Hello again! First things first, I know I promised this chapter for this past Tuesday, but things happened and I couldn't finish it. But worry not, me hearties, today you'll get two chapters instead of one ;) (over 10K words!) Yay!

I have some notes for this couple of chapters so let's start, shall we? Many of you have already guessed who the character that our lovely crew will be picking up in Cadiz is, so just keep in mind that for the sake of this fic (and because my friend Haley loves him so much) I have decided to pair him with another of our characters even though they are not canonically a couple. Also, CH5 has some Spanish words and a lot of explanation about the treasure and stuff (similar to CH3) because I want everyone to have as much information as possible before the romance begins ;) (I love slow burn so you've been warned)

Anyway, hope you like these chapters and remember that reviews, faves, and follows are always welcome ;)


Chapter 5

It had been four days since they had left the Spiral Labyrinth with a crew of twenty-four men including them, and Alec still didn't know much about the scheme they were following or what they planned to do next. He only knew what little Magnus had shared with him.

They were heading to Cadiz, in Spain, to pick up a person who would be helping them with some translations that they would have to do once they got to Cartagena; another city in Spain where they would be looking for an old text that Magnus had once read and that apparently contained the location of the island where the treasure had been hidden, and where they believed Valentine was going.

Why they needed a translator? And, how come Magnus had gotten hold of that text in the first place? Alec didn't know. The pirate had been very cautious about the information he shared with him, and although Alec understood why—they didn't know each other well—that didn't make it any less frustrating.

Alec felt as if he were being left in the dark on purpose, as if he were not smart enough to understand the plan—and that made him feel angry. He was not a landlubber, as pirates called those unfamiliar with the sea or seamanship, he was a smart man and a highly trained sailor who had demonstrated his abilities again and again over the past few days. Why was Magnus hiding things from him? He didn't know, but he was tired of it.

He had tried to ask Magnus, to make him talk, but the pirate was very smart. He knew how to deflect conversations and change the subject without people even noticing, and that was frustrating. Alec had lost his last ounce of patience this morning when he had tried, for the umpteenth time, to make Magnus talk and all that he had gotten as a response had been a silly—and clearly invented—story of how the pirate had helped Queen Marie Antoinette to leave Paris and escape with her family half a year ago.

So now Alec was trying to get information from the only other person aboard the ship who had answers to his questions: Ragnor Fell.

The man was weird and he didn't seem to be very friendly; he was grumpy and serious most of the time, but he had been in a very good mood since Magnus had informed the entire crew that they would be arriving to Cadiz the next day. Alec knew it was a long shot to try to use Ragnor to get information, but it seemed to be his last resort.

"It's a beautiful night." Alec said, approaching the quirky pirate.

The man was alone in the poop deck—the highest deck at the stern of the ship above the captain's quarters—just looking at the stars with a bottle of rum half finished. A bottle that Alec himself had made sure ended up in Ragnor's hands.

Alec had noticed that men tended to be more open and careless when they were under the influence of alcohol, so he had—quite deliberately—asked one of the cabin boys to give Ragnor a well-deserved bottle of rum. "From his captain," he had asked the boy to add just to ensure that Ragnor drank the amber liquid.

"It certainly is." Ragnor agreed with a smile. He sounded uncoordinated and particularly happy, so Alec knew his plan had worked—this man was ready to talk.

"You look very happy tonight." Alec started the conversation by stating the obvious. He was not very good at socializing, but considering Ragnor's intoxicated state, he figured his lack of ability wouldn't matter that much. "I bet you've missed her."

"Who?" Ragnor asked confused.

"The girl we'll pick up in Cadiz," Alec said, "Magnus said she was your lover."

"Well, first it's not a girl, and second, he's not my lover, he's my love." Ragnor said. "It's not the same."

"I'm sorry." Alec quickly apologized. "I just assumed, I mean, I didn't know you were-"

"Me neither, but then he came along." Ragnor said, staying silent for a few minutes.

Alec was trying to find a way to resume the conversation, but his mind was blank, where was his sister when he needed her the most? She would know what to do, what to say. She was the smartest person he knew and-

"And you? Is there someone special in your life?" Ragnor asked, snapping Alec out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"Are you in love with someone?"

"Me? No, no, I-I...no, I'm not." Alec said. The question had taken him by surprise.

