I grip the door’s edge and take a few more breaths. I have to be the barefoot girl in New York. Unafraid. Bold.
This is an adventure. And probably the only one I'll ever have. I need to make the most of it.
With all my strength, I force the door open and a massive gust of salty air blasts me, tossing my already messy hair all about.
The ship is astir with sailors rushing around, pushing and pulling ropes, knotting them, climbing up the nets. I watch in awe. None of these men are particularly attractive, but some of them could be with a bit more hygiene and a good shave. Nevertheless, I notice the strength it takes to climb and adjust the sails. Their muscles bulge and contract, their faces taut with concentration. I'm impressed, to be honest. And for the first time I'm glad I'm on this pirate ship. Even if it's only for a few days' time.
Especially since it's only a few days' time.
This is something most people never get to experience. Never get to see. I know most of the women who will be in my company soon—women married to upper class men, won't have much interest in the reality of pirates still in our waters, but perhaps the men will. Perhaps Jeb will.
My stomach gives a surprising twist at that thought. Don't I want to go back to Jeb where I'll be provided for and safe for the rest of my life? I bite my lip.
"Enjoying this?"
I jump and spin quickly to face Rosemera with her beautiful brown eyes and braided hair. In my society we cherish fair skin, but her complexion is so beautiful. I find myself wishing I looked more like her.
"A little."
"Not what you expected from a pirate ship?"
"Not at all." My smile is sincere and relaxed. Rosemera may never know how much I appreciate her presence on this ship. Just to have another girl here, one that belongs as much as any man, makes me wonder if I too could belong here—in a different life.
But even more so than just what she is, every word from her mouth, every expression, is reassuring and sincere, and that is far more than I could have ever hoped for.
Dimples form on her cheeks when she smiles. "Pirates are sailors first, always. They don't become scallywags until it comes time to fight for what we need."
"Treasure?"
Her smile turns to amusement. "Gold is rarely on our minds. What we seek is much more valuable. Basic supplies. Survival. Comfort. Freedom. That’s the name of our ship, you know? That’s all we’re really after.”
I nod absently.
“We are in need of medicine, food, clothing, rum. Not much we can do with gold if no port will allow us in.”
"Ports don’t let you dock?"
"It depends. At some we can get away with using our privateer flags or forged merchant documents, but it's always a risk. Not many pirate ports left in these waters."
I walk a few steps to the starboard side of the ship and peer over at the waves below. Already the water has turned deeper blue. The breeze that rushes over my skin leaves goosebumps. I shiver at the coming cold.
"How long before we make port?" I ask, eager to change the subject.
Rosemera takes a few strides to meet me by the edge of the ship. "The day after tomorrow, most likely. We're making great time."
"That's good." I cast a glance at the water swirling behind the ship, frothing and splashing as we leave it behind, then settling and smoothing out farther behind, our ship already forgotten. The horizon is empty, and I realize Stede must be behind us, somewhere.
"Looking for something?" Rosemera asks.
I clench my jaw. "No. What would I be looking for?"
"Someone you left behind? Someone you're running from? I don't know your story, miss. But I know you have one."
I bite my lip as I continue staring at the horizon behind us, half expecting the mast of a new ship to appear in the distance. "Please don't call me miss."
Rosemera smiles and nods. I lean over the side of the ship as I notice the water fading into a lighter color, turning... green.
Rosemera follows my line of sight and puckers her lips. "Bluff comes with his own baggage, you know."
I nod, but find myself distracted by the green swirls. As it turns brighter, I see something glowing beneath the waves. Rosemera rips her head back, as if afraid of peering too long.
"BOYS!" she hollers out, making me jump. "COVER THOSE EARS." The ship rumbles, the planks beneath my feet vibrating.
The crew pauses for only an instant before jumping into action and shoving anything within reach into their ears. Mostly small bits of rope, laying here and there of cloth from their own tattered clothing.
"Should I be doing something?"
