A Swift and Savage Tide (Captain Kit Brightling, #2)

by Chloe Neill

If hell was real, it was not built of eternal fire, of basalt and brimstone. Hell was cold—a world frozen solid from endless gray sky to aching bone. Every breath a splinter, every small task made impossibly difficult. And add that to damnable incompetence. He’d been refused the supplies he needed, his commanders refused to provide the necessary discipline, and the troops provided him had been too weak—or simply not clever enough—to deal with cold.

Seriously? Clever can never beat frozen without sufficient supplies (food & shelter) ... yikes ... Was the actual Napoleon that clueless about REAL weather?

Kit rolled her eyes. “This is the eighth time he’s spotted the Fidelity since we left New London. The last two weren’t even ships.” “In fairness,” Jin said with a smile, “one was a ship-shaped island. And, if I was the type to speak freely, I’d suggest the captain ought not have offered a piece of gold for the sailor who finds it. It tends to encourage . . . hopefulness.”

oops

“Just enough to make it flex a bit.” “On land?” Kit repeated. “So much for the ban.” Who was playing with that particular fire, Kit wondered, and at what cost for the rest of them? “Best way to ensure a person does something is to tell them not to do it,” Tamlin said. Unfortunately, she wasn’t wrong.

:(

He just looked at her. “Thirty-six,” Kit said. “But don’t send in a team. Sail back to the line and alert the fleet. Let them come.” “Twenty-four,” Jin said. “Fine.” “And wine,” he said again. “As many casks as the boat will carry. And bread, if you can manage it. The Gallians do make a fine loaf.” Kit made a little bow. “Shall we also bring cassoulet and petit fours to finish the meal?” “Needs must,” Jin said, echoing what she’d told him. Then he offered a hand, pulled her to her feet. “I’m impertinent because I care.”

Love these two

The building bore no numbers, no name. The façade was nearly covered by an overgrown yew bursting up from a small patch of ground that fronted it. Might have been nice to see secrets of international warfare exchanged here in gilded letters on the door, but one couldn’t have everything one desired.

;)

Cooper’s cheeks were a bit wan, but her voice was steady. “All due respect, sir, bollocks to that.” Kit was beginning to wonder if any of her crew understood what obedience meant.

:) Price of being worthy to lead.

“I still don’t know what they saw in him,” Cooper said quietly. “I’ve always thought he looked so . . . plain.” “That’s why they loved him,” Kit said, “and love him still, or at least some of them. He was a student who became a general; a general who became an emperor. He is a man of infinite ambition, who succeeded, or nearly, at his aims. Everyone wants to succeed.” “You sound as if you admire him,” Cooper said. “I don’t admire him. I admire his talents. He has a nimble mind and a strong will. And if he’d used them to help his people, rather than himself, the world might be a very different place. Since he didn’t, he, like Doucette, can rot in hell.”

Hmm

Raleigh lifted an imperious brow that Kit imagined was well practiced and quickened the hearts of Beau Monde mamas. “Your reputation precedes you,” he said. “You are, as expected, very frank for a woman without a title.” His voice was deep and carried the precision of years of elite education and society training. But she was hardly intimidated by the Beau Monde. “You’re very brave for a man without a ship.” Raleigh watched her in silence, then glanced at Grant. “Maintain hope, Grant. Perhaps you’ve a thirteenth cousin who’ll meet his untimely demise and you, too, can be a duke and subject to these abuses.”

:D

She wasn’t sure if it was shock, exasperation, or irritation she saw on his face. “You followed La Boucher through town?” A bit of all three, she concluded, from his tone.

:)

“You’ve already been this way once today.” This was a different man, his voice a bit higher. Cragwell snorted. “Do you think I’ve control over Fouché’s activities? That when he says, ‘Go again, boy,’ I can tell him, ‘No, as I don’t find your methods efficient’?” He sighed with great exhaustion. “He has a point,” said High Voice. “It’s no business of ours what Fouché does. We don’t want his attention on us, aye?” There was silence for a moment,

Oo .... I mean Cragwell has a point.

Might as well employ a bit of drama, Kit thought. She jumped to her feet, hands fisted into claws and eyes wide, and screamed at the men in Gallic, “All murderers shall perish!”

:D

Bells began to peal, and Kit instinctively glanced at the clock bolted to the wall. It wasn’t time for change of shift. “All hands!” someone called down, and footsteps began to echo through the passageway as sailors ran to their assigned positions on deck. “Bloody damnable hell,” Grant said, and stepped back, putting between them the space he’d have known she needed. His hands were on his hips, and a spark was in his eyes. “It’s proving very difficult to seduce you, what with the constant interruptions.” Her eyes gleamed. “Is that what you’re doing? Trying to seduce me?” “Among other things. Do you object?” “No,” she decided, and they headed for the companionway.