"Oh, come on!" Ragnor exclaimed a little bit too loud. "With a face like yours, I bet there are hundreds of young ladies waiting in line just to be with you."

Alec blushed. "I-I don't think so...I-I'm-I'm...I don't like girls."

"Well, then gentlemen."

Alec chuckled. "Things in Alicante are very different. We have an image to protect, rules to follow. I don't doubt that there are people like me, but it's not something we talk about and much less encourage." He shared. "The Clave is not very supportive of people who don't follow their strict close-minded protocols and the punishments are very cruel, so people don't take the risk confessing their preferences...it's not worth it."

"So people don't know you...?" Ragnor asked. He seemed genuinely intrigued.

"Oh, no, they know alright." Alec confessed.

He hadn't expected the conversation to turn in that direction, but now that it was happening he couldn't stop himself from sharing his story. He hadn't tell anyone besides his siblings, and although being open about it wasn't what he usually did, he figured it didn't matter since Ragnor wouldn't remember a thing the next day—alcohol would take care of that. "If I'm honest, it's not something I wanted people to know, but it happened. It wasn't voluntary, though. I didn't want to, but I had to tell my family and the Clave when the situation forced me."

"Why?"

"My dad tried to set me up in marriage with the daughter of one of his friends when I turned eighteen. When I refused to play along, he involved the Clave and that was when I had no choice but to tell them why I didn't want to marry this girl Lydia. She was nice and beautiful, but I couldn't see her as more than a friend. She was already in love with some boy from town, John, and we both were being forced to marry each other against our will. So I did what I had to do and confessed my secret." Alec said.

"And, what did they do?"

"Nothing." Alec sighed. "If it had been anyone else they would have probably send me to the gallows or to exile, but since I am the son of their very own Inquisitor, they simply ignored it and pretended that I never said it. I know people murmur behind my back, but other than that, they just pretend it never happened."

"But at least it helped you to stop that marriage."

"Yeah," Alec nodded, "they stopped trying to set me up with girls and my father focused on finding my sister a worthy husband instead."

"Your father has always been one annoying headache." Ragnor admitted, taking the remaining rum.

"You knew him too?"

"I was part of Magnus's crew when Valentine took the Danube."

"How old were you?" Alec asked intrigued. Ragnor looked no older than thirty.

"Fourteen." Ragnor said. "I was a cabin boy back then."

"So you've known Magnus from quite some time, huh?" Alec asked. The conversation was finally taking the path he had intended since the beginning.

"Yeah, we've been friends for a very long time." Ragnor confessed. "I was one of the few men who stood by him when he lost everything. Poor man, he's been around for nearly two centuries and nothing, nothing has hurt him as much as losing the Danube."

Alec tried to digest that information for some seconds. He knew that Magnus was somehow immortal, but hearing that he had been around for nearly two centuries was still shocking. When Alec had asked him how long he had been drinking from the Fountain of Youth, the pirate had refused to tell him, and now Alec knew why. If it weren't for the fact that he hadn't aged at all, Magnus would have almost two hundred years old.

"How did it happen?" Alec asked. "How did he lose the Danube?"

"It was one night, almost fifteen years ago." Ragnor said, quickly fading into the memory. "We were on our way to the Caribbean when it happened. Valentine had been trying to steal Magnus's ship for some time, but there was no ship faster than the Danube, so he had found impossible to catch us. That night, however, he did. I had been sent to the crow's nest as punishment for not doing my tasks, so I saw it all. The night was unusually dark and there was no wind, it was freezing and suddenly, out of nowhere, Valentine's ship was right in front of us. We tried to outrun it, but the Danube seemed to be anchored in the middle of the sea."

"But, how?"

"I don't know, it was as if something more powerful than anything we have ever encountered were holding us down. Anyway, Valentine and his people started to swarm across the Danube and the battle began. Some men fought, but some other surrendered. Valentine offered them a place in his crew and those bastards agreed. The rest of us either died or were taken as prisoners."

"What happened to you?"

"I stood by my captain until they captured me. Then Valentine left Magnus to die at some deserted island and we were sold to the highest bidder. A couple of years later, when I managed to escape, I found Magnus again. I wasn't surprised to see him alive, that man is a hard nut to crack, but I was surprised to discover that he didn't have a ship of his own, so I helped him and we snagged one. I became his First Mate and we returned to business. We sailed together for years until I decided to settle down. That's when I lost contact with him until recently."