"Hide," she says, but I can't tell if she's joking or not. Then she leans in and whispers into my ear, "You're about to meet some of Bluff's baggage face to face. Be prepared."
Bluff
A chilly wind tickles at my neck, making me shiver.
The breeze should be growing colder as we travel further north, but not in an instant. I know right away it's not a natural shift. This is more.
I grit my teeth and press my eyes shut, forcing out all the anxious thoughts that push forward. I don't want to see them, ever again. Especially not now, with her on board.
And yet, I knew it was inevitable. I can practically feel fate laughing at me, its rumble in the wind.
I suck in a long breath, preparing for the coming nightmare.
Rosemera's sharp voice sounds through the ship. I'm surprised and thankful she was able to catch the signs so quickly. I should have been the one to warn the crew. Today, I was distracted.
Every pirate pauses at her words: "COVER THOSE EARS." I can feel their terror—and excitement—as it twists through every man aboard.
The crew burst into action, preparing for the only type of deadly supernatural being a pirate is ever eager to meet. I slowly turn to find Whitley.
She meets my gaze. Caution crosses her expression, but every muscle in her body is relaxed. There are no stress lines on her face, no fear. Does she not know what she faces?
The depth and wonder in her eyes tells me she knows much more than she should.
The vibration under my feet escalates, and the ship slows, despite the wind that blows furiously through the sails. I slowly approach the bow to meet my unwanted fate.
A gust hits me in the face, blowing my hair back and making my eyes water. I stare out at the sea before me, and slowly, a form materializes. She's tall and thin, with green iridescent skin, bright silver hair, and a fish’s tail where her legs should be, curled over the railing like she’s sitting rather comfortably. She stares at me with her grey eyes and spreads her lips into an inhuman smile, exposing her nail-sharp teeth just inches from my face.
The siren hisses—a noise so high pitched and sharp it even makes me wince. The men behind me fall to their knees, feeling the magic, fighting the pull. But their faces don’t show the agony that should be there. Instead, they are alight with bliss.
My face remains blank. I am much less excited about our meeting than she is.
"We meet again, my boy," she says in a slithering voice.
I suppress an eye roll. "Hi, Mom."
Whitley
I watch in awe as Bluff meets a siren face to face.
My heart thuds, and my hands begin to sweat. A siren. A creature both terrifying and beautiful, that should not exist. I’ve read stories about them. The sailors I met as a child on my way to America were quite taken with the idea. But for all intents and purposes, I’d believed them legend. Not real.
And yet, there she is, with haunting eyes and silver hair that matches Bluff's.
I half expect a song to come forth from her lips, instead it’s a hiss. I know the stories—creatures of the sea who lure men to their deaths with their alluring beauty and magic filled song.
Then, the missing melody drifts forth from the waves, far off and undefined. It’s not coming from the merwoman with Bluff. There must be more.
Rosemera takes slow steps back, staring at the tw
o figures at the front of the ship. She removes a dagger from her belt, exposing a rusted blade. Her jaw is tight, her lips trembling. The men below clutch their ears at a new sound escaping the siren's lips—a call, high-pitched and creeping.
Across the ship, mouths hang open as several sets of shimmering hands clamp onto the railing. Followed by forearms, and soaking wet heads of shining hair.
I jump away from the edge of the ship, gasping as more slink aboard near me, some more human than others. A red haired, black-eyed siren creeps towards me with unnatural movement. Her bottom half is a slimy, scaly tail which drags behind her as she pulls herself forward with her arms.
Another more human looking than the rest is able to walk, using two leg-like appendages.
Rosemera gasps, cowering against the helm. I step back, away from the coming creatures, but I force my neck straight, keeping my head up as the beautiful sharp-toothed creature comes closer.
A shaky breath leaves me. I suck in another, mind racing, unsure what I’m supposed to do. Run? Hide? Stand my ground?
Her cheeks rise, lips spreading over her fangs in a strange smile. "I fooound her," she says in a hiss.
