The Mermaid’s Pearl

By Brooke Kennedy

The Mermaid’s Pearl

By Brooke Kennedy

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from the author and is protected by the Copyright Laws of 1988 and the Digital Laws of the Berne Convention from 1998.

www.brookekennedy.org

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Copyright © 2014 by Brooke Kennedy

First Edition, 2014

Cover by Cheryl at http://www.selfpubbookcovers.com/CherylCCR

Formatting by Candace Bowser

https://www.facebook.com/candace.bowser

This is a work of fiction.

All characters appearing in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

Chapter One

I’d had enough.

My throat burned as I choked back the tears. Being forced to dance the night away with suitors reminded me just how much my people’s culture had changed into something terrible. Extinction was inevitable if things didn’t change soon.

I could hear my sister’s tail splashing quickly behind me as I raced through the coral hallway to our small bedroom. I pushed through the blue water, slashing my fin back and forth even faster. Getting out of the castle and into the open ocean was harder than I thought it would be. Especially with my sister on my fin.

“Raewyn! Please stop!” Lucy cried out.

I really wished she’d stop screaming like that. She was going to give me away, and I was so close to the freedom I yearned for. The quest that would take me away from the stress, even if temporarily.

When I reached the room at the end of the hall, I closed the seaweed curtain behind me and hurried over to my wardrobe. I pulled off my gown and tossed it aside. I hurried, so I could get away before someone caught me. The rush was invigorating. As I rushed to my closet, I undid my long hair from its braid. I had to get away before anyone came looking for me. Just as I was tying the back of my shimmering blue top, Lucy pushed her way through the curtains, causing them to sway in the water.

“Raewyn! Will you stop and listen to me?”

I whirled around and shook my head. “I have better things to do than dance the night away with a bunch of suitors who could care less about me!”

“But Augustus adores you! The way he looks at you is just so…” She sighed in happiness and flittered over to me.

“I really don’t care. You know how I feel about that.”

“But he will be a wonderful husband! He’s so handsome and charming and—”

“Stop with the 'buts'! You don’t remember how things used to be. Love was cherished and encouraged.”

Lucy crossed her arms and shook her head, her red braid swishing behind her as she did. Her hair was perfect. It didn’t float around her—all crazy—like mine did. “No, this is the way it has to be. Our people won’t survive if we don’t do this. We have no choice. There’s no point in fighting it.”

For the past thirteen years, we have struggled to find a way to save our people from dying out and becoming a fairy tale. The only answer the royalty could come up with was arranging marriages and messing up everything I ever imagined as perfect. I witnessed it too often in the past few years to be comfortable, even in my own home.

“If someone doesn’t fight it, this will be all that’s left of our kind. It will continue to be a bunch of arranged marriages and partners chosen at a stupid ball. We will all be unhappy and miserable.”

“Father has made it clear that—”

“He’s not your father, Lucy.”

Her face fell, sadness creeping up into it. It pained me to see it there, even more so that I put it there, but she could never understand. She was only three years younger than I was, but that made her too young to remember when love was cherished.

“Well, he won’t be happy,” she shot back at me, bringing a ferocity to her words that she was known for.

The king made it clear my focus should be on the preservation of my people and not the wiles of a young girl. He meant well, but I couldn’t get myself to care. He loved me, he did. For a stepfather, he was the best I could have asked for. My mother wouldn’t have chosen anyone else for her companion after my father died. She believed in true love, and her words were inscribed deeply on my soul. I wouldn’t settle for just anyone, not until I found my one true love. If such a thing still existed. I wasn’t so sure anymore, and I was not going to be let down. I hated to be skeptical, but I had no reason to believe.

I reached out to take Lucy’s face between my hands gently. Her eyes echoed back with the deep blue of our mother’s, wide and confused. She didn’t understand why I was always running off on some adventure instead of putting my duty as a princess first. In some ways we were alike, and in others we were completely different.

“Tristen is waiting on me. I have to go. Please just keep this a secret.” My pulse raced in my veins. Exploration was waiting for me, the one thing I could depend on in a world so unknown. I couldn’t wait.

Still, a part of me insisted I should stay there to watch over my younger sisters. They, like the rest of the kingdom, depended on me. I was the oldest princess in our kingdom, and I often encouraged the others around me to be themselves.

“You have to stop sneaking out to see him! He’s common folk.”

I rolled my eyes. “And you should know that I have better things to do than worry about rules.”

“They’re there for a reason!” she exclaimed. “Father has forbidden you to run around with Tristen. He’s trying to keep you safe.”

“No, he’s trying to smother me.”

“Raewyn—”

“This is the only way I get to see Tristen. He’s one of the most important merfolk in my life, beside you guys. Maybe it’s love.” Okay, that was stretching it a bit. I loved him, but I wasn’t sure if I was in love with him.

“Father will never let you marry him. You don’t really believe that you love him do you?”

“Who knows what love is anymore…”

This was not the first time we’d had this same disagreement. Instead of delving back into it, I swam over to the small window and glanced outside into the depths of the ocean. I longed for the moon to illuminate me in her silver glow, but she did not shine down this far below the surface.

Lucy swam up beside me and placed a soft hand on my shoulder. “Where are you going?” Her question was curious.

I lowered my voice. “Death Valley.”

Her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open in shock. “No you aren’t. There are humans there.”

“Humans? This far under water?” It was a ridiculous thought.

“Or giant sea creatures that will eat you! Evil monsters!”

“Will you keep your voice down? You’re going to get me caught.”

“It would be better than seeing you die. No one has come out of there alive!”

I was hoping to be the first one.

“I’m not going to die,” I insisted with a laugh. By going to Death Valley, I was blatantly defying the king, and putting my life in danger—as well as my partner in crime, Tristen. He should be waiting for me there.

Lucy scowled and crossed her arms. “You’re lucky you haven’t already. It’s dangerous out there. What’s there that’s worth risking your life?”

“Do I really have to repeat myself? Treasure and Tristen,” I said. My smile grew wide and adrenaline coursed through me. Once I satisfied that need, I would find a way to free my people. Tristen would help me, I was sure, but I couldn’t tell my sister that part. It needed to be kept a secret.

“Listen, I know that you have a good time sneaking about with him, but one of these days you’re going to get yourself into some serious trouble. No treasure is worth that.”

“But it’s a pearl, Lucy, my favorite. This one is supposed to be magnificent.”

“I don’t care how magnificent—”

“I’ll be fine,” I said. I yearned for the adventure and the chance to add it to my collection.

The sad but disappointed frown on her face should have told me what was coming. “What would mother say?”

“She would want me to follow my dreams.” But my mother wouldn’t have been happy I was sneaking out in the middle of the night to go on some adventure and leave my sisters behind.

“Raewyn, please,” Lucy plead. Her words cut me deeply. She was right on some accounts. I should have been dancing the night away at the ball and then sleeping soundly in my bed. Being the oldest, I should have been the one to set a good example. I should have stayed and watched over my sisters. Had I done as I was supposed to, things would have remained simple in my life.

“I love you,” I said and planted a kiss on her forehead. I might not see her again.

Without another thought, I slipped out of my window and swam toward adventure, over the lands of the merfolk. My blood raced with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

Our kingdom was small, and it reminded me of all that we lost. We had once been a vast race and ruled both land and sea. I didn’t stop to look back until I was out of our territory. Finally, I turned to look at my home, my eyes searching for the large architecture of rocks that hid our existence from the prying eyes of the humans. I couldn’t see it because it was hidden among the other rocks and stones here at the bottom of the ocean.

“You can do this,” I told myself as I swam toward Death Valley.

When fear crept up in me, I pushed it down and ignored it. I focused on the treasure that was waiting for me. Pushing past the fish and other sea life that swam around me, I continued on my journey.

A large construction of coral appeared in the distance, showing I was near my destination. It was beautiful, with all of the colors of the rainbow dancing along it. Behind the coral I found the valley hidden from sight—the one holding the treasure. The area was closer to the surface than my kingdom, and a single ray of moonlight shone down through the water.

The closer I got, the more my body shook in excitement. I forced myself to brush off the fear and uncertainty, but it persisted. As I entered Death Valley, the fish became sparse, showing me even sea life was terrified of this place. I had never seen anything like it.

A large current hit me out of nowhere, sending me spiraling backwards out of control. I screamed and struggled to stop spinning through the water. When I finally stopped flipping, I steadied myself. With a frown, I headed back toward the uneasy waters. Carefully I swam, fighting against the harsh currents that threatened to push me away again. As I reached the coral, the temperature dropped significantly. Chills broke out along my skin. I looked down below me to see dead sea life scattered about and bones…lots of them. Even the plant life was dead. Nothing about this place looked inviting. In fact, it looked like something had slaughtered everything that came here.

When I saw Tristen waiting for me at the top of the coral, my body stopped shaking. I was no longer alone in the deserted area. His back was to me, and his green tail flipped excitedly. His shoulders were broad, and as I got closer I could see the way his muscles rippled underneath his skin from all the extra swimming he did. He was handsome and my closest friend, but still, I wasn’t sure what we had was true love. If my father forced me to marry, I would choose him. I had absolutely no interest in any of my suitors.

I ran my hand through my thick brown hair, which always seemed to be knotted, and slipped over to where he was. A devious smile twisted on my face as I reached out to push him against the coral and leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Caught you!”

Tristen whirled around to face me. He took my cheeks in his hands and a smile broadened over his handsome face “Ah, so she lives! She survived the evil dancing of doom.”

I giggled. “I did, but it was awful. You can’t imagine.”

“That’s because I’m not invited.” He frowned.

“You aren’t royalty,” I said deep and shaky, with the best impersonation of the king’s voice that I could muster. “Besides, you wouldn’t have had fun anyway. It’s only to match people up with someone they will marry and have babies with. It’s not like you get to meet someone you care about and fall in love.” I was rambling, so I shut my mouth. I was going to ruin my own fun if I kept that up. It was hard, though, because I remembered another time when we roamed free on land, or under the waves, and did as we pleased. It was a time when falling in love was encouraged, and stories were told of past great rulers and their adventures. I remembered my mother filling my head with stories while we sat at my bedroom window and looked towards the sea.

“Raewyn!” Tristen snapped. “Stop worrying about all that. Things weren’t always like this, and they don’t have to be forever.”

“If it’s my choice, it won’t be.”

“Well, then once we get this treasure of yours, we can do something about it.”

I smiled. “You read my mind; that’s the plan.”

He ruffled his short, blond hair. “You need to stop dwelling on the past.”

I sighed and nodded. He was right.

“So, what’s it look like?” I asked.

He motioned to the other side of the coral. “Awesome. You have to see this thing, it’s massive. The rumors are true.”

Tristen’s blue eyes beamed with excitement, and I was glad I had him with me. My pulse began to race, and my body filled with anticipation. I almost didn’t believe his words, so I moved to peek over the top of the coral. The breath in my throat caught as I laid my eyes on the prize.

In the distance, I could see it. The pearl was five times the size of a regular one, almost pink in color, and glistening inside a gray clam. The clam was open and obviously dead, thankfully, or we would have a more difficult time obtaining the pearl. It glowed beneath a single ray of moonlight, just as the rumors said it would. Only during a full moon would it glow like that. We were closer to the surface than we were supposed to be, but the moon would keep us safe if we needed her. She always did.

“Can’t you just imagine it sitting in your little treasure trunk with the rest of your trinkets? It would outshine any of those other gems you have,” Tristen asked.

“Yes,” I breathed and began to drift toward it. I felt drawn to such treasures, yearned to add them to my collection. It was important to me to have things that were precious and mine alone. These things weren’t alive. They couldn’t die and leave me behind. The king would be angry if he found them, but he wouldn’t ever understand. My hands dug into the coral to keep me in place. It wasn’t time to race toward it yet.

“I bet I can get to the treasure first,” I teased with a sly smile. I continued to slowly move forward toward the prize.

“Raewyn,” Tristan chastised as he pulled me back with him.

“I just can’t believe it.”

“I know.”

“Doesn’t it seem too easy? We can’t just swim over there and get it can we?” I asked and furrowed my brow. This seemed a lot easier than some the other excursions we’d went on.

“I’m not worried about it.”

“It’s…so magnificent…”

“It’s not the only thing that’s magnificent in the water tonight,” Tristen whispered.

I wasn’t sure what could be better than the pearl at the moment.

I tore my eyes away from the pink beauty to see him staring at me with adoration. I’d seen that look before; he wanted to kiss me. Each time he did, I became less sure of what our relationship was. Whatever this was between us was always comfortable and safe, but over the past year things changed. We grew up and each held different ideas about how life should be.

“Tristen, not right now.”

His hand cupped my face as he looked down at me. “We don’t get to be alone much anymore.”

“I know, and I wish it was different. I miss you, but nothing will change until we figure out a way to stop this madness our people have come up with.”

“So you do miss me?” He bit his lip as his eyes lowered to linger on my lips. “I miss you too, Rae, I love you.”

Before I could respond, he closed the distance between us and placed his warm, familiar lips on mine. Like all the times before, it was nice. Definitely better than any kiss I’d shared with my suitors. But I was disappointed to find that he still didn’t arouse any feelings that were similar to what my mother claimed love would. My heart didn’t rush, and all the excitement I felt was because of the pearl. I was sad to think that I was starting to give up on love and rule my mother’s story out as just that—merely tall tales made up to make a young child happy.

I pulled back from him and dropped my eyes. I’d wanted to be in love with Tristen, badly. He’d always been there for me, never left my side. His kiss was just another reminder things were missing in my life. At eighteen, I hoped to be married to someone that I truly loved. I was taught a mermaid’s true love would find her, against all odds. Somehow she would call to him, and he would answer. So far it hadn’t happened to me. It seemed my glittery vision just didn’t exist in reality.

His warm hand settled on mine. “I’m sorry if I did something to upset you.”

“No, I’m fine. Things are just confusing these days. The older I get, the more unsure I feel.”

“Then we will concentrate on something that’s sure! Like that beautiful treasure!” Suddenly, his face fell and his eyes opened wide. “Look out, Raewyn!”

Fear trickled down my spine at his words, and I spun around to see what was coming for us. Just as it registered there was nothing there, I heard Tristen’s laughter ring out behind me, followed by a swish of his tale.

“Got cha!”

“You jerk!” I screamed and turned around to see him flying through the water.

He’d tricked me.

I cursed under my breath and took off after him, my hair flying back from my head as I shot through the water. The king would be furious if he found out I was running around in the open with Tristen again. Open waters were dangerous, a place to be found out by humans, he said. He never missed a chance to tell me how quickly humans would snatch you out of the water, and you would be a prisoner of the land forever.

Being in cold, unfamiliar water scared me, especially with all the dead creatures littering the ground below. But the opalescent beauty was not far away. I had to make it a part of my collection. Thankfully, it was dark, making it easier for us to slip into the waters undiscovered. The moonlight shone right onto the pearl, beckoning us to come closer.

I pushed myself harder, giggling as I neared Tristen. “You don’t play fair!”

“Do I ever?” he asked as he moved to swim backwards and look toward me. “It’s not like you ever play fair!”

“No, but you’re supposed to be the responsible one!”

“Responsible?” he said with a laugh. “I don’t think that has anything to do with this. Look around you. Does any of this look like something a responsible merfolk would—”

He stopped swimming and motioned for me to come back. His mouth fell open in shock as he shook his head. For a moment, I thought there was something after me, but I wasn’t about to fall for another trick, especially the same one. I swam forward and glanced back at him to point and laugh. I would win; I just knew it.

Suddenly, I slammed into something large and knocked the breath out of me. Black dots took over my vision as I sunk down into the water. I rubbed my eyes to try and clear them so I could see what it was. Panic hit me at the thoughts swarming around my brain. It could be anything.

Oh please let it be a whale.

“Get out of here!” Tristen screamed.

The creature hit me again, pushing me out of the way and swimming past me at an incredible speed. As I looked up, my fears were confirmed. A twenty-foot giant squid was staring at Tristen with his black eyes and a frown on his face, showing he was definitely not happy to find intruders in his territory.

The pearl itched at the back of my mind, tempting me to go for it, but this was my best friend, and I couldn’t let him get hurt over treasure. We could always come back and get it. It wasn’t worth either of our lives; we had to escape. My gaze flickered back to the pearl momentarily.

“Leave the pearl alone, Raewyn!” He knew me too well. He knew the prize was still in the back of my mind.

“I am!” I insisted and gathered my courage to help.

“You need to swim and get away!”

“No!” I exclaimed. “I’m not leaving you!”

I took off in the direction of the squid, right as it wrapped one of its tentacles around Tristen’s tail. I wouldn’t leave him there alone. We would fight back. Without thinking, I reached out to grab the squid by one of its other tentacles, wrapping my arms around it and trying in vain to pull it back. The monster tossed me aside with no problem, sending me flipping through the water straight toward a tower of rocks. With a shriek, I propelled my body upwards and away from it.

When I regained my composure, I looked toward Tristen to see the squid’s large, deadly eyes locked on me. My breath caught in my throat, and I froze. He was not happy with me.

Hands gripped me out of nowhere and pushed me out of the way.

“I said go,” Tristen exclaimed, and that was all I needed to come out of the sudden rush of fear.

I threw my arms up in the air and shot off towards the surface. It might be the only place to escape the monster. When I neared the surface, I took one last look down into the darkness below. The squid darted toward me with anger in his eyes.  I couldn’t see Tristen anywhere, and I hoped he’d gotten away safely. I needed to make a decision on which way to go. Humans were my only concern above, but this squid would squeeze the life from me without a second thought and eat me.

As I closed my eyes and broke through the surface of the water, my body twisted into something rough littering the surface. I ducked back under the water, but the tangled web pulled me back. Thick ropes twisted around me and trapped me in their midst. I screamed and thrashed about, but it only made them grasp me tighter. I was stuck and unable to free myself from the rope’s clutches with the squid after me.

Fishermen.

I’d heard the tales. The king had warned me many times. Humans were evil, the reason our race was few in numbers. Our history included death and entrapment. It wasn’t all parties and happiness because of humans. I didn’t want to be trapped with them, but the more I moved and tried to escape, the tighter the ropes became. They scratched at me, uncomfortable and making small cuts along my body. My scales rubbed against them and pain shot through my tail as it lashed back and forth.

I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths underneath the surface, trying to calm down, before the ropes tensed and rose from the water. As I grasped desperately for the rope, I felt the natural air leave my lungs, replaced by human oxygen. It burned my throat as it forced its way inside. I wasn’t sure how I would escape the confines of the rope, or how I would get away from the humans once they threw me on their ship.

I could barely see the full moon from where I was, but I remembered seeing her peering down at me as I neared the surface. It was a night for wishes and prayers, so I did the only thing I could think of. I lifted my eyes to the sky and prayed to the moon to work her magic. I wasn’t sure if it would work now, but it had years ago when I was a child.

Goddess of the Moon, give me legs

Chapter Two

A painful gasp of air woke me, and I threw my hand over my mouth to dampen the panicked screams erupting from my mouth. I breathed deeply to calm myself, but the human air seared my throat as it traveled down. In a desperate attempt to fight off the pain, I closed my eyes, but it was no use. I bit my lip as powerlessness flowed over me and settled into my stomach. I had no idea where I was or how long I had been asleep.

Groaning, I sat up and rubbed my head. It ached, but it was nothing compared to the pounding in my veins as I looked around. I was alone, which was good, and I was in a large room instead of the cell I expected. The room was silent except for the sound of waves crashing against something. I wasn’t sure where I was, but the room itself intrigued me. It wasn’t what I expected a fisherman’s room to look like.

The bed I was on was soft and comfortable, the quilt made of the finest black and gold velvet—something I would only expect to find in a castle. I pushed them off me, not wanting any sort of human comforts on me. My eyes flickered through the room, taking in the floor and walls made of wood. A large globe stood nearby, old and full of brown colors. A desk sat in the corner with a chair beside it and papers scattered across the surface. The room was extravagant and lavish.

Did the moon grant my wish?

My gaze dropped to my body, and I gasped. Two long, thin legs lay on the bed in place of my fins. They looked so out of place...and I missed the dark blue shimmery scales immediately. I reached out to rub my hand up them, sending chills up the pale flesh. I snatched my hand back and shook my head. How did I end up in this mess?

“No time to worry about that, you have to get out of here…wherever here is,” I mumbled to myself.

I pushed the straps of the flimsy blue dress back up onto my shoulders and concentrated on swinging my legs off the side of the bed. The moon did as I asked and hid my identity as a mermaid, but I wasn’t sure how or if I could walk on legs. I was five years old the last time I had them, and I couldn’t remember anything about how to use them.

Carefully, I scooted to the edge of the bed and put my feet on the cold floor. If I didn’t figure out how to walk, it might make the humans suspicious. I held on to the bedpost and tried to stand on my feet. My legs were shaky and my body sore, but I managed to stumble over to the large window across from me. I grabbed ahold of the window seat and growled in irritation.

Something was wrong; the room seemed to be moving. I crawled onto the seat and pressed my hands to the glass. There was nothing to see except for miles except ocean, but if I could figure out how to get the window open, I could still escape. My eyes searched desperately for an opening, latch, or lock holding the window closed, but found nothing.

I crawled over to the edge of the seat and reached for the chair nearby. When I had it grasped tightly in my hands, I held it over my head and slammed it into the window. My body shook from the impact.

Nothing happened.

“Stupid window!” I screamed and hit it again with the chair. Leaning over, I inspected the glass. Only a small crack shown on the surface.

As I held it up for another hit, I heard the creaking of the door. I froze.

“Did my window do something to upset you, lass?” A deep voice with an accent I didn’t recognize flowed over my skin like silk.

I dropped the chair to the ground and looked up to see a handsome, dark-haired man across the room. He was leaning against the doorframe and eyeing me curiously. His hand came up to run his thumb over his mouth in consideration as he waited for an answer. The way his black-rimmed green eyes watched me were as if I could be a pawn in his game. He was clad in black leather pants and a cream-colored shirt—which was open haphazardly, as if he buttoned it in the dark. The blue vest he wore was the only thing holding his shirt together. His ears and fingers were adorned with rings; one single bronze chain trailed down his chest with a charm on the end.

He chuckled as I took him in, clearly getting the wrong idea by my stare. Sure, he was handsome, but there were plenty of handsome mermen back home. Tristen’s face popped into my head at the thought, the way his muscles moved as he swam. I hoped he was safe. There was no way this human could compare to him.

“Who are you?” I snapped.

“I believe I asked you a question.” He smirked as he pushed himself off the door and began to saunter towards the window seat where I sat.

“And I don’t believe I wanted to answer it. I asked you who you are,” I replied with venom in my words as I glared at him.

“Such harsh words from the lips of such a fine thing, darling. I simply wanted to speak with you.”

“There is no speaking to a kidnapper.”

He snickered. “You think I captured you? You’re the one who got yourself tangled up in my fishing net.”

“I, uh, I’m not afraid of you,” I clarified and sat up straight to show him. Not the most convincing, but I wasn’t sure I could pull off being human.

The man paused and cocked an eyebrow. “So brave, my lady. But perhaps you should be scared.”

“I’m not yours, and I want out of here. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“I hate to hear that, dear, because there is a lot I want to do with you.”

I frowned at his innuendo and crossed my arms. There was no way I would let this cocky human belittle me so. I wouldn’t show him any fear or doubt as long as I had the fight in me. If he tried to touch me, I would fight back.

“Apparently you don’t know where you are just yet. Let me let you in on that information. You are now a prisoner aboard my ship—The Devil’s Pearl. This is the captain’s quarters, and you’re speaking to the one and only Captain Aiden Flynn,” he responded with a devilish twinkle in his eye. He placed one arm behind his back and took a small bow, his eyes never leaving mine. He was so arrogant and cocky that he made even the silly bow seem natural.

I stop my sudden intake of breath. Even below the surface, we knew his name. I heard all the stories. It was worse than I feared. One of the most dangerous pirates on the seas kidnapped me. Captain Aiden Flynn, notorious womanizer, drunkard, and selfish man, who ruled his boat with a rather sharp sword. He walked into taverns as if they were his own, out drinking anyone he came upon. From what I heard, he always finished a fight, never afraid to severely wound or kill his opponent.

If he found out what I was, he would hunt down the last of the merfolk and take them hostage just as humans had done before.

I jumped from my seat and stumbled for the porthole next to me. A yelp flew from my mouth as I fell forward, but my hands managed to grab the wood before I hit the ground.

“What the bloody hell are you doing?” Aiden cried out.

His rough hands grabbed ahold of me as I reached out to open the porthole. I yanked on it with all my strength, but it wouldn’t open. My elbow flew toward Aiden’s face, but he ducked out of the way.

“I’m trying to get out of here!” I growled. “Are you that dense?”

He chuckled and danced his fingers up my sides, causing me to laugh loudly and fall backwards.

“So the lady is ticklish.”

“I don’t know what that is, but you better let me go,” I screamed and brought my foot up with the intention of slamming it between his knees.

Aiden sighed and pushed me against the wall before my heel could connect. He brushed my hair out of the way so he could nuzzle his nose along my ear and whisper, his breath hot on my neck.

“Such in a rush to leave…I do believe you’ve heard of me.”

Before I could respond, he spun me around and pressed my back against the wall. He placed his hands on either side of my head.  His eyes sparkled, as if he knew everyone was familiar with him.

The sudden rush of blood through my system made the world zero in on him. It was shocking and almost deafening as I replied. “Yes.”

Up close I could see he was certainly more confident, daring, and striking than the suitors the king offered me, but I shook those thoughts from my head. They would do me no good.

“And what exactly have you heard?” he pressed on.

“You’re selfish, full of yourself, drink too much…and I suppose the ladies find you charming.” Each word was littered with spite to show him how much I loathed him, loathed pirate-kind as a whole. They were ruthless and evil, pillagers and plunderers of other’s fortunes with absolutely no manners. I had heard only despicable horror stories of pirates and what went on in their lives, and on their ships. I wanted no part of it.

Aiden smirked. “I would say drinking too much may be a stretch… but charming, well, you will just have to find out.”

I wasn’t naive; I had played these tricks among the rougher mermen, the ones who wanted to show me they would rule over me. I was too independent to be told what to do by any man.

“You carry rum on you, I assume. Care to share?” Perhaps it would help me clear my head and calm me down, and I was curious as to what it tasted like.

“Of course.” He cocked his eyebrow. He wasn’t expecting me to ask that, but he wouldn’t show the surprise. Stepping back from me, he reached into his jacket and retrieved a flask. He took a large drink of it before handing it to me. “You are not what I expected.”

I took a gulp of the liquid inside and gagged in response. My throat felt as if it was on fire, and I had to shake my head in response. The stuff was fowl and cheap. As I met his gaze again, he was studying me as if to figure me out.

“My men caught you out in the ocean in their net, but there is no land for miles. How did you end up way out here?” He took the flask from me and hid it away again.

I had no good answer for him. Anything I came up with in my head sounded ludicrous so I didn’t say anything. Crossing my arms, I leaned back against the wall. He moved closer to me and placed his palms on each side of my body once again to trap me.

“Listen lass, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, but you should know that me mates are putting bets on it. They aren’t too happy with finding you, and you should be thankful I’m letting you stay here with me. You’re safe with me.”

Whatever. I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that. Being on a ship full of humans was more dangerous than being chased by the giant squid.

“I don’t owe you any information, you dirty pirate.”

“Dirty?” he asked. His mouth fell open with an amused smile as he leaned in to whisper in my ear. “You have no idea.”

I slipped underneath his arm to get away, but my feet took on a mind of their own as I tumbled backward toward the bed. The post caught my fall, and I grabbed at it to hold me up.

“What’s the matter with you? I didn’t take you for a clumsy one.”

What was wrong with me? I was handling all this the wrong way. Had I forgotten everything I learned about charming other races? Mermaids had the ability to charm the opposite sex of other races of creatures. Had the fear of being trapped with humans taken away my bravery? I needed to correct my mistake. With lowered lids I looked back up at him and smiled.

“My name is Raewyn.”

That should be enough information for him, at least I hoped. I wanted to inquire about what his suspicions were exactly, but he wasn’t under my spell yet.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Raewyn.” He took my hand and planted a soft kiss on it with his rough lips.

That was my cue to lay it on thick and use those mermaid gifts to my advantage, but the sudden feel of his lips on my skin sent a jolt of electricity through my body. I jerked my hand away from him and frowned. “You’re a scoundrel Aiden.”

“Captain Aiden,” he clarified.

“I’m not calling you that. You’re lucky I haven’t—”

“You haven’t what?” He called my bluff and reached out to run a finger down my cheek.

His touch was soft but perilous. Aiden Flynn was cleaner than the pirates who frequented the bars I spied on from the safety of the ocean. This pirate was rather tidy, except for the unshaven scruff across his face. It was almost easy to forget he was a pirate.

Without an answer for him, and all these confusing thoughts swirling in my head, my instinct was to show him he didn’t have the best of me.

I slapped him across the face. The sound echoed throughout the cabin as his head jerked to the side. A sly smile came over his face as he laughed.

“That’s what I thought,” he said and took a step back from me. He motioned over to a door towards the right. “You won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, but I want you to feel at home. You really are safe on my ship. There are clothes over there that should fit you, and there are books for you to read. If you even know how to read. And I’m hoping that my men haven’t hurt you in any way. They don’t know how to treat beautiful things.”

“You can’t keep me here,” I insisted and put my finger in his chest.

“Oh to the contrary, my dear, I can do whatever it is I want. This is my ship. I make the rules and whether or not you want to, you will follow them.”

Chapter Four

I slept on the window seat that night, tossing and turning without the ability to fall into a deep sleep. My eyes kept roaming over to where Aiden slept to make sure he was not going to try anything in the middle of the night. That’s exactly what I expected from a pirate—to take advantage of a woman when she was vulnerable.

When he awoke the next morning and left the cabin, I was thankful. I pulled myself up into a seating position and stretched. My body was so sore from my sleeping arrangements, and I yearned for my own bed. Gazing out the window, all I could see was ocean for miles. We were probably far away from my home by now, and I couldn’t think of another way to escape…

Unless he left the door unlocked.

I hopped up from my seat but stumbled from the force and fell to the floor. With a frustrated growl, I pushed myself up and forced my legs to take me to the door. It was a slow journey, but I made it without another face plant. With both hands I grasped the knob, twisted, and pulled, but to no avail. It was locked. Even putting a foot on the door and pulling did nothing. I felt trapped, but I wouldn’t let that stop me.

As quick as I could, I searched through the room for the perfect weapon. There were none to be found. Aiden must have swept the room and removed them before he brought me in. However, my eyes settled on an empty bottle of rum on the table across the room. A smile broadened over my face, and I ran over to where it was. I picked it up and smashed it against the corner of the desk, turning it into one long jagged weapon. The extra bits of glass I pushed under the table to hide. Then, I tucked it underneath the pillow on the bed and returned to the window to wait. Surely with my mermaid charms and a weapon I could escape the cabin.