"So were you with him when he found that old text we're going after?"

"When he found it, no. But I was there when he went back to read it again." Ragnor said, and Alec frowned confused. This man wasn't making any sense and that had nothing to do with the fact that he was drunk.

"Magnus had read about the Angel's Treasure when he was a little kid," Ragnor continued, "but he always-"

"Wait a minute...the Angel's Treasure?"

"Aye, the treasure of all treasures—Raziel's Treasure." Ragnor said. "But don't distract me! I'm telling a story! Like I was saying, Magnus had read about it when he was a little boy, but he had always thought of it as a children's tale. When Valentine stole the Danube rumors about a powerful treasure began to emerge and that's when Magnus realized that the old tale about the Angel's Treasure that he used to read as a child wasn't a children's tale after all, but the real thing."

"So he went back for the book?"

"We did," Ragnor said, "it had been more than a century since Magnus had been home, so it took us a while to find it again."

"Home? Does that mean that Magnus was born in Spain?"

"No, he was born in Indonesia, I think, but he was raised in Madrid, Spain, by some sect of monks known as 'los hermanos silenciosos' or the silent brothers."

"Raised?" Alec couldn't help asking. He wanted to know more about the Angel's Treasure, but he was also curious about Magnus. The pirate intrigued him. "What happened to his parents?"

"I don't know for sure." Ragnor said. "He never talks about them, I just know that his mother killed herself when he was a kid."

Alec tried to put aside the image that was taking shape in the back of his head of a young Magnus discovering that his own mother had killed herself. It was too painful. "And his father?"

"The coward drowned himself in the middle of the ocean." Magnus said, making both Alec and Ragnor to jump scared.

Alec didn't know how long the pirate had been listening to their conversation, but he was suddenly feeling guilty of having crossed a private line.

"I'm sorry…" He was quick to say.

"Are you?" Magnus asked not too surprised. "Because it seems that you, very deliberately, waited until this filthy loudmouth was loaded to the gunwalls to get information out of him. Didn't I tell you that I would share with you what you needed to know when you needed to know it?"

"Well, yes, but you seem to think that I don't need to know anything ever. I don't even know why we need a translator in the first place, and why is this book in Cartagena? Ragnor said something about Madrid, so why is it there instead? And, why don't you have it with you if it's so valuable? I don't like being left in the dark, Magnus! I'm not stupid, you can trust me." Alec said.

"I've never said you are stupid," Magnus said, grabbing the bottle that Ragnor was holding, but finding it already empty, "and I was going to tell you everything tomorrow when we arrived to Cadiz, but since you can't wait for a couple more hours, I guess I can start now."

"Please." Alec said. He saw Magnus rolling his eyes.

"Then let's go to my quarters, I'm not going to share that story when half the crew can hear it."

"The crew is asleep." Alec pointed out. "And I'm not going anywhere. You can tell me whatever you want here." He said sure of himself. He wasn't going to enclose himself in Magnus's quarters—that was not right.

"Are you afraid I might rob you of your virtue?" Magnus asked jokingly. "Alexander, you offend me. I'm an honorable pirate, I would never do anything against your will, but if that's what you want, I'm more than willing to indulge."

"I never said that."

"I know, darling, but a man can dream...now, shall we?"

"Why can't you just tell me the story here?"

"Because the crew can hear it and there's no rum. I need rum, Alexander, so either you go with me or you stay here trying to get information from this traitor."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Fine." He said.

He hated to be bossed around, but he was way too curious about the story to protest any further. Besides, Ragnor seemed to be falling asleep already and it was always better to hear the story from the man himself, so despite his hesitation, he followed Magnus to his cabin.

o-o-o-o-o

Magnus entered his quarters and immediately grabbed two silver goblets, pouring some rum in them and offering one to Alec, who just eyed the amber liquid suspiciously.

"It's not poisoned." Magnus pointed out, grabbing Alec's glass and taking a sip just to prove his point. "Why would I want to kill you?"

"It's not that...I just don't like rum." Alec said.

