From that point on, we were both treated as part of the crew. No, as part of the family, and that was even better. As Corvax recovered over the next few days and I tended his wounds, it seemed like every crewmember of the Halloran popped their head into our little cabin. Everyone aboard wanted to wish him well or thank him for saving their lives.

It was a strange feeling to be welcome aboard a pirate ship, but a good one too. The warmth between the crew, the camaraderie, was a nice change to my experiences since leaving Earth and I found myself wondering what my friends back home would think of me now. How would Alex, Becca, and Morgan react when I wrote them a letter saying I'd been adopted by pirates?

The thought made me smile.

The ship creaked as we edged our way onward towards Rohar, and everywhere reeked of either engine oil, sea monster guts, or both. The body of the zhak trailed along beside the Halloran, attached to the vessel by huge hooks and being carved up for meat and other supplies as we traveled. The stench was amazingly awful, but the pirates didn't seem to mind it at all.

"It's a treasure," Captain Orshak said when I asked why. "We've never killed anything this big before, and it'll keep us supplied for months. And there's those who'll pay for the fat, the bones. I might keep the skull if I can figure out where to keep it, though. That's a trophy that'll show people the Halloran's not to be fucked with."

I shivered at the thought that fighting monsters like that was a normal part of these people's lives. No thanks! Maybe Corvax had a point about this being a dangerous planet. Not that it made a difference. I'd rather be here with him and take my chances with the monsters than be safe back on Earth.

It helped that he lived in a castle rather than on a ship. We wouldn't be fighting sea serpents there, or at least I hoped not. I didn't think it made much difference, though. Even if I had to live aboard a pirate ship like this, I'd put up with it for his sake.

Captain Orshak laughed again, watching my expression, and I wondered how much he'd figured out. He might not look it, but he was a perceptive man. Probably it's a survival trait for a pirate captain, I thought. Being smarter than he looks must be useful.

"Do not worry," he said. "Yes, our lives are crazy. We are those who are cast out from the islands, and we make our living as we can. Your man, though, he's safer than this. The island-folk, they have it easy, and he'll take good care of you. He's not soft like most of them."

"He wants to send me back to Earth," I blurted out, then blushed. It wasn't something I'd intended to talk about, but I couldn't keep my thoughts inside.

Captain Orshak grinned and shook his head, clapping me on the shoulder with enough force to stagger me. "No, little human. Maybe he tells you that he does, but we all see how he looks at you. He wants you with him, no matter what he claims. His problem is that he's going to focus on keeping you safe, even if it leaves you both unhappy."

I looked at him, frowning myself. There was something about his tone that told me he was speaking from experience, but I didn't want to pry.

No, that wasn't true. I did want to pry, but I wouldn't be that rude. After a moment, he leaned back and smiled again, and it was as though that dark moment had never happened.

"Don't let him make the mistake I did, woman," he said, grabbing a bottle of wine and filling his goblet. "There are risks worth taking."

He drank deep, and I could see that I wasn't going to get any more out of him on that subject. I might be part of the family now, but we weren't that close and we never would be.

I wondered if he had anyone he could share those stories with. I hoped so, or it would be a lonely life. I promised myself I'd do my best to follow his advice and convince Corvax to let me stay here. If we didn't, I knew deep down that we'd both regret it for as long as we lived.

The melancholy expression on Captain Orshak's face wasn’t something I wanted to imagine on Corvax's, or to feel on my own.