When the sound of the door unlocking rang through the room, my body stiffened. I hadn’t expected him back so soon. The door opened, revealing a young boy around the age of thirteen with a tray in his hand. He gave me a sheepish smile and closed the door behind him. The boy was thin, with dirty blond hair a mess upon his head.

“Excuse me, miss?” His voice was timid and quiet as he looked at me for a moment before averting his large, brown eyes to the ground.

My body relaxed at his sight, although I wondered why he was here. “What is a young boy such as yourself doing aboard a pirate ship?”

He came over to where I was without a word and held out the tray. The fantastic aroma of freshly cooked food flowed to me from the tray, and I could see the delicious looking meat and sides sitting upon it.

Still, I shook my head. “No thank you.”

He frowned. “But the cap’n be angry with me…”

“You tell the captain that it was all my fault. I want nothing to do with him or his food. Now, I asked you a question.”

“Can I…can I sit down?”

“Of course,” I replied and moved over on the seat. What could it hurt to talk to the boy? He wasn’t large enough to hurt me, and perhaps I could get some information from him about what I had gotten into. At least there was one person on this dreadful ship who might be somewhat normal.

“I wanted to be a pirate,”  the boy explained and then looked up at me with sparkling eyes. I could see the excitement there, though I didn’t understand why anyone would want to be a pirate.

“So you came here on your own?”

He nodded. “But the cap’n’s been good to me. Keeps me fed and lets me live on his ship.”

I laughed. “Ah, you’re his servant boy.”

“Cabin boy,” he corrected me.

Same terrible thing. “Oh, well I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. What’s your name?”

“Casey. Casey Martin.”

It wasn’t much of a pirate’s name, but I couldn’t begrudge him that.

“The cap’n says he’ll give me a better name when I’m ready.”

“That’s good, unless you don’t want the other pirates to take you seriously,” I joked.

He looked hurt.

“I’m sorry, I was only kidding.”

He smiled. “Oh—ok. Where do you come from?”

“I can’t tell you, you’ll tell Aiden.”

“It’s Captain. You can’t call him his by his name. None of us do. It’s disrespectful.” He spoke the words as if they had been told to him repeatedly.

“Well I don’t, and he’ll get used to it. My name is Raewyn by the way. You don’t suppose I could follow you outside for a little sun do you?” I hoped he’d give in.

A look of terror crossed his face. “Oh no, miss! There rules are you stay here. He said, ‘The dark-haired maiden must stay in my quarters. Any man who lets her out will be fed to the fishes,’ and I cannot betray him. I hope you’re not mad at me.”

My excitement dropped. “You’re awful loyal for a kid stuck aboard a pirate ship.”

“I told ya, I want to be here.”

“Do you really think he will train you?”

He nodded quickly. “Yes.”

“Do you keep a weapon on you?”

“No, I’m not old enough yet. I just clean and help as I’m needed. I help with the fishing too and preparing meals.” He held the tray up again. “Are you sure you won’t take a bite?”

“No, thank you. Tell the captain to come speak with me if he has a problem with it.”

“Okay.” He sighed and stood up. “I hope he doesn’t hurt you. I like you.” He bowed and left, securing the lock behind him.

His words haunted me as I anxiously awaited Aiden. It wasn’t long before I heard a noise at the door again. I stood up from my place, careful not to go too fast, and moved to lie down on the bed. I tugged the dress up on my legs and ran my hands through my hair to tousle it before propping myself up on my elbow. Let him try to escape the charms of a mermaid.

Just as suspected, Aiden stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. He leaned back against it and cast his gaze at me. His eyes roamed down my body, and I hid the smile that wanted to come upon my face. I had him.

“Good afternoon, lass. Me cabin boy tells me you are too good for pirate food.”

“That’s not at all what I said, Aiden,” I said sweetly.

He cocked an eyebrow before stepping away from the door and closer to the bed. When he reached the bedpost at the foot of the bed, he stopped and crossed his arms. “What kind of game are you playing?”

“Game? There’s no game.” I pushed myself up to sit and let the strap of the dress fall off my shoulder. I made my gaze darken and bit my lip, making it appear as if I wanted him to join me on the bed.

Aiden’s eyes moved to my bare skin, his mouth curving into a devious smile as he shook his head. “Oh you are a beautiful thing, aren’t you?”

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled up at him without responding. Flirting came easy to me, and I was determined to prove that I could use my charms to win. Even though I didn’t feel anything for Aiden, there was something about the way he looked back at me that made me feel uncomfortable.

Without a word, Aiden placed a knee on the bed and leaned toward me. “I bet you taste like salt from the sea too.”

My breath caught in my throat, and my pulse began to race. Did he know what I was? “And why would you think that?”

His other knee came upon the bed and he crawled toward me. I could feel the danger crawl under my skin as he came closer to me. The warmth trailed up my body, surprising me, and I fought to ignore it. Aiden reached out to softly run his finger over my shoulder, sending shivers down my spine, even though the room suddenly felt warmer.

“Because I found you entangled in my net, of course,” he explained, his voice deep.

I forgot I even asked a question. I reminded myself I had to stay on my game and stop getting enthralled by the proximity of him. It didn’t make any sense, and I didn’t like the effect he was having on me.

“Of course.” I leaned back on my elbows again. For some reason, I was suddenly insecure. My charms weren’t working on him so far. I had to try harder. “I have something for you.”

“You do?” He moved to sit beside me.

“Yes, I think you will like it.” I moved my hand down my body and his eyes followed. He chuckled as his eyes wandered over my body, giving me time to trial my hand back up and underneath the pillow. Fear and excitement twisted in my body as his hand settled on my side, but my own found the broken glass in its hiding place.

As I pulled it out, I cried out in anger and thrust it toward him. Aiden’s free hand jerked forward in an attempt to grab ahold of my wrist and stop the movement. I pushed forward, trying to break his hold, and added my second hand. He laughed loudly as if it were a game grabbed my wrist with his other hand.

“Give me the glass, Raewyn. Don’t be rash.”

I brought my knee up with every intention of slamming it between his knees, but he moved out of the way just in time. He snorted threw one of his legs over me, so he was straddling my waist.

“We’ll have no more of that, dear. Can’t be having you ruining the family jewels, now can I?”

“You’re lucky I haven’t killed you in your sleep, pirate.” I threw my body forward and spit in his face.

He closed his eyes and bent forward, trapping my wrists above my head. One of his hands let go of me and wiped his face. “Bloody hell woman. Are you trying to piss me off?”

I continued to struggle against him, bucking and twisting to try and free myself. He didn’t stop holding me down until my hands were numb and the glass slipped out of them. He picked it up and tucked it in his pocket before letting me up.

“Don’t make me tie you up, lass, because I will. I’m trying to give you some freedom, but your actions are pushing it.”

My breath came in quick spurts from the struggle. It made no sense. Why weren’t my charms working? They never failed me before. Aiden must be some sort of true evil.

“This isn’t freedom!” I beat on his chest with my fists.

“Stop it,” he said, calmly at first. As I continued to fight, his voice got louder until he was screaming at me and grabbing my fists. Aiden yanked me to him, showing me the anger in his eyes.

“You are frustrating, woman. Any other pirate would have had his way with you already. You could at least have some gratitude.”

“I owe you nothing.”

“Have it your way then,” he growled and pushed me back on the bed. He forced me between his legs again and held me down as his left hand dug into the drawer beside him. When he returned his attention back to me, he had a rope in his hand, which he used to tie my wrists to the bedpost. “You will learn some respect.” His words dripped with venom as he pushed himself off me and stood up. Aiden paced back and forth several times before leaving me there alone, without the ability to move.

My wiles had failed me. What kind of mermaid was I if I couldn’t even charm a pirate captain?

Chapter Five

“If I untie these knots, are you going to act crazy again?”

“Maybe.” I scowled as I turned my gaze away from Aiden. I’d been tied up for two days so far, only letting me up to use the washroom. I refused to eat anything he or his other crewmen brought me, and I was starving. But I didn’t trust Aiden, and I certainly didn’t trust the rest of them.

I refused to let him see me cry; I didn’t want to lose my strength. I didn’t want to give him a reason to see me weak. Plus, I couldn’t remember the last time I had truly cried. My best defense mechanism was pushing the tears away, unless it was something extremely painful—emotionally or physically. It made me feel pathetic.

With a sigh, he leaned over me and pressed cool metal to my restraints—a knife I guessed. I could feel him tugging on them as he sawed the rope away from me. When they finally broke, he sat back on the bed. I rubbed my pained wrists and frowned at the red burn marks left there.

“You should know, it’s pained me to see you like this.”

I shot him a glare. “It’s a pain to have to deal with you every day.”

“I like to think I’ve shown you quite a bit of respect for someone who is being so difficult to get along with.”

He stared back at me with a challenge in his eyes. Inside I knew I needed to give him some credit. Even with my constant disagreement, he had been patient with me. No one had ever put up with my antics like he did, not without some sort of repercussion. He was just holding off on his and making me wait for it. Instead of responding, I crossed my arms and stared back at him.

“Listen lass, you don’t have to speak with me, but you must know that you are making this hard on yourself.” He gestured to a door on the other side of the room. “There are books in there you could read. Loads of them.”

I scoffed. I never heard of a pirate reading before, or even one caring about learning how to. Still, I was determined not to engage in any activities he suggested.

“There has to be something in there that would tickle your fancy. Legends? Treasures? Geography?”

“Shut up.”

A mischievous smile formed across his face. “You are just determined not to humor me aren’t you?”

“If that’s what you would like to call it.”

“Yet, you speak to the cabin boy…”

“That’s because he’s not a thoughtless pirate!”

Aiden laughed. “Oh but he is.”

“Oh but he’s not,” I insisted, trying to hide the sudden smile that wanted to spread across my face. What was wrong with me? Could I not even argue with the captain without wanting to flirt with him?

I stood up from the bed and did my best to walk over to the window seat to put some space between us. I still stumbled slightly, but I found it was easier than the first day. Practicing was definitely on my list of things to do.

As I sat down, I cast my eyes out at the sea. It was a beautiful sight. The greens and blues flowed together as they splashed upon the ship. I couldn’t see any land. I ached for home and the feel of the ocean water across my skin.

My hand came up to rest on my chest. Depression threatened to take me down with it, but I fought it off as much as I could. I could still feel the dulled pain in my lungs from the human air, made worse when I was trying to hold back tears. Staring out into the open sea was as close as I could get to home, so that’s what I did.

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Aiden asked as he came to stand beside me.

I glanced up, readying a smart comment on my tongue but stopped when I looked at him. He gazed out at the ocean as he leaned against the wall, lost in some thoughts he wasn’t sharing with me. My mouth snapped shut.

Hmmmm. Interesting.

“I want to see all of it,” he said and looked down at me, connecting his intense green eyes with mine. My stomach did a weird excited flip, and I broke the gaze.

“Are you going to eat dinner with me?”

“No.”

The answer was easy. During the day, he stayed away for the most part. Casey was the only company I had. But in the evening, Aiden always came to invite me to eat with him. My response was to glare at him until he went away.

“Don’t you wonder what all is out there?” he asked.

“No, not really.” It was the best I could give him. I had an idea of what was out there. My family, my friends, and my people who I missed dearly. I hoped I could find a way to return to them, even though I wasn’t sure where I would go or how far I would get without my tail. Saving my people used to be my goal, but now I had to save myself first.

He sighed. “Well I am going to get some food. If you choose to stay here and starve, that’s your own choice.” There was irritation in his words, which made me smile. It seemed I might be able to become as good at this game as he was.

Chapter Five

I was smothering to death in the cabin. Sweat rolled down my body as I tried to gain my composure, but no matter how much I tried, breathing became hard and panic wanted to set in. I missed being able to be a free spirit with the ocean at my fingertips.

I needed fresh air.

It was dark in the quarters; the single candle Aiden lit before bed had finally died out. The moonlight flooded in through the window, so I didn’t need to use my night vision to see. I wasn’t even sure I could use it, seeing as I was in a human form now. Even though the moon wasn’t full at the moment, her light made feel just a little better. I listened for a few minutes to the steady breathing of the captain to make sure he was asleep. His breathing was deep and steady, signaling he was out.

Slowly I slid from the bed, touching my feet to the floor carefully. I tiptoed over to the doorway, leaving my shoes off to keep from making any noise. The floor creaked as I touched the doorknob, making me cast a backwards glance to the bed to see if it woke Aiden, but he didn’t move.

He was lying there, bathed in moonlight, with one arm over his eyes as if shielding them from it. The blanket fell away from his body, revealing his broad chest and chiseled abs, tanned from the sun. His necklace settled off the side of his body, drawing my attention to the tattoos littering his left side, as well as the shoulder and bicep of his right arm. I hadn’t seen them before, not having seen him shirtless, and he was breath taking.

I scolded myself. He was a human, and I didn’t need to be staring at him. Just because he was attractive didn’t negate the fact he was a nasty pirate. I twisted the doorknob and slipped through the door, shutting it quietly behind me.

As I stepped out into the open, I breathed a sigh of relief. The sound of the waves crashing against the boat, and the sight of the moon and stars shining down on me, made me feel somewhat at home. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath of sea air; the salt and familiarity of it tended to my homesickness. When I opened them back up, I looked around, deciding on the highest point of the ship to be the best place for stargazing.

There were several masts to choose from, each of them hoisting up a cream flag. I was puzzled they weren’t black to signal it was a pirate ship. Maybe that was just a rumor. Still, the ship seemed to be well taken care of; the old wood didn’t shine, but there was no dirt to be seen on it. Some of the boards creaked as I walked, so I moved carefully with stealth.

I stepped past several sleeping pirates and climbed up the ropes. They took me high in the air in order to get me to my destination, but I was not afraid of heights. When I reached the top, I was pleased to find a decent amount of space on the pedestal. Lowering myself to the wood below, I sat there and leaned back on the rail. It was almost as if I could reach the stars. They twinkled down at me in welcome, glad to see me again. It was better than being cooped up in the captain’s quarters alone with him. Even though I was still alone on the mast, I reminded myself the moon was there. She was watching over me. She would give me the strength to make it through this, even if her power to grant wishes was restricted to the full moon.

Suddenly a hand appeared on the wood beside me, and I jumped away from it to the other side of the platform. I instantly regretted not bringing a weapon with me, but I would kick the pirate to his death if need be.

“What are you doing up here, lass?” Aiden asked as his head popped up over the beam. He pulled himself upwards and jumped over the railing, holding onto the center beam as he eyed me suspiciously.

“Nothing.” I sighed. I was thankful to see it was only him and not some other scuzzy pirate, but I didn’t want to have anything to do with him either.

“Do you sneak out every night like this?” He sat down across from me as if I invited him to join me, pulling a knee up to his chest and laying his arm over it. His eyes never left me.

“Do you interrupt people’s peace often?”

He laughed. “It’s rather the dastardly climb to get up here.”

“I was hoping for some alone time and some air.”

“Aye, and you may have it.”

But he didn’t leave.

He stretched his hands to the sky, his muscles twitching under his skin, and leaned against the railing with his hands behind his head. I forced my gaze back up to his face.

“Alone time,” I stressed.

Aiden’s eyes looked around, confused at first, but then realization sparked in his eyes. “Oh, you mean me.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not leaving. I won’t have you fall to your death on my watch. I’m responsible for your safety, I am.”

“Then let me go home. I’m safer there than with the likes of you.” Humans, to be exact.

“Had some bad run-ins with pirates, have you dear?”

I crossed my arms and didn’t answer him, just let my head lean back on the wooden beam and stared up at the stars. There was no need to delve into my past with him, tell him anything about myself, or share secrets. He could sit there all he liked, for all I cared, as long as he stopped talking. I didn’t trust him.

After several silent moments, he pointed his finger to the sky. “Do you see those three large stars, just there?”

I decided to humor him for just a moment. “Yeah, so?”

“That’s Orion’s belt.” He pointed further into the sky. “The three above that make his body, the ones to the left his weapon, and those to the right his shield.”

With his large book collection and now his knowledge about constellations, I wondered just what else he knew and what his past entailed. “And how did you figure that out?”

“I have a lot of books….and besides, the stars help guide the way at night.” He shrugged as if that explained it, but I could tell he knew more than he let on. His eyes held sadness as he spoke, still looking at the sky and not to me. For a moment, it seemed as if he went somewhere else. When he looked back at me, it was gone. “You haven’t gone through the piles of books yet?”

“No. I’m not interested.”

“I didn’t spell them or anything, lass, I promise you that.”

I ignored his comment and looked away from him in an attempt to lose myself in the stars again.

“I’m a light sleeper,” he said, as if that explained something.

“And a non-stop talker,” I added, irritated.

“That’s why I’m here.” He laughed. “I heard you shut the door, gave you a few minutes, and then came looking for you.”

Silence from me.

“You have to be careful when you’re surrounded by pirates,” Aiden said with a sigh.

I could see him out of the corner of my eye, leaning against the railing just as I was. He fell silent, lost in his thoughts once again. He had gone off to a place only he was privy too; I decided to do the same. Finally, I got what I wanted: silence.

Yet it was odd he would say something so demeaning about pirates, seeing as he was one, although he didn’t look like the rest of them. He stood out among them as someone with more dignity, but all humans were the same. He couldn’t fool me with his charming speech and good looks. I was better than that, stronger than that.

He made an awful reputation for himself as far as pirates go. To look at him now, sitting here with me high up on the ship’s mast, speaking about constellations, without a weapon and dressed only in his pajama bottoms, it was hard to see the ruthless and devious pirate I heard so much about.

I sighed and rolled over to the left, making myself as comfortable as I could against the wood. My body started to relax out in the open, with the sound of the waves in my ears. It was a weird place to feel at home, but it was better than the captain’s quarters. Aiden didn’t say anything else. The silence slowly took me under with it, calming my mind and helping me fall asleep.

Chapter Six

I woke up the next day back in the captain’s quarters in the large bed, unsure of how I got there. All I remembered was falling asleep on the mast with Aiden. He must have carried me there, I realized, but how did he get me down the mast safely? I sat up and stretched my arms to find myself alone. I washed up and got dressed, finding clothing laid out for me on the window seat. It was a lot different from what I had been wearing.

I walked over to it and held up the ensemble. It was a pair of brown leather pants and a belt, with a cream-colored top. I pulled it on, followed by the pair of brown boots. As I looked down at myself, I felt like a pirate. I wasn’t sure I liked it, but it was much more comfortable, and covering, than the blue dress.

My eyes roamed over to the sea, and I sat down at the window seat. It seemed this would be my boring life now, at least until the full moon when I could wish for my fins back.

The door of the cabin creaked open, causing me to look up to see who entered. It was Aiden, of course; I shouldn’t have been surprised. He carried a tray of food in his hand and kicked the door closed behind him. Usually it was Casey who brought me food, and I was disappointed not to see him. I had grown to enjoy our daily discussions.

He took a seat on the opposite side of the window seat. As he sat the tray down between us, I noticed there were two plates on it.

“You are going to waste away if you don’t eat.”

I shook my head. “I’m not hungry.”

“You can’t stay in here forever and sneak out at night,” Aiden insisted, his eyes boring into me as if to convince me to go.

“I can do whatever I want.”

“You’re lucky I haven’t dragged you out of here to see the sun, lass.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

He chuckled, followed by a smirk, as he reached out to run his hand down my arm. “You look beautiful in this by the way. Just like I thought you would. I had it made especially for you.”

My breath caught in my throat. I jerked away from him and crossed my arms. Although I didn’t want him anywhere near me, he wasn’t going to leave without a fight.

“Fine, I will eat your food,” I grumbled.

I reached for the plate closest to me, pulling it into my lap. The plate contained cooked fish and mashed potatoes. Unable to remember what human food tasted like, and unable to ignore this growling in my stomach any longer, I picked up the utensil and took a small bite. It was more flavorful than I expected, seeing the atmosphere I was in, and I closed my eyes to savor it.

“You like it?” he asked.

I nodded and opened my eyes to look at him. “It’s delicious, thank you.”

“I told you that you were missing out, and you didn’t believe me. I cooked it especially for you.”

I cocked an eyebrow and laughed. “You made this?”

“Aye.”

Interesting. “Don’t you have underlings to do such things for you?”

“I do, but I would rather make food for you and know it is safe. Cooking used to be a hobby of mine.”

“I find that hard to believe.” I scoffed. There was no way he was a fancy chef. “Who taught you?”

He began to eat his food, talking out the side of his mouth. “I don’t need your approval, lass.” He ignored my question as if he hadn’t meant to tell me about his hobby, and he wouldn’t look at me.

We sat in silence until we were both finished, and Aiden picked my plate up to set it on the tray. He pushed his papers out of the way on the desk and put the tray down; they scattered around and fell to the floor.

“You going to come outside with me?” he asked, turning back to me.

“I suppose,”’ I agreed reluctantly, “but no funny business.”

Aiden stood up and crossed the room in a few long strides to stop in front of me. He smiled down at me in amusement and shook his head. “My dear, I would do no funny business out in front of the crew now would I?”

I sighed, exasperated, as I stepped past him and opened the door, ignoring his rude comments but unable to stop the thought of what his “funny business” entailed. I was surprised at myself, the way the sudden image of his hands on my waist popped in my head. He’s a pirate, I reminded myself. No matter how much he looked like a normal man, not filthy and disgusting, he was still a pirate. I couldn’t trust him. Not really.

He stepped past me; a chuckle escaped him and a smirk grew on his face. It irritated me he was able to get away with the things he said to me. Half the time I couldn’t formulate a witty comeback quick enough. I needed to work on that. It wasn’t like me, and I couldn’t lose myself in all this. I was a strong mermaid, independent, and doing as I pleased. Wrapping men around my finger was supposed to be my job, not the other way around. The thought of the ship taking that much power away from me made me sick to my stomach.

Aiden picked up a black tricorne hat with blue rimming and sat it on his head as he opened the door. I followed him up onto the deck, my hand coming up to shield my eyes from the blinding sun. I hadn’t seen it in days, and it slammed into me unexpectedly. The ship’s wooden surface was brighter in the daylight, and I could see just how large of a ship it was. The scuffling of pirates, along with the song humming upon their lips, filled my ears. It intrigued me. Song was something I could relate to, so I looked up to take them in. They were scattered about, some relaxing and others doing their duty, dressed practically in rags. Even my clothing was made of better quality.

“These are me mates,” Aiden said and waved his hand about. “I keep me crew to a small number these days. Less hands to share bounty with.” He laughed and continued.

Several of them stopped to look at where his voice came, loud and making his presence known. They nodded in reverence as he passed them. There was no fear in their eyes. In fact, they looked upon him with respect. I was surprised. He commanded the attention from everyone around him. It was fascinating, the way he was like a king in his own domain and not as pirate scum to be avoided.

When their eyes landed on me however, they were curious and judgmental. They weren’t sure who I was to be found in the middle of the ocean, and I feared many of them suspected what I was or wanted me for their own pleasures. I took a deep breath and held my head high as Aiden shouted out commands, something about a sail and the seas. I wasn’t going to let them get me down. When he spoke, I wasn’t sure what he was talking about, never being familiar with pirate langue.

He turned to address me from across the ship. “Would you like to join me? You can watch me steer.”

I crossed my arms and shook my head, still determined not to give in to any of his demands, even though it was probably safer near him, judging by the hungry eyes of the other less than pleasant men on the ship. How was it the feared Captain Aiden, the one who would kill a man in a second if need be, was the safest place to be?

He cocked an eyebrow at me and shrugged. “Suit yourself.” Turning on his heels, he walked over to the large wheel on the front of the boat and settled there, hands positioned on the large wooden helm just so. He exhumed confidence as he stood there. His dark messy hair ruffled slightly in the captain’s quarters and looked out at the sea. It would do me no good for him to catch me watching him. The blue waves called for me to join them and I wished I could.

The winds were rough. They tried to toss the ship’s occupants about as much as possible, but the captain had control of The Devil’s Pearl. I was sure it would stay afloat. It was a beautiful sight to behold. If only I could share it with my sisters or Tristen. I wondered if they were searching for me, if they were even close to finding me. I wondered why I didn’t miss him like I assumed it would. It made me wonder if I truly loved him, or if it was in some different way than I was looking for—love like my family rather than a lover.

“’Ello lovely,” a raspy voice piped up from beside me, followed by a quick slap to my backside.

I whirled around and scowled at the tall one-eyed pirate looking back at me. “Don’t touch me,” I snapped.

“If you’re smart, girl, you will pick one of us to protect you. It gets awfully lonely in this place with only men around.”

He stepped closer to me, trapping me against the hard wood. I pressed flat against it in an attempt to stay away from the stench of the man as well as the disgusting sight of his dirty beard and missing eye. He was exactly what I expected in a pirate, his behavior included. Perhaps I should’ve taken Aiden’s advice on joining him.

“What are you exactly? You have charmed the captain awfully quickly to be…human…”

Fear gripped me as the truth slammed into me. The crewmen wondered if I was more than human.

“She has already been claimed, mate,” Aiden’s voice called out as the edge of a sword appeared on the pirate’s shoulder.

There was a sudden desperate fear in the man’s eyes as he turned around to face his captain, realization on his face he was caught.

“I thought I made it clear; you leave the girl alone. This sea is mine. This ship is mine. And the girl, she is mine. If you bother her again, any of you, I will feed you to the fishes,” he stated. His voice was low and serious, eyes terrifying as he stared at the other pirate. It scared me as well, and it wasn’t even aimed at me.

“Yes—yes Cap’n. I didn’t realize this was—”

“Don’t play coy with me. She’s the only girl aboard the ship and you know it.”

“Yes Cap’n,” the man whispered again and scrambled away from Aiden’s reach.

Aiden gave a sly smile as he moved his gaze to me and returned his sword to the sheath at his hip. “Now, will you join me?”

As much as I wanted to say no, the way he stood up for me chipped away a small piece of the ice around my hatred. It made me trust him just a tad more, but it also scared me. It was possible he meant it when he said I was safe on his ship. Still, the intensity of his comments with the lower-ranking pirate kept me on my toes. He was a force to be reckoned with. I nodded slowly.

“Fantastic!” he exclaimed. He placed his fist on his hip and waited for me to take his arm before escorting me to the front of the ship. He sure knows his manners…for a pirate.

“This is the best view on The Devil’s Pearl,” he explained with a genuine smile on his face. Perhaps the first one I’d seen. However, just as quickly as it was there, it was gone, replaced with that charming smirk of his. “That is of course, other than right in front of me.” He raised a finger to his lips, eyes scanning my body from top to bottom.

I scowled to hide the fact that part of me was flattered at the way his eyes took me in. My obvious attempts to ward him off and show him how uninterested I was in him wasn’t working. Still, the endless banter between the two of us was quickly becoming my only source of entertainment on the boat. Was it possible I was starting to enjoy his company?

“Aiden, I thought you weren’t into doing dirty things on deck with your men around,” I said with a smile. My hand reached out to play with the necklace laying across his chest, and my eyes trailed up to meet his. They were looking back at me, faded into something darker than he’d allowed me to see before.

“Aye, I did say that, lass, but don’t underestimate a pirate who has set his eye on a prize.”

He reached out to run his hand around my waist and pull me closer to him. My skin burned where he touched me, and I wanted to pull him closer. It was unexpected and made me pause. I wasn’t sure how to react. Confidence was something I counted on when dealing with a man, not the uncertainty I felt around Aiden. There was something different between us. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. He was handsome, devilishly so, able to gut you in a second, and look beautiful while you lay there dying. With his taste for deliciously cooked meals, books, and constellations, he was a mystery—one I needed to solve before he figured me out.

Aiden leaned into me. His lips stopped just above mine and curled into a smile. “This is a dangerous game you are playing. Are you sure you want to do this?”

For a moment, my breathing stopped. My eyes grew wide as my mind screamed to run away from him, from this frozen moment in time where there was only the two of us. I wanted to convince myself that what happened between us was unnatural, and I shouldn’t pay attention to it.

His fingers dug into my waist and reminded me I needed to give him back what he was dishing out. That was in my nature, more like myself, and I was relieved I hadn’t lost it alone on the ship. But he was who he was, and he was better at this game than me somehow. I hated it.

I wasn’t about to move under the heat of his eyes. I was uncomfortable and unprepared. He was at complete ease. My gaze darted between his eyes and his lips. A part of me wanted to close the distance to see just what he was made of, to see what it would be like to kiss someone human, but I couldn’t give in so easily to Aiden’s charms. I had to play the game but not be the prey

My hand flattened against his chest. It steadied me somewhat, helped me breathe to know I could push him around. Neither of us moved for several moments, just stared into each other’s eyes, each challenging the other to make the first move. Aiden broke the stare by placing his nose on mine and then running it softly across my check to pause at my ear. It sent chills down my spine, and I was thankful he couldn’t see my eyes close in delight. It was a simple gesture, but unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I hated to think what it would be like if he kissed me. I might not ever stop him.

“Let’s make it a fun game shall we?” His hand ran down my arm slowly as he spoke. “I won’t kiss you until you ask me to. Beg me to.”

My body quivered. “Never.”

“You will, mark my words. And I will not kiss you until that moment, dear. And don’t worry, Captain Aiden keeps his word. I’m an honorable man, whether or not you choose to believe it” —he paused and winked at me—“and I never lose a bet.”

Chapter Seven

My boredom got the best of me a couple of days later, marking a little over one week on the ship. I still tried to steer clear of Aiden. He made this bet more difficult each time I got near him, flirting and getting too close to me, so I stayed away from him as much as I could. It was the best option for now. I watched them from the doorway of the captain’s quarters, that way I could lock myself back in the room if one of them tried to talk to me again. The more I was around them, the more I felt like I could mimic their movements. Humans were vile creatures who wanted to take over the world and claim things as their own. I would hate to have to push one overboard. According to stories I’d heard, even other pirates feared Aiden, and I wasn’t sure how far I could push him before he snapped at me.

To have something to do, I walked over to the room holding his large library of books. I opened the small door, expecting just shelf with a few books on it. The room was small, however, there were bookshelves crammed into the room with books covering them. There were books stacked on the floor and on top of the shelves; the smell of old books engulfed the room. I stepped closer and noticed some of them were very old and tattered, others new and barely touched. They ranged in subject, and I wasn’t sure where to start. I closed my eyes and pulled one from the shelf.

Lost Treasures of the Sea.

How convenient.

Taking it with me back into the bedroom, I plopped down onto the bed and laid down on my stomach. I sat the book in front of me and opened it carefully, afraid it might rip, and began to flip through the pages. It was full of stories about lost ocean treasures, from Atlantis, Camilla Island, and other sorts of places rumored to exist once upon a time. I ruffled through the pages until I reached Camilla.

Abandoned City of Camilla Island. Rumored to once be the home of mermaids.

I sighed and ran my finger across the painting of the large castle by the sea. Whoever created this work of art captured it perfectly at sunset with the moon rising in the background. It was before the walls surrounding our sacred island were destroyed by the humans. They invaded our land, stole our jewels, and killed our people.

These mermaids were known to be like genies, granting wishes for those who held them captive.

