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Tiana Warner

Hey readers!

My new sapphic short story, These Glittering Treasures, is available for free on my new Patreon page! Scroll down to read it below.

Plus, the second story just launched today. The Tasting Room is a second-chance boss/employee romance that takes place at a Washington winery.

The Tasting Room
Join to read The Tasting Room

If you’re on Wattpad or Tapas, I’ll also be trickling out the stories on those platforms.

And now, onto the pirate story…

These Glittering Treasures

While my crew works to moor The Santiago, an impressive galleon we “borrowed” from the Armada three months ago, I hop onto the creaking dock with a pistol in hand.

Swaying with the waves, I inhale deeply, a grin on my lips. The tropical air is thick and warm, teasing me with the smell of spices, sugar, and other luxuries.

It’s good to be back. Of all the towns in the Spanish Main, there’s something seductive about this one’s treasures, charm, buildings… and yes, the people.

While my first mate, Diego, pays off the harbormaster with silver, I stride past a few fishing vessels and pause to steady my feet on the firm ground.

“Take what you can until I give the word, boys!” I shout, waving my pistol. “Gold, liquor, food—and don’t forget soap this time, for God’s sake.”

My crew rushes onto the land with cheers and roars, ready to pilfer as much as this town has to offer. “Aye, Captain!”

As they rush into the streets, civilians notice their guests and run for cover in the brick and wood buildings. Screams, barking dogs, and braying mules rise in a chorus.

I’m keen to be rid of the boys for a while. I love them like brothers, and like any good siblings, they annoy the hell out of me. In the long days at sea, I often wish for the company of other women—but unfortunately, few who are sane choose a life of piracy.

While panic erupts, I dash through the streets to my familiar target: the extravagant brick towers that make up the House of Méndez. My heart pounds with the anticipation of what’s inside.

I shoot the lock on the door with a clang of metal on metal, then kick the door open with a flourish. “Lovely day for a pillage!” I sing. “Miss me?”

The House’s three servants clamber back, expressions taut with surprise. One of them drops a pile of washing.

Before they get any ideas about a show of courage, I walk inside and fire a shot into the ceiling. “Everybody out! Come on.”

Wood fragments shower down, and the servants flee into the street, screaming.

Beneath the residual gun powder, the home smells mouth-watering, like freshly baked cake. I’ll have to remember to grab something to eat on the way out.

Nobody else comes to meet me.

My lips curl into a grin. If the man of the house isn’t here, that gives me time.

I race up the stairs, checking in every room, before arriving at a closed door.

I draw a breath, ready my pistol, and enter.

The bedroom is the same as I remember it, from the gold cushions on the bed to the ornate dressing screen. A young lady stands beside the writing desk at the back of the room, her delicate hand gripping the back of a wooden chair.

My stomach swoops, a sensation like cresting a wave at sea.

She’s in a black dress with gold embroidery, which flatters her tan skin and dark hair… but I will never understand fashion. Yes, the bodice gives her waist a tantalizing shape, and the ornamentation is lovely, but the dress has so many layers of skirts that it hides her shape from the waist down.

Women’s legs should not be hidden. If I were responsible for fashion, we would all be in trousers.

“Señorita Antonia!” I lower my pistol and shut the door behind me. “What a lovely surprise.”

Keep Reading (Rated M)

Until next time!

Tiana