Magnus chuckled. "I knew you couldn't be that perfect." He muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, Alexander." Magnus covered himself up. "I just find that surprising. I hadn't met a man who didn't like rum. You want some beer? You seemed to enjoy the ones Catarina gave you back in the Spiral."

Alec just nodded, so Magnus grabbed a pitcher and poured some beer from one of the barrels that he had there for his personal use. "Here…" He said, taking a seat in front of Alec.

The man was scanning the room, eyeing everything with detail. Being the captain had its perks and Magnus knew it. Of all the cabins on the ship, his was the most spacious. He had a large bed, a desk, a small bookshelf, some cupboards and a coffee table.

"The captain's cabin is always the best one." Alec pointed out.

"It is."

They were silent for some minutes just taking sips from their respective drinks. Magnus could see that Alec was trying hard not to start asking questions. If there was something he had learned about the boy in these past days was that he was extremely curious about everything.

"How much did Ragnor say?" Magnus finally asked. He had only heard the last part of their conversation, and he wanted to know how far Ragnor had blundered.

"Not much, he just shared with me how Valentine got the Danube and how, when the legends about the treasure began to spread, you discovered that the children's tale you had read when you were a kid was actually true. He was telling me about the treasure and how you both found the text again when you arrived."

Magnus meditated for some seconds. Apparently, things weren't that bad after all. He could share with Alec certain things and just leave aside the part in which due to some twists and turns of fate he was necessary to break the curse.

"Well, then I guess I can continue where Ragnor left off. Like he shared with you, I was raised by the silent brothers. A sect of monks who used to live in Madrid. They had the most amazing collection of books you could imagine. From geography to philosophy, everything was there. As I grew up, they made me read them all as part of my formation. Through the many books I read, I came across a peculiar text that narrated the adventures of a brave sailor. That book always intrigued me. First, because I wanted to be a sailor myself, and second, because I couldn't read it well."

Alec frowned in confusion.

"The book was in Spanish and Latin." Magnus said as a matter of explanation. "I did alright with Spanish, since the brothers had made sure I learned it well, but my Latin was awful. I knew a thing or two but never enough to actually translate it. Anyway, for years I read that book thinking it was just a children's book, but when Valentine took the Danube and the legends about the treasure started to emerge, I realized that I had heard a similar story before. It had been many years since then, so it took me a while to remember from where, but I eventually did, and so Ragnor and I went back to Madrid to look for the book."

"But it's not in Madrid, right? We're heading to Cartagena." Alec said.

"Aye, the book wasn't there. The brothers, who had been like a family to me, had passed away a long time ago, but the church was still there. We looked everywhere, but we couldn't find it. Desperate, we asked around and that's how we found out that when the sect had disappeared due to some religious problems, the remaining members of it had fled to Cartagena to find peace there."

"And you found them?"

"I did." Magnus admitted. "They didn't know who I was, but when I told them about the brothers who had raised me, they believed me and let me see the books they had brought with them. Fortunately, the book was there, it's a book that they had treasured for years as it had been written by the first sailor of all times in 1234."

"If this book was written in 1234, does that mean that the treasure has been hidden for more than 500 years?"

"Way more, Alexander. That treasure's been hidden for as long as humans have roamed the earth." Magnus said. "This sailor was just the first one to find it."

"I thought that had been Valentine." Alec said.

"Oh, no. He was the first one of this century, but not the only one." Magnus said. "I don't know how the rumors about the treasure started, but I do know that they all come from the same book. Jonathan, the sailor, described everything he knew about the Angel's Treasure on several pages."

"The sailor's name was Jonathan?" Alec asked surprised.

"Yes, why?"

"That's my brother's name." Alec said as if that explained everything.

"Wasn't your brother's name James? Or, was it Jason? Jesse?"

"No, it's Jace...short for Jonathan." Alec said. "That's why Valentine needs him, isn't it? The first person who found the treasure was Jonathan, that must be the connection."

Magnus knew that Alec couldn't be more wrong, but he didn't correct him. "It could be...anyway, we're straying from the original story. The brothers let me reread the story. My Latin hadn't improved with the years so there were parts I still couldn't understand, but I figured they were not that important. My only goal was to know the story in order to see if there was anything there that could help me get my ship back, I was never interested in going after a cursed treasure."

"And did you find anything?"