I slammed the book shut and pushed it away from me on the bed. Some terrible person wrote this book, one who probably had their own captive locked away. My kind was hunted down for our powers, including being able to make wishes and heal people. Imagine their surprise when humans came home with a mermaid, only to have them refuse to fulfill a wish for them or only be able to give them one during a full moon. I’d heard awful stories about merfolk being held captive for months until all the person’s wishes were fulfilled or never heard from again.

And there I was on a boat full of them.

I wondered if Aiden read through this book and hoped he didn’t suspect the truth.

I put the book up and rummaged for a few others, pulling several off a shelf and curling up on the window seat to read for most of the day.

A knock at the door caused me to look up and set the book down. Aiden stepped through the threshold with a tray in his hands. His coat swung behind him as he walked inside, kicking the door closed behind him.

“Care to have lunch with me below deck?”

“No,” I said with a smile and picked the book back up.

“Alright, lass.”

Way too easy.

He came to where I sat and placed the tray down at my side. His eyes stared at me intensely, peeking out from his dark eyebrows. The corner of his lips turned up into a smile as he drew his hands back from the platter. His finger brushed my leg.

“Watch it,” I snapped.

“Oh stop carrying on.” He bit his lip innocently. It was a small gesture, and so was the one following it, where he ruffled his hair and looked down at me through hooded eyes.

I tore my eyes away from his lips, ignoring the part of me that wondered what they would feel like. He wouldn’t make this visit easy, and after reading the book on treasures, I wasn’t in the mood for small talk. No matter how much he flirted with me, I wasn’t giving in today. I could feel the pink rise in my cheeks as I looked away. Embarrassment was a foreign feeling, and I hated it. What was wrong with me?

“Just go, Aiden.”

“Have these books gotten you upset?” he pondered aloud and seized the book from me.

“No.” I reached out to snatch it back, but he stepped away just as my fingertips touched it.

“Oh but I would say they have,” he insisted and read the title. “Have a thing for genies do ya? I hate to break it to you but they are nothing except for legend.”

“I know that.”

He shrugged and moved closer, slamming the book shut and leaning over toward me. “As are all these other stories you have scattered about. Have a thing for fairy tales do you, lass?”

I tried to grab the book, but he pulled it away from me again.

“You would do best to forget about these tales. There is no such thing as a fairy tale or a love story. Get your head out of the clouds.” He tried to hide the flash of sadness as he spoke, but I saw it.

“Give it to me,” I said, a little nicer with the bat of my eyelashes. He was flirting with me, so I would return it.

“I will give it to you on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“Come eat with me.”

I frowned. “You can keep the book.”

He cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. “Oh, Raewyn, you sure are something.”

With that, he tossed the book to me and left.

The second the door closed, I let my breath out and buried my face in my hands. He was a stubborn man. There was no way I was going to get him to leave me alone in this room.

After I had some time alone, I peered outside to see if I could rummage through the ship and familiarize myself with it. I slipped out the cabin door and down the stairs, following a pirate down into the bottom of the ship. Aiden was nowhere to be seen and, thankfully, the rest of the pirates were too busy to take notice of me. I followed the man down into the bottom of the ship and went left because he went right.

I walked into a small room with a low ceiling and cramped quarters. There were boxes scattered about, with one rather large chest at the back of the room. I glanced behind me, excitement running through me at what I could have found. Pirates were known for their treasures, and so was I of course. There could be some amazing things in there, something I could sneak back to Tristen perhaps or add to my own treasure chest.

The desire to open the lid took over, and I rushed over to it. As I pushed the top open, the lid fell back against the wall, making a loud thud.

I was hooked.

Pieces upon pieces of gold filled it. It was so beautiful, and I couldn’t look away. Gold was something merfolk were attracted to, but it had an unusual pull to me. Any sort of treasure caught my attention. I loved it all. My hand reached out as if on its own accord, and I stepped forward again. I dipped my fingers into the cold pieces and lifted them up, and then let them fall back into the chest. They hit the pile with a clanking sound, music to my ears.

Where did he find such a stash of golden coins? I had never seen so many in one place in my entire life! Even in the castle on the island, or in the one below the sea, there was not a stack of golden coins such as this.

“Fair play, milady. Such a diabolical plan you have, getting yourself caught in my net only to steal me gold.”

Aiden’s voice was enough to tear myself away from the trance the gold held on me. My stomach flipped nervously as I whirled around. Would he be angry or playful? He was hard to read sometimes. He leaned in the doorway with his arms crossed in front of him, amused grin on his face.

“I—I…what?” His words didn’t make any sense to me.

Aiden pushed off the doorframe and came to stand in front of me. His warm hand cupped my chin. “I never thought I’d see the day me bird would pillage me treasure.”

“I’m not…pillaging,” I insisted, trying his words out for myself. “And I’m certainly not a bird.” I didn’t know why he would call me that.

Aiden growled deep in his chest and rested his forehead against mine, causing my breath to hitch. He was so close. Too close. And definitely not angry. His eyes dropped to my lips, noting my change in breathing, and smiled slyly.

“Aye, keep talking like that and I won’t be able to keep my hands off you, poppet.”

I brought my hands up to rest on his chest and tried to ignore the muscles jumping underneath my palms. My hands were meant to push him off me, but I couldn’t seem to move. I could smell the rum on his mouth and feel his breath on my lips as we stood there. It was definitely a good thing he wasn’t irate with me for snooping through his ship, but I had no earthly clue what he was talking about.

“English please?” I whispered. My words were more breathy than I intended them to be. My knees seemed to become weak for some unknown reason as he looked at me.

“No, it will be splendid to watch you figure it out.”

“I don’t intend to be around you that long,” I said, finally finding the strength to push him off me. I stepped back, thankful to have space to breathe again and think clearly.

“You will get bored and lonely soon enough, and you will come crawling to me. The longer you wait, the longer I will make you crawl as well, dear.”

As much as I wanted to argue with him, he was probably right. The rest of the crew seemed to be less than happy to see me aboard the ship, so I didn’t want to deal with them. Aiden was a lot less revolting than the others…and really attractive.

But I wouldn’t tell him that.

Chapter Eight

“I’m going to call you Rae.”

“Stop trying to change the subject, Aiden, I’m serious.”

“No, I’ve decided already, lass. Rae it is. So much easier on the tongue, so much sweeter,” he said as he took another drink from his large mug. “Grog” he called it. It was a mixture of rum and water. It was nasty, but it did the trick, and made Aiden somewhat aloof this evening. I’d lost count of how many he had in the time we were there, but it was just now affecting him. He spent most of the night telling me of his grand adventures, stories of piracy and plundering, or fighting and bounty. He was proud of himself. Surprisingly, the alcohol made him more tolerable.

We sat at one of the large tables in a spacious room in the lower decks of The Devil’s Pearl, just the two of us at this particular table. I suspected word spread to stay away from me because no one had spoken to me since Aiden threatened the one-eyed pirate. They all knew he would follow through with his threats.

Tonight I couldn’t fight off the hunger anymore, so I decided to take Aiden up on his offer for drinks and dinner in the lower decks. It was a meat and potatoes kind of dinner, something you’d expect a ship full of men to enjoy. I slowly made my way through my food, happy to have gotten my appetite back. The rum, however, added a welcomed excuse to feel a little tipsy and clear my mind. It was the only reason, I insisted, I wanted anything to do with him.

I reached across the table and rested a hand on his. Apparently, liquor made me more touchy than usual, but it also toned down the fire his skin ignited in me. I was thankful for that. During the time we spent together, I tried not to get too close to him so I didn’t have to feel it. After a moment, I realized I was, perhaps, flirting with Aiden. I pushed the thought away. That would never be something I did purposefully. Or, well, seriously.

“Come on, Aiden, you know you want to.”

He leaned over the table with a sly grin on his face. “Oh darling, there are many things I want to do with you, but you fight my advances. What you are asking now, no.”

“But I want to learn how to use a sword,” I insisted. “If you want me aboard this ship, and any way happy, until you get tired of me then—”

“I will never get tired of you,” he stated and enclosed my small hand in his. His was so much larger than mine.

“Stop trying to change the subject!” I said, slight giggle erupting from my lips. I was getting along way too well with him, the one who had taken me away from my family and friends. The one who captured me and wouldn’t hesitate to hand me over to someone for money or keep me as a slave once he found out what I was. I longed for the sea, not this ship.

The sudden need to be free slammed into me. I couldn’t breathe, and this time it wasn’t because of him. The burning returned to my lungs, and my free hand flew up to my chest. Jerking my hand from his, I pushed myself to my feet. The world spun around me for a second, and I reached out to put my hand on the table before I fell to the ground. If I didn’t stop touching him, flirting with him, whatever this was, I would be in dangerous waters.

I should have stayed away from the rum.

“Are you…sloshed Rae?” he asked with a twisted smile on his face. He brought his hand up to play with the stubble around his lips, drawing attention there, knowing exactly what he was doing. It was easy to read on his face the things he was thinking about, and they weren’t about teaching me how to use a sword.

“No,” I spat, perhaps a little too quickly judging by the look on Aiden’s face.

“Aye,” he said and stood to his feet. He walked around the table to take ahold of my shoulders and gaze down at me. “I must say, I’m impressed. Loads of men can’t drink so much and still stand up.”

My legs wobbled beneath me, and I slammed my hands on his chest to steady myself. “I’m not sure I can stand too well myself actually.”

“Suppose I’ll have to help you then,” he replied with a laugh and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Come on, let’s get you back to the captain’s quarters, and I will let you rest. Certainly can’t teach you how to use a sword in this state.”

He stumbled slightly as he took a step forward, showing he really had a little more than would allow him to be considered any sort of sober.

I laughed. “No, I don’t suppose you can. Another day maybe?”

“Perhaps. It’s the only way you’d learn from the best,” he said with a grin as we walked down the hallway towards his cabin.

The sound of music filled my ears as we reached our destination. Aiden lifted his hand to open the door.

I placed my hand on his arm to stop him. “What’s that?”

“The sound of my crew having a jolly old time. Nothing you’d be interested in.”

“Oh? But I think it would be. I wanna dance, Aiden. Let’s go.” I loved to dance, but it had been years since I had danced with legs. I was curious if I could even do it, move my legs like a human.

“No.”

The way he said it, like he wanted no part of it, made me want it even more. “Please, Aiden?”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise and sighed. “You never cease to amaze me. Come on then, but watch yourself. I don’t want to have to gut one of my men with my sword when they decide dancing with you is a good idea.”

I ran my hands around his neck and smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, darling.” He grew quiet as his hands settled at the small of my back and pulled me into a hug. I let him hold me, feeling secure in his arms. It was almost as if I felt at home again.

When he pulled away from me, he took my hand and continued to be quiet as he led me to the deck.

His eyes glanced at me with curiosity in them. I wished I could read his mind. I wanted to know what he as thinking. As we stepped upon the deck, the music was loud and quick, filling the night air with its sound. I pulled Aiden behind me to where the other pirates were dancing.

“No, I don’t dance. I just watch.” He stopped moving so I couldn’t take us any farther.

“Oh but you will,” I said firmly, realizing he wanted to avoided the music for that very reason, but I wouldn’t be deterred so easily.

“Oh but I won’t. You keep forgetting I call the shots on my ship.”

I looked up at him and smiled. “And you keep forgetting I’m a stubborn woman who gets what she wants. You’ve met your match bringing me on board, lad.”

“Don’t ever say that word again.”

“If you don’t dance with me who will?” I asked, knowing that would make him give in and change his mind. He didn’t want any trouble on his ship, and if someone else even tried to dance with me, there would be trouble. He’d made that clear, so I began looking around for a partner.

Aiden scowled. “Fine. But don’t expect a lot out of me.”

I squealed with delight as I dragged him to where his crew was dancing. The moment we joined them, the music turned into a jumble of flat off-key notes and stopped. Aiden froze and closed his eyes, pulling his eyebrows together. I looked around to see his crew was staring at us, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. They were shocked. Could it be Aiden had never danced with them before? Judging by the irritated and slightly embarrassed look on his face when he opened his eyes and looked at me, it was true. He had a reputation to uphold on his ship, but he was putting it at risk for me. He shook his head and tightened his grip on my waist.

I lifted a hand and placed it on his face as I smiled up at him, amused he looked out of place with all his crew’s eyes on him. “Dance with me, Aiden.”

There was a moment of indecision where he looked as if he might say no. It wouldn’t have surprised me because he was stubborn and looked really uncomfortable. Instead, he smiled crookedly at me than began shouting at his crew. “What are you staring at, lads? Get back to dancing!” His voice was gruff and commanding, but he smiled as he said the words.

His crew began to yell and clap. The music picked up and they danced around, smiling at the two of us and thanking Aiden for joining them.

“Finally you’re having some fun again,” one of them said.

It made me wonder what sort of fun he could have been talking about because Aiden seemed like a no nonsense sort of man for the most part. I cocked an eyebrow at him, but he leaned in to speak. “Don’t listen to them; they don’t know what they are talking about.”

“Whatever you say,” I laughed and began to dance.

The music filled me as I twirled around, trying not to stumble from the rum. Dancing was odd with the unfamiliar pair of legs, but I didn’t let it stop me. I imagined my tail again, fins splashing the water, twirling me around to the tune of the music. For several minutes, Aiden just swayed back and forth in front of me, eyes watching me with caution as if I would fall over and he would need to catch me.

“Is that really all you’ve got?” I challenged.

The corners of his lips moved into a devilish grin as he grabbed me and swirled me around. Delightful laughter rose from my lips, and I gripped him tightly so I wouldn’t fall to the ground. He smiled back at me, and soon the laughter was coming from him too. We danced throughout the night with the crew around us, forgetting there was anything unusual about the scene—he a deadly pirate captain and me a royal mermaid princess.

It wasn’t until one of the crewmen backed into me and pushed me into Aiden that our world was interrupted. In fact, the world froze around us. The music seemed to stop, the sounds of the crew fading to a faraway mumble. As I fell against him, there was a moment when his gaze turned into a scowl, but then it faded. Any harsh words he wanted to say to the man stopped.

He felt it too. Felt the world stop as hands took a hold of me and we found ourselves closer than we had ever been before. My hands caught themselves on his shoulders, and I couldn’t find the strength to take them away. My pulse raced with a ferocity I hadn’t known before. My stomach flipped in a disturbing way. His striking eyes stared down at me in confusion, his lips only inches away from mine.

All of my fears and worries slipped away from me, leaving me alone and awash in a sea of something unfamiliar. Something inside of me clicked, and I realized Aiden was just a man who found a way to live through piracy for some reason. I had no clue what his past was, why he would choose to live such a life, especially since he didn’t blend in with the rest of them. He was different. A passionate fire lit up his eyes with promises of excitement to come. Protective and mysterious. Perhaps it had been wrong of me to assume the worst of him.

“Aiden.” His name fell from my lips before I registered I’d even spoken. I wanted to find out what this feeling was.

I began to close the distance between us, but Aiden pursed his lips in frustration and pulled back from me, a pained look on his face. “Rae, as much as I want to shower you with kisses, I’m not going to take advantage of the situation…Gods what is wrong with me?” His last words were growled as he let go of me and stepped back. He ran his hand down his face, defeated, and took a few deep breaths before looking back at me. “But one day I will ravish you. Believe me.”

Whatever spell had been over me was broken.

Anger boiled up inside me at his rejection. He had done nothing but flirt with me the entire time I had been on his ship, and now when I decided to kiss him, he was going to tell me no? No one refused me before when I wanted a kiss. I was a mermaid for goodness sake, and he made me feel like a whale.

I threw my hands out in front of me to push him. I had to get away. “You are an idiot, Aiden, and I hate you.”

The crewmen began to whisper around me, talking about our disagreement as if it were any of their business. They chuckled loudly, entertained at the spectacle they witnessed.

One of them laughed and whirled me around to face him. “You thought you had the cap’n wrapped around your lil finger didn’t you? He does as he pleases.”

I jerked my arm from his grasp and tried to hide the embarrassed red flaming in my face. I was surrounded by a bunch of low life pirates and making a fool of myself.

There was only one place I would be safe and feel like myself again. Without another thought, I ran toward the edge of the ship and threw myself overboard.

Chapter Nine

The dive down was graceful, even with two awkward legs protruding from my torso—until my body flipped in the air and my legs flailed outward. I hit the dark water below with a hard splash that knocked the breath from my lungs. My vision darkened and blurred. I tried to focus and breathe again as I kicked in the water. The legs didn’t work right, not like my fins did, and I sank. Panic set in, flowed through my body in a second. I couldn’t even use my night vision. It was gone.

And so was my ability to breathe underwater.

The water rushed into my mouth and smothered me. Everything was wrong. So wrong. I fought to push it back out, but it was stuck inside me, choking me, and trying to make me sink even further into the water. I kicked and threw my arms about, trying to swim to the surface, but unable to do so for the force of the waves and inability to get my legs to cooperate. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but I couldn’t even speak underwater. The ability was gone, and water flooded into my open mouth.

Just as the world began to darken, my consciousness losing hold, a splash hit the water above me. A pair of bright eyes called to me in the darkness. A strong pair of arms grasped for me, pulled me back from oblivion, and lifted me out of the water.

When we hit the surface, I grasped for the person who saved me. My nails dug into the skin of my savior as I laid my head against him and continued to cough.

“Shhh, lass, it’s going to be okay.”

Aiden.

He wrapped his arms around my stomach and gave me a hard squeeze. Water forced its way out of my lungs, and I started to cough uncontrollably as my body violently tried to rid itself of the water. My breath came in hard gasps as my lungs tried to find air again.

He began to yell. “Cast down the ropes, mate, hurry.”

Why was he yelling at the sky?

Nothing made sense, not a thing he said, not a thing he did. I couldn’t focus my vision or gather my thoughts. Nothing was working right.

“What…”

“Hush, Rae, I’m going to wrap this around your waist, and we are going to get back aboard the ship.”

The ship?

“No!” I exclaimed and tried to fight back, but my body was weak. That was right, I remembered now. I was angry with him. He made a fool of me in front of his men, made me feel like less of a woman because he wouldn’t kiss me. A silly reason to jump into the sea, I supposed, but I truly thought I would be safe. The sea was my home, but my body was no longer made for it. I had proof now.

“Stop fighting me, woman,” he growled and pulled me closer as he wrapped the rope around us.

I coughed up the last of the water and held tight to him as we began to rise from the surface. It was too late now; there was no escape. I had no choice but to go with him back onto the ship until I could figure out another plan.

When we reached the edge of the ship, he pulled me over it with him and into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hid my face in his shoulder. I couldn’t look at any of his men because I was too ashamed. When I was on the dance floor with him, I lost too much of myself, drank too much rum, and looked like a fool jumping into the ocean. I still couldn’t get my thoughts straight. My body still shook in fear from almost losing my life as I clung to him, unable to stand steadily even though I wanted to.

He marched straight to his cabin and shut the door behind us. He dropped his right arm slowly, lowering me to the floor. My feet touched the wood, but gave out underneath me. I had no strength to stand up.

“Whoa, lass,” he exclaimed and tightened his grip on me. He sank to the floor with me and gathered me back into his arms. One of his hands snaked through my hair to comfort me.

I let him hold me, unable to pull away from him because of the tired feeling in my body. “You saved me.”

“Of course I did.”

“You had no reason to do that.”

Aiden didn’t respond.

We sat in silence on the hard wooden floor for what seemed like forever, but my body slowly began to stop shaking. I felt safe there in his arms. My mind began to clear and my breathing became even again. I wasn’t sure why he would save me and risk his own life. After all, I was his captive, no one of importance to him. I pushed against him and his arms gave way enough for me to look at him.

“Why did you save me?” I demanded.

“I told you, my dear, you aren’t dying on my watch. You are safe with me, but you don’t believe me. You still don’t, do you?” There was intensity in his gaze, but the hard set of his jaw showed he was trying to hide something else.

“No.” It was partially a lie. I trusted him now more than ever, though I didn’t want to. I still feared what he would do if he found out I was a mermaid. He couldn’t know I was growing fond of him.

His jaw tightened even more, and he let me go to stand up. He growled angrily as he walked over to his desk and slammed his hands down on the papers, throwing them around the room. The chair was the next victim to his anger as he picked it up and threw it across the room. He yelled, right before it hit the wood and broke into several pieces. Without a word, he stomped over to the washroom and walked inside. The door slammed behind him.

I couldn’t move. His open display of wrath and rage was obviously directed at me, something I dreaded from the moment I saw how violent he could be. Surprisingly, he hadn’t hurt me. Aiden removed himself the moment he lost his temper and took it off on everything else around him.

He emerged from the washroom clad in a pair of black cloth pants with a towel in his hand. His hair was still wet, but his body was dry, only a few drops of water left on his skin. As he walked past me, he threw the towel down in my lap.

“Dry yourself off and get dressed. You’re going to end up sick. You look like a drenched pussycat.”

I opened my mouth to thank him but as he reached for the door, I could see the scarring down his back. It stood out underneath his tanned skin and trailed in random splotches down the center of his perfectly built back.

“What happened to you?” I asked, my words rushed as I jumped to my feet and ran over to where he was, determined to run my fingers over the light tissue. There was concern in my voice that surprised me.

Aiden whirled around before I could touch him and grabbed my hands. The anger was still in his eyes. “You are bloody crazy, lass. You can’t just be jumping into the ocean off a pirate ship in the middle of the night!”

“You jumped in after me!”

“That’s because you make me absolutely mad, woman,” he snarled and let go of my hand. He ran his hand down his face in frustration before looking at me again. His voice was calmer as he spoke this time. “Please, just dry yourself off and then come to me when you are ready.” With that, he left the cabin and slammed the door behind him.

I was left speechless.

I quickly dried off and changed into my nightgown. I sat on the window seat, once again yearning to return home even though for now it wasn’t possible. Going back on deck to find Aiden wasn’t something I was ready to do yet. I felt angry and confused, unattractive and lonely. So lonely I was becoming a part of Aiden’s world and letting him lure me into a false sense of security. This boat wasn’t my home. The ocean was. It had all been a mistake, to make a move on Aiden and try to give him what he wanted. He was the one in charge, not me. He made it clear several times before, and I supposed it included relationships with the opposite sex. I wasn’t okay with that.

But Goddess I was so very intrigued with just the thought of his lips on mine. I couldn’t seem to shut off those thoughts or think of anything else. Aiden took over my mind like the sight of gold, and I was determined to blame the rum. I will never drink it again.

Leaning back on the wall, I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to steady myself. I had to calm down, get a hold of myself, so I could refocus on how I could ever escape. That had been my goal, not to sit around and spend time with the one who took me hostage, but it hadn’t worked out that way. The ocean was supposed to keep me safe when I jumped. My voice should have called out to my people to save me. The plan had failed. Everything mermaid about me was gone.

I had given it up to remain alive. The moon took my fins, my night vision, and my ability to speak or breathe under water. I began to fear she took everything from me. What if I could no longer heal others? What if…what if I was stuck as a human and my wishes upon the moon no longer worked? None of my people wished to be human or have legs since we were driven to the sea. It was possible our magic didn’t work the same anymore. I could be stuck as a human.

The tears began to fill up my eyes, even though I wiped desperately at them with my hands. I couldn’t cry here and now. It wasn’t the time. I couldn’t be weak. I needed to be strong, but the thought of never seeing my family hurt so bad I almost couldn’t breathe. What would become of me? I couldn’t stay a human, couldn’t be trapped in this awful body with legs.

A hard pounding on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Rae?” Aiden’s voice came from the other side.

“Go away!” I called, hoping he’d do as I asked. I couldn’t let him see me on the verge of hysterical tears.

“I need to speak with you. This is my quarters if you will remember.”

“Not now!” I exclaimed.

He grew quiet for a moment before he responded. “Are you okay in there?”

I didn’t answer, hoping if I didn’t, he would give up and leave. Let him think I was dying in there; I didn’t care. After a few moments of precious silence, I thought he left. Then, Aiden pushed the door open and then slammed it behind him. He picked the lock.

“What are you doing in here?” he demanded as he stomped over to where I was.

“I—uh—”

“I thought you would come and join me when you were dry. Are you alright?” His eyes were confused but worried. His demeanor showed he was truly concerned about me, different from when he stormed off. I was under the impression that he didn’t care about me in any way except for a conquest. His actions tonight made me wonder otherwise—wonder if all our flirting was really harmless. There was something about him that didn’t align with all a pirate should be, and clearly there was more to him than what his reputation showed. He’d saved me, with no reason to.

“Yeah I’m fine.” My words were a lot nicer than I suspected, thrown off by the way he was acting.

“Well then,” he said, his body straightening up to hide the concern that filled him just moments ago. He was good at hiding his feelings, playing the one who didn’t care, and he was doing it again. He waved a hand in the air carelessly. “Alright, since that is settled. I suppose I will go back on deck.”

He turned to leave, but I reached out to take a hold of his arm, trying to avoid staring at his scars. I had the sudden urge for him to stay with me. I no longer wanted to be alone after almost losing my life.

He turned back to me and eyed me questionably, his voice irritated. “What?”

“Would you consider staying with me?”

He took a moment to think about his answer, finally settling on, “I suppose.”

Aiden took a seat beside me on the window seat and gazed out onto the open sea. “Is this what you do all day long?”

I nodded slowly as I gazed out at the sea. The tears once again threatened to flow from my eyes, but I squeezed them tightly shut and hoped they would stay away. I felt safer there in the cabin with him. A part of me wanted to tell him why I often stared out at the sea, but I sat silent. The other part of me reminded myself that he couldn’t know the truth.

He lifted my chin with his knuckle and looked into my eyes. “Why, lass, don’t cry. It was a simple question.” His eyes grew wide for a moment as if he saw something rather interesting, and then leaned in closer to me. “Your eyes…they’re an awfully odd shade of blue.”

It was a reminder of who I was, where I belonged. Where I might not be able to return. I pulled myself out of his grip and turned my head away.

“They’re more like violet. Can you tell me, how that is?”

I had no answer for him.

My eyes traveled out the window again, this time looking up at the stars in the sky and wondering if Tristen was looking up at them too. It was one of the things we used do at night when slipping out of the king’s watchful eye and doing as we pleased throughout the night.

“I miss home,” I whispered, hoping it would be enough to settle his curiosity and take the conversation away from my violet eyes.

As he stood up from the window seat, he took my hand in his and pulled me to my feet. I was surprised when he pulled me to him into a tight embrace. It wasn’t something I wanted to run away from, but rather found myself melting into him. I sighed and rested my cheek on his chest.

“If you would tell me who your family is, I could send word out for your ransom, and you would be free. If not, I suppose you will be here with me for a long time.”

The anger spiked in me again. I’m nothing more than a prize for the money. Just as all the men in my life had seen me—for the gold of the king. It was mixed with fear Aiden was no different. It scared me, and I lashed out.

“You’re the worst sort of pirate! A woman is worth more than her weight in gold!” I exclaimed.

He wouldn’t let me go, just held on to me, running his fingers through my hair in a comforting sort of way. He didn’t stop until I ceased fighting him and relaxed again. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find it in myself to stay angry at him. Each finger running through my hair was like a nail in my coffin—sealing me in with the charms of the merciless Captain Aiden.

“There’s something I do…when I’m lonely…” he whispered.

“What’s that?”

“Well, I would have to show you,” he said and coughed as if to clear his throat.

“I still won’t tell you anything.” I pulled back to look at him. Now was not the time for flirting. I didn’t care what he wanted to show me, it wouldn’t change my mind.

“That’s not what I’m after right now. I just want to show you something. I’m trying to help, lass.”

When he removed his hands, I jumped back from him to put some space between us and tried to take a few deep breaths. It happened again. Time stopped in his arms. I was sure of it.

That or I was going insane.

He walked over to the other side of the room and reached for a blanket strewn over something large in the corner. When he pulled it away, he revealed a rather oddly shaped wooden piano. I recognized the instrument immediately because my mother used to have one similar to it and would play it for me as I fell asleep. I was taken back to that wonderful time, and I rushed over to where he was. I ran my finger over the dark mahogany wood and smiled at him.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I agree,” he said with his eyes set on me, and he wasn’t talking about the piano. His stare didn’t move from me until he took a seat at the bench and turned his attention to the keys in front of him. “Have you ever played?”

“No,” I said and took a seat beside him, leaving some distance between us. I paused as I considered my words, but found no reason not to tell him such a small tidbit. “But my mother used to play.”

“I hear sadness in your voice, lass,” Aiden observed, but still didn’t look at me.

He positioned his fingers above the keys and began to strum them accordingly, the sound of something slow and lovely filling the room. I hadn’t heard the song before, but I closed my eyes and take it in. He didn’t miss a note, hitting each one with just as much vigor as required.

It took me back to my childhood days when I sat at the piano with my mother and looked up at her with big round eyes in adoration. She was a beautiful woman, tall and thin just like me, with slight curves. Her hair was long and blonde, always pilled upon her head in a mass of braids. Besides my shape, the only other thing I got from her was the bright violet coloring of my eyes. Everything else, my dark hair and stubbornness, I got from my father. It wasn’t often I saw my mother reflecting back at me in a mirror.

Aiden began to hum. I opened my eyes to look at him. The sound resonated deep in his chest, and his eyes were closed. For him to be able to run his fingers across the keys with his eyes closed, showed me he had done this time and time again. He was beautiful, lost in the moment like he was, and I felt as if I could stay there forever to hear him play. I wondered if he would do this for me again.

I wanted to ask him why a pirate would learn to play such a beautiful song, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment. His beat increased in tempo and loudness, and to my surprise, he began to sing. His voice was scruffy and rough, just like his exterior, and not at all what I expected. Aiden wasn’t the best singer by any means, but it came straight from his heart. It was song about searching for a ray of hope in a dark world full of tragedy.

My body relaxed as I listened, taking me along for the ride as he sang. I reached out to place my hand on his knee. I don’t know why I did it. I suppose it had something to do with the music making me feel for him. What sort of thing happened to make him create such a depressing but beautiful piece?

He opened his eyes when I touched him, his gaze rolling over to look at me. A smile spread across his face, devilishly handsome, and my stomach fluttered. I wanted to pull my hand away from him, but he took one of his off the piano and placed it over mine. It was a small gesture, but it was enough to make my hands start to shake. I willed my hand to move from his, but I lost the inner strength to do so. The only thing I could do was watch him play. His left hand continued to play, a one sided melody, and his voice returned to a low hum. Then he stopped.

“That was breathtaking,” I whispered.

“Thank you, milady.”

“You wrote that…why would the dreaded Captain Aiden write that?”

Realization dawned on his face. He hadn’t meant to give away his past with this particular song, and it solidified the fact that there was more to him than just a pirate. He was tough on the outside, unbreakable, but there was more underneath. I just had to figure it out.

He didn’t answer my question, rather shook his head and chuckled. “Shall I teach you how to play?”

“I would be delighted to learn.”

Aiden lifted our hands to the keys. “You have to put yourself into the music, let your fingers and your wrists be limp and flow over the keys.” He took my other hand and put it over the keys as well, then moved closer to me. Our sides touched and suddenly I couldn’t sit still. I squirmed, feeling uncomfortable in my own skin, so I scooted over in the bench, but he reached out to pull me back to his side.

