a glower from Kamon and Natasha both. “That won’t be necessary. I’ll handle it,” Liam sighed. All he wanted was some peace and quiet on the open sea, but despite the Sin Sector’s best efforts, he hadn’t lost his conscience entirely and he couldn’t subject any innocent person to Kamon’s presence. The man was a brute with an unpredictable temper.
Kamon nodded, satisfied that his orders would be followed, and disappeared into the captain’s quarters. Liam was left alone with Natasha. She leaned on the rail, pretending to ignore the glances of the other men on deck. Liam just looked at her in exasperation.
“What do you want now?”
“I thought you’d enjoy some more interesting company before you have to go off and try to charm that little bookend.”
“I’d love some interesting company,” Liam agreed. “Do you know of any on board?”
Natasha pursed her lips. “So testy. You used to enjoy my company.”
“And then you betrayed me. Several times. I suppose you’ve conveniently forgotten that.”
“Darling I was just doing what I had to. A girl has to survive somehow.”
Liam gave her a glacial glare. “What you do, Natasha, has nothing to do with survival. You like picking up new toys and then breaking them. I once saw you kick a stray puppy for your own amusement.”
He did not add that he had taken said puppy home, cleaned him up, and left him on the porch of a family with several children who took him in. It wasn’t the sort of thing members of the Viper Pit did; in Kamon’s mind kindness was weakness. He’d had people beaten senseless for being too soft.
“And I suppose Laure and Ivan were just survival too,” Liam added coldly. Natasha didn’t even have the grace to look guilty. She just studied her nails, unfazed.
“You know the rules, Liam. You don’t leave the Viper Pit unless Kamon says so. You knew the risks when you tried to run. Besides, Laure is alive.”
“It’s no wonder you ended up with Viper. You’re just the poisonous, slithering queen of darkness he needed.” Liam turned away from her in disgust, going to look for Emma before one of the oafish thugs on board blew their cover or broke one of her fingers. He found her hovering near the bow, looking anxious.
“I was just taking in the view,” she said. “The crew seems...well, they’re a crew.“
“Just...try not to talk to them too much,” Liam advised. “They’re very focused on their work.”
“The navigator is quite beautiful.”
“Oh, she’s a lot of things.”
Emma looked startled at the bitterness in his tone and he remembered that he was supposed to be keeping her from forming any suspicions about their real intentions. He cleared his throat, trying to push aside his sour mood and be charming.
“So, have you ever gone on an expedition for the museum before?”
“Oh, no. I’m new to all of this. I haven’t even spent much time on ships at all. This must be old hat for you by now though.”
Liam looked out over the expanse of water, remembering how much he’d longed for adventures exactly like this one as a child. He had forgotten those dreams, buried them down deep and left them for dead. But he felt a faint stirring of excitement at the prospect of finding lost treasure.
“I still get a thrill at the start of a voyage,” he replied. “You never know what you’re going to find, out there on the horizon. The song of adventure stirs men to sing, each a different tune.”
“Eliot T. Fleming,” Emma said, smiling. “He’s one of my favorite poets. Very underrated.”
“My mother used to read us Fleming poems before bed,” Liam said, trying not to sound wistful.
“How lovely.“
Liam dragged his gaze away from the ocean and shook away memories he didn’t want to think about right now. “Let me show you to where you’ll be sleeping,” he said.