"Not really, because the entire text is very confusing, but at least I knew that the treasure Valentine wanted was real, so I spent the next fifteen years of my life going after him, trying to follow his steps, but the man is smart...and he has the Danube so..."

"Okay, the text is confusing, but you must have learned something, right? What was it?" Alec asked. "I want to know."

"What I already shared with you." Magnus lied. "That there's a treasure with such value that whoever possessed it would be able to control and change the world at will. It's called Angel's Treasure because it belonged to Raziel, the Angel of Secrets himself."

"And he was the one who cursed it, right? I remember you said an angel descended from heaven and sent a curse upon Valentine and his crew." Alec said.

Magnus nodded.

"I'd like to know more about it. I mean, this treasure seems to be in the center of everything, so...what's the value of it?"

"Weren't you listening? Whoever possessed it would be able to control and change the world at will."

"Yes, but what is it? Magic? Gold? What?"

"I don't know, I don't have all the answers, Alexander." Magnus said sincerely, but he could see that Alec didn't look convinced. "You'll have to trust me on this one."

"Fine...and, what does the story say about the curse?" Alec asked.

"I don't know either." Magnus lied. He actually knew that part pretty well, the only thing he was missing was the location of the island where it was hidden, and as he had already said, what the treasure was actually about.

"That's why we're bringing a translator with us this time." Alec stated. He was finally putting the pieces together. "To help us fill in the blanks."

"Aye." Magnus nodded.

"I have another question." Alec said. "Well, several actually."

"I would be surprised if you didn't." Magnus said with a smile.

"You talk about this book as if it were the only place in the world where the information about this treasure is contained, so...how come Valentine found out how to break the curse? If he stole this book, then our trip to Cartagena will be in vain and-"

"He didn't steal it, I'm sure of that." Magnus said. "First, because he wouldn't dare to set foot in Cartagena, and second, because it's hidden where no one can find it. And if, as we assume, Valentine found out how to break the curse he must have either found a more detailed legend about the treasure, or he finally managed to go to the underworld, which I doubt, because he's as crazy as he's always been."

"Okay, so let's assume he found a more detailed text of the legend." Alec said. "Now, what are we going to do after we have recovered this book?"

"Do our research and try to find where the bloody island is, and once we've done that we will go after him and take back what is ours."

"But that could take us months, years...we don't have much time, my brother could be dead already."

"I know, Alexander, but that's all we can do for now. I'm hoping that with the combined intelligence of all of us we can find the location more quickly, but what you said about time is true, we couldn't have much left."

"Do you think he's still alive?" Alec asked. "My brother?"

Magnus's first instinct was to tell him the truth and shake his head, but the fear and pain that flashed through Alec's eyes made him change his mind. "Yes, I'm sure he's alive."

"Really?"

Magnus nodded, taking a sip of his rum to avoid looking at Alec straight in the eye.

"Okay, then." Alec said, standing up. He seemed more positive and confident than before. In fact, he was smiling and Magnus realized that the boy had a very beautiful smile. "I'll try to help in any way I can, I don't speak Latin or Spanish, but I know a word or two."

"Okay…" Magnus said, not really knowing what else to say.

"I'll go to let you rest for some hours, then." Alec said. "And, thanks for telling me."

Magnus took a deep breath. "You're welcome."

"Goodnight, Magnus." Alec said, making his way out.

"Goodnight, Alexander." Magnus replied, watching the boy go. "And Alec?"

"Yes?"

"Since my quartermaster is clearly intoxicated tonight, could you please replace him just for some hours and make sure the men are up before dawn?"

"Sure." Alec said. "I can do that."

"Good. Then, I'll see you later."

"Okay." Alec said, giving Magnus one last soft smile and closing the door behind him.

Magnus took what little was left of his rum in one gulp. This boy was little by little growing on him and that was bad, really, really bad.

o-o-o-o-o

After his conversation with Magnus, Alec decided to stay awake for the remainder of the night and just analyze all the information he had learned in the past few hours. When he first planned to use Ragnor to get information, he never imagined he would get to hear the story from Magnus himself, but he was happy with how things had turned out.

He finally knew why Valentine needed his brother to break the curse and what was Magnus's plan to rescue him. He had learned not only little things about the pirate's life, but also what was the mystery behind the so-called Angel's Treasure. Now Alec had an idea of the whole situation and although he was aware that time was not in their favor, he had to be positive.