“You have to stay right here so I can show you.”

He wrapped his right arm my body and placed his hand over mine. Instantly, I was aware of the scent of him—rum and peppermint lingered on his breath. He used those candies to keep his breath fresh, and always had rum on him to drink. It wasn’t surprising, but somehow, it made me feel closer to him. His hands were rough, from many years of sailing The Devil’s Pearl with both the helm and the ropes, but it only added to his character. I wondered what his adventures were like, the places he’d seen.

He showed me the different notes and what the different keys meant, taught me how to play the first verse of his song. Occasionally he would pause and scribble on the piece of paper in front of us. It was instructions for me to follow if I decided to play when he wasn’t around. I watched him with a fevered interest, determined to soak up his knowledge. How a pirate could know such wonderful things was beyond me, but I appreciated his willingness to help me cope on his ship and share a part of himself with me.

“And I expect you to practice,” he said. “Don’t show me I’ve wasted my time.” His voice was rough, but his face held nothing but a proud smile as he gazed at me.

I promised him I would, and I meant it. In that moment, there was nothing else I wanted to do other than learn how to play piano. It would be something I could carry on past my time on the ship.

When he excused himself to go wash up, I blew out all of the candles in the room except for the one beside of the bed. As I slid into the covers, I drifted down into the fabric. My body was more relaxed than it was before sitting at that piano. He was right, it worked. I pulled the covers up to my chin, ready to pretend once again to be asleep. I wasn’t sure I was ready for any sort of pillow talk, even though I felt a little closer to him.

The washroom door creaked, and my breathing increased. I took a deep breath to try and steady it, but it didn’t help. Doubts started to hit me. Maybe I was wrong about all this. Maybe I was about to have a heart attack, something to do with the fact I wasn’t breathing the right air. He placed his weapon on the bedside table with a familiar clank. I felt the shifting of the bed as he lay down beside me.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

I was tempted not to talk like I usually did and pretend to be sleeping, but I found myself wanting to. To make sure I was still alive and kicking.

“A little better.” I didn’t want to give him too much credit.

“I’m thrilled to hear that.” I expected him to continue on, but he left it at that.

For the first time since I boarded his ship, he reached out to me in the darkness and ran his hand through my hair, just as he did earlier. I froze under his touch. It had the same calming effect that it had previously, and I found no need to ask him to stop or try to fight sleep.

“I will watch over you until you fall asleep,” his voice whispered as he continued to run his fingers through each strand carefully. He pulled the covers close to me, tucking the corners in under my toes and around my torso. When he finished, he paused and laid the lightest of kisses on my forehead. “Goodnight, Rae.”

It was the closest to a good night's sleep since boarding The Devil’s Pearl.

Chapter Ten

The next morning, I opened my eyes to the sun streaming in to the captain’s quarters. I was surprised to find a strong pair of arms wrapped around me and a hard body pressed to my back. I froze as my stomach flipped. Aiden’s scruffy face was buried in my neck as he slept, unmoving. I wasn’t sure what to do, considering the circumstances. Never before had I woken up with him beside me, or any man for that matter. Heat rushed into my body and I squeezed my thighs together to push it away. I did not need my body reacting like that to him.

Slowly, I pulled myself out of his grasp and rolled over to my other side so I could look at him. His hand reached out for me in the space between us, his face scrunching up unhappily. I slid my hand out toward him and lightly touched his hand. It was rough, calloused, and stained with the dirt from being a pirate all these years. His rings sparkled under the sunlight, shades of blue and green reflecting off the golden bands. They were beautiful. I ran my finger over one of them, and the smile curving over his face caught my eye.

“Morning, lass, you trying to steal me jewelry now?”

I snatched my hand back from him, not wanting him to notice the soft way I was watching him. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. “No.”

He laughed, deep and full of sleep, and captured my hand again. His laughter flowed through my body and made chills break out across my skin. I jerked my hand away, but he held on tight. “And what would you like to do today?”

My eyebrow rose in uncertainty. “It’s my choice?”

He nodded. “Aye, this is your ship as much as it is mine and I want you to be happy on it. You seem to be making yourself at home, even though it’s a slow process. I can’t have you jumping off the ship to swim with the fishes again.”

I took a moment to think before I responded. It was very unlike him to be so down to earth and, well, normal when talking to me. There had been a few rare moments where he let me see the man inside, or the fake one he made up, I still wasn’t sure. He made it clear it was his ship, and I had no ruling there. Although, he was right, I was beginning to feel a little more comfortable aboard the ship. Did that make me a traitor to my people?

“Did I say something wrong, my dear?” he asked, his finger stroking my hand.

“No, I just…” I wouldn’t tell him what was wrong. No, I had to change the subject. I sat up and put some space between us. “Maybe you could tell me one of your great tales. You’re rather well-known, you know.”

He smiled, pleased with my words, and I smiled inwardly. Aiden liked his ego stroked and it successfully turned the conversation away from me. He sat up. “Anything in particular you would like to hear?”

“Whatever you would like to share.”

A thoughtful finger rose to his lips, followed by a nod and a smile. “I’ve got one you would like.” He began to talk excitedly, as he did whenever he told his crew about stories of himself. His eyes danced in his head, showing just how passionate he was about his tales. “There once was a young lad who lived in Ireland. He was a prince, next in line to be king in fact. From what I gather, he was enthralled with treasures, loved the sea, and owned his own boat. It was named The Mermaid’s Pearl. Aye, I remember the first time I laid eyes on that beauty.”

He paused, as if deep in thought, and then continued. “The prince was betrothed to a princess, a beauty unlike you have ever seen, but she carried a deep secret. She was in love with the prince’s first mate. They were working together to take over his ship, and his treasures, his throne even. He was quite the dastardly villain.”

“Oh, I thought that was you,” I teased.

Aiden looked at me in shock. “Why, lass, I’m the hero of this story.”

I laughed. “We will see, continue.”

It only took him a moment to gather his thoughts and continue with the tale, speaking of how the prince recruited him to stop the princess and his first mate in order to teach them a lesson. It was hard for me to believe, and I wasn’t sure I did believe him, but I could see how he wooed ladies with his tales. He was so animated with his hands, and his voice was fascinating. He drew me in so I felt as if I was a part of it. I found myself immersed in his tale, worried about the prince, and untrusting of Aiden the pirate.

“But why would a prince call upon a pirate for help?”

“Because I’m the best of the best,” he said, as if I should have known the answer. “He didn’t hire me just because of my reputation. He needed someone ruthless to help him. You see, the traitorous duo also murdered his parents.” His voice softened as he shook his head and continued. “Very sad. The prince was devastated.”

His story echoed my own losses. I cast my eyes away from him. I didn’t want him to see my reaction.

Aiden furrowed his brows and reached out to cup my face. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, it’s just…I get it. I do.” Shut up, Raewyn, don’t tell him anything.

“You’ve lost someone close to you?”

I bit my lip to try and hold it in, but the words flew out before I could stop him. “My parents.” Opening up to him wasn’t something I had wanted to do, but I couldn’t take it back now.

“Your…parents?”

“Yes,” I whispered.

He pulled me to his chest, and ran his hand down my back to comfort me. “I’m sorry, lass. What happened to them?”

I was shocked that he stopped his story to address my own needs, so I didn’t even think about hiding the next bit of information. “My mother died giving birth to one of my sisters and my father—” I pushed myself out of his arms and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “I’m fine.”

I told him I wouldn’t tell him thing about my family and it slipped. However, I yearned to talk about my mother. I missed her dearly. She both enjoyed and supported me in my endeavor for treasure. She understood loss, and she knew they were something tangible I could hold on to. She was my one true support in a world full of confusion and grief. I never hid anything from her.

“You’re most certainly not fine,” he insisted.

For a moment, we were both quiet, and I expected him to continue asking more about my family, but he hesitantly picked back up where he left off with his story. I breathed a sigh of relief and forced a smile to my face to encourage him to continue. Listening to him allowed me to lose myself again in his tale, forget about my own worries.

“I found that bloody traitor and gutted him with my sword.” He pretended to reach into his pocket and retrieve a sword, swinging his hand around in the air.

“Where were they?”

“Hidden in the basement of the castle. Down where the criminals were kept. Don’t look at me as if I’m a monster, lass. It was one of my finest moments. I was pleased to be able to be the hero for once.”

“I can understand why, seeing as you are a villainous pirate,” I teased and reached out to push him playfully.

“Aye, so I am,” he responded quietly, as if he was brought back into reality. Something changed in his demeanor, as if he forgot that one important tidbit of information. He didn’t even flirt back with me as he normally would.

I opened my mouth to ask him what was wrong, what was said to make him change so quickly, but a knock at the door took his attention away in a second’s time. He pulled away from me, stood up, and walked over to the door without another word. He ran his hands through his hair, but it remained a mess upon his head. As he opened the door, he began to whisper to someone on the other side. Then he shut the door and came back inside, gathering his clothing from the closet, and going into the washroom.

When he emerged, he placed his hat upon his head and turned to me just as he was about to leave the room.

“Meet me below deck at sun down. I will teach you my favorite game. Darts.”

He shut the door behind him, leaving me to wonder what in the world he was talking about.

Chapter Eleven

As soon as the sun had set, I went below deck, curious at the game Aiden had mentioned. He was waiting there in the large room, sipping from his oversized mug. His back was to me, his hat on the table beside him, jacket slung over the bench, and he didn’t know I was there. He appeared to be deep in thought. It was just too perfect for one of my favorite games.

I crept over to where he was without making a sound. I stepped up behind him and reached my hands around either side of his head to cover his eyes. His body immediately stiffened, but he didn’t make a move to harm me.

Leaning over to his ear, I whispered, “Arg ye pirate, who am I?”

Aiden chuckled, a sound I was growing fond of, before he spoke. “Seeing as there is only one woman aboard my ship, I would say you are the beauty Rae. Don’t speak like that again. Your pirate impersonation is terrible.”

“You’re no fun,” I said and removed my hands from his eyes.

He took my hands in his and turned to look at me, his face only inches from mine. With just the one touch, I could feel the warmth rising in my skin. I hated the way I felt around him, out of control of my own body, but I loved it at the same time.

“I’m all sorts of fun, my dear, as I am about to show you.” His eyes were intense as he looked back at me, a smile upon his face. He could see right through my façade, but I still tried to hold it up.

With my hands in his, he stood to his feet, and led me toward the back wall. I allowed him to, enjoying the feel of his calloused hands leading me. There were times when he was different from what he let others see, tender moments almost. I cherished them when they came about. They were only for me.

Stop it, Raewyn.

Aiden walked over to the round black and white board on the wall and removed three short metal pieces sticking out of it. He held two of them in one hand and twirled the third in his other as he turned back to me.

“These are darts,” he explained and sauntered over to where I stood, his eyes boring a hole into me.

“That doesn’t tell me anything.” I crossed my arms.

He stopped right in front of me and leaned forward until I could feel his breath on my lips. My body shivered at his proximity. He held up one of the “darts” between his fingers.

“You throw them at the board.” With one spin, he whirled back towards the board, pulled his elbow back, and sent the dart flying through the air. It hit very close to the center of the board and he grunted in irritation. “So close.”

“You are a terrible teacher. I have no idea what you are talking about,” I giggled and reached out to fluff his hair.

He brushed me off him and walked over to the board. As he spoke, he pointed to places on the board to show me what he was talking about. “Listen, lass, it’s easy. If you hit the inner red dot that’s called a bulls-eye, and I will be very impressed.”

“Isn’t that what you just hit?”

“No,” he grumbled and pointed to black and white stripes going out from the middle. “These areas get points corresponding with the numbers up top here, you with me?” I nodded so he continued. “This outer ring here counts double that score, this inner ring counts triple. We will start at 501 points and then whoever gets to zero first wins.” He walked back over to where I was and handed me the dart. “Care to throw?”

I took it from him and pulled my arm back. My eyes narrowed as I concentrated on the board in front of me, determined to hit the small red dot in the center. Before I could send the dart flying, Aiden’s hand grabbed me.

I looked over my shoulder to glare at him. “What are you doing?”

“Showing you how to throw. You are going to bounce that thing off the wall and hurt someone.”

I gave him a sly smile as he turned me to the side and positioned my arms where he wanted them. His body was warm as he pressed it against the back of mine, his other hand taking a hold of my waist and pulling me into him. I leaned back and bit my lip.

“You getting frisky, Aiden?”

He whispered in my ear, “You only wish I were. Now throw the dart like this.” His hand pulled mine back and then pushed it forward, mimicking the needed moves.

“Whatever you say.” I threw the dart forward, hitting one of the outer rings. “Seven points. I’m never going to win.” I frowned.

“That’s because you are playing with the captain, sweetheart. This is what I do in my spare time.”

“How about we bet on it?” I turned around to face him and curled my fingers into his shirt, eyes cast up at him with mischief in them.

Aiden cocked a curious eyebrow and rubbed his chin. “What do you suggest?”

For a moment, I couldn’t come up with something harmless. His voice was suggestive and full of shameless promises, but I was not willing to give myself over to him. I was determined not to ask him to kiss me, no matter what. He moved his finger up to his lisps, moving it back and forth while he studied me, which made me want to fight his advances even more. I forced myself to look into his eyes as an idea popped into my head.

“How about a fairy tale?” I suggested.

“A fairy tale?” he asked, clearly not impressed and wanting something more.

“Yes.” I had plenty of those. No harm there.

He studied me for a moment, contemplating his options before he nodded. “Fine, so it will be. A fairy tale for the young lady.”

“You’re not much older than me.” I smiled up at him as I ran my finger down his shirt and over his stomach. As I touched the top of his pants, he grabbed my hand to stop me. He shook his head at me and stepped away to position himself toward the board. It was irritating that he was immune to my charms, giving in only when he desired. I couldn’t figure out why.

“How do you figure?” he asked and threw a second dart, hitting the inner ring for sixty points.

There was no way I was winning, but at least I didn’t offer him something I wasn’t willing to give up. “I’m only eighteen. What are you, like thirty?” My voice was sarcastic but earned a hateful glare from Aiden.

“Twenty-five, thank you very much.”

I threw the dart he handed me, hitting just beside his dart in the inner ring. I smiled up at him confidently. Maybe, just maybe I wouldn’t lose. He reached out to take my chin in his hand and looked down at me.

“You think you’re clever. You think you will win? I don’t know about that, lass. I intend on getting what I want.”

Aiden leaned in toward my face, angling his slightly as if to kiss me. My body betrayed me once again as I leaned into him, unable to pull away. Only my mind seemed to be on board with me refusing him.

“I don’t want you to kiss me,” I clarified so he knew for sure, even if I couldn’t convince myself fully.

“Is that so?” he asked and smiled down at me as if there was no way I could turn him down. He wrapped his arms around my waist to tighten his hold on me. “Then why do you allow yourself to get so close?”

“I like to push myself to the limits. If you are not going to kiss me, why do you torture yourself so?”

He let go of me. “Because I know you will give in to me, and when you do, you will regret all these games.”

I motioned to the board. “Like the one you are going to lose?”

“Oh, just watch me win.” He threw yet another large scoring dart and turned to smile at me in satisfaction.

“Pure luck,” I said with confidence. If I had my say, he wouldn’t win.

An hour later I lost.

Badly.

By that time, other shipmates had crowded into the room to sit at the tables and talk among themselves; some of them watched us play. When Aiden laughed at his win, he wrapped his arm around my waist and led us over to a table. He sat me down on one side and went to the other to smile deviously at me. “I won.”

“That you did.”

He began to chew on his lip excitedly as he looked at me, and then reached across the table to take my hand in his. “Go on; tell me a fairy tale, my dear.”

“Alright,” I said, ready to tell him one about a fairy princess, but he put his hand in the air to stop me.

“I want to hear about mermaids.”

My heart stopped beating in my chest, I know it did, but I forced a smile to my face. There was no way he could know about me, no way on earth or in the seas, but his eyes were twinkling with mischief. I wasn’t sure what that meant.

“What?” I asked, letting the disbelief play over my words.

“Mermaids. I want you to tell me about how they walk on land.”

“Do they?”

“They do,” he said and ran a finger across my palm. “Don’t you know that one? I thought you would be ready for this.”

“Oh I know that one. I just didn’t deem you as a girlie man.”

Aiden grimaced. “I am no such thing, my dear, and you should know that.” He gave me that look, the one where I think I was supposed to swoon, but I rolled my eyes. He should know by now not to try that with me. “I won the game, and it is my tale to choose. Unless you don’t think you can handle your end of the bargain.” He let go of my hand and leaned back to cross his arms. The disappointment across his face was just a con, because his eyes held a playful challenge.

“Fine.” I could do this; it was one of my own people’s stories.

“Once upon a time,” I started with a grin, “when little boy pirates asked their mommies for stories, they asked for mermaids.” His gaze on me didn’t waver, didn’t show any hint he cared I was mocking him.

“Mermaids were the people of the sea, changing only by magic one night a month. They were able to survive on both land and sea, but they wanted more. They created a special stone which they wore around their neck, labradorite, which was an iridescent beauty. It was blue and green, the color of their love—the sea. While wearing this magically spelled stone, they were able to change from legs to fins any time they wanted to, allowing them to rule both land and sea. The Goddess of the Moon no longer ruled their powers.”

“Me hands have itched to get ahold of one of those stones.”

“Good luck,” I said with a laugh, “because legend also says they are now extinct. There are no more labradorite stones.”

“What happened to them?”

They were ground down and hidden away where no one could find them. “No one knows, Aiden, that’s why it’s a legend. Besides, it wouldn’t turn you into a merman. You’re a human.”

Aiden laughed. “I don’t care about the abilities, lass, just the gem itself. Lost treasure, you know. I heard rumors there was a castle on land they lived in. Perhaps there would still be treasure there.”

The intensity of his gaze worried me. I didn’t like he was hinting of going on a search for the island. I didn’t like he wanted to get his piratey hands on something from my people, especially since none of us had access to it anymore.

“No one knows where it is, Aiden. You couldn’t find it if you wanted to. It was a place no one knew of. Those who did thought it was ruled by cannibals and stayed away.”

He rubbed the scruff on his chin. “I know the sea very well. I’ve probably laid eyes on it before.”

“Perhaps, but you wouldn’t know it was once the home of the merfolk. They are no longer there.”

“What happened to them?” a stranger’s voice asked.

I paused and looked behind me. Several of the other pirates who gathered to watch us play darts were sitting closer to us now, listening to my story. The part of me that loved sharing stories was excited to have an audience. However, this was the story of my people, and I needed to tread lightly.

“They were run off.”

“By who, miss?”

“Humans.” Hiding the hatred in my words was hard, but I did it.

This earned a few surprised grumbles from the other men and more of them joined us at the table. It was the closest they had willingly gotten to me. At that moment, it was as if all their distrust in me faded away. Was it possible they were starting to see me as one of the crew?

“How could humans run off a mermaid?”

“Don’t mermaids seduce and destroy men?”

“Can’t a mermaid have a pirate wrapped around her finger in seconds?”

“Aye, they drown men beneath the waves. Don’t they?”

“They sing the song of the siren, they do. It puts a man in a trance.”

“Demons!”

“Witches!”

My eyes flickered back and forth between the men, unable to keep up with their questions. However, everything started to make sense. Pirates didn’t like women aboard their ships. They thought that women could call upon mermaids for their own purposes, or that they were mermaids themselves. They didn’t think any normal woman in their right mind would want to be on a pirate ship.

It was the reason they didn’t trust me. When they found me in the water, they jumped to the conclusion I was a mermaid. They had no proof, just fear to guide their assumptions. It wasn’t something I did. The longer I was on board; however, they were beginning to gain a comfort around me, even if they didn’t like having me aboard.

“Lads!” Aiden exclaimed and brought his hand down on the table. All of them grew quiet to look at him as he continued, “My little bird was just telling us a story, and you lot are going on about rumors.” They men began to mumble their apologies and Aiden motioned for me to continue. “Go on.”

I took a deep breath to sort my thoughts before I continued. “Humans heard of the merfolk’s special abilities and decided to take them for their own. They wanted to have everything they ever wished for and thought if they took the merfolk prisoner, they would get all they could possibly want. Therefore, they devised a plan to take over the small island and take it for themselves.

“During the night, they snuck into the castle with their guns and swords to take over. The guards of the merfolk fought back with all they had. Still, the humans were stronger and owned more elaborate weapons. The women and children ran for their lives, wishing upon the Goddess of the Moon to save them. She gave them their fins to hide underneath the sea and wait for their husbands and sons to follow.”

I paused for a moment, not wanting to make it sound too personal. I remembered it clearly. It was one of the worst days of my life. “A lot of the mermen died in battle. What was left of the creatures built a home for themselves underneath the surface. They had to give up their legs for good because of the humans. They would never again be at the mercy of humans.”

The crew began to talk at once, some of them surprised at the tale and others not believing. I lowered my eyes to the table. Talking about my people and how we ran away from our home brought on a pain I had long ago tucked away. The story reminded me just how much I missed the way things used to be, along with my parents and our castle on land.

In my mind, I envisioned the last glimpse of it I ever saw. My mother held me in her arms and ran toward the sea. My father was right behind us, fighting off a human with the castle lining the dark sky behind him. I could see him clearly in my mind as the human ran him through with his sword. The humans killed my father, and although my mother was able to marry again and have three more beautiful girls, things were never really the same after we permanently went under the surface.

Aiden noticed my distance. He reached out to take my hand, but I ignored him. His other hand took a hold of my chin and forced me to look at him. There was concern in his eyes, and he tilted his head to the side as if to ask what was wrong. I shook my head in response and moved my eyes away from him.

“I suppose we will be going to bed, lads,” he said and stood up from the table, his hand falling away from my face. He was taking me out of the uncomfortable situation, and I was thankful. As he pulled me to my feet, his grip on my hand tightened. “Give the lady your thanks for her story,” he growled.

His crew began to mutter their thank yous, but he didn’t stay to listen.

He pulled me behind him as we walked back to his cabin; however, I didn’t want to be close to him. He was a human and too close of a reminder of what I’d lost. When we walked inside of the captain’s quarters, I didn’t say a word as I went into the washroom to change. I brushed water from the basin over my face and curled my hair around my finger nervously. I couldn’t stay in there for long; he would come looking for me. A long breath of air came from my mouth as I went back into the room.

Aiden was sitting on the bed as if he was waiting for me, but I walked past him to sit on the window seat.

“What’s the matter, lass?”

“Nothing,” I said with a shrug.

“Don’t close up on me, darling, I thought we were getting past that.”

I shook my head and didn’t respond. Maybe we had been moving in a different direction, and I felt myself open up to him, but it didn’t change the fact of who we each were.

Aiden stood up and began to put out the lights, except for the single candle beside the bed. As he tucked himself into the covers, he looked over to me. “Come to bed, Rae.”

“No, I think I will sleep here by the window.”

It was silent for a moment, but then the bed rustled. Aiden came to stand beside me. “You are not sleeping here. If I’ve done something to upset you then sleep in the bed, and I will put up pillows between us. I won’t touch you I swear it.”

I was surprised at how calm and reasonable he was being with me, but it felt right to be by the sea, and that’s where I wanted to sleep. “I just need to sleep here.”

He sighed and stomped over to the bed to retrieve a blanket and pillows. He walked back over to where I was and dropped them in my lap.

“You can be a stubborn woman,” Aiden said as he ran his hands through my hair and pulled me to him. He planted a soft kiss in my hair before returning to the bed.

A part of me did want to be in the large bed with him and not alone in the window seat, but I felt incredibly unhappy. I needed time away from the warmth of the captain’s body to think through what needed to happen next. The sound of the ocean on the other side of the window was the next best thing.

Chapter Twelve

The sword swung toward me and I cried out, jumping away from the pirate and holding my own sword high.

“You would make a bloody good pirate,” Aiden laughed.

“I told you I could do it.”

Just like I suspected, sword fighting wasn’t much different from fencing with the swordfish back home. After a night of tossing and turning, I had woken up angry and needing a way to get it out. I was able to talk Aiden into teaching me how to swordfight by winning a bet on how rough the waters would be when we went on deck. I had a connection to the ocean, and he had no chance against that bet.

As we fought, I channeled my anger into every swing and let it feed my fury. It pushed me forward with every slice of the sword. I was angry at myself for giving too much information about merfolk to the crew, and I was angry that I couldn’t stop the calm when Aiden’s hands were in my hair. Either he didn’t care for me, or he was still holding back his true thoughts and feelings, and that made me angry.

Once again, I brought the sword down towards him and his own collided with it to stop the swing. Aiden swirled away from me with laughter.

“Good job, lass. You’re ruthless.”

“You should know better than to underestimate me, Aiden,” I said excitedly as my sword stopped his from colliding with my body.

It was such a rush, to be sword fighting with the renowned Captain Aiden. My blood pumped in my veins at the excitement. I wasn’t sure if he would really strike me or not. I was surprised at how rough he was handling me, but I wasn’t about to let him get the best of me. Sword fighting was almost like a dance, a deadly one that could have negative repercussions. I wasn’t as good as him, but I was decent.

“I would never do such a thing,” he replied as he kicked his foot out to sweep underneath mine, and I tumbled to the ground with a thud. I cursed my useless human feet. If only I had my tail to swim away. Humans were so limited by standing in one spot. Swimming gives such grace and versatility.

“Ow, Aiden.” I reached back to rub my backside.

Concern crossed his face before he pressed the tip of the sword into my shoulder. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt, just to show my defeat. “You put up a good fight, lass, but not good enough.”

“That really hurt,” I whined, feigning injury.

The second the concern crossed his face again, I threw my foot up to slam into his knee. He growled as he threw his sword off to the side so he could catch himself. His hands slammed into the ground on either side of my face. My breath caught at the sudden feel of his weight on me, his warm breath on my throat. He pushed himself up onto his knees and laughed against my skin. Shivers ran down my spine.

“Oh, Rae, touché.”

I didn’t answer him, finding myself caught between pushing him off me and running my hands through his hair. Whatever this attraction was grew inside me, into something bigger than I wanted. I hadn’t meant for us to end up in a pile on the floor, just to win the sword fight.

He caught on quickly to my weakness, just as he always did, and he touched his lips softly to my skin. It wasn’t a kiss, just a gesture, but it was enough to make my hands curl into the cloth of his white shirt as my breathing became erratic.

“You’re trembling, darling,” he whispered as he moved his lips slightly across my skin. “What’s the matter?”

It was too hard to think this close to him. My fingers wound tighter into a fist as I shook my head. I wouldn’t ask him to kiss me, not and be rejected again.

“You—you promised,” I reminded him. I needed him to leave me alone before I gave in to what he was tempting me to do.

“Oh, and as I told you, I keep my word. I will not kiss you unless you ask me to. I am an honorable man. I always—”

“Win,” I finished.

I could feel the smirk on his lips, and it irritated me. I wanted to tell him to leave me alone, stop flirting with me, and let me leave his ship. Still, the words wouldn’t come to my lips. His nose nuzzled my neck, and I closed my eyes in satisfaction. The feel of him against me was amazing, and my resolve was quickly weakening. A part of me wanted to kiss him, for whatever reason, just to seal the curiosity about what his lips would be like. It would further unravel the enigma that was Captain Aiden.

“Aiden—” I started, ready to ask him to kiss me and give in.

The door to the room slammed open, and a voice frantically began to speak. “Captain—”

Aiden growled in frustration before sitting up and turning to the pirate with annoyance in his voice. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“But Cap’n, we’re being invaded. Other pirates! I’ve seen the flag, it’s Captain Gabriel!”

Aiden lost any expression on his face and his body stiffed. He stood up from where he was, giving me the space. I needed to clear my mind. I closed my eyes and let out a long breath. Too close. Way too close. I almost lost. Yet again.

I screamed as he picked me off the floor and threw me over his shoulders, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Come on, we must get you to my quarters,” he said as he hurried toward his room.

“Put me down, Aiden,” I exclaimed and pounded on his back.

“Not until I know you are safe. Pirates aren’t to be trusted.”

“Is that right?” I laughed. “Aren’t you one to speak.”

He ignored my comment and continued on his way.

“I can help, don’t you treat me like some damsel in distress.”

“I am aware you are capable of taking care of yourself, but I don’t know how these pirates have gotten aboard my ship. I’m not happy about it, lass. Heads will roll.”

We reached the captain’s quarters, but he didn’t stop moving until he dropped me on the bed. He began to search through the room, eyes serious as he did, not satisfied until he searched every part of the cabin. There was no one there but the two of us. When he was confident no one was there, he pulled the sword from its sheath and returned to me.

“You stay here until I return. Do not come looking for me. Lock the door, and I will come for you.”

I opened my mouth to object. He should’ve known by now I didn’t like to be told what to do. His finger shot out to press on my lips to quiet me.

His voice was less than pleasant as he spoke again. “Do not challenge me, Rae. I will not have you around those blackguards. This is the only way you will be safe. Your cockiness will get us killed.”

I frowned. “My cockiness?”

“Shh.” Aiden pressed his lips to the top of my head and left.

That small gesture rendered me speechless, but I wasn’t happy to be forced to stay put when I might be able to help. He was trying to distract me from helping defend our ship. I stopped for a moment…I began to think of this as our ship. This dreary boat was becoming my home. I showed the stubborn captain I had fight in me. If I could sword fight decently with him, then what of common pirates? If being on this ship taught me anything, it was that Aiden was not a common pirate.

He didn’t even know I carried inside me powers to help the crew if they were injured, but I couldn’t think of such a thing. I owed them no allegiance. There was no way I could risk exposing what I was. But if Aiden was hurt, would I risk everything to heal him? He’d saved me, twice now, and I had seen the worry on his face when he thought these pirate invaders would hurt me. A part of me felt like I owed it to him. He’d shown me nothing but kindness recently; how could I let him suffer? Even from where I sat, I could hear the cries of the men and the clanking of their swords.

It didn’t last long before silence fell on the ship. I sat on the edge of the bed waiting, hoping Aiden would return to his cabin in one piece.

A rattling at the door caused me to jump my feet, my eyes darting around for a weapon just in case it wasn’t someone welcome.

“Rae,” a raspy voice called from the other side.

“Aiden!” I exclaimed as I rushed over to the door. Fear gripped me at the thought of him being injured. I threw the door open to see him standing there alone. His nose was bleeding profusely, and he raised his hand, also bloody, to wipe at it.

Tears pooled in my eyes at the sight of him, but I wiped them away. Instead, I grabbed him by the arm and led him inside, shutting the door closed behind us.

“Are you alright?” All my deep thoughts of my loyalties were gone, replaced by the urge to take care of him. My initial reaction was to aid in the healing process, but I reminded myself he didn’t appear to be too badly hurt—not enough to give myself away.

“I’m fine,” he insisted as he held up his bloody sword before tossing it to the floor. “You should see the other guy.” He laughed but then bent over in pain. Success played in his words, but his body showed that he was hiding something from me.

I pulled him behind me and into the washroom, forcing him to sit down on the clawed tub. “Don’t move.”