:D

“Sailing, torn down to its essence, is standing at an angle,” Grant called out over the rushing wind and water. “And then standing at a different angle. Yes?” Simon snorted but covered his mouth at Kit’s arch look. “He’s not entirely wrong, Captain.” “And there’s a reason we don’t usually allow soldiers on board.”

;) Well that & not falling down or into the drink ...

“I believe I need . . . to sit.”

Oh hell no .... she better not fridge him ><

his lovely and thoughtful wife. “I’m not telling her,” Kit said. “She scares me.” “She scares me, too,”

:)

“You’re going to drink a ridiculous amount of any sailor’s favorite medicine,” March said. “And when you’re good and drunk on that rum, I’m going to poke around in your innards and see if I can’t find the little blighter. If we’re lucky, I will, and I’ll sew you up neat and tidy.” “And if we aren’t lucky?” Jin asked. There was a pause. “More rum,” March said. “Great, gasping quantities of rum.”

:(

Grant didn’t manage to hide his grin very well. “I can see that admission cost you, so I won’t gloat.” “You’re gloating right now.” “I won’t gloat other than this very small indulgence.” It was her turn to smile, just a little.

:)

“And good to see you,” he said, “if from a strange distance. Did she tell you about the small creatures?” Kit glanced around to ensure they were alone. “She did. Is the physick a bit . . . touched?” That had Jin’s smile widening. “It makes sense when you hear it from him, at least as far as these things go. Makes me itchy, though.” “Same.”

lol

“If you so much as begin to mutter ‘I’m sorry,’ I will demand satisfaction.” Since he was right—that’s exactly what she’d been planning to say—she simply cleared her throat. “Life is deadly,” he continued, “and our choices all inevitably lead from one to the other.” “That’s terribly philosophical. But mostly just terrible.”

But true

Added to that, the idea of small, invisible creatures flitting here and there made her itchy and in want of a bath—preferably a complete dousing in boiling water and lye soap, sending any small creatures to meet their maker. “Why do I feel dirty?” Grant said, when they reached the building’s central hall again, and rubbed at his chest with a very discomfited expression. “You are not the only one.” She stopped, looked at him. “Do you believe it? That we’re surrounded by little . . . things?” “I don’t know enough to say one way or the other. But I certainly don’t like it.” “You know what’s probably covered in small creatures? Horses.” “I’m absolutely shocked you believe so,” Grant said, and sounded not shocked in the least.

Interesting twist on the theory of microbes :D

And how is that proceeding?” Grant asked, apparently hearing the same undertone. “As well as one might expect when a handful of skilled, arrogant, and powerful people are thrown into a room together.” He rolled his eyes.

:)

“Unfortunately, he did not,” Chandler said. “You’ll recall he was obliged to leave town shortly after you were deposited at his home,” he said, giving Grant a look. Grant just looked at him. “I wasn’t going to leave them in the gaol.” “I know; I know,” Chandler said, and ran a hand over his short hair. “I blame the Gallians.” “It’s always the best course,” Kit agreed.

heh

They crossed the road, barely missing the steaming pile left behind by the enormous monster that clomped down the lane. “They leave their waste right in the middle of the road,” Kit murmured, “and everyone is fine with it.” “You’ve quite a grudge.” “Don’t be fooled, Grant. They’ve the grudge against us. And who wouldn’t, after being shackled to carriages and made to haul us around for centuries.” “You have a point.”

heh

He’ll have ruminated on it,” Kit said. That had Perez’s gaze snapping up. “Yes,” she said, eyes gleaming. “That’s it exactly. He’ll have ruminated. Contemplated. Considered pensively while staring at a portrait of himself. Because that’s the type of man he is.” This was something Kit had always appreciated about Perez. While she was unafraid to give a hard, straight order, she always looked at the totality. At the context.

Hmm

Do what?” Grant asked. “Put this here. It wasn’t in my quarters before.” Frowning, he walked in, looked at it. “No,” he said after a moment. “Raleigh, I’d presume.” “Is there anything a duke can’t do?” “Apparently not.” His voice bordered on petulant now. “Why is he giving you works of art?” “I’ve no idea. Perhaps he has a surplus. He is a duke, after all.” Grant muttered something.

;)

“He’s carrying his Alignment with him?” Grant asked. “Perhaps,” Kit said, offering the glass again. “So we just need to carry you about the Continent in a bathing tub,” Grant said. “I’d be an impressive and intimidating figure, to be sure.”