He knew he would save his brother. How? He wasn't sure, but he knew he would.

Alec stayed in his little cabin thinking for hours until he guessed it was time to wake the crew. The sun would be up any minute now and he had responsibilities, albeit temporary, to fulfill. Alec walked down to the tween deck—where the crew slept in hammocks—and woke them, following Magnus's instructions.

The men immediately began to move around, completing their respective tasks. When Alec walked into the main deck of the ship again, Magnus was already there, taking over the helm and doing what he did best: captaining the ship. Alec couldn't deny that since the first time they had sailed with a proper crew, he had found Magnus's captain persona very...impressive. Being behind the helm gave Magnus this air of power and sophistication that Alec found very difficult not to admire.

"Still the sails, and stow 'em! Lower the flags, and be ready to make port!" Magnus was yelling, instructing his men. "Alexander!"

Alec jumped in surprise when he heard his name.

"Well done." Magnus said, winking at him.

Alec didn't know what to say, so he just smiled and started helping the men, pulling lines and trimming the sails. He knew that replacing Ragnor had only been temporary, but the feeling of having done things right had left him in a very good mood.

"You need something?" Alec asked Ragnor when the latter emerged from his cabin. Alec didn't know how he had managed to get in there, but when Alec had left Magnus's quarters the night before and looked for the pirate, the man had already been gone. "Food? Water?" He suggested. Ragnor looked as if he were about to die and Alec felt a little guilty about it.

Ragnor looked at him with a serious face. There was no trace of the chatty and friendly man from last night. "No, just make sure these scallywags do their job. I'll go get some beer. My love can't see me like this." He said, disappearing from view.

Alec continued working and making sure that all men were helping. Doing manual work always helped him feel energized. He hadn't slept at all, but he didn't feel tired—at least not yet.

"Alexander!" Magnus called him again. "Look!" He said, throwing him his spy-glass and beckoning him to see beyond the bow of the ship.

Alec used the spy-glass to take a look at what Magnus was pointing. It was Cadiz. The city was just a tiny dot on the horizon, but Alec could see through the lens the port slowly taking shape the closer they got.

It was a very charming town with cobbled streets and houses washed in different colors—sand and ocher, pale rose and white. The sun was barely out, but Alec could glimpse between houses some bell-towers of what he assumed was a very large cathedral. The port was packed and men seemed to be getting ready for a day of fishing. Alec didn't even know that Cadiz was a fishing port.

"Prepare to make port!" Ragnor yelled. "Put the gangplank and moor the ship!"

Alec hadn't noticed that the pirate was back and looking as cool as a cucumber. Alec had been staring at the city for at least twenty minutes without even blinking.

"Let's go." Magnus said. He was standing behind Alec looking towards the city with a smile on his face.

Alec nodded and descended the Avenger with Magnus. Ragnor was still somewhere in the main deck instructing the men to stay behind and look after the ship.

"Where are we going to find this person?" Alec asked, but didn't get to hear an answer because in that moment, a man, walking from the other side of the docks approached them.

He was young and very handsome. He had dark hair, thin eyebrows, and honey-colored skin. He was toned and was quite tall, not as tall as Alec, but enough to be noticed, even from afar.

"Well, well, well, look what the tides have brought to Cadiz." The man said. "Un pirata." He exclaimed, clearly recognizing Magnus.

"Raphael." Magnus said, smiling at the man. "How have you been?"

"I can't complain." Raphael said. "And you? What brought you here? I thought you-" He suddenly fell silent. He clearly hadn't seen Ragnor, who had just descended the ship. "Ragnor?"

"Hello, my love." Ragnor smiled, quickly approaching him.

They were holding each other in a very tender way, just enjoying being together. Alec observed—with some jealousy—how the two men looked at each other; it was like watching two souls becoming one again. Alec didn't know how long they'd been separated, but it was clear that they had missed each other a lot.

"I bet you weren't expecting me." Ragnor said.

"No, I thought I'd see you next week in the Spiral." Raphael said.

"Change of plans. I decided to join this fool in his new adventure." Ragnor said, pointing at Magnus, but otherwise pretending he wasn't even there. It was clear that when Raphael was there, Ragnor had no eyes for anyone else.