“Aye, are you going to take care of me now?” He laughed. “I’m perfectly capable of cleaning myself up. I’ve done it for years.”

Rather than argue, I ignored him, taking a piece of cloth off the counter and dipping it into the bucket of water before walking back over to him. I knelt down in front of him and lifted the cloth softly to his face to wipe off the dried blood. He brought his hand up to brush me off him, but I swatted him away.

“Stop it, Aiden.”

He sighed unhappily but let me dab the cloth across his face until it was clean. When I pressed it against his nose, he winced.

“It’s okay,” I cooed and began to hum quietly as I worked.

I could feel his eyes boring into me as I tended to him, but I didn’t meet them. I was lost in what little healing I was providing. I found myself giving him the sort of care I would give those closest to me. There was something in me that made me want to heal him, help him. After ringing out the cloth, I reached out to take his left arm. He tried to jerk it back, but I wouldn’t let him.

“Stop fighting me,” I said.

“I can take care of myself.”

“That’s just what you think. Who would tend to your wounds if I weren’t here? Hmm?”

“Me.”

“And if you couldn’t?”

He had no answer.

I laughed, satisfied, and ran the cloth slowly over his arm and hand, the one covered in blood from the sword. When I was done, I stood up and rinsed the cloth out again.

“Rae,” he said softly as he came to stand beside me. “Thank you.” He ran his hand through my hair and leaned in to place his face next to mine. “I need to go check on my men. I will be back.”

I nodded in agreement and watched him leave the room. He hadn’t said it, but I think he wanted to make sure I was safe. Otherwise, he would have stayed on deck to tend to his men. I was beginning to be able to read him without him admitting his feelings. A smile came over my face at the thought. Maybe I would be okay after all.

Chapter Thirteen

The memory of the attack lingered in my mind for days. The more time I spent with Aiden, the more my own feelings betrayed me. By saving me multiple times, he proved I was safe with him—something I didn’t think he was capable of doing. As I laid in bed alone, I didn’t feel like myself. The room was dark and silent, the only sound being the wood creaking against the rough waters. My thoughts kept me awake, wondering back to Aiden and my time on the ship.

I hadn’t been able to fight this emotion pulling us together, and Aiden hadn’t mentioned feeling anything for me. I suspected it, but we hadn’t talked about it. Even if we did have feelings for each other, what would it even matter if they were reciprocated? There was no way we could ever be together.

The door creaked open slowly, followed by the sound of Aiden stepping into the room. He shut the door quietly behind him; only the squeaking of his leather pants could be heard in the darkness. My eyes slammed closed so he couldn’t see that I was still awake. I was still torn between confronting him with my feelings and keeping quiet. Inside, I tried to rationalize with myself and talk myself out of it, but I’d never been one to think too hard about something. My decision to talk to him was quickly made.

When he emerged a few minutes later, I peered out underneath my eyelids to sneak a peek at him. He was clad in a pair of simple black cotton pants that hung low on his hips. My pulse sped up in my chest as he walked toward the bed. Goddess, he was a gorgeous man. He was strong and dangerous, charming and demanding, and in total control of his ship. I was terrified I had fallen victim to his charms, because every time he came near me my heart started to race, and I forgot how to breathe. Every time he touched me, my skin burned in that very spot. It wasn’t possible, I was sure, but it felt that way. The way he gazed at me from across any given room at any given moment, studying me as if he was trying to figure me out, had me dreaming about his lips on mine. I hated to admit it, but he was different from most pirates, just as I was different from most princesses.

I feigned a yawn and whispered his name. “Aiden?” I had to know what this spell was he’d placed on me, what all of these feelings were, and if he felt the same. I was tired of playing games with him. I wanted answers.

He paused as he leaned over to blow out the candle and then stood up straight, that studious look on his face once again. “What is it my pet? You should be asleep.”

“I couldn’t…”

Aiden furrowed his brow as if concerned and came to sit on the edge of the bed, giving me plenty of space—even though I wished he would be just a bit closer. I wanted to see if his touch burned again.

“Are you well? Did someone disturb you?”

I shook my head and moved closer to him. “No.”

“Well I’m glad you’re up. There’s a matter I need to discuss with you.”

“And I you,” I added quickly. I admired the way candle light bounced off his face. It made him look a little more dangerous, but also sort of angelic.

“Ladies first,” he offered.

“No, captains first.” I tested out the word on my tongue and looked to him for approval.

Aiden raised a raven brow as he looked back at me, surprised at my words, even though he couldn’t hide the smirk turning up at the corner of his lips. He was pleased with it. I smiled back at him as I motioned for him to continue. If we were going to figure this out, I needed to try to be civil.

“I want to know how you did it.”

“Did what?”

“Healed me, Rae.”

Suddenly the world fell out from other me, the smile faded from my face as I stared back at him. “Healed you?” My pulse sped up, and my vision seemed to narrow in on his face, waiting for answers.

Had I? I thought back to when I cleaned him up and cursed myself as I remembered the tears that flowed when I saw him injured. They were tears with a purpose, ones with true feelings in them. Somehow they must have gotten mixed in with the water. I’d healed him and didn’t mean to.

“My lip is no longer broken; my nose is not swollen. There are no bruises on me where there should be. In fact, I’m in no pain. When I came to check on you, my injuries were worse than I cared to admit. I had internal injuries that should have killed me. I came to set you free in case we didn’t win control of the ship. Care to explain how my injuries are all healed?”

My breath caught in my throat. Even though he’d been hurt, he wanted to save me. I was surprised he thought of me under the fear of losing his ship to anther pirate. After all, wasn’t he the worst of them all? Nothing made sense anymore, and I had no answer for him. I hadn’t even known the extent of his injuries when I healed him, but it still worked. Still, one part of his revelation stuck out.

“Set me free?”

“I would rather see you free in the ocean than in the hands of that blasted Captain Gabriel.”

“But who…who is he?” I hadn’t heard of such a person, and if they were someone Aiden was afraid of, I wanted nothing to do with them.

“Someone you don’t need to worry about. He’s gone now. When I returned to the deck, his ship had gone. Only a handful of his pirates boarded the ship, but I feared the worse.”

“You feared?”

Aiden cocked an eyebrow and smiled at me as if he had no worries in the world, but I could see them just under the surface. His eyes gave him away every time. “No, lass, just protective of what is mine.”

I wanted to argue with him, that I wasn’t his, but now was not the time. In a way, he told me he cared for me and my safety. I felt protected and safe, more than before. For now, I could be his, but only for now. It would never work long term; he would eventually lose his interest and move on to someone else. I had no expectations of it being more than that.

When I placed my hand on his arm and smiled up at him, I was surprised at the happiness stretching across it. I wished it was fake, but I feared it wasn’t. Whether or not I wanted to, I liked him.

“I can be, Aiden. For now at least.”

Aiden’s hands grabbed my arms and looked at me with confusion in his eyes. “What’s the matter with you? Have you been spelled?”

I shook my head. “I was hoping you could answer that question for me.”

“Now why would I do such a thing? If I’m to have a lady, I will charm her myself. I don’t need magic for that. I’m offended, lass.”

I couldn’t take the curiosity anymore. The need to figure out what this knotting in my stomach was and this rush of my pulse when he was around took me over. I pushed the quilt off me and pulled myself up onto my knees. I reached out towards him and placed my hand on his chest. His heart was racing just as fast as mine was. I loved it. My hands ran around the back of his neck to pull me closer to him. His muscles jumped underneath my touch.

He was so strong, and without his captain uniform, a man was all I could see as I trailed my eyes along the path of my hands. My eyes meet his again, and I was surprised to find they were closed. His face scrunched up in agony.

“What’s wrong?” I whispered. He was going to turn me down again. I’m such a fool.

He raised his hand to tangle in my hair and hold me back so I could not move closer to him. “You are so beautiful, Rae. I would love nothing more than to oblige your curiosities, but I am a gentleman. As I have told you. You have shown me your stubbornness, and as I have also told you: I will not kiss you unless you ask me to. Don’t think you can fool me with your trickery.” His words were serious, and so were his eyes when he opened them.

“It’s no trick, Aiden. I want you to kiss me, please Aiden. I need to know what this is.” An unfamiliar nervousness ran though my body and under my skin as I waited for his answer.

He stared back at me in shock, clearly taken aback. He hadn’t been expecting to hear me say that. A moment of indecision crossed his face before he obliged and slammed his lips onto mine. I braced myself by stiffening my body and lacing my fingers behind his neck, but nothing could have prepared me for the intensity of the moment. It was as amazing as I worried it would be, sending my body into a frenzy of goose bumps and my pulse into a familiar racing. He pulled me closer and deepened the kiss.

His lips were fierce and burning against mine and made up for all of the frustration we wreaked upon each other over the past few days and all the tension that gnawed at us each time we were near each other. It also erased all the times I pushed him away and pretended not to be interested.

There was more to my refusal than I initially understood. In reality, I was fighting the way I felt about him. I didn’t want to admit to myself how much I wanted this pirate. Everything led up to this moment. Aiden’s body against mine was everything I missed when I kissed any of the mermen back home, a passion that ripped through my body and left me breathless. I had never felt this way before, and I never expected to feel it with a human. It was as if my whole body awakened for the first time.

I hadn’t meant to give into him like this, but there was something about the twinkling promise of adventure in his eyes that pulled me to him—just as the ocean and silver moonlight called to me. This attraction between us was bigger than the both of us. It was something I couldn’t fight anymore, and I hoped he didn’t either.

My mind clouded over with one thing: Aiden. Every brush of his lips calmed something in me, even though it terrified me I needed him so badly. His body led me into dangerous waters, into a place where I wasn’t sure I could escape. His rough hands held me close and ran over my skin as if he’d known me my whole life. A familiarity was there—something I couldn’t place, and it was wonderful.

He pushed me back against the bed and climbed on top of it with me. His hand ran greedily down my body and onto the bare flesh of my leg. A low sound escaped from his mouth as he slowly began to trail his hand up my thigh, pushing the thin cloth of my dress higher. I clung to him, lost in his embrace, and kissed him back as if he were the only thing keeping me alive.

As his free hand moved the strap of my dress off my shoulder, his lips followed the path, planting kisses along the newly exposed skin. Each touch of his lips sealed my fate, and I lost all ability to think. All concerns of what we should and should not be doing disappeared. The only thing that remained was the feel of his fingers against my body and his lips taking the time to explore every available part of me.

He pushed himself up on his elbow and pulled back enough to show a devilish grin. His eyes took me in hungrily for just a moment and took my breath away. Lowering himself back to my skin, his lips moved down my neck, nipping at my skin as he pleased, until he found a sudden interest in the soft spot underneath my ear. It sent shivers down my spine, and I tangled my hands into his hair.

“Aiden,” I whispered, unable to stop his name falling from my lips.

He groaned against my skin as he lifted his hand higher, pushing my dress up and running across my stomach. His lips pressed against mine again, and I whimpered into them, tightened my grip on his hair because I couldn’t fight back the need in my body. His ended the kiss and rested his forehead against mine; his deep laughter resounded through the room and tucked itself away into my heart. I wanted him, needed him, more than anything I had ever yearned for in my life.

But there was something he needed to know. Something I dreaded to tell him.

“Aiden…”

“Yes?” He looked up at me.

“I haven’t, uh.” I stammered, unable to speak the words. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks in embarrassment because he had a lot of experience in this area. Surprise showed on his face, but as he opened his mouth to speak, I felt the need to explain. “It’s not that I haven’t had the chance. I just—I’ve never felt like this before. This is what I’ve been waiting for.”

“Rae,” he said. His voice was laced with incredible desire. “I have not been with anyone I cared about in many, many years. None of the women I have spent time with have meant anything to me. They are nothing compared to you.”

I smiled back at him. He was all I dreamed of, somehow. His words were genuine, and if I asked him to stop he would, but I didn’t.

“I want this, Aiden, don’t play games with me.”

The corner of his lip turned up into a smirk, and he nodded in response. “As you wish, Rae, my beautiful mysterious love. I’m yours.”

When he captured my lips again, my heart fluttered. Finally, he admitted he was mine.

Aiden’s hand moved down my stomach to its intended destination, and he pulled me further under his spell. My head fell back against the bed, my hands tangled in his hair impossibly tight as unidentified noises escaped my mouth. His touch was almost magical, knowing just what to do to make my entire being grow warm and yearn to have him closer to me. His kisses trailed along my skin, humming as he went, and muttering something in another language. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it fit his accent perfectly. I was lost in it.

My mouth grew dry as my body shuddered in anticipation. The core of my body grew warm, the tingling expanding through my body. It was amazing. I arched my back and his name left my lips in a needy whisper. “Aiden.”

He chucked, sending a thrill through me, and withdrew his hand from between my legs just as I was about to let go. I whimpered. He knew I was close to losing myself, and he wasn’t ready for that to happen yet. “Mmmm, lass, you are amazing.”

I wrapped my legs around him as he pressed his hips into me. His readiness excited me, and I could feel it through the cloth of his pants. There was no turning back now, but I didn’t want to.

His hands trailed softly up my body, pulling the fabric up and over my head. I moved my hands out of the way, and he tossed it to the side. A growl arose from his mouth as he began to roam his hands over my body, stopping at each sensitive spot and spending time there with his warm mouth and his fingers.

My hands desperately moved to the string of his pants. He didn’t stop me as I pushed them out of the way. Adjusting himself for a moment, he kicked the pants off him and moved back over me.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked me from beneath hooded eyes.

“With everything I am.”

I could feel the blood rushing through my body, excitement filling me up as I trembled beneath him. I was nervous and anxious, yet ready, so very ready to have him in my arms for the night. Nothing in my life ever seemed so sure. This was perfect.

Leaning down on his forearms, he nuzzled his face next to mine. “Say the word and I will stop.”

I shook my head. Never would I ask him to stop.

As he shifted his hips forward, I dug my nails into his back. My breath caught in my throat as I pulled him closer. I closed my eyes, biting my lip as he began to move. There was a moment of pain as he slowly pushed himself further, and then the rush of pleasure taking me over. A low moan escaped from between my lips as he began to speed up.

“Now you really are completely mine, lass” he whispered into my ear.

Chills ran down my body and I responded with a breathy, “Yes.”

I couldn’t get enough of him. He was incredible in every way, and only he could put this fire out that was igniting in my body. Every fiber of my being was alive, and I needed Aiden to soothe it.

“Please,” I begged, no longer wanting him to be gentle with me.

He smirked, but I didn’t care. He obliged within seconds, speeding up to something more frantic and needy. With each movement of his body, he showed me what was missing in my life. He muttered curses and sweet nothings as he ravished me, just as he promised he would one day. The feel of his body on mine was something I could easily become addicted to. He treated me much more like a precious stone than the bar wenches he was used to. Even as his fingers twisted in my hair and became more insistent, it sent shivers down my back. He was an amazing lover, with no trace of selfishness, and he showed me several times throughout the night.

My eyes slammed closed as the world exploded around me, leaving me breathless with pleasure. I cried out his name, racking my nails into his back and leaving crescent moons for the morning. Aiden was right behind me, his breath hot on my neck as his eyes grew dark, and he shuddered above me. I would forever have the image ingrained in my head, the feel of the scruff on his face sliding against my soft skin.

The room was suddenly silent, with only our heavy breaths filling the space. I couldn’t remember a time when I was so happy, so relaxed, or so satisfied. It seemed as if the whole world was perfect there in Aiden’s arms, and I never wanted to leave them.

That was when the panic hit me. Fear rose in me he would throw me off his ship and brush me off like the other women who shared his bed in the past. I didn’t want to ruin the moment. I tried not to object when he began to roll away from me.

But he began to laugh, deep and sexy in his chest. I wasn’t sure what was funny, but as I opened my mouth to ask him, he tried to tug his hand from my hair.

“My ring wants to stay there in your beautiful locks, love.”

My body relaxed at the realization that he wasn’t leaving me. I laughed as I watched him try to untangle his hand from my hair. When he did, I reached for it and smiled at him. “I want you to stay here with me.”

“I will, always,” he replied, much to my surprise, as he kissed my forehead and stood up from the bed. “You’ve made it bloody hot in here, lass.”

I giggled as he shook his head and opened a porthole to let some fresh air into the cabin. He returned to the bed and pulled me to him, lacing his hands through my hair slowly. My racing breath began to slow as my body relaxed against him.

I ran my hand over his chest, studying the array of scarring and tattoos there. They made him who he was, and I wanted to know the story behind every scar and what each tattoo stood for.

Pulling myself up on my elbow, I looked down at him with a smile. He returned it and raked his hand through my hair but didn’t say a word. I trailed my hand over his chest to his shoulder, my eyes moving to the inking there.

“When did you get these?”

“Different times.”

From where I was, I could see a skull and crossbones on the inside of his bicep, an anchor on his upper arm, and a very detailed ship on the seas running down his side. They were intricate and beautiful, dark colors that stood out on his body.

“Did they hurt?”

He laughed. “No.”

I cocked an eyebrow and looked at him. “Are you lying to me?”

“Of course not, darling. Would I do such a thing?” There was mischief in his eyes.

He took me by the arms and rolled me onto my back, coming with me so he could lean over me. His hand took mine and ran it down his chest to the writing underneath the water the ship rested on.

“This one reminds me of what I am. I can never forget that.”

“What are you?” I asked, not understanding what he meant.

He dipped his head to kiss my neck and whisper. “I’m just a man, love.”

I wanted to tell him that he was wrong, he was so much more than that. Still, his words didn’t answer my question. He ran his hand down my body, taking my breath and words away. His hands gripped my hips as he rolled back onto his back, taking me with him and tucking me into his arms.

“Maybe I should get a tattoo,” I mused, wondering what it would be like.

“No need to ruin your beautiful, perfect skin, lass. Now, let’s stop talking, it’s been quite the long and wonderful night. The sun will be up soon and I don’t want to keep you up all night.”

“It was worth it,” I whispered as I snuggled closer to him.

That night, the captain’s quarters seemed less like a prison and more like home. Aiden’s scent, of the air after a rainfall, took me over and fused itself with mine. The sound of the sea outside and the creaking of the ship was a lullaby just for us. This was my first night of peaceful sleep since boarding The Devil’s Pearl. No nightmares, just silence and peace. I felt safe and content as I slept in the strong arms of my captain.

Chapter Fourteen

When I awoke the next morning, the sun was shining into the captain’s quarters and bathing me in its warm light. I sighed with contentment as I remembered the night before and reached out to feel for Aiden. I wanted to be tucked into his arms again. A wave of disappointment crashed over me when he wasn't there. Panic and fury hit me simultaneously as I sat straight up in the bed, my eyes roaming desperately over the room to find him. Had he already left me alone and returned to his duties without saying a word?

No.

He was sitting in the window seat, one of my favorite places to be. One of his legs was drawn up to his chest and the other dangled to the floor. His skin reflected the sunlight, and for a moment he seemed to shine like the sun. The dark tattoos that littered his left side, right shoulder, and bicep stood out on his tanned skin. Now in the light, I could see clearly the scars scattered randomly across his body. His eyes focused on the sea with calmness I had never seen in them before. It was if he was somewhere else and lost deep in his thoughts. He was once again clad in his black cotton pants, and I wondered how long he had been up and sitting there.

Quietly, I pulled myself out of bed and pulled on his shirt, tugging the fabric across my body as I buttoned it up. It was much too big for me, but it felt right to wear it. My first few steps were wobbly, sore from the night’s antics, but it brought a smile to my face. My feelings jumbled into something I didn’t recognize, and I didn’t like it. But there was no doubt in my mind this wouldn’t last, even if a part of me wanted it too.

I bit my lip to hide the excited smile because I didn’t want to have any expectations of him. I wasn’t sure what sort of mood he would be in this morning, but I didn’t want to be dismissed.

“Good morning, love,” he said, turning to address me. He ran his hands through his messy dark hair in an attempt to smooth it out.

I wasn’t sure what to think of his new pet name for me so I made my reply simple. “Morning.”

Aiden shifted on the seat to make room for me to sit down beside him. He reached out to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. “Where’s my confident lass?”

“Same place my dreadful Captain Aiden went I suppose.”

“Oh he’s always here, just under the surface.” His hand moved into my hair to tangle there and pull me to him. His lips were soft and gentle as they touched mine, taking my breath away even then.

I leaned away from him and tried to speak confidently and not sound desperate, but my emotions jumbled in a mess that I wasn’t sure how to process. “I want you to stay here with me.”

“That I will. Always,” he replied much to my surprise as he kissed my forehead and pulled me closer.

“Aiden, you’re a better person than people give you credit for,” I pointed out teasingly.

“Shhh, darling, don’t tell anyone, it will be our little secret.” His fingers ran through my hair as he looked down at me. “Now, you do remember I’m in charge on my ship.”

“I do.”

“And I don’t take kindly to those who try and overtake me.”

“Oh I’m sure.” I ran my hands through his hair and gazed up at him. He was so very handsome, his eyes sparkling with trouble.

“That includes you, I hope you know.”

“Are you threatening me, Captain?” I giggled.

His eyes darkened for a moment as he spoke, “Don’t do anything to make me have to do that.”

My body shivered, recognizing the need in his eyes, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to go there again. Not yet, anyway. I slapped his arm playfully. “You promised me I was safe here.”

“That you are. But I’m afraid you’re going to be the death of me, love.” Aiden sighed.

There was the love word again. Love. As much as I was tempted to think about it, I pushed it away, but it kept coming up. Out of all the creatures on the earth, a human pirate was not one I wanted to fall in love with. From his experience with women, maybe he could help me sort out my feelings. Tristen wasn’t there, so Aiden was all I had. Surely he would have kicked me out of his cabin if he were done with me.

“I would hope not,” I started, but a loud voice interrupted me. My scowl traveled over towards the door as the noise continued.

“Cap’n!” a voice called from the other side, following by a loud banging. It continued, loud and determined.

Aiden growled as he picked me up and sat me on my feet. “Go wash up and put on something more decent so we can go on deck.”

In the blink of an eye, he changed from the gentle and charming Aiden to the ruthless and demanding Captain.

I glared at him as I poked him in the chest. “I’ll have you remember I’m not your servant to command.” I whirled around on my feet to retreat to the washroom and change clothes.

As I closed the door, I heard the rush of someone into the room. There was a grumbling disagreement from the captain, followed by the door closing, and then lowered whispers in the room. Curiosity got the best of me. I cracked the door open slowly and peered out into the room. I couldn’t see them from where I was, but I could hear Aiden bickering quietly with the man.

“I don’t care, Hayes.”

“But the other men, they are getting restless at having the girl aboard the ship! They are certain she is a sea witch out to get us! She called Cap’n Gabriel and his feigns to us, you know this to be true.”

“She did no such thing!” Aiden exclaimed with anger in his voice. A moment later, he laughed. “No need to worry she won’t be here much longer, I’m sure. If her father is who I suspect he is, we will have word soon, and he will not allow us to keep her.”

I threw my hands over my mouth to hide my shock. I was right all this time. He suspected what I was and had no real need for me, except that I could bring him great prosperity and health. My blood ran cold and my stomach dropped as I continued to listen. I prayed I was wrong, although I wasn’t sure what was more important—his feelings for me or my identity. When had this change of heart occurred?

“You look saddened, Cap’n.”

Aiden sighed and sat down on the bed. I could see the back of him as he brought his hand up to rub his eyes. “Aye, I heard tales of her charm and strength, Hayes. She’s an extraordinary princess, one that is different from the others and coveted throughout the lands. One to rule just as well as her husband some day. An equal. The princess of the sea…but it can’t really be can it?” His voice was unsure as he spoke.

The men grew quiet for several agonizing moments.

“Either way it will be good to be rid of her,” Hayes offered, breaking the silence.

“Wish it were that I could agree with you. Alas, I was not expecting her beauty. Or her prowess.”

My lips curved up into a smile. So he was pleased with me, more than he admitted to me. My thoughts wandered back to the night before when he trailed his rough fingers over my skin and treated me as some fragile thing that could be broken. Yet he had not shared anything deep and meaningful with me. He hadn’t opened up to me like he was with this particular crewman, and I wanted to find out who he was. Perhaps he could be of use to me and give me information.

“She’s bewitched you, Cap’n!”

Aiden laughed. “I’m afraid I’ve brought it upon myself. I haven’t felt this way in years…never thought I could again but…”

My breath hitched as I listened. I hated the reaction because I still wasn’t sure there was a committed bone in his body.

After a few quiet moments, he began to glance back towards where I was listening. “Wonder what she’s doing in there.” He stood up to come and check on me.

I dropped my shirt to the floor and quickly crossed the room. Hurriedly, I ran the soap and water over my body to try and clean up. As I finished putting my clothing on, Aiden knocked on the door once and opened it to glance inside.

I paused as I laced the front of my pants to address him, hoping there was no hint of what I’d heard in my voice. “Yes?”

“You’re taking an awfully long time in here.” His voice was suspicious.

“I need my boots, could you get them for me?”

As he stared back at me, uncertainty played over his face. He didn’t completely believe me. My heart pounded against my chest. I didn’t know what he would do if he found out I was eavesdropping. Would he finally drop this charade he was playing with me and show me just how much of the captain he really was?

“Just this once,” he agreed as he closed the door behind him.

I sighed with relief as I leaned back against the wall. He wasn’t suspicious enough to pursue it, and I was thankful. My thoughts wanted to return to the possibility of having another night with him, and spending more time with him, not being proved I was right that he was evil. I forced the thoughts from my head. I was only dreaming, and dreaming of something that shouldn’t be.

He brought my boots, but I took my time putting them on before joining him in the cabin. Hayes was there, about my height but with a large stomach on him. His hair was an odd shade of orange with freckles dotted across his face. Like most of the men on the ship, he was older than Aiden. A sword was at his belt, and a smile was upon his face. He seemed friendly enough.

Aiden himself dressed into his usual leather clothing, his heavy coat moved with him as he turned to see me standing there. His eyes roamed down my body with a satisfied smile before motioning towards the other man. “This is Hayes. He’s my right hand man. He will get you anything you need if I’m not around.”

I nodded, even though I would rather not be alone with another pirate on the ship. Aiden was the only one I trusted, and that only went so far, even after our night together.

“What exactly do you mean?” I asked.

“You have been spending more time with me on deck and out of this cabin. I promised you safety and you will have it with him if I must tend to something.”

“Why are you just now introducing him to me?” I hated to sound suspicious, but one could never be too careful with a pirate.

“Oh he’s been around, darling, you just haven’t noticed because you’ve been too busy staring at my arse.”

I scowled and crossed my arms, even though the smile itched at the corners of my lips. “You wish.”

It was true though. We both knew it, but it wasn’t as if he didn’t stare at me every chance he got.

I followed them on to the deck, where Aiden began shouting his commands. Hayes echoed each of them but not as confident as the captain. No, Aiden was admirable, standing tall as he walked across the deck with a terrifying scowl across his face. I never noticed how so before, always having the word “pirate” in the forefront of my mind and over everything else.

I followed behind them, watching the scene before me unfold in awe. I had seen it several times before, but had been clueless about what was going on. Not that I really knew now, but some phrases made sense.

The pirates snickered at Hayes as he looked at them expectantly, backing up Aiden in his words. There was only a small twinkle of respect in their eyes; the rest of it was strictly for their captain.

Giggles erupted from my mouth as I stepped up the stairs behind them.

Aiden turned to me and cocked an eyebrow. “What’s so funny, lass?”

“Oh nothing,” I said nonchalantly and smiled at him. It was probably best I give him a little more respect in front of his crew.

He gave a satisfied nod as he raised his hand to the helm and began to steer the ship. I allowed myself to look around at the other pirates busying themselves since the captain was there. When we stepped on deck, they had been stranding around, singing, resting, and chatting. There was still some of that now, but they worked as well.

I looked around. Casey mopped the floor not too far from where I stood. I waved at him, and he waved back with a smile. Aiden watched the interaction with interest, and I wondered what he was thinking. When I caught him watching, his attention turned to his first mate.

“Hayes!” Aiden called. “Get the lady a chair, would ya.”

“Yes Cap’n!” he said as he ran down the stairs and returned with a chair.

Aiden motioned for me to sit, but I didn’t feel like it. I was more interested in the man at the helm. I walked over to him and put my hand on his arm. “Teach me how to steer the ship.”

He cocked an eyebrow at my demand. “I don’t think so. You already think you run this place, I can’t have you knowing how to sail my ship.”

“You scared I’m taking over?”

“Oh bloody hell, woman. This is one thing I won’t teach you to do. Now, if you’d be so kind as to sit down as I asked you to.”

Walking over to the chair, I picked it up and brought it over to sit it beside of him. He frowned as I sat down and smiled at him. I was determined to figure out what was going on. For now, I was still stuck in human form, might as well make the best of it.

Aiden sighed. “What is it you want now?”

“Oh just watching.”

“Give it a good look while you can.” He smirked and turned his attention back to steering.

Really though, there was nothing else better to do than sit there and watch the most handsome of the pirates steer the ship. It was better than being stuck in his quarters. Alone. There was one place that I was never alone—my home. Even though I didn’t feel as if I fit in there, I was never truly alone.

“Aiden?”

Slowly he turned the large wheel in front of us, and then looked down at me. “What?”

“Have you heard any word from my father?” Even as I asked him the question, I worried what he would say. If he received a notice, would it be a message in a bottle? Would he be angry I was eager to leave? Why did I even care?

Every ounce of emotion faded from his face at my words, and he began to fiddle with the helm. “Not as far as I know. You won’t tell me anything about your family. The best I could do was stuff a letter in a bottle and cast it out at sea. If he somehow got that,” —he looked at me with a suspicious look in his eye—“then I suppose we will get one in return. Perhaps when we come upon the port soon, you may have answers then. If you would tell me who he is, that would help. You really shouldn’t encourage my imagination.” His gaze returned to the sea, and his face was once again filled with wonder and sadness like I saw that morning.

“What do you think about when you look out at the sea?” I asked, unable to keep it in. I wanted to know more about him, and I would push him if he wouldn’t give it freely.

His eyebrows pulled together and he ran his hand down his face as he turned to me. “You are so nosey.”

“And you are too guarded.”

“Are you saying you trust me?”

My words caught in my throat. No, I didn’t fully, and my pause made him frown.

“Hayes, I need you to watch the girl. I need to check on some things.” He wasn’t happy with my response.

“Aye, aye, Cap’n.”

Aiden stepped away from his post then, his jacket flying swiftly behind him as he hurried off. I stood up to run after him, determined to continue our conversation, but Hayes took a hold of my arm.

“Don’t touch me,” I growled and jerked my hand away.

Sadness crept into his eyes as I snapped at him, and he dropped his gaze to the ground. “I’m sorry, milady, but the cap’n needs his space.”

The second his eyes glazed over with hurt, I realized the other men probably yelled at him frequently. I wasn’t as cruel as them; I had better manners than that. Pirates, I reminded myself. They are pirates. That’s why they have no manners.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

I walked over to the side of the ship and laid my arms on top of the wooden side. My gaze settled on the vast waters in front of me. The ocean twinkled with shades of blue and green, reminiscent of the way Tristen and I’s tails looked gliding through the water. I yearned to be under the sea again. When Aiden wasn’t around, the loneliness returned to me, and I felt as if a part of me were missing. I hated he was my sole companion aboard the ship, especially since I’d fought any dependence on him from the moment I laid eyes on him. I hadn’t meant to get this close to him, and I cursed myself to know I’d failed.

