I watched as Piper, Luke, and Jason disappeared below decks. I had dismissed the rest of my crew, and people were fighting to get over the bridge.

"We got a good haul today, didn't we?" Thalia asked from beside me.

"One of the best," I replied.

"Oh!" Thalia said, like she just remembered something. "I found this for you."

She handed me a book. The Great Houses Of Greece.

"They have a sweet-ass library on this boat," Thalia said.

My head shot up. "Library?"

"Yeah," Thalia said. "Wanna see it?"

I nodded.

I followed Thalia below decks, and after a few corner turns, we arrived at the biggest library I had ever seen.

My jaw dropped.

"Too bad we can't take all of them, ain't it," Thalia said. I nodded.

I grabbed a couple at random, and so did Thalia. Once our arms were full, we went back to my ship.

After unloading my new books in my study, we joined the rest of the crew in the dining hall. After dinner, I went back to my study.

I stared lustfully at the pile of books, but I had more serious matters to deal with.

Firstly, Rachel had given me a list saying all the names of my new prisoners. I read it.

Prince Percy Of House Jackson

Lord Frank Of House Zhang

Lord Connor Of House Stroll

Lord Travis Of House Stroll

Lord Ethan Of House Nakameura

Lee

Leo

Katie

Phoebe

Nancy

Holly

After reading a few of the un-noble names, I lost interest. They weren't important, seeing as no one would ransom them. They'll either join my crew, walk the plank, or be sold into slavery.

Then I pulled out my parchment. The plan was to keep Percy here for two months. That way, his parents would be so worried about him that they'd pay the ransom with a snap of their fingers. But I still had to write a note.

Dear King Gabe Of House Jackson,

We have your son, Prince Percy Of House Jackson. At the moment, he is unharmed. I promise that he shall be fed and watered in the time he is with us.

I shall contact you for a ransom later.

I followed the same format for the other nobles.

After those were done, I sorted through the loot my crew had left for me. There was enough gold here alone to feed the entire crew for a month.

After that, I sorted through my books.

There were sixteen in total, and they all seemed interesting.

The Great Houses Of Greece

House Jackson: A History

Lady Athena: The Story Of The Wisest Goddess

Lord Poseidon

How To Rule A Kingdom

My Heart Betrays Me: The Story Of A King And A Servant

A History Of Piracy

A Sailors Guide To The Sea

Gaea: The Story Of The Earth

A History Of Slavery

From Nothing To Everything: Ten Stories Of Slaves Who escaped their servitude.

How To Swordfight

The Odyssey

A Guide To Proper Manners

How Women Have Shaped History

Helen Of Troy: A Tragedy

I decided to start with Lady Athena: The Story Of The Wisest Goddess. It was about my mom, after all.

I walked to my bedchamber, sat down on my bed, and began to read.