The hair on my arms rises.
"There she is," another says, slinking in my direction. Suddenly a dozen sets of unnatural eyes shift towards me.
In only moments, they surround me and my back is pressed against the ship's giant mast.
My gaze jumps to Rosemera, who doesn't try to hide her horror and inches herself away from the growing crowd of deadly sirens.
The ship has stopped dead in the water. I freeze where I stand.
One reaches a webbed, clawed hand out to me, and I wince. She strokes my blonde hair.
"Very pretty."
"Very pretty, indeed," another agrees.
"What do you want?" I ask with a shaking voice, eyes still closed. The less I see, the less I fear.
Somehow these creatures have something to do with Bluff.
A slimy hand slides down my forearm, then grips it tightly. "We have something to show you," she says in a whisper, and this time the voice doesn't sound so inhuman. It's smooth and calm.
Alluring.
"Come with us," she whispers again. Deep within my bones, a tiny thread of longing pulls me forward.
I open my eyes, and the sight makes me jump—fangs dripping with green slime. "No!" I say, suddenly. They all hiss.
"No, I don't want to," I say.
The red-haired creature’s expression turns from soft and sweet to angry. I've spurned them. The hand on my arm tightens, squeezing so hard it hurts.
I pull back, though that makes it sting even worse. "Let GO!" I say with a voice so strong and loud it surprises even myself.
The pressure on my arm vanishes, and the creatures jump back, hissing and squealing. Several of them leap into the sea, but a few remain, standing their ground.
"Leave," I say firmly, wondering if that's all it takes—just a strong will against them.
The redhead's eyes narrow, and she says, "We'll find you again, little one." Then one by one, they leap back into the sea, leaving me breathless.
I search the deck and notice a pile of cowering men watching me in awe. Then I see Bluff, still at the bow of the ship. A siren twice the size of the others stands over him and smiles in a way that causes a shiver to run down my spine.
A salty sea breeze rushes through my hair as I hurry forward, unsure if Bluff is in trouble, or if he is the trouble.
Perhaps he called them. Maybe that was the plan to start. Perhaps I was intended to be some kind of siren sacrifice.
I stop a few feet short of the two, heart pounding, head nearly spinning. I try to channel the power I just felt when I forced the sirens to leave with only my words, to remember that I'm not powerless, at least not right now.
"Hello there," the large merwoman says.
I swallow and look to Bluff, whose face shows only intense fear. It is easily the strongest emotion I've seen from him.
I don't speak, and after several long moments, Bluff turns back to the siren. "I'm taking her away from the sea. Stede won't get his hands on her."
The siren smiles again. "You think that's all it will take to avoid fulfilling the prophecy?"
Bluff clenches his jaw.
"You're already falling. Can't you see it?"
"Leave, now," Bluff says firmly. She lets out a chuckle.
"I can already feel it—the shift happening inside of you. You may not be able to get her off this ship fast enough." She winks.
Every muscle in Bluff's body clenches, like her words cause him physical pain. I don't know what the prophecy is, or why it would have anything to do with me.
"She'd make a pretty siren, don't you think?" The giant merwoman’s shoulders shift like she's going to approach me. I step back, all power I thought I had fading under a fresh wave of panic.
Bluff slams his hand down onto the ship's railing, blocking her path. The siren gives him an amused look. Then she leans in. "I'll see you soon, my boy," she whispers. Then she, too, leaps back into the ocean, and the green light fades away, leaving only a calm blue sea.
Bluff
Whitley stares at the water as the glowing bubbles disappear. Her dumfounded expression softens.
I don't blame her for her inability to comprehend what she just witnessed. There's too much she doesn't know, things she never will if I have anything to do with it.
The ship sways with the waves, quickly picking up speed once again. Finally, she snaps her gaze from the ocean and latches it onto me. I resist the urge to wince.
"What in the world was that?"
"Sirens,” I say with a shrug.