“Anything I can get you miss?” Hayes asked as he came to stand by me and lean against the side of the ship.

“I don’t suppose so.” I sighed and laid my chin on my hands.

“I wouldn’t get too upset with the cap’n. He means well, he does. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a lady aboard the ship.”

“Oh?” I asked and turned to look at him, my interest piqued at his words.

“Aye, she caused the cap’n a lot of pain, she did. Brought bad luck upon the ship and then betrayed him.”

“Who was she?”

“Oh, I don’t know I should tell ya much more. Wouldn’t want any trouble.”

“Hayes, I won’t tell a thing you say to me.” ” I giggle and slapped his shoulder playfully. Magic filled my words as I spoke, charming him even further when I rested my hand on his arm.

He sighed with relief, his eyes drooping slightly. “Thank you.”

“Was she a captive?”

“No, no, she was here willingly.”

“Uh huh.”

“And well, and she’s gone now. No need to worry about it, yes?”

“No, go on,” I encouraged and rubbed his arm back and forth.

Hayes nodded and reached into his pocket to retrieve a handkerchief. He wiped the sweat from his brow. “It was all the worse for the cap’n. He doesn’t trust many anymore. Has become bitter…but oh I’ve said too much, I have. Too much.”

“It’s our little secret, Hayes.”

“Yes, yes. But you’re so beautiful, lass, and I wouldn’t want you getting hurt. He has a temper he does.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Aye, he will slit a throat or gut a man in a second. But the way he looks at you…” He trailed off and looked away as if he said something wrong. He turned away from me and scurried down the steps, stepping into the darkened space below the highest deck to go down into the ship. I hurried after him, not ready to let the subject go. I needed to know more.

“How so?” I asked and stepped in front of him. Now was time for answers, for honesty from someone who would give it to me. Aiden wasn’t going to do it.

The man glanced around nervously, obviously wanting to keep it to himself. As Hayes opened his mouth to speak, a seagull flew overhead and his eyes grew wide.

“No!” He screamed as if the ship was falling apart below us.

It seemed to be an exaggerated response to a bird, and I thought that was why Aiden called me a “bird”. Maybe pirates were afraid of them. Before I could ask though, a white substance slapped onto his shirt.

“Damn seagulls.” Hayes’s face twisted in disgust as he ran his handkerchief over the spot. It continued to smear as he rubbed it, and I couldn’t help my fit of laughter. Out of all the things I expected to see, Hayes pooped on by a bird was not one of them, and the way he reacted to it was even funnier.

He looked up at me and shook his head. “Every time they fly overhead…” His eyes grew wide as he looked behind me.

“Well lookie who has been left alone up here,” a deep and unfamiliar voice sounded beside me.

“Oh, the cap’n will be back,” Hayes said as he rang his hands together.

I turned to see a tall pirate smiling down at me with his yellow teeth.

“I don’t care.” He pushed Hayes to the ground and fixed his menacing gaze on me. He raised his hand to run a finger down my cheek. “You’re quite the beauty.”

I slapped his hand away and stepped back from him. “Don’t touch me, you nasty pirate.”

He laughed deep in his throat. “But you don’t find the captain nasty do you?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Well I’m making it my business. I’ll keep you busy while he’s gone,” he said as he grabbed me with one hand and yanked me to him.

I fought back, kicking and punching him best I could. He was easily three times my size, and my fighting did no good. He backed us up against the wall, his large hands running up and down my body and making me want to hurl. The fear prickled through me as he tried to kiss me, the sudden jerk of my head to the other side being the only way I got away from it. He smelled of filth, and he was so much larger than me. I couldn’t get away from him.

His hand dropped to my pants and began to fiddle with the string of them, the other slamming against my chest and forcing me back against the wooden wall. No manner of struggling was going to get me away from him, so I dropped my pride and did the only other thing I could think of to do.

“Aiden!” I screamed, screamed for my life, screamed for my sanity. I desperately hoped he would hear me from the cabin before the fiend had his way with me. “Aiden!”

The pirate’s large hand slapped across my face, stunning me for a moment as the sting vibrated through my head. Tears formed in my eyes as the pirate clamped his hand over my mouth and pushed me harder against the side of the ship with his body. He shook his head as he looked down at me and frowned. He made a sound of disappointment and ran his free hand down my body. When he reached my shirt, he pulled it to the side, ripping it and exposing the top of my chest. I clawed at him in a desperate attempt to free myself.

No one was coming to save me, and I was left to fend for myself. I couldn’t charm him because my mouth was covered, and that’s where the magic lied. I had been too confident in those abilities, and too cocky about using them. I hadn’t considered a situation like this, and I didn’t know what to do.

His hand slid down my body and returned to the strings of my pants. I bucked my hips away from him to try and stop his attempt. He growled in frustration and ripped the front of them away, giving him better access to me. As he pulled his waist back to undo his pants, I brought my knee up to slam into his groin.

He glared at me. “Oh you will regret that, lass,” he whispered and leaned in closer to my face.

Suddenly, he was pulled away from me, revealing Aiden with a terrifying scowl on his face. The pirate opened his mouth to give some sort of excuse, but Aiden didn’t give him a chance to explain before his sword was pulled from its sheath and plunged into the other man’s stomach. Fear froze me in my place. The man cried in agony as Aiden jerked him forward to growl in his face. “I told you men not to touch her.”

Aiden pulled his sword from the pirate’s stomach and he fell to the ground, clutching his body with fear in his eyes. Without so much as a hint of emotion, Aiden ran the blade over the man’s throat, slicing it open. The larger pirate fell to the ground, and Aiden’s eyes flashed with malevolence as he kicked him away.

I averted my eyes, not wanting to see the damage. Before Aiden could address me, my stomach rumbling harshly and I ran away from the scene to the other side of the ship where I could breathe. The second I touched the edge, I leaned over it and lost the contents of my stomach. The violence made me sick, and I hated to think I developed feelings for such a horrible person. It made me feel even sicker, and I threw up again. The carnage I witnessed was not the only thing I was sick over; it was the thought of the nasty pirate’s hands on me. If Aiden hadn’t shown up, he would have done as he pleased with me.

It was everything I originally feared. I was aboard a ship with a madman and other pirates who would take me if they had the chance. I remembered the stories of his ruthlessness, stabbing his sword through his enemies or anyone who simply displeased him without a second thought. They were all true. What was there to keep him from doing the same to me?

“Rae, love,” his voice cooed from beside me.

His hand reached out toward me and I jumped back from him, out of the way. Being touched by anyone felt wrong and dirty, and not in any sort of good way. My body still shook from the encounter. I wanted to escape but there was nowhere to go. He frowned and held out a tissue for me.

“Thank you.” I snatched it away from him and wiped my mouth before throwing the tissue to the ground. “That was a little much don’t you think?”

He ran his hand down his face and reached into his vest to pull out another tissue to clean his sword off with. “There’s no need to get pissed off. I’m simply making sure you are safe. He shouldn’t have touched you.” Aiden reached out to touch the red mark on my face, and I slapped his hand away.

“If you hadn’t left me alone—” I started accusingly but then stopped. He wasn’t going to understand.

“I needed a moment away from you. You are incredibly infuriating.”

“You are too, Aiden. If you would just talk to me instead of hiding all your feelings all the time, maybe we could figure something out!” My eyes flew open in shock that I actually said the words and told him how I felt.

“Feelings have nothing to do with this, love.”

I balled my fists up at my sides and stepped up to him. “Really?” I wanted to reach out and touch him, but I couldn’t get myself to close the distance. Fear still flowed through me, but it was fed with irritation at his insistence that there were no feelings involved. If he didn’t care about me, he would have let the man have his way with me. “You don’t feel anything when we are close?”

Aiden reached out to brush my hair out of my face, but I recoiled from him. I could see the hurt in his eyes. He didn’t even attempt to hide it this time. He opened his mouth once to speak, unable to find the words, and then ran his hand down his face in defeat. Still, he avoided the question. “We need to get you ready to go ashore.”

He turned to walk away but I grabbed his jacket. The truth I demanded from him dimmed beneath the weight of his words. “Wait, we’re going ashore?”

I let go of his as soon as I realized I touched him and wrapped my arms around myself. The sudden fear of going ashore with other humans worried me. I didn’t need to be around so many men in a tavern for one; they would all be drawn to me and it wouldn’t end well. Second of all, I was accustomed to walking on the ship, but I wasn’t sure how I would fare on land.

“Yes, I suppose you missed the part where I mentioned it earlier,” he said, irritation seeping in his voice. I could see the immediate regret in his face though, even though he masked it soon after.

“When will we arrive?”

“Tomorrow just before sundown. You can see it from here if you look out that way.” He pointed out toward the shore. I could see it now, the faint glow of brown sand. Establishments lined against the green grass further ahead. My better judgment begged me not to go. It wasn’t a good idea.

“Can I stay aboard the ship?”

“No.” He turned to walk away from me and toward his cabin, but I was quick to follow.

“Why not?”

“Why don’t you want to go? There will be drinking, dancing, and stories. All your favorite things.”

“I don’t like drinking…”

Aiden laughed. “Whatever you say, lass.”

“Well, I don’t do well with strangers,” I lied.

He stopped moving and turned to me with a thousand questions on his face. It was as if he were flipping through them to decide which one to ask. “You’re on a ship full of strangers.”

“And I don’t like it.”

“You took up well with me, didn’t you? And not Hayes? The cabin boy? It’s never seemed to bother you before…”

“Don’t you remember how hard it was for me to open up and come out of your cabin?”

He paused, considering my words, and crossed his arms. “Aye.”

“Do you want me sitting in the corner by myself?”

“You will be with me. You will sit with me. This is non-negotiable, Rae. There’s lost treasure in this land, and I intend to retrieve it.”

There had to be a way to get the upper hand. I was probably safest with him, but there were too many other factors to go very wrong in a second. There wasn’t much longer before I gained my freedom, and I didn’t want to lose the battle before them.

“I’m not going with you unless you promise to stop the violence. You don’t always have to hit someone or kill them. You want your treasure? Then you need to calm down.” There, he wouldn’t agree to that. There was no way he would.

“I do what I need to protect what’s mine.”

“I don’t care,” I insisted, pretending he didn’t just call me his because he didn’t mean it the way I hoped he did. “Do it or I’m sleeping up here tonight. On the deck. Alone.”

Aiden frowned and shook his head in disagreement. He took a few angry steps away from me and then came back to stand before me. “Fine, I promise to do my best. Now come along.” There was a twinkle in his eye, one that made me wonder if he was being honest.

He spun around and walked off.

I was shocked he agreed to it. He was so stubborn and rarely gave in to anything I asked of him. The words he spoke were exactly what I wanted to hear. I didn’t want him to feel like he needed to keep killing or hurting people. There were other ways of keeping me safe and showing he was a capable captain. He just didn’t agree with that. Even though I didn’t want to follow him, I did. It was better than being left behind with his crewmen.

Chapter Fifteen

I managed to delay the inevitable for a few days, offering to stay behind and clean the ship. Aiden and his crew left to search for the treasure, leaving me with Hayes and Casey. It wasn’t the best of guards but it was better than nothing. I kept myself out of view from the land so I suppose no one even knew I was there. Casey taught me some of the songs the pirates sang while doing their duties, and I felt like one of the crew. It was a nice change, to feel somewhat at home, even if it was among one of the less piratey member of the crew. At night, Aiden would come back to the ship while the rest of the men went out to the taverns.

The look on his face tonight showed me he might be more disagreeable.

“I don’t like you being here, lass. I want you to come have fun and enjoy the night.”

“I would rather stay here.”

“You can’t possibly be having fun…”

“Casey is wonderful, really—”

He gripped my arm and pulled me up from the ground. I slammed against him, and his lips formed into a tight smile. “It’s not a question. You’re coming with me. Go put on your dress.”

I jerked my arm from him. “I’m not wearing that flimsy thing out there. Do you really want me tugging at it all night?”

He frowned. “I want you to listen to me for once but if you insist on wearing that, I don’t suppose I can force you to change.”

“Thank you.” I smiled triumphantly. My pirate clothing would help me blend in. That stupid blue dress would only make me stand out.

“You need to take this.” Aiden reached into his pocket and retrieved a small dagger. He handed it to me with a shake of his head. “All you have to do is tuck it into your pocket. Please do be careful with it.”

Placing my hands on his shoulders, I kissed him quickly on the cheek. “I will do my best not to get into any trouble.”

“Splendid. I would like to be able to get sloshed and have a good time without worrying about you. I’m tired of staying behind.”

He took my hand and led me to the tavern, and I pushed down my worry. With his hand in mine, I could stand firmly on the solid earth without a problem. We could conquer this night together.

I hoped.

When we got inside, the atmosphere was as I expected, loud and full of men. The few women there were dressed in their most revealing clothing, and I was glad I fought to wear my pirate clothing. I didn’t want to be mistaken for some bar wench.

Aiden led us to the back of the tavern where his crew sat and let go of my hand. I stopped at the end of the table. My gaze was drawn to the dance floor, the only uncrowded part in the whole place. The people there danced, including some of the pirates from The Devil’s Pearl.

I turned back to Aiden, who already had a mug of grog in his hand. “You wanna dance?”

His eyes stared into mine as he cocked his eyebrow and took a long drink. The intensity in his stare made me squirm, but I didn’t back down.

“No, lass.”

“I wanna dance.”

Hayes stood up and saluted me. “I will dance with you, miss.”

Before Aiden could object, I grabbed the man’s hand and drug him onto the dance floor, giggling as I did so. After his attempt to keep me safe, I decided I could trust the odd little man. Hayes wasn’t the best dancer, but I figured he was the safest one to dance with. He wouldn’t betray his beloved captain by making any moves on me, and I didn’t want any fighting tonight.

The music filled my ears, and dancing around with Hayes made me feel free. I caught on quickly to the human dance, moving as I would back home, and I could feel Aiden’s gaze on my every move. I made sure to add a little pep in my step but pretended I didn’t know he was watching me like a hawk.

I laughed as I spun Hayes around in a circle; all the other men in line spun their women around. My eyes crinkled in delight as he tried not to fall over. I was pleased Aiden introduced him to me; he made life a little more fun, even if he wanted me off the ship. My eyes trailed over to where Aiden sat sipping on his mug. His eyes were set on me, unmoving. His face was stoic. I smiled at him, which made him tip his head in acknowledgement. Although he was on edge, he was having as much fun watching me as I was dancing, even if he wanted to pretend otherwise.

No one questioned why I didn’t try to run off. Even I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t made a break for it yet. This was my first chance at freedom, and I didn’t jump at the opportunity, simply went along to the tavern to dance.

Odd.

The time came to switch partners and Hayes grabbed my wrist, his voice worried. “Maybe we shouldn’t switch.”

“It will be fine, Hayes,” I assured him and patted the small dagger at my waist.

His eyes grew wide at my gesture and he shook his head. He wasn’t in agreement with any of it. A pair of rough hands took mine and swept me away from the pirate leaving him objective behind me. My new partner swirled me around so that I no longer saw Hayes.

“What’s a lady like you doing in a place like this?” the man asked as he swirled me around. He was very tall, broad shouldered and handsome, rugged. His eyes were dark brown. His hair was long and shaggy down to his shoulders, townsfolk by the looks of it.

“Oh, I’m not here willingly.” I took ahold of his shoulders as we spun around again.

“Is that so?” His dark eyes settled on me. “I’m Martin.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said with a smile, not willing to give the stranger my name.

He frowned and leaned in closer to me to speak softly. “You’re with the pirates and if I may judge you on your dress…appear to be one yourself.”

I had grown fond of my pirate clothing and no longer left the captain’s quarters in anything else. The man looked at me curiously as if he didn’t believe me “Maybe they have you dressed up as one of them to make you blend in…make it harder for anyone to be suspicious.”

It didn’t occur to me human women would dress differently than men. It must have been why Aiden was persistent with me wearing a dress. Too late now.

“Or maybe I’m a pirate,” I replied, my voice flirtatious as I smiled at him.

He laughed. “I don’t think so.”

Martin swirled me around in a circle and I allowed myself a glimpse at Aiden. He watched us closely with a scowl on his face, his fingers tapping on the tabletop.

I turned back to my dance partner. “And why not?”

I stepped back from him, putting my hand up for him to place his against it, following the dance as we spoke.

“Because you’re much too sweet to be hanging around with the likes of Captain Aiden.”

At the mention of his name, the pink tint rose to my cheeks. I was surprised when it happened, and it took me off guard. Just his name made my face flush, but Aiden did that to me. My eyes darted to the ground.

“How would you know if I’m sweet?”

He tilted my face up to look at him. “Because I know a darling lady when I see one.”

“Or perhaps you are very full of yourself.”

Martin shook his head and held my hand up. “There is not one piece of dirt on your hands. They are perfect and smooth, just like a princess.” He planted a kiss on my knuckles, eyes not leaving mine. His other hand tightened on my waist and pulled me to him.

“A what?” I giggled, trying to throw him off the trail. If he found out who I was, Aiden and his men would be in trouble, and I might be taken away with these strangers. I appreciated his concern, and if the circumstances were different I might have taken him up on his offer. He was very attractive.

Just as I smiled sweetly at him and felt the charm flowing through me, a familiar hand appeared on his shoulder. I recognized the rings across the dark fingers. Aiden.

“Care if I cut in, mate?”

Martin frowned and pulled me closer. He shook his head. “I don’t think so, pirate.”

He was trying to protect me.

“That’s close enough,” Aiden growled as he pulled Martin away from me and spun him around.

Before I could object, Aiden’s fist reared back and then forward, slamming into the townsman’s face. Martin tumbled backwards onto the floor and within seconds, Aiden was on top of him, his fist colliding with the man’s face repeatedly.

“Aiden!” I exclaimed as the crowd parted to give the men fighting space.

I ran over to him to try and pull him off Martin. “Stop it, Aiden. You promised, no fighting!”

Still he didn’t stop. He wouldn’t listen to me; he was too far gone into his rage. His fist crashing into the Martin’s face repeatedly, but he fought back, slamming his fist into Aiden’s body. I didn’t like that either. It didn’t appear to faze the pirate too bad, but I didn’t want someone hitting him.

“Martin, stop!”

“Not until you are safe, my lady.”

As Aiden frowned, Martin pushed him off and rolled over on top of the pirate. He grabbed him by the shirt. “You need to treat this lady with respect. She deserves more than to be with the likes of you.”

“She’s perfectly content in my quarters, lad.” Aiden grinned devilishly.

Martin cried out and pulled his hand back to punch Aiden in the face, but he had already spent too much time talking. Aiden was prepared and stopped the fist with his palm, the sound resounding with a slap. His boot flew upwards, throwing Martin several feet away. As Aiden stood up, I reached out to put my hand on his shoulders to try again to pull him away from Martin. He was just trying to protect me, nothing else. I didn’t want either of them hurt.

He turned to me angrily. “You stay out of this.”

“No, you stop it!” I cried. “Don’t be so stubborn. He didn’t do anything to me”

“You will do as I say, lass, or you won’t like the outcome.” He held his finger out to me as if to prove his point.

I couldn’t find it in myself to argue back with him, and I couldn’t hide the hurt from my eyes. Had this been last week, I would have pretended not to care, but I had hoped things were different now. I had given myself over to him and our desires, something I told myself I wouldn’t do. When we were alone, he showed me just how caring and gentle he could be, respectful even. His demands in front of the crew were nothing to be taken too seriously, even if they sounded cruel, because that is who Captain Aiden was. However, his eyes on mine now showed no signs of joking, and were too much to bear. I’d been behaving as if I were an obedient captive.

That’s what you are, I reminded myself.

I was a captive of his, not his friend, no one of importance. I was fooling myself. I couldn’t forget what I heard in the washroom. He was only keeping me around for my wishes and riches, even if a part of him enjoyed having me around for his own cheap thrill.

“Are you threatening me?” I hissed, my hand going defensively to the dagger at my side. I wasn’t sure if I would, or could, really use it on him. But it was better to be safe than sorry in the world of pirates.

“Threats will be the least of your worries,” he said, eyes boring into mine as turned away from me. He advanced on Martin again. The townsman stood his ground with his fists out in front of him. Something had set Aiden off and angered him to the point where he wasn’t afraid to be ruthless this close to me.

Or…what if he was finally just showing his true colors?

It was suddenly hard to breathe in the room. I had to get out. I turned and slipped through the crowd. No one paid any attention to me because they were focused on the fight. It made me sick to think of exactly what else was going on behind me as I stepped out into the night. I ran to the left and ducked between the buildings to hide. I leaned against a wall to catch my breath. The world swirled around me slightly from the rum, and I suddenly wished I left the rum to the monstrous Captain Aiden. It only made me act like a fool.

I was stupid enough to open up and trust a pirate, and now I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where to go. I couldn’t survive swimming down to my home at the bottom of the ocean in human form. How would I survive until the full moon? I couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks.

The tavern door slammed shut, and I heard a shuffling coming toward me. I pressed my back against the wall and closed my eyes tight, hoping and praying I could blend into the darkness and escape the pirates. Memories of the large pirate slamming me against the ship and ripping my shirt flashed through my mind. I threw my hand over my mouth to stiffen my cry.

“And where do you think you are going?” Aiden’s voice rang out.

I released my breath, glad that it was him and not another pirate. Opening my eyes, I saw that he was standing directly in front of me with a curious look on his face. He stepped closer to me and pulled the dagger out of his pocket. Uncertain of his intentions, I reached down to do the same but hoped I wouldn’t have to use it. Aiden’s blade shot out to knock the dagger from my hand. It fell to the floor with a deafening crash, and I was trapped.

“Where?” he demanded.

“Out. For air,” I lied and wiped at the tears on my face.

He paused, only for a split second at the sight of my tears, before stepping closer to me and placing his hand on my hip.

“Air?” he asked, not believing me. He leaned in to let his breath settle in my ear, and my body betrayed me with shivers running down my spine. It wasn’t the response I wanted to give him, but it was automatic. His fingers dug into my hip as he spoke again. “Now, why don’t I believe you?”

I remained quiet, trying to decipher what his intentions were instead of giving him more of a reason to be angry with me.

“No answer? Very well then,” he said after several long silent moments. “I think, perhaps, this outing was a bad idea. I can’t have you running off on me now.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“No?”

“No.”

A throaty laugh erupted from Aiden as he leaned against me, pressing me into the brick wall. “Oh, Rae, must we really do this?”

“Do what?”

“Fight. Again. If you would do as you’re told, things would be so much easier.”

He meant to do whatever he wanted in this ally while he was angry. We were in the alleyway where anyone could look to see us, and I would remind him of that if I had to. He couldn’t have his way with me here.

Suddenly, I was scared. I saw the way he treated others aboard his ship, and I didn’t want to fall victim to his anger. Pushing his feet between mine, he moved my legs apart and aligned his body with mine. His touch always set me on fire. I yearned to close my eyes and reveal in it. Instead, I ran my hands up his body to rest on his chest, so I could set him straight.

I had to regain control of myself. “You should know by now I do as I please.”

“But sometimes you do as I ask.”

“Because I’m trying to show you some sort of respect. You should do the same for me if you care for me at all.”

“This again? You think you will tell me what to do? You’ve already made a fool of me tonight, after flirting with that townsman.”

So, that was why he was so angry. He was jealous.

“I wasn’t flirting with him. He was worried I was a captured princess, and I was trying to lead him off the trail. He was trying to protect me. I had control of the situation, or would have, if you hadn’t started acting crazy,” I explained.

“I wasn’t acting crazy, lass. You let him kiss you.”

My eyes grew devious as I looked back at him, recognizing the look on his face. “Why, Aiden, I believe you’re jealous.”

“No, my dear, I do not get jealous. I have what is mine, and no one else may have it.” He laughed as if it was absurd, and I wanted badly to believe he didn’t care. It would make it easier for me to put things in perspective.

He lowered his mouth to my neck and ran his tongue down to the hollow of my throat, sending heat down my body in the process.

I tried to speak strongly and push the thoughts of letting him take me right there out of my head.

“I’m not yours.” My fingers curled into his shirt. I had to fight his charms, remind myself I was upset with him for fighting at the bar. “You aren’t even brave enough to open up to me. Until then, I will never truly be yours.”

If I hadn’t been sure he was very good at hiding his emotions, I would have been certain I saw an amount of pain in his eyes at my words. Still, his face stayed stoic as he tangled a hand in my hair. “Oh, yes you are.”

“You’ve trapped me on your boat. That doesn’t mean I’m automatically yours, as much as you wish it did.”

“Must I remind you just how much of mine you are? You weren’t saying such things during our night together.”

Ouch.

“Stop being such a—such a pirate Aiden. There is no one here to impress. Drop the tough guy act.”

He curled his free hand into a fist and slammed it the wall. I cowered away from him as his fist collided in the spot right beside my head. I had been sure he wouldn’t hurt me, but the anger in his eyes now had me wondering. My heart pounded, and not in a good way. I didn’t move.

Aiden took several deep breaths to steady himself before pushing off the wall and raking his hands through his hair. He appeared to be fighting with himself, an inner battle I couldn’t see, as he paced back and forth with a scowl upon his face. After a moment, he paused with his back to me and sighed loudly.

His voice was a little softer now “Have you been playing me for a fool all this time?”

What an odd question for someone who was acting insane all of a sudden.

“No, I haven’t. You are acting like a mad man. You know I don’t play stupid games, not those you pirates do. You’ve had too much to drink and are choosing not to listen. That man was just trying to protect me, and I was just dancing. I care nothing for him.”

When he turned around to face me, I forgot how to breathe again. The look upon his face was one of pure pain, not sadness per say, but something deeper. His eyes showed just how hurt he had been in the past and how untrusting he had become as a result. When Hayes had told me Aiden was hurt, those words didn’t even touch how deep the pain actually ran.

Inside, I hurt for him, this pirate who ruled the seas, destroyed the lives of men, and did as he pleased. There was more to him than he’d ever shown anyone. Now, he was trusting me with his emotions.

“Aiden,” I said softly and stepped away from the wall.

He took a step back from me and shook his head as if he didn’t want me near him. I continued to walk towards him until I could reach out to brush his shoulder with my hand. I needed to be open with him, reassure him everything was okay, especially if I wanted it from him in return.

“There was only one man at the tavern I was attracted to. Only one man I’ve ever been attracted to.”

He raised a curious eyebrow, dark and beautiful, and I wondered if he was being honest with the pain in his eyes. No, there was no way he could fake it.

“And who was that, milady?”

“You, Aiden, just you.”

As quickly as the pain was there, it was gone, replaced by something more certain and needy. He reached out to grip me around the waist, his hand pressing into the small of my back as he sealed his lips on mine. He pulled me to him, as close as he could get, kissing me desperately as if I was the last bit of sustenance on this earth. I kissed him back, tried to show him just how much cared about him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer. I needed him to understand. I didn’t want to hide it anymore. The smell and taste of peppermint and rum was beginning the feel like home to me. Nothing mattered anymore, not my fears or his. At that moment, it was just the two of us alone in the world, whatever oddity it was we had found ourselves in.

He was the first to break the kiss, looking down at me with an adoration that filled my heart up to the brim. The way I felt with Aiden was unlike anything I’d ever felt before, and I needed to be honest with myself about what it could mean. I told myself repeatedly I was in love with Tristen. But never had being around him felt like this; never had one touch from him left me speechless or breathless, and my heart never raced at the sight of him nor this odd twisting of my stomach occurred.

If Aiden could just open up to me, I might be able to let myself feel all the things I kept fighting off. I couldn’t risk my own pain if he wasn’t going to be honest with me. He was so close now; I could see it in his eyes.

“Let’s go back to the ship,” I offered and held myself closer to him.

He smiled devilishly at me and ran his hand down my hair. “What if I want you here?”

“In the alley?” I asked for clarification, mortified he would even suggest it.

“Would you be surprised? I am a pirate after all. Don’t you want to live a little?”

“Aiden—”

He laughed. “I’m just joking, lass. I would never do such a thing out in the open. Our time together is sacred to me, and I do not wish to share it with anyone else.” He leaned his forehead against mine and sighed. “We need to go back inside, it’s almost closing time.”

I nodded in agreement and he took my hand, but I wasn’t ready to leave. He led me back toward the tavern, but I wanted to continue our conversation. I had gotten my hopes up that he was getting close to letting me see those emotions that his eyes gave away. Maybe I was just kidding myself. It hurt to think I wanted him to feel the same as I did. I didn’t want our night together to be just that—one night.

As we walked back into the tavern, I could feel the eyes of the crewmen on me. They were not happy to see I returned, and they were whispering among themselves. Whatever good feelings they had begun to acquire toward me seemed to be lessening. Aiden cast angry glances at them as we sat down at a table. The others sitting there got up and left, surely not wanting to risk angering the captain again. Frankly, I was surprised he was allowed back inside after the fiasco.

“Keep your bloody antics down, could you?” he growled as he looked across the table at me. As hateful as his voice was, his eyes gave away his plead. He needed this from me. It was the first time he willingly showed me any kind of emotion in front of his crew, though it was subtle.

“Yes, Captain,” I said with a knowing smile. To give him credit, I had caused a lot of trouble for him. Had it been any other princess, she would have cowered in the corner and did as he pleased, but not me. He had no idea what a handful I would be.

We sat at the table and didn’t say much to each other. It was a nice change. His crew slowly joined us, all drinking their fill of rum and whiskey while telling tales of sailing on the high seas. They spoke of the lands they saw, the women they met, and the lands they pillaged. I loved every one of them and lost myself in their adventures. It made me long for adventure aboard The Devil’s Pearl, want to see the lands they spoke of and become a pirate, even though it could never happen. It was easy to see myself as a pirate as they spoke, but more Aiden-like than the rest of his crew, clean and well dressed. I let myself dream of it as they told their tales, pretend as they spoke, until the tavern owner called for last rounds.

I followed suit as Aiden stood up to leave and tried to avoid the stares from the others. Some of the crew took a liking to me, some had not. I hoped our story-telling hour changed those things, but clearly they still did not trust me. I kept my mouth closed and stood close by Aiden as we walked, not being my normally bubbly and confident self for fear I would say the wrong thing. I wanted to try to give him respect, and gain the same from his men. I hadn’t wanted it before, but I found myself yearning for it now.

As we stepped outside and began making our way towards the ship, the whispers started again. Then one man’s voice called out, “Aye, she is making the captain soft.”

I reached out to grab Aiden’s coat to be closer to him. He gave me a small smile before glaring at the pirate who spoke. I hoped he never looked at me like that; it was terrifying. I could see he was trying to keep his cool and reassure me at the same time. It was different. He hadn’t done that before.

Another spoke, “Aye, mate, she is. She will take us down with him, just as the other one did, she will. It’s not good to have a woman aboard the ship for too long, especially one who is bewitching the cap’n.”