"I see he got a new ship." Raphael pointed out.

"I did, Alexander here, helped me get it." Magnus said, drawing attention to them. They had been stoically ignored for the last few minutes.

"Is this you new boy toy?" Raphael asked, finally looking past Ragnor.

"Why does everyone think that?" Magnus exclaimed, rolling his eyes in a very dramatic way. "No, he's not. We're helping each other, that's all."

"In bed?" Raphael asked, and Alec tried not to blush.

"No, you moron, we're going after Valentine. Our fellow pirate took Alexander's brother and I, as you already know, want my ship back."

"Are you out of your mind?" Raphael exclaimed, perplexed. "You can't be seriously considering the idea of going after Valentine! That man is el diablo!"

"Raphael…" Magnus tried to talk, but Raphael didn't let him.

"No, Magnus. You can't be serious about this. And you?" Raphael said, looking at Ragnor. "Why did you decide to join him?" He asked. "That's a suicide mission, Ragnor. Dios mío! What were you thinking?"

"My love-"

"No, don't you even dare to try to justify yourself. I don't want to hear it, as I don't want to hear the part where you say you're here because you're expecting me to join you." Raphael said.

"But you can't let me go all by myself." Ragnor said.

"Don't do that." Raphael said, shaking his head. "You have to understand that going after that man is a mistake. Valentine is unstoppable. Let him go. The boy he took is probably already dead and Magnus has a new ship, he doesn't need the Danube."

"Raphael, please, just listen to the plan, okay?" Magnus said.

"No, Magnus. I won't be part of this craziness. I've risked my neck for you enough times already. I'm not doing it again and that's the end of this discussion."

"We need you." Magnus said.

"Well, qué lástima, but I won't do it. When Ragnor and I decided to-"

"You owe me!" Magnus said, interrupting whatever Raphael was going to say. "I was the one who saved you all those years ago, remember? Or, should we pay your mother a visit? It's been awhile since the last time I saw Guadalupe, how is she, by the way? Does she know what you do for a living because the last time I saw her she thought her son was an honorable merchant."

Alec didn't understand what Magnus was trying to do, but it was clear that the mention of his mother had upset Raphael.

"Magnus, enough." Ragnor said. "Leave this to me, okay?"

Magnus rolled his eyes and huffed to show his disagreement. "Fine."

"No matter what you tell me, Ragnor, I won't go and neither will you. I won't let you die just because this fool thinks he can overthrow the most powerful pirate in all Seven Seas. He's out of his mind if he thinks I'm letting him-"

Ragnor silenced Raphael with a soft kiss. "Let's just go for a drink, okay?"

Raphael rolled his eyes, but nodded, quickly walking away with Ragnor.

"He's not going to help us, is he?" Alec asked. He had been silent throughout the conversation, but it was clear that their arrival hadn't been well received by Raphael.

"Oh, no, he will. Don't worry about that." Magnus said. "Raphael is just the biggest drama queen in existence, but he always ends up going. We've had this same discussion for years and he always goes."

Alec sighed, not so sure if what Magnus was telling him was true. He had noticed how uncomfortable and fearful Raphael was with the idea of facing Valentine.

"Seriously, Alexander." Magnus said. "Don't worry...now tell me, what do you think about the city? Do you like it? Have you been here before?"

Alec shook his head. "I'd never left Alicante before."

"Really?"

"Yes…" Alec admitted.

"Well, then we have to make the most of it. We'll be here for a few hours, so we could get something to eat and then walk around a bit. The town is amazing."

That sudden offer took Alec by surprise. No one, ever, had invited him to just walk around and enjoy a city. He knew Magnus wasn't doing it with any kind of romantic intent, he was just being friendly, but the situation still made Alec feel something strange in the pit of his stomach that he preferred not to think about.

"If you don't want it's fine. We can just go get something to eat, rest for a bit and then get ready to sail again."

"No," Alec said, "I mean, I would like to walk around the city."

"Okay, then let's go to the tavern for some food first. Then we can visit the main square, there's a lot to see there." Magnus said, already walking away.

Alec smiled and with a sigh, followed Magnus. The day was just starting in Cadiz, and although they still had hundreds of things to face and dangerous challenges to overcome; for the first time in over a week, Alec felt...hopeful.