"That’s not what I mean.” She swipes a strand of sticky hair from her forehead.
Her expression is hard to read. Panic, confusion, awe, determination, and others I can’t name swirl in her eyes. I rock back on my heels, unsure how to respond. I act casual, as usual—shoulders relaxed, hands in my pockets, expression blank.
The less she knows the better, and she's already proved herself smarter than I gave her credit for.
"Who are they to you?" she asks, and I find myself having a hard time tearing my gaze from her crystal blue eyes.
I open my mouth but pause, unsure how to explain. I could go the ignorant route and tell her there is no connection, but there’s no way she’d believe it. I could tell her the truth and hope she trusts me more, but then who in their right might would ever trust the son of the Siren Queen? No matter how much I tell her I hate sirens. My best bet is something in between, except I'm not really sure I've got a story for that just yet.
"That's hard to explain," I start. My eyes jump to the figure walking up behind Whitley, and my breath catches, my mind still on my monstrous family, but then I realize it's a stunned Rosemera and my shoulders relax.
"Hey," I say casually. "Everything okay?"
She nods, though her face is still a little pale. "Perhaps I should be asking you that?"
I give her a flat grin. "We're alive."
She nods. "Always a good thing when sirens are involved."
"Is it a... common occurrence?" Whitley asks, stepping forward, her arms crossed and her expression determined. She wants answers. Answers she will not get.
Rosemera, wisely, pauses and gives me a look.
"Happens on occasion," I say. "Supernaturals draw other supernaturals, unfortunately." That's about as good of an explanation as I can give.
"So they did come because of you." Her eyes search my face.
Her expression and body language tells me she’s certainly suspicious of something, but what is going through her mind? Does she suspect my relationship with the sirens? Does she think I have some sort of... alliance with them?
"In a way."
Rosemera's eyebrows shoot up, and I frown. She might not be talking, but she's giving Whitley plenty to read into.
"Did you call them?"
"No!" I say too loudly. "Of every per
son on this ship, I hate coming face to face with a siren the most." I shiver.
"I might give you a run for your money on that one, mate," Rosemera says under her breath. I notice her hands still shaking insider her pants pockets.
"You might think so, but you're wrong,” I say firmly. It’s true. They might not harm me physically, but they know exactly how to hurt me without leaving marks.
Whitley watches Rosemera’s shaking hands closely. "I thought sirens only affected men?"
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, relieved to have the attention off of me and my connection to those evil things. This topic is much safer. Some women are unaffected by sirens alluring nature, but not all.
Rosemera and I shake our heads together. “Women can also be seduced by sirens,” I say.
“And we have another risk...” she says, and my eyes shoot to Rosemera, face full of panic.
“What?” Whitley asks quickly. “What other risk?”
Damn it, Rose. “They’ll try to drown you,” I say quickly.
“Yeah,” Rose agrees. “Their magic can—”
“Sirens are violent and mysterious. Never trust one, okay?” I say pointedly, ignoring the glare from Rosemera. Whitley doesn’t need to know all the lore. Not now.
"They tried that before?” Whitley asks. “Have they hurt you?" Her voice is suddenly low. I watch as her blue eyes turn lighter, her whole expression softer.
"Not today,” Rose whispers. “Today, it was you I was concerned for. I honestly don’t know how you made it out alive.”
Whitley blinks rapidly, her face pale.
Wait... what happened? "What do you mean?"
"They had her surrounded.” Rosemera’s hands run through her hair. “At least a dozen of them. Then all of a sudden they leapt back into the ocean."
I swallow a lump in my throat. What in the world does this mean? Whitley stares at the damp wood planks below her new boots. "What happened?" I ask her this time.
She looks up, her eyes big, expression unreadable.
"I don't know. It happened just like she said. They were all around me. One of them grabbed my arm and tried to pull me towards the sea, but then..."
Sea of Treason (Pirate's Bluff Book 1) Page 6