“Aye.”

“Aye.”

Aiden pulled me closer to him as we walked with his hand tight on my arm and a contemplative look upon his face. He would have to address his crew because he wouldn’t allow them to talk about him in such a degrading way. He was the captain after all. I could see the tension in Aiden’s jaw as he tightened it repeatedly, the way his hand kept roaming to the sword at his side. Still, his crew continued to whisper and mumble amongst themselves.

Once we were all aboard the ship, Aiden began shouting angrily. “All hands on deck, you bilge rats!”

Quickly, all conversation stopped, and the men gathered around the captain to listen to what he was going to say.

I was surprised when Aiden grabbed me by the arm and stepped up onto a crate, straining my arm and gaining a cry of pain from me. He jerked my arm again to pull me up onto the small crate with him. I stumbled against his side, letting the confusion play across my face as I looked at him.

“Now,” he started, voice low and menacing, “I will not have me ship mates talking disrespectfully about me behind me back. A pirate’s treasure is his own, and to show respect upon the ship, another pirate from his crew should not try and steal that from him. Am I right?”

A cry of “Aye” and “Aye Cap’n” echoed throughout the ship.

“If a fellow pirate should try and take treasure from him, the pirate who it belongs to has every right to reclaim his bounty, yes?”

Another echo of agreement from the crewmen.

“So then when your captain has taken a princess prisoner on his ship, she is therefore his bounty. And his property alone.”

Every single good thing he’d said to me disappeared, replaced by betrayal and pain as he grabbed me by the back of the head, tangling his fingers in my hair. He gave me one of his charming smiles, but I glared back at him in hatred. How dare he talk about me like this in front of his entire crew when I was trying to give him respect.

He threw his hand in the air and shouted, “Then let it be known this princess is mine, and no one else should touch her. If he does, I will gut him like a fish without a second thought. Understand?”

The crew threw their hands in the air and began to shout in agreement. Cheers rose from them, satisfied at his words. It seemed as if they had waited for that moment, to have me put in my place.

“Good, I’m glad we have an understanding. Your captain has not gone soft. He is having his way with the bounty until his reward is here, then we will be swimming in gold!”

The crew continued to cheer as Aiden turned to me, eyes hard and cold. “Mr. Hayes, take her to my quarters.”

“Yes, Cap’n,” Hayes said gladly as he approached the crate.

“I hate you, Aiden,” I snarled as I challenged him, violet eyes set on his face to let the anger show.

Tears began to swell up in my eyes, those of both anger and hurt. I had no control over them. His betrayal struck deep into my very soul. I thought we came to an agreement, that I cared about him, and he was opening up to me, but I had been mistaken. He was a charmer, and I meant nothing to him. I was a fool for thinking there was anything more to him than his looks and reputation suggested. The rush of new feelings had caused me to give in too quickly.

“Don’t say that, darling,” he cooed and loosened his grip on my hair, trailing his fingers to my face and caressing my cheek.

I jerked away from him and scowled. He laughed as he stepped off the crate. “Don’t be so angry with me.”

“You better keep one eye open while you sleep tonight, Captain,” I threatened as Hayes took me by the arm to lead me away.

The crowd cheered even louder. I continued to glare at him as we walked away, showing I meant business. With a weapon I had failed before, but he was just a simple man when he was sleeping.

Aiden frowned at me as he watched. “I will join you soon.” There was a mixture of emotions in his voice, but I didn’t care enough to sort through them. I was done with trying to read his mind.

Anger and hatred boiled within me, more intense than I had ever felt before. Embarrassment and shame mixed in with it to make me feel utterly helpless. I wanted to go home. This ship was not and never would be my home. When the full moon came, I would wish to be a mermaid, leave, and never come back. Never again would I think about Captain Aiden.

“Milady!” Casey called from the crowd as he pushed his way through it. He was trying to get to me, but Aiden grabbed ahold of his shirt to pull him back.

He shook his head at the boy, and Casey looked at me with his mouth turned downward. He held his hand up to wave.

I gave him a half smile before following Hayes to the captain’s quarters.

“Please, Raewyn. I know he has angered you, but I can promise you he cares for you. The cap’n just doesn’t know how to express himself, he doesn’t.” He continued to plead for me not to be angry at Aiden.

No matter what excuses he gave, I simply couldn’t find it in myself to do so. He’d betrayed me, and he had a lot of making up to do if he wanted me to trust him again.

Chapter Sixteen

“Let me in, Raewyn! This is my cabin.”

I continued to ruin his room, throwing his things about and ripping up his papers. Tears stung at my eyes but I forced them back. I wouldn’t cry because of him. Laughing loudly, I started to pace the room, emotions flickering back and forth so quickly I couldn’t keep up. I’d had it with him; I just had to find a way to get out.

“Raewyn…”

The excited cheers and song of the crew flowed from the deck, still celebrating in honor of my misery. It had lasted for hours and started to get quiet. I hoped they would all pass out drunk soon.

When I heard the rustling of the door, recognizing it as him picking the lock, I ran into the washroom and locked myself inside. I leaned back against the door and slid down to the floor.

Aiden knocked on the door, his voice softer as he said my name. “Darling, please come out here so we can talk.”

The gentleness of his voice pushed me over the edge. Large tears fell down my face as I pulled my knees up to me and buried my face in them. I didn’t answer him. There was nothing else to say to him.

The door creaked, and I heard him mimicking my behavior—sliding down the door and sitting on the floor. His weight pressed into the door behind me, the sound of him hitting the wood with the back of his head.

Neither of us spoke another word, just sat there in silence with only the door between us. He didn’t try to get me to open the door anymore, and he didn’t try to get me to talk to him. I let the tears fall, let all of the emotion out, but all I really wanted to do was have him hold me. I hated the thought that he had that much impact on me. My hand covered my mouth to hide my sobs.

Finally, I heard the floor groan as he stood up, the pressure on the door subsiding. His footsteps echoed across the cabin, and then door shut. I let out a long sigh and wiped my eyes dry. Without him there, I was suddenly alone again in the world. A part of me was missing.

He wouldn’t be happy my decision, but I wasn’t happy with him. Why should I even care what he thought?

I had to get away.

I stood up from the floor and left the washroom, cracking open the door to the cabin and peering outside. A few drunken pirates stumbled about as they cleaned the floor and cackled loudly. Hayes and Casey were nowhere to be seen, but they weren’t who my eyes were searching for.

Aiden sat upon the highest deck in a chair with his feet propped up on the edge of the ship. No one noticed as I shut the door behind me and began to make my way down the stairs and toward the opening on the ship’s side. I hid in the shadows as I crept across the ship. Once I reached the long plank of wood running down to the ground below, I paused to look back at Aiden. It would be the last time I ever saw him. He was gazing out at the sea, lost in thought once again. Sadness flittered through me when I realized I would never know what he was thinking about when he stared at the ocean. I shook my head to clear the thoughts and ran quickly down the plank, onto the ground below, and toward the woods. If I thought too long, I would never leave.

I followed the path into the dark woods, only the slight shining of the moon through the tall trees to show me the way. My hands came up to cover my face to keep the stray limbs and tall plants off me. When I stepped out the other side, I was thankful to have made it. I found myself out of breath and far from the ocean. I couldn’t let my fears slow me down. I needed to find shelter.

A town stood in front of me, homes scattered about the area. Their lights were all off except for one in the home to my right. Quickly, I made my way toward the home and smoothed down my hair to attempt to make myself presentable. As I slipped up to the front door, I brought my hand up to knock. It was way too late for visitors, but I hoped this home would be a safe place to go for now.

The door opened slightly, and I was surprised to see a young girl with bright red hair around ten years of age standing there. Her green eyes opened wide as she stood up on her tiptoes to whisper to me. “Are you a pirate?”

“Oh no,” I said with a smile, amused at the curiosity sparkling in the girl’s eyes. “I’m a princess.”

“A princess?” the girl exclaimed and grabbed my hand. She moved to the side to pull me inside of the small home. “Come in.”

“Are your parents home?”

“Yes, my daddy is in bed.”

About that time, a deep voice floated through the room. “Abbey, you should be in bed.”

I froze as he stepped out of the darkness, unsure how he would take having a stranger in his home. His head tilted to the side and his eyes settled on me. “And what do we have here?”

“She’s a princess, Daddy!” The little girl jumped up into his arms.

His eyes didn’t move from me. “You don’t look like a princess.”

“Yes sir, I’m sorry to intrude so late,” I said, utilizing my best manners—ones I usually reserved for official parties back home, never in everyday use. “I was stolen away by Captain Aiden Flynn and have escaped.”

“But how, how did you get away from him?” he asked, brown eyes still trying to figure out how I ended up there.

“I snuck away when they were busy. Your home was the only one with a light on. I was just hoping I could stay here for the night. I will leave first thing when the sun rises.”

“I don’t need any trouble,” the man clarified as he walked over to his lamps and began to turn them off. He left one candle burning in the center of the room and gestured to the space. “Please, have a seat. We don’t get visitors often, and it’s rare someone escapes the hands of that terrible rat.”

“Oh, I believe he met his match.” I let the anger show in my voice. Apparently this man felt the same way. I took a seat on the small furniture and tried to keep my eyes from the one candle in the room. It was the same way Aiden liked his quarters at night.

“I don’t have an extra room, but you are more than welcome to my wife’s old clothing and the washroom to clean yourself up.”

“Oh, I can just sleep in this. It’s fine, thank you. But I may take you up on that offer for a washroom. I’m Raewyn,” I said held my hand out to him.

The man shook it and smiled. “I’m Fyndir Staleski, the shoe maker for this small town. We often have pirates visit the taverns late at night, and I make it a point to stay away from there. They are the reason I lost my lovely wife.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, saddened by the thought.

His eyes bore into mine. “They are not to be trusted; I hope you know that.”

“I do, I know now more than ever, Fyndir. Thank you for your kindness.”

“You’re welcome.” He stood up and walked to the other side of the small room to busy himself in the kitchen.

I turned my attention to the small girl sitting beside me, staring at me. “What are you doing up so late?”

“Oh, you know, just reading stories.”

“Stories, huh?”

“Yes, fairy tales!”

“Oh! That sounds like fun. What’s your favorite?”

The girl sighed as if I asked her the hardest question ever and tapped the side of her head with her finger for a few moments. “I love stories about princes and princesses! Oh, and mermaids!”

“Mermaids?” I leaned over excitedly. “Have you ever heard about the mermaids of Camilla Island?”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Oh yes, my favorite!”

“Well, I think you and I are going to get along very well. I have lots of tales, what do you say? Would you like to hear them?”

“Yes! Yes!” she exclaimed as she began to situate herself until she was lying on her stomach, her head propped up on her hands and anxiously awaiting my stories.

Her father took a seat beside us once again, offering me a warm cider. I obliged him with a thank you, and began to tell her stories I was sure she never heard before about my home island. The stories were bittersweet. The ones I told her were full of excitement, but all I felt inside was sadness. Still, I forced myself to smile and told her of my fondest memories until she fell asleep.

“You’re quite the story teller,” Fyndir observed as he ran his fingers through his daughter’s hair.

It reminded me of Aiden, the way he would rake his fingers through mine peacefully.

Then I reminded myself what a jerk he ended up being. No need to think about him. Why did my thoughts keep going back to him?

“Thank you,” I said. “May I use your washroom?”

“Of course, help yourself.”

I stood up with a thankful nod and walked down the hallway into the small room. Candles were scattered about the room, casting an eerie glow upon it as I closed the door. I put my hands on the banister and dipped my head. I was drained, emotionally and physically, and I needed to sleep, but I wasn’t sure I could with thoughts racing through my head.

I reached into the basin to splash water on my face, which helped to an extent. Water always had a way of calming me, even if it wasn’t from the ocean. Picking up the washcloth, I cleaned the dirt off my face.

As I looked up into the mirror, I barely recognized the girl in front of me. My skin was darker, holding in more of the color from the sun than it used to from standing on deck with Aiden, and my violet eyes seemed to stand out vibrantly in my face. There were new, lighter highlights in my dark hair, and it flowed in messy layers down past my shoulders. I ran my hands through it several times, until it looked more taken care of.

The girl who looked back at me was almost a stranger, with rugged leather clothing and different movements than before. Had I always stood so tall? Had such a look of beauty and danger to me? It seemed as if I was more of a pirate than a mermaid princess, and as I leaned in to get a closer look, I could smell the peppermint and rum on my breath. I groaned as my stomach fell and tears stung my eyes again. I had never cried so much in my life.

It needed to come off me. I reached into the sink to rinse my mouth out with water. Over and over again. I didn’t stop until I was sure the smell and taste of it was gone. Only then was I satisfied. I didn’t need any memory of the past few weeks on me. I just had to find a place to survive for the next few days until the full moon.

A loud thump from the other room made me pause. I heard several voices whispering in the other room. I opened the door to peer outside. A short round man I didn’t know had the young girl with his hand over his mouth. Her father lay still at her feet.

I grabbed the broom next to me, the only sort of weapon I could see, and ran out into the open with it held high. “You let her go this instant! She’s just a little girl!”

“Oh we will let her go. As soon as we have you,” he growled.

I ran forward with the broom in my hand, hard end upwards, but before I could bring it down on his head someone grabbed me from behind and wrapped their arm around my neck. I cried out as my hands flew up to try and pry him off me. The arm was strong and large, and I fought back. I bucked in his arms, tried to throw him off me, wishing I brought a sword or a dagger with me so I could save this small family and myself. But I was no match against a larger man.

“I knew we would find you, Captain Aiden’s lady love. He will gladly do as we ask when he finds out we have you.”

His voice was familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

“He wants nothing to do with me,” I growled. “I hate him.”

The man laughed and lowered his lips to my ear. “I don’t believe you. I saw the way he looked at you in the tavern. He put up a good fight but for some reason, he didn’t kill me. That’s usually what he does with those who try and take what’s his. You won’t fool me.”

Martin.

He pulled his arm tighter around my throat, and the world grew blurry. I fought to breathe, fought to get away, kicking at him as in an attempt to pry his arm from around my neck. I fought until I couldn’t move any longer and the room spun around me. Doing the only other thing I could think of, I sank my teeth into his arm.

“You brat!” he screamed and slammed his free hand down on my head, causing the blackness to take me over.

Chapter Seventeen

“Rae, wake up. Come on, darling, please wake up,” a voice cooed quietly in the darkness, waking me from my deep sleep.

My head pounded, and I couldn’t will my eyes to open. A hand cupped my face, the thumb rubbing it gently. The familiarity of the voice hit me, followed by a sudden sense of relief. I was safe, and in good hands. It was hard to remember why I should slap his hand away and run for the hills. Hadn’t I been certain I never wanted to speak to him again?

“Aiden,” I whimpered, the name slipping from my lips before I caught myself. The pain pounded in my head again, and I groaned.

“Yes, I’m here, love.”

He was so much gentler, so different from the foul creature on the deck of his ship. Was it possible he had two separate personalities? I was confused as my eyes flittered open to see his face inches away from mine.

“Did they harm you?” he asked. His eyes were full of worry.

“They?” I questioned. It was hard to remember what happened before I blacked out. Then the young girl and her father’s faces flashed before my eyes, as well as the men who attacked us.

My eyes grew wide as I reached out to grasp his vest. “The girl and her father! Are they alright?”

“Yes, they are fine. I came looking for you and heard the commotion here. I knew all along that man had ill intentions, but you wouldn’t listen to me. I…disposed of them.”

I wanted to be angry at him for that, but my insistence on him calming the violence down is what got me in this predicament.

“They wanted me gold.”

I scoffed. “Isn’t that what you are after? Me and the king’s gold?” My words were laced with venom. I reminded myself I didn’t like him.

His face fell as he scratched his forehead, and then sat his hand on his knee where he was squatted in front of me. He shook his head, followed by a defeated sigh.

“Perhaps at one point,” he said, but his emotions were unreadable. His voice cracked as he spoke, laced with regret. What exactly he regretted, I didn’t care. He didn’t even acknowledge the fact I admitted there was a king involved.

“Well, now you’ve got me again. Let’s get back to your ship and get on with it,” I hissed, forcing the anger back into my words.

I stood up abruptly from the chair and the world swam around me. My hand covered my face to hide the swirling scenery, and Aiden stood up with me, his arms reaching out to steady me.

“Slow down there, you had quite the hit on the head.”

I rubbed my head in the spot where it throbbed and ignored the concern in Aiden’s eyes.

“Let’s go,” I said and pulled myself out of his arms. The skin where he’d touched me cooled down from his comforting warmth. The one I used to consider a comfort. A whine escaped from my mouth. I wanted to be close to him, even though I convinced myself he hated me. And I hated him. Didn’t I? I couldn’t possibly give him the time of day after what he did to me—embarrassed me and treated me like a prize on his ship in front of his entire crew. Yet, he came here for me. He saved me again.

Aiden wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his body. The leather creaked as he began to walk forward, his body warm and more comforting than I cared to admit. I swallowed my pride and let him lead me out the door and down the street toward the ship. My body ached from the confrontation. Aiden kept shifting his eyes from side to side as if waiting for something to happen. He was ready, and his senses were keen. That’s what he needed to survive as a pirate, I supposed.

As we neared the ship, he led us in a different direction, not toward the plank leading up to the deck.

“Where are we going?” I demanded and tried to pull away from him. I didn’t want to go anywhere with him.

He wouldn’t let me go. “Somewhere where we can talk.”

“Fine,” I said, as if this wasn’t exactly what I had been wanting from him. Of course, that was before he treated me with as much respect as he’d give his shoes. Now I wasn’t sure that I wanted anything to do with him.

I couldn’t let my feelings for him grow any deeper. He wasn’t the kind of person I needed, and there was no way I would allow myself to fall in love with him.

I was surprised to find he led me to a beach, one far enough away from the ship where none of the pirates could see us. There was no one around. The sky was clear of clouds, showing the moon above and the stars shining down on us. It was such a beautiful night, but there wasn’t much time to stargaze. My eyes were immediately drawn to the sea. The sound of the waves crashing against the beach called to me, and I desperately wanted to run to it.

“Aye, here we are. The night is beautiful isn’t it?” he asked.

“Aye.” I laughed as I slipped out of his grip and continued to stare at the water crashing against the sea.

“Go on,” he encouraged and held his hand out toward the water.

I smiled excitedly at him and ran towards it, took off as if I’d found a long lost love. I guess though, I had. The second my feet touched the water, I was lost. Laughter erupted from my chest in the most splendid way as I twirled in circles. My hands flew out into the air as I spun, going faster and faster until I fell.

But Aiden was there, his hands catching me before I hit the ground below. I continued to laugh; reaching up to grip his vest and see the smile on his face. He was no longer wearing his heavy leather coat, but I could see it behind him on the sand.

“The sea is my place of escape, love. I’m glad you enjoy her too.”

My laughter paused at his words, searching them for meaning, and remembering those times I saw him gazing out at the ocean. I found my footing on the sand and ran my hands up his chest to cup the back of his neck. My heart fluttered away, off to a distant land where he and I had someplace in common—a place where he was more than an evil pirate captain and capable of loving a rambunctious mermaid princess like me. It was a world where that could actually happen.

I tilted my head to invite him to kiss me, but stopped myself. I drew back from him, seeing the disappointment in his eyes. Giving in to him now would only prove he could treat me as he wanted.

“Me too,” I whispered. “I love her. She is my home.”

“Yes, a place of rest. A safe place to think,” he agreed and let go of me. “I’m sure you have seen me stare off at it before.”

“I have.”

He chuckled and motioned toward his leather coat lying on the sand. “After you, my dear.”

Was he really being courteous?

“Thanks,” I said and took a seat on it.

As he sat down beside me, I reached out to run my hands through the sand. “So why have you brought me here?”

“Indeed, my actions are rather curious,” he said quietly and reached out to place his hand on my knee. I tensed up, ready to move away from him before my body betrayed me and tried to kiss him again, but he didn’t make any other movements. His eyes gazed at me inquisitively. “Are there suitors of your interest back where you come from?”

I was caught off guard, not having given those suitors a second thought since boarding The Devil’s Pearl. I laughed and shook my head. “No, not really. They only want to tame me into a woman who will do as they ask, and I can’t be bothered to waste my time with them. I want an equal.”

“And an equal you deserve, lass. So this…Tristen, is it?”

My head jerked up in shock at the mention of my friend’s name. “How do you know about him?”

“When you first boarded the ship, you didn’t sleep well. Often you would scream out his name in the night. I assumed he was one of your suitors.”

I was relieved he didn’t know much of my friend because he wouldn’t be able to find or identify Tristen. “He’s a friend of mine.”

“And do you love him?”

I wasn’t prepared for the question. For years I thought Tristen was the one for me, but these feelings around Aiden had me second-guessing myself. “I always thought he and I would somehow end up together, even though he is a commoner. At least with him, he treated me like an equal. But no, I know now I wasn’t in love with him.”

“Although you are a princess, and he is not a prince…”

“Yes.”

“Uh huh. So I do have competition. There is another trying to win your heart.”

My breath caught in my throat at his words, the world narrowing down on the two of us as it had before and made it hard to breathe. I had no words to say because I was surprised beyond belief. After the way he treated me, I thought I was only there for his amusement. Now he was opening up, and he seemed to be honest. He looked at me like he looked at the sea, with fascination and adoration. My body betrayed me as my stomach twisted into familiar knots only he could create. He was beautiful in the moonlight, speaking as a man, not a pirate.

“I was…hurt…when I found you’d run away tonight,” he admitted as he raised a finger to run softly down the side of my cheek. My eyelids closed at his touch.

“And why was that?”

“Because I had hoped we came to an understanding. That we would respect each other and stop playing petty games.”

I opened my eyes and looked at him, pleased he was thinking the same thing as me. Especially since I had gotten my hopes up several times with him, and I didn’t want to do it again. I was terrified he would treat me harshly again if I got in too deep, and I would end up heartbroken. There were no words for what he said, so I kept silent and let him cup my face in his hands.

“I regretted treating you like a prize as soon as Hayes led you away, but I didn’t know what else to do. My men have to understand I am still their captain, and you need to be protected. You don’t make me weak, love, you make me stronger.”

My hand rose to settle on his as I forced out what needed to be said. “You should have told me what you were planning. You hurt my feelings really bad, and I thought there was more between us. I thought you cared about me. I’m not your property.”

Aiden nodded and pursed his lips before speaking again. “Treasures are forever, lass. I have loads of them in me ship. I’ve learned they don’t break hearts. They don’t leave.”

I understood exactly what he was talking about. “It’s something precious you can keep for yourself.”

His eyes grew wide as he looked at me. “Exactly.”

“I collect treasures as well. I have a hidden stock of them back at home. The adventure to get them is exciting too, I’m sure you can understand.”

He sighed. “Could you be more amazing? A woman who loves adventure and treasure as much as I do and doesn’t pirate for a living. It’s fascinating really. What else are you hiding from me?”

I bit my lip and looked at him. There was no way I was telling him I was a mermaid. We had things in common in addition to the undeniable attraction, but I still wasn’t sure about the trust part. “Nothing exciting, really.”

Aiden’s hand rose to cup my face as he looked at me in awe.

“Raewyn….” He started to speak and then looked away from me as if to think about what he wanted to say. He nodded to himself and returned his eyes to me, certainty lining his face. “That story I told you about, the one about the Irish prince. It was me, lass. Sailing the seas was a hobby of mine until my world fell apart.”

The information floored me and filled me with shock. I repeated his words in my heads and tried to form any coherent words. When I stopped staring at him in astonishment and remembered how to think, everything started falling into place. He was once an Irish prince, one who had everything, and lost it in a short span of time. He lost his love, his parents, and his sanity. The devastation he felt turned him into one of the most dangerous men on the open seas. He turned toward what he loved the most, sailing the ocean, and became a pirate. His new identity allowed him to let out his frustrations, even if it was in an inappropriate way. It also explained his accent.

He could see the confusion in my eyes. “I know, it sounds a little weird. Once it was all over, I burned everything. The house, the treasure, everything. Then I ran away on my ship, changed her name, and forgot my worries on the high sea. I’ve been running from it ever since.”

I was surprised at just how much Aiden and I had in common. Our parents were dead, we loved the sea, and we longed for treasures. I could understand what he dealt with before he became a pirate. My suitors wanted my title and my treasures. They weren’t interested in me as a person, but thankfully I never fallen in love with any of them, not like he did with his. For some reason, my destiny waited until I was captured by a pirate to show any kind of genuine deep feelings for a member of the opposite sex.

“This is my family crest,” he explained, holding up the bronze necklace he wore. It was a shield with a helm on the front of it, with a large “F” in the center. I often looked at it and wondered what it was. Now I had the answer.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Our kingdom was by the sea.” He looked up at me with a beautiful and genuine smile.

So was mine. I wanted to tell him what I was and where I came from badly, but I didn’t.

We sat there for several moments, eyes locked on each other, each testing the waters to see what would happen. He began to lean in slowly but didn’t close the distance just yet. I licked my lips in anticipation as I tried to make myself pull away. The soft sound of the waves was like music to my ear. It was perfect.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I want you to know I’m doing my best to be honest with you.”

“Why?”

He didn’t answer me; rather, he closed the distance between us, pulling my face to him. His lips were just as rough as I remembered, chapped from the sun but fantastic upon mine; drowning out any anger in me. His hand slid around the back of my head to deepen the kiss. A low moan fell from my lips and into his mouth as I pushed against him. The movement tipped us over onto the ground with me on top. His hands ran down my body, over my curves slowly, enjoying every turn his digits made.

It was more complicated than I ever thought. He wasn’t simply a monster trying to steal my kingdom and destroy my people. He was a lonely soul, so broken he didn’t know how to survive without the pain. A man who was healing every day with me. This was simply Aiden, the one who was nice to me when his crew wasn’t around, and the one whose soft touch had been a comfort to me when I found myself alone on the large pirate ship.

I kissed him back, ferociously, as if I could never get enough of him, and perhaps I would never be able to. This pirate made me feel more at home than my own people miles below the surface. He made me feel alive with every touch of his hand, made my heart flutter with every glance. It was everything I ever wanted, but why did it have to be with a human of all people. I feared I was falling in love with Aiden.

He was no good for me. He lied to me, made me feel like a fool, and tried to boss me around. But he also let me be myself, let me be strong, and let me be his equal. He made me feel pleasures unlike any I’d felt before, taught me how to use a sword, play the piano, and to survive among the pirates. It was hard to remember the cruel things he did when his lips were on mine, because they made me want nothing more than to be in his arms.

I placed my hands on the coat beneath us and pulled back to address him. I needed him to know that he couldn’t treat me with such disrespect again. If he wanted any sort of chance, we had to be taken seriously.

Before I got to speak, a pair of large, rough hands grabbed me by the arms and ripped me out of his hands.

“Aiden!” I threw my arms out to try and grab him, but it was too late. A cold steel blade pressed against my throat, and I froze.

Aiden jumped to his feet and put his hand at the hilt of his sword.

“Draw your weapon and the girl is dead,” a gruff voice said from behind me. His voice was cold and serious, no ounce of emotion in it.

“Ahoy, mate. Me bird and I were just about to leave,” Aiden said as he let go of his weapon and held out his hands. He smiled at the man, hoping to charm him I guessed. He was good at talking others into things they didn’t want to do.

“I came for you and the girl. Save your breath.” He didn’t seem to be the one to change his mind.

Aiden took a few steps closer, his smile fading from his face. “Is that so?”

“Yes, my master wishes to speak with the both of you.”

“And who would that be?” Aiden asked, eyes roaming over at me.

I let him see the fear on my face as I struggled not to move. The blade was suffocating me, and I really wanted to get out of the grip of this man. My eyes grew wide as two other men stepped out of the darkness. Each of them grabbed Aiden by an arm, but he let them. He didn’t fight back.

If he didn’t do something we were going to be taken by these idiots. I couldn’t believe he would just let them lead us away from the safety of the ship and away from any semblance of familiarity, but he did. I didn’t want to be any further from the ocean, and I couldn’t be when the moon became full. I would miss my chance to escape. Why was he letting them take us?

“My master is someone you don’t need to worry about. Don’t pull any funny business, you’ve already thwarted our attempts once.”

“It’s going to be alright, Rae,” Aiden called out to me as my captor swung me over his shoulder and began to follow the others.

I wanted to believe his every word, more than I wanted to believe anything else he’d said to me, but I had a sinking feeling things were not going to be okay. No matter what he said.

Chapter Eighteen

With all my strength, I kicked the door, but it didn’t budge. Pain shot up my leg. They weren’t strong enough to help me. I grabbed ahold of the doorknob and shook it, trying to get it to open. Nothing worked.

I stepped back from the door and sighed as I looked around. The room was small and devoid of furniture. Everything in the room was made of wood, with no windows, and a solid door. Only a single light bulb fell from the center of the ceiling to shed any light in the room.

Ropes held Aiden to the wall in front of me without any weapons. The strangers had taken it from him before knocking him out.

“Aiden,” I whispered, loud enough I hoped it would wake him, but quiet enough I hoped it wouldn’t bring our captors back.

He didn’t move.

I walked over to him and grabbed his shirt, shaking him a couple of times before his eyes shot open. He jerked forward on his restraints with anger in his eyes, and I jumped backwards.

“Ah, love, it’s just you.” He sighed and regained his composure. He looked around the room and shook the bindings at his wrists. “Where are we?”

“I have no idea, Aiden. You’re the one who just let them take us.”

His eyes twinkled with mischief. “But what an adventure this could be.”

“It’s not an adventure, Aiden. It’s dangerous. Those guys stole us away, far from the ship, far from the ocean!”

He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Since when do you stop and think before you act?”

“Since…since some awful pirate trapped me on his ship.”

“No need to worry. I’ve got it under control.”

“You do?” I asked and leaned back against the wall, crossing my arms to mimic the laid-back appearance he often gave.

“I do,” he insisted.

Aiden stood on his tiptoes and pulled his wrists together. The fingers of his right hand barely touched his left wrist, but he was able to use his strength to pull himself off the ground. He bent at the waist to bring his boots closer to his face. With his teeth, he popped open a button and retrieved a very small but sharp piece of metal. Once he had it in his hands, he dropped his hold and began to saw away at the ropes at his hands.

“They never search in the boots, you see,” he explained as the first rope snapped and he landed on his left foot.

As he began to saw away at the rope around his other wrist, the door flew open. In stepped two individuals. The woman was tall and thin, clad in a tight purple dress. Her hair was a bright blonde color and her eyes an almost as bright blue. Her hair was pulled into a bun on top of her head. She was young and plain looking. The man was her height, with messy red hair on top of his head. Freckles spread across his cheeks but the same blue eyes stood out in his tanned face. The woman didn’t smile, although the man did in a maddened way.

“I’m William, this is Julianna. We require your services.” He bowed slightly.

“I’m not fond of being taken and told what to do,” Aiden growled as he finished undoing his binds and dropped to the floor.

William cocked an unhappy eyebrow at Aiden’s movements. “You are handier than we thought.”

“I told you to tie up the girl too,” Juliana spoke softly, almost quiet enough to miss.

I moved closer to where Aiden stood but kept my hands to myself. I wouldn’t show any sort of weakness in front of these strangers. They knew of Aiden, just how stealthy he was, but I wasn’t too terribly surprised. His reputation exceeded him. The real question was what did they want from him?

The woman took me in from head to toe, her expression turning sour as she looked back at my face. Her eyes hid whatever she was thinking, and she leaned over to whisper to William. He nodded and then began to step toward us. Aiden mirrored his movements and stood before me. He wasn’t going to let William near me.

“The girl is quite beautiful. How do you know her?”

“I don’t,” Aiden said.

William laughed loudly and ran his hands through his hair. There was anger and a glimmer of danger in his eyes when he looked back at us. “You don’t know? I find that hard to believe.”

“Well he doesn’t,” I snapped.

Thankfully it was the truth. He was learning me as a person, as a woman, but he still had no insight into what I really was. He had no information to betray me. Even though I wanted to trust him, that bit of information helped me to feel secure. My secret was mine and only mine. Aiden couldn’t betray me if he wanted to.

I stomped forward with anger in my eyes. “You need to leave us alone before I show you exactly what I’m made of.”

Aiden caught me around the waist and pulled me to him. “Shh, lass.”

I fought against him, fear and anger fueling me to get to the two unknown humans in the room. If Aiden wasn’t going to fight, I would. We needed to get out of there. I could charm them if I got close enough.

“Feisty, isn’t she?”

This earned William an angry glare from Aiden. “I suggest you watch your mouth when talking about a lady.”

“Protective are we?”

Aiden balled his fists at his side, and I was surprised at his blatant struggle to hide his anger. He had been able to hide his emotions in front of his men…except for when I appeared to be in danger. He was protective, and it was going to get us in to trouble.

“Listen, who I am is none of your business. I’ve spent almost a month on his ship, and he doesn’t know much about me. What makes you think I will tell you anything?” I asked.

William put his hands on his hips. “Because if you’re not going to play nice, we will just gut your precious captain here and now. What say you of that? Hmm?”

“Don’t tell him anything on account of me, lass,” Aiden whispered in my ear and then looked up at William to address him. “Whatever it is, I will do it for you. You only need to leave the girl alone.”

William considered his words for a moment. “You would, would you?”

“That I would,” Aiden replied.

“You’re in search of lost treasure, correct?”

Aiden stared him down, but nodded.

“Well then, we are in this for the same reason.”

“I don’t follow.”

William sighed. “What we are after is located in the same place of that you seek. You can fill your pockets full to the brim with whatever you would like, and we can show you where it is. All you have to do is get what we need.”

“And what is that?”

“Don’t do it,” I argued. I didn’t want to help them. It was going to be a waste of our time.

Aiden let go of me and pushed my body behind him, ignoring my comment and gesturing for the man to go on.

Julianna reached into the side of her dress and into a hidden pocket. As she pulled her hand back out, she revealed what appeared to be half of a round, dark blue stone with flecks of navy across it. “The other half of this.”

“And just what is that?” I asked.

When she bore her eyes into mine, it was unsettling. There was danger in those depths even William didn’t possess. I never met such a woman who appeared to have such evil in her. She was very quiet, so in control. It was terrifying. She wasn’t afraid of me or Aiden. I could hear it in her voice as she spoke. “The stone of prosperity. It grants immortality to those who possess it. As you see, we have half of it. We need your captain to get the other half of it. For our master.”

“Well, your master can forget it,” I said. “I—”

Aiden interrupted my next crude comment. “And you’re sure this is the location of the lost treasure we’re looking for?”

“Positive.”

A smirk grew over Aiden’s face. “I would be glad to help you with one condition. You must keep the girl here with you.”

“What? No!” I exclaimed.

“Shh, lass. I have this under control.”

I looked at him in a mixture of shock and anger. “You just want the treasure.”

He reached out to put his finger over my mouth. “It has nothing to do with that.”

“Unbelievable.” I scoffed and crossed my arms. I couldn’t believe he was more worried about getting this “lost treasure” than he was with getting us to safety. Every time that I thought I understood him, he threw me off. I was ready to show these people just how uncooperative I could be, and there he was agreeing with them!

Aiden turned back to address William. “I will need reassurance that you’re being honest. I don’t trust thieves you see.”

“How ironic,” Julianna said.

“We’re more than just your average thieves. Our leader is magnificent,” William said. As he approached us, he motioned for my hand. I shook my head and glared at him. I wasn’t about to let him touch me willingly.

“What’s that mate?” Aiden glared at the object in the man’s hand. He didn’t trust them either.

“We can’t have you running off. This is the only way I know of to ensure you follow through. You care for her, yes?”

Before Aiden could respond, William pushed past him and grabbed my arm. He yanked me toward him and clamped the device around my wrist. He let me go, and I stumbled away from him.

Aiden grabbed ahold of me and pulled me to him. He held me against him for a moment, as if he was thankful to have me back, running his hand down my hair. Then, he pulled back to grasp my arm and analyze the object. He flipped my hand over to check the underside, neither of us seeing a way to remove it. It was black with padding on the inside, but it was heavy.

“What is this?” he demanded.

“Our reassurance that you will get things done. I’m giving you a deadline. If you do not return within the next three days, I will press this button.” William pulled a small, round device from his pocket and held it in the air. “It will cause that contraption to shoot venom into the pretty lady’s arm and kill her. Simple really. You retrieve the other half of our stone, and we will let her go safely.”

“Where did you get such technology?”

William smirked. “Like I said, our leader is—”

“William, would you shut up,” Julianna said and turned her attention to Aiden. “You must know, it is a very difficult quest we are asking of you, but you are known for your ability to retrieve the most hidden treasures. I trust you will get this for us and quickly.”

“It won’t be a problem, I’m sure,” Aiden said with a cocky smile.

“Many have died trying to get the other half. If you don’t return, it’s not only your life hanging in the balance. Now, it will also be her life on the line.”

Aiden dropped my arm and pointed toward the man angrily. “You will return my weapons and show me where I need to go. I will get this stone for you, but if you harm her I will destroy the both of you. Mark my words.”

“That’s not a problem,” Julianna clarified, still not cracking a smile. “Once you return with what we need, she will be set free.”

“Here is your map,” William added as he retrieved a rolled up piece of paper and threw it to Aiden, who caught it easily in his hands. “I will show you another room to wait for when the time is right.”

“No waiting, I will go now,” Aiden insisted. He tried not to show the panic in his eyes, but I could see it.

“No,” William clarified with a malicious laugh, “you will do as you are told, or I will push this button now.” He placed his finger on top of the button to show he was serious.

“No need to do that,” Aiden said, stepping down and giving in. I had never seen him do that before, and it worried me. He was always the one in charge and didn’t let others have the control. Yet he was giving into the wiles of the enemy.

“Good choice.” William placed the button back in his pocket.

Aiden took my hand as the two of them led us out of the room and down the hallway. It seemed as if we were in a cabin of sorts. The walls and floor were made of wood. The hallway was snug with no decoration on the walls. If only we knew where we were, perhaps we could escape.

I stayed close to Aiden, one of my hands holding onto his shirt. Even if these people turned on us, he would fight his hardest to ensure our safety, and I would too. If there was one thing I learned about Aiden, it was he would protect me if I couldn’t protect myself.

They led us to another room, also without windows, but with more furnishings in it. It was bigger than the room they’d held us in earlier, appearing to be a living room of sorts, with a large round rug in the middle, and a circle of couches ran around the exterior of it. Everything in the room was circular.

“You will wait here until we return to get you,” William said as he shut the door behind him.

I heard the loud sound of the door locking behind him and let go of Aiden. Walking over to the couches, I sat down and buried my face in my hands. As if this month could get any worse. Now, I was stuck with a pirate captain in a place I didn’t know, away from the sea, and on the verge of being killed. It was not at all how I had foreseen this situation going. I expected to stay aboard the ship until the full moon when I could go home. Now I didn’t know what to do.

Hearing the rustling of paper, I looked up from my hands to see Aiden lying on the floor in front of me. The map laid in front of him, and he ran his finger over it. I could tell he was in deep thought. He was one who always got his treasure, but this time something was at stake. Well, if he cared about me like he claimed to. He mumbled to himself,  but I couldn’t understand them from where I was.

I slipped onto the floor to lie on my stomach beside him and look down at the map. I sighed. “What are we in for?”

“I am in for an adventure. Nothing to worry about, love, I just have to get this map tattooed into my brain. If I know where I’m going, I can quickly snatch this stone and get back to you.”

“No, I’m going with you.”

He shook his head in disagreement but continued to focus on the map. “No, Rae, you have to stay here. I will get the stone of prosperity. There’s nothing to worry about. You will just run through it without thinking.”

“I’m coming with you,” I insisted and ignored his comment about my spontaneity. “I can help and you know it.”

Aiden chuckled. “I cannot watch over you and obtain our freedom at the same time.”

“I can watch out for myself. It’s my life in the balance here.”

“I won’t allow it.” He said it as if it were the end of the conversation, but I wasn’t about to give up. I wanted to go, and I wasn’t going to let him stop me.

I opened my mouth to argue, but he finally looked up from his map and at me, with something in his eyes I hadn’t seen before. He brought his hand up to cup my cheek and stared into my eyes.

“I wasn’t worried about this mission until they put that device on you. This treasure is what me men and I have been looking for. It would be easy for me to retrieve it and their stone, and then come back to get you. When they slapped that thing on your wrist, it changed the entire game.”

“I’ve never heard anything like this. Do you think they’re honest and it would work?”

“I’m not willing to take that chance. There are better technologies out there, lass, ones that are rare and like you wouldn’t believe.”

I pulled at the cuff, trying to remove it. “If you would just have fought back, we wouldn’t even been here.”

“I couldn’t. There was something more important in the balance.” His voice lowered as he brought his face closer to mine. “I hate to admit this, especially to you, but you make me weak. I would die to protect you.”

Although he opened up about who he really was while we were on the beach, hearing this from him was a shock. I opened my mouth to answer him, but he crashed his lips upon mine and kissed me. He kissed me as if he would never see me again, with an uncertainty that didn’t ring well. It was as if he was giving a bittersweet goodbye, making certain this was the one and only choice for him to make. His fingers curled into my hair and pulled me closer to him, deepening the kiss and eliciting a sad moan from me. I kissed him back with the same ferocity, determined to pour every ounce of emotion I had into it.

He rolled me over on top of him, my long hair hiding our kiss from the world, and tightened his hold on my head. Aiden wasn’t letting me go, though one of his hands trailed down my body and gripped my waist. His kisses moved down my jaw, his fingers pulling my head back to reveal my neck to him. Warm wet kisses moved down to the hollow of my neck.

I couldn’t get enough of him when we were like this, and it could be the last opportunity to kiss him. There was danger ahead of him in the unfamiliar cave. He had been forming a strategy in his head while looking at the map, but I still couldn’t be sure he would come out alive.

My hands took his face in them as he sat up to continue his exploration of my body with his mouth. His name fell from my lips softly, earning a satisfied groan from him. If this were to be our last moments together, I wanted to make it last. Making love to him was my one last wish. He pulled my shirt off my shoulder to make more room for his kisses, and my hand slipped underneath his. My fingers trailed over his hard body and pushed the fabric upwards to pull it off.

He obliged, his hands letting go of me for just a second to lift it over his head and throw it to the floor before returning to me. He rolled me underneath him and lowered his face to mine.

“I want you to remember this, love, in case I don’t make it back.”

“You’ll make it back, Aiden, don’t be silly,” I said and tried to kiss him.

He pulled away from me and ran one of his hands down my body, pushing my shirt up and placing his rough palm against my stomach. I squirmed under him, trying to fit us together again, but he fought back and shook his head.

“Slow it down. My beautiful Rae, I want to remember this. I want something to remember when I’m fighting through the caves for you.” He was speaking as if he would never see me again.

“Okay,” I whispered breathlessly.

“Will you remember me? When you are a free woman?”

Freedom. Something I’d wanted since boarding The Devil’s Pearl and yet, the sudden thought of it made my stomach drop and sadness come over me. He didn’t want to let me go now.

“I will remember you,” I reassured him. “Always.”

He pulled me in for another kiss, and I feared nothing would ever come close to this feeling of being with him. I’d never forget him. Aiden was one of a kind, and there would be no one else out there like him. I’d searched for too long and found nothing.

As his hand slid higher underneath my shirt and started to remove it, there was a rattling at the door.

“Bloody hell,” he growled and let go of my shirt. He planted one last quick kiss on my lips before standing in front of me and shrugging on his shirt.

“Time to get going,” William said as he stepped into the room and eyed Aiden.

Without another word, Aiden followed him through the door. I raked my hands through my hair and groaned. He didn’t even say goodbye. I was determined to find a way to go after him. He wasn't going to be in this alone. I wouldn’t be far behind him, and they couldn’t keep me from it.

Besides, I wasn’t one to miss out on a treasure hunt.

Chapter Nineteen

“You’re free to go.”

I looked up from where I sat, in the exact same place I was after they took Aiden from me. Julianna stood there with a scowl upon her face, as if she hated me personally for some reason. I wasn’t sure what her problem was.

“I said, you’re free to go.”

I stood up and dusted off my clothing. “I heard you just fine. You don’t have to repeat yourself.” I walked over to her and glared. “What’s your problem anyway?”

“Just you in my hair. I told William to send you on with Aiden, but he never listens to me.” She sighed. “You have to go after Aiden. He cannot obtain the stone without you.”

“Of course he can,” I said with a laugh, knowing it to be true, but I wanted to see why she thought he couldn’t. I wanted to go after him, and I was thankful to have my opportunity now. Still, I was very suspicious about why they would let me leave when they needed me for assurance he would come back.

“No, he can’t,” she clarified. “It has to be a princess. You are a princess aren’t you?”

I shook my head. I wouldn’t tell her anything.

“Must I really persuade you to be agreeable with me?” She sighed and walked over to a cabinet in the corner. After she opened it and reached inside, she turned around with a large ring in her hands.

My mouth fell open in shock. “Where did you get that?” I rushed forward to get a better look, to make sure I was seeing it right.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

I suppressed a scream and held back my emotions. If I showed too much, she would know how intimately I recognized it. The ring in her hands was old and gray, with a purple stone in it. It matched the color of my eyes exactly, and my father had worn it every day since I’d been born.

“How badly do you want to know where I got it?”

“I don’t care,” I said and crossed my arms. Inside I was dying to know where she got it, and I wanted to rip it from her hands. She had no right to hold on to that.

“My love gave this to me. It once belonged to a great king. I don’t know who he is, but the fact that you recognize it tells me you know.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Maybe I do.”

“Listen, a princess spelled the stone of prosperity thousands of years ago. She made sure men would not be able to obtain it and use the power. When she hid the two pieces away, she used her magic to connect the stone to the pedestal. Only another princess can remove it.”

I wasn’t sure I believed her, but I pressed on. “Why would she do that?”

“Her lover left her.”

“Why?”

“Don’t ask so many questions, because I will not answer them. If you don’t know the legend, it’s not my place to tell you.”

I shifted through my mind to try and remember any sort of legend, but none surfaced. How was it I hadn’t heard about this story or the stone before?”

“The bottom line is if you don’t go help him, he won’t get the stone, and you will die. Is it really worth risking your life just because you don’t trust me?”

Although I didn’t trust her, this was my chance to get out of there and get to Aiden. I could help him get the treasure, whether or not what Julianna was saying was true, and free myself.

“And if you help him retrieve it, I will give you this ring.” She twirled it in her hand and looked back at me expectantly.

There was no way she was keeping it.

“Fine. Show me where I need to go.”

Without another word, she led me out of the house. Once we were outside in the darkness, she handed me a small dagger. “This may help you on your way. I want that treasure. If you don’t come back with it, I will have William push the button without a second thought. I don’t need you around.”

I ignored her snide comments and headed in the direction she pointed. Only the moonlight from above guided my way. It was almost full.

Just a few more days.

When the large opening to the cave system was in my field of vision, I rushed toward it, eager to get this over with.

There would be challenges up ahead, I was certain. If not, William and Julianna would have gotten the other half of the stone of prosperity themselves. After all, I didn’t trust the whole princess thing.

As I stepped up to the opening, I paused to listen. I couldn’t see Aiden anywhere in sight, but I hoped he was inside. Dripping water along the cave walls was the only sound I could hear. It was dark and damp, no light to be seen, but as I took my first step inside I noticed a light up ahead. It had to be Aiden.

I rushed inside, trying to ignore the sense of dread and terror wanting to slip under my skin. The terrain was uneven and difficult to maneuver with human legs. I stumbled forward and grasped the wall to keep from falling.

I missed the ocean, and I was so far away from it with no idea of where I was. I just hoped the adventure wouldn’t last past the full moon. If I missed it, I wouldn’t be able to go home for another month. Just the thought made my heart clench.

Carefully, I walked inside, taking each step with caution so I wouldn’t fall again and followed the light ahead of me. Further inside torches lined the walls to light the way. Which meant someone had to have lit them. I peered around, hoping to see Aiden. The sudden sound of a scream caused me to take off in that direction.

“Aiden!” I exclaimed.

It had to be him. He was fighting something, and I needed to hurry. Panic arose in me because he was alone, but he was also one of the most dangerous pirates on the sea. Why was I so worried about him? Just because he showed interest in me didn’t mean his fierceness changed. I needed to trust in his ability to remain alive.

I ran into an opening to a room inside the cave, this one a lot larger than the tunnels I walked through, and saw Aiden standing in the center of creatures of legend. They were taller than him, and their lower halves matched that of a large snake. At their back were wings, but they couldn’t fly. Still, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Lamia were supposed to be extinct.

Creatures waited for us in the cave system, obviously one of the reasons William didn’t want to come in here.

Each lamia carried a long metal spear that they jabbed toward Aiden. Loud hisses reverberated off the cave walls. They were large and disturbing, but I hoped we could kill them.

I reached into my pocket to retrieve my dagger and ran toward the closest one. I winched as I stabbed it into her back, making her cry out and spin around. The dagger slipped from my hand as she turned toward me, glowing green eyes and fangs bared.

“Don’t you want us to destroy this evil villain?” she questioned, confusion barely masked by her anger. As a woman, she expected me to be on her side against a man. Men had cursed the lamia and made them bloodthirsty.

“That villain is mine,” I said, eyes not leaving hers. I was surprised at the protective tone of my voice, how I was claiming Aiden in front of this monster as he would me in front of anyone else.

She snarled at me and pushed me to the ground. I rolled away from her and into the middle of the circle of monsters and crawled over to where Aiden was. As I stood up, I threw my back against his.

“Happy to see me?”

“I told you to stay behind. You just threw yourself into a dangerous situation. Again.” I could almost see the scowl across his face as he sliced his sword at a nearby lamia. The sword connected with her spear for just a moment before he swirled it around and sliced her head off.

“I’ll take that as a yes. I have never missed out on a treasure hunt before, and I don’t intend on doing it now.” I laughed. I wouldn’t tell him the part about wanting to help him.

He huffed in irritation and sliced his sword into the lamia on my right. “Sounds like you’ve been hiding something from me, love. Are you sure you aren’t a pirate?”

I smirked. Not even close. “I’ll be more of a help than you think I will be, let’s just say that.” At least, I hoped I would be. More than one occurrence over the past few weeks showed me I might just be too sure of myself.

I reached behind me to search for a weapon. I felt the cloth of Aiden’s coat, the hardness and tenseness of his body, as he waited for more attacks. When I found the hilt of a sword at his hip, I slipped it from its resting spot and held it high.

“Be careful with that thing,” he chastised.

The lamia in front of me lunged forward with her spear and I jumped to the left, thankful Aiden got out of the way when the one across from him attacked. I swung my sword into the air like Aiden had taught me and it collided with her spear. My foot flew out to kick her to the ground, but as she fell backwards she grabbed ahold of my arm and pulled me down with her. I cried out as I hit the hard, dirt floor below. She rolled over on top of me, her fangs bared as she hissed in anger.

As she raised her spear in the air, I stretched my arm out for the sword I dropped. It was only a few inches from my fingertips, but I couldn’t reach it. Fear swelled up in me as I looked back up at the lamia. She paused for a moment to look back at me, and I let her see the terror in my eyes, hoping she would have some sort of sympathy because I was a woman. She considered me for just a moment before raising her spear higher to gut me.

“Please, don’t,” I whispered, but she wasn’t ready to have mercy on the one aiding a man.

Suddenly, the edge of a sword cut through the front of her body, causing her to scream out. My scream was echoed behind hers as the tip stopped inches from my chest. Aiden’s hand adorned with all his rings appeared on her shoulder as the sword retreated and he pushed her off to the side. He looked down at me with victory in his eyes and blood on his shirt.

“Thank you,” I forced out through large gulps for air.

“It’s my pleasure, Rae.” He held out his hand for me. I took it and he pulled me to my feet, hard enough for me to fall against him.

Aiden ran his hand down my hair, smoothing it out, and smiled that charming smile of his. “You are so beautiful, even covered in dirt.”

I slapped his chest playfully. “Shut up, we have a job to do.”

“But first…” His voice trailed off as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

It took me off guard, but the rush of the battle and his warm hands on me increased the adrenaline racing through my body. In that moment, it was exactly what needed to be. What needed to happen. Somehow, the world still faded around us in the cave. There was no sense of danger, only the feel of his fingers in my hair and his lips on mine. I curled my fingers into his shirt and deepened the kiss, pressing myself up against him as warmth radiated through my body. There was no denying it, Aiden thrilled me. When he pulled back from me, his eyes were full of adoration, and I returned the heated gaze.

“Sorry, love, we have to go. It was just so bloody sexy seeing you trying to fight those monsters. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Just using the essence of everything you taught me,” I said with a smile as I stepped back from him.

“That’s right you did. I’m glad my teachings didn’t go to waste, but please do be careful. You lost your weapon awfully fast.”

I frowned.

Placing his sword in its hilt, he motioned for me to follow him. He picked up my sword on the way out of this room and handed it to me. When he pulled one of the torches off the wall, I followed him into yet another thin tunnel. This one was just barely wide enough for the both of us.

“How do you even know where you are going?” I asked.

He tapped the side of his head and gave me a cocky smile. “It’s all in here, lass. When you’ve been a pirate as long as I have, you learn how to memorize a map.”

“And you believe them to be honest when they gave it to you?”

“Of course. They want their treasure and know I will retrieve it, especially when you have that contraption on your wrist.” He reached out to snatch my arm and look at the black cuff. I stumbled, but he caught me and laughed. “Watch your step.”

I jerked my hand from him. “Don’t grab me like that then.”

Stupid feet.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before.” Aiden dropped my hand and started walking again with a contemplative look on his face. “I wonder where they found such a thing.”

“Might be useful to use on your enemies.”

“Perhaps,” he said with a chuckle.

When we reached the end of the tunnel, he held out his hand to stop me from walking any further. He took a step into the room and held out the torch to look around. I sighed and pushed past him, surprised when my feet hit a puddle of water.

“Put the torch down here, Aiden.”

He lowered the torch and crouched down beside me. My eyes followed the path of the water, which seemed to reach across this entire room. There was nowhere else to go. We were stuck.

“See, you don’t know where you’re going,” I accused and pointed to the other side of the cave. There was no exit to be seen.

“Bloody hell.” He groaned and ran his hand down his face. “I was hoping the map was wrong.”

“What is it?”

“We have to swim underneath the water to get to the other side of the wall.”

I stopped breathing. The last time I swam with feet, it didn’t work out well. I wasn’t looking forward to trying it again. “I don’t—I don’t know if I can.”

“You don’t know how to swim?” He cocked a suspicious eyebrow.

“No.” With just one word, I felt empty inside. I could swim better than any of those pirates on his ship but not now, not with my powers stripped from me. I had no idea how to navigate these legs underneath the water.

“So how did you end up in the middle of the ocean?”

“My boat capsized,” I lied. “I was trying to escape something dreadful.” That much was true. The squid was ready to devour both Tristen and I.

Tristen.

I hadn’t thought about him in days. All my time and attention had been on Aiden, and I didn’t like that fact.

“Capsized, eh? Well I suppose you’re lucky we found you then. Since you can’t swim and all…”

“Yes, definitely,” I agreed quickly. “How do you propose we get to the other side?”

He rubbed his chin in thought. “If we don’t go, then we will not get the stone. I have to get it to keep you safe, so I don’t have a choice. You can stay here if you’d like. I will return as fast as I can.”

“No!” The panicked word escaped me before I could stop them. “I want to go with you.” Julianna’s words rung in my ear. Only another princess can remove it. I didn’t want to take that chance or be left behind.

“That attached to me are you? Very well, let us swim.” He took ahold of my hand and looked down at me. “Do not let go of my hand, lass.”

Before I could say anything else, he tossed the torch to the ground and dove into the water with me behind him. I barely had time to take in a large gasp of air before I was drug under. The water was cold, but familiar, the salt from the ocean flowing across my skin. I wondered where it came from, and if there were creatures lurking in the dark waters.

I couldn’t see in front of me, but I held on to his hand desperately. If I were to let go, I had no idea if I would be trapped beneath the rocks. Not being able to see under water was foreign to me. It was difficult to hold my breath, and I feared I wouldn’t be able to much longer. Neither of us knew where we were going, and we would have to breathe soon. It was the way of the humans.

I wish my night vision worked.

At the thought, a bright light flashed in front of me, and I could see Aiden kicking along side of me. Then it was gone. I wasn’t sure what happened, but I wanted it to happen again. Focusing my vision on our grasped hands, I imagined what it would be like to see his hand. Slowly, the water lit up with light, my vision clearing to see everything around us. Excitement leapt in my chest. It wasn’t gone after all, just dormant in this human body.

Aiden had no idea which way to go. The worry shown on his face, something he would not have done if he knew I could see his expression. He was always careful to hide his emotions. Trying to help propel us forward, I kicked my feet behind me. They were flimsy and flopped about awkwardly, but Aiden’s body moving forward helped me to balance out somewhat. Up ahead and slightly to the right, there appeared to be an opening.

Pulling on his hand, I directed him that way. I could see the indecision on his face as he turned in that direction. I was thankful he listened to me, even though he couldn’t hear me ask him. He couldn’t even argue with me about it; he was trusting in me.

Aiden’s body splashed above me, pulling me up through the surface with him. I gasped for air and clung to him; we made it, but we wouldn’t have without my ability to see in the dark. As he led me toward the shore, the panic in me settled, my lungs gladly accepting the air into them. Disappointment flowed through me when my vision changed, leaving me in darkness once again.

I crawled up on the rock shore, coughing up the water in my throat and laid down to try and catch my breath. Aiden laid down beside me, his hand not letting go of mine, and I could hear his familiar deep breathing beside me. It was comforting to have his rough hand on mine in the darkness.

I was in serious trouble.

Chapter Twenty

The sound of the flames crackling kept us company in the small room. Aiden had gathered sticks and rocks from around the room to create it. The fire helped to warm us as we dried off. He didn’t want to stop for a break, but we were both tired from fighting and swimming. Not to mention not getting any sleep. I wondered if it was daylight yet.

“You’re awful quiet, love.”

I shrugged and continued to fiddle with the string on my boot. There wasn’t a whole lot to say, considering the situation. It wasn’t ideal, and I felt as if I was suffocating in the cave. I longed for freedom from all of this and the feel of the open waters.

He moved over to where I sat and wrapped his arm around me, tucking me into the bend of it. “What’s the matter, darling?”

“I’m just ready to go home.”

“I thought you liked adventure. Isn’t that what this is?”

“No, adventure is something you do for your own reasons. We are being forced to do as others are telling us.” I turned my head and lifted my eyes to him.

“That’s true. Although I would still like to think of it as an adventure. Besides, is there anyone else you’d rather be stuck in this cave with?” His eyes twinkled as he reached out to run his thumb down my cheek.

My eyes closed on their own accord, my mouth falling open at his touch. For such rough hands, they were always gentle with me. Well, for the most part. His lips captured mine in a short, innocent kiss.

“Is there?” he asked again, running his hand down my arm and taking my hand in his.

“No.”. Honestly, I was glad Aiden was there with me. It made the cave less lonely.

I sighed and leaned against him, burying my face in his shirt. Aiden smelled familiar now; I would remember it forever. The scent of rum, peppermint, and the sky after a rainfall would never again be the same.

Aiden reached into his pocket and retrieved a flask. He popped the top off with his mouth and spit it to the ground. After taking a large gulp of it, he offered it to me. “To drown your sorrows?”

Rum was not something I wanted anymore after the way it had made me act. Since we were alone and my mind kept focusing on the negativity, I saw no reason to say no. I took it from him and tilted it back. The liquid burned as it traveled down my throat but helped to ease my worries.

“That a girl,” he said with a laugh before taking another drink himself. Leaning away from me, he laid down on the ground and propped himself up on his left arm. His eyes traveled over my form before settling on my face. “Would you like to play a game with me?”

“What sort of game?”

“One that will get us sloshed before we know what hit us so we can sleep in this dreadful place.”

I giggled, curious what it was. Everything he taught me so far was interesting. “How do we play?”

“We each take a turn telling a truth from our past lives. With each truth we take a swig of rum.”

He wanted to know about my life and was trying to be sneaky about it. However, I was just as curious as to who he was before he became a pirate and what life was like for him back then. I nodded. “Alright. Go on.”

Aiden's smile gave him away. He didn’t intend to play fair. “Before your ship capsized, what was life like for you?” There was mocking in his voice, as if he didn’t believe my story, but I ignored it.

“I am the oldest of five sisters.” The information was innocent enough. I took a sip from the flask.

He took it from me and drank before he spoke. “I was an only child.”

“You missed out. Being a sibling is a wonderful privilege. I’ve taught them best I could about the ways of—” I stopped myself before I said mermaid and picked back up, hoping he wouldn’t notice, “the suitors.”

“I’m sure there were a lot of them. You’re beautiful.”

“So you say.” I took a drink of the harsh liquid before handing it back to him. “How old were you when you left your kingdom?”

“Seventeen.”

“What was it like there?”

“You’ve never been to Ireland?”

I shook my head.

“It’s beautiful, love. Green land as far as the eye can see. We lived near the ocean in our castle. My family made their wealth on bartering fish years ago. Even though we had enough money that we didn’t have to work, every father through the generations taught their sons to steer a ship and fish the oceans. They feared the money would not last forever.”

“Did you take any of it when you left?”

“No. I thought it best to leave all that to the past.” He took a long drink of the rum and looked off into the other direction. The sadness returned to his face, and I hated to see it.

The world was beginning to become fuzzy around me, but I didn’t care. I reached out to run my hand through his hair. He looked back at me and forced a smile to his face.

“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about our past anymore,” I suggested.

Aiden shrugged. “Alright then.” He reached into his pocket and retrieved a small bag. He held it out to me in an offering. “Would you like some jerky? It’s not enough to fill you up but it could help your appetite.”

“What’s jerky?”

“It’s dried meat, love. How is it possible you