:)

She found a beach of rock and sand. The ocean and a clear horizon. More tickling. She blinked, looked down, and squealed at the crab scurrying across her thigh. “Absolutely not,” she said, and swatted it away. It jumped into the sand, then scurried into the sea beyond.

bloody scavenger ... well maybe it was cleaning the stuff filtered by her clothes rather than having her for dinner ...

They ate contemplatively, both dampening fingers to pluck the rest of the crumbs from the canvas. “I’ll not lick it clean,” Kit said, “as even here on this spit of land I’ve no doubt Hetta and Mrs. Eaves both would find out about it.” Her gaze narrowed as she stared blankly into the distance. “They’d read it in my eyes somehow.” “Or I’d use the information to blackmail you.” “For what?” “For whatever,” he said, with one of those promising smiles that made her knees a bit wobbly.

:)

“A trick Dunwood taught me on the peninsula. The seaweed imparts salt, flavor, and steam, which allows the fish to cook more evenly.” “Very clever.” He slid his gaze her way. “How does a sailor not know that?” “We travel with kitchens and fire,” she said. “And I’m not sure Cook would approve of seaweed-roasted fish.” Gods knew Mrs. Eaves wouldn’t.

oO

They ate the fish, or what there was of it. Grant was unimpressed by its lack of flavor, but Kit found it oddly comforting, and reminiscent of home. Maybe Mrs. Eaves had spent some time on a deserted island.

heh

Kit took the opportunity to look over the sailors, with their sunbaked skin and clothes that needed a good and hearty wash. Mrs. Eaves would have enjoyed correcting their “deficiencies.” And why, Kit wondered, were pirates always depicted as so dashing and, well, clean in penny novels? Had the authors never actually met a damned pirate?

most likely not ...

Release my hand,” she said, in the mildest of tones, “or I will break yours off and feed it to the sea dragons.” He did, but his grin only widened. “You are a woman of fire.” “I’m captain of the Diana. I am an officer of the queen. And I’ve no interest in children who hunt for coins while others fight.” This time, his eyes flashed. “We’re delivering supplies.” “You’re delivering smuggled liquor and silk,” she corrected, then held up a hand. “And I don’t care what you intend to deliver. We made the deal necessary to get us off the ship, and I will hold to it. But that’s it. If you want my admiration, use your brains and your wealth and your ship for something more than padding your pockets.

atta girl

“But I probably won’t,” she said, then looked at Grant. “I can give us speed; I’ll need you to be my eyes again.” He looked back at the cliffs, visible now without the shocks of lightning. “Stay away from those.” “That’s very helpful. Do more of that.” She looked at Donal. “You’ll want to hold on.” His expression was defiant. “They all make that mistake the first time,” she murmured,

;)

Grant shifted closer. “Feeling protective?” she murmured. “Merely positioning myself to throw you in front if they attack.” “Very chivalrous.”

;)

Kit followed him back to his quarters. “Why are we preparing to fire? You’ve seen what I can do. I can get the Phoenix out of range.” “First, because I’m a pirate. We rather like firing on ships. And second, because we have no choice.” Kit looked back at him. “Why? Why is there no choice?” He belted on a sabre with a complicated basket hilt and stuck a pistol into his belt. “Because we’re wanted in Frisia.” Kit could all but feel her blood boil.

Oh dude

The remnants of the fog dissipated as they came round again, prepared for a volley of shots as the ships passed each other once more. “I revise my prior comment,” Grant said. “Sailing isn’t merely standing at an angle, but circling around and around.” “Right as always, my lord.” He snorted at the title.

;)

She turned to Jin. “Perhaps the most important question, other than how you came to be here, is why everyone is wearing a cap.” “Tamlin has taken up knitting.” She looked at Tamlin. “You’ve taken up knitting.” She repeated the words as if they made no sense to her, because they made no sense to her. “My mother had shipped a bit of wool and needles. She has concerns about my domestic skills. I took them into the tops with me; I don’t have to look while I do it.” “There are just . . . so many,” Kit said. “I was nervous while you were gone.” Tamlin looked at Jin with warmth. “You made a very good captain. But you’re not really the captain.” “I understand,” Jin said kindly. Now that she was closer, she could see some of the caps slumped a bit, and others were a bit lopsided. But no sailor had taken them off, and a few looked as if they’d seen some things between their making and Kit’s return.

:D

She reached out, squeezed his arm. “I have an objectively reasonable plan with a very high possibility of success.” His mouth narrowed to a line. “You’re a very bad liar.” “Nonsense,” she said. “Pishposh.”

:)