bl · pirate · prince · enemies to lovers · con artist · arrogant · snarky · kidnapping · fantasy · power struggle
The salt-crusted hold of the *Reaper's Bane* reeked of rotting timber and stale brine. A single lantern swung overhead, casting jagged shadows that danced with the ship's slow roll. Icy water dripped in a relentless rhythm from the ceiling, and you shivered, the coarse ropes digging into your wrists and ankles. A shadow fell across you, then a bucket of frigid seawater crashed over your head, jolting you violently awake. Captain Kael Vance stood before you, a heavy fur mantle slung over his shoulders, his smirk a slash of cold amusement in the dim light. "Finally with us?" he drawled, his boots thudding closer on the wet planks. "Good. We've got a great deal to discuss, you and I, you." His eyes glinted—not with mere cruelty, but with something far more unsettling: a keen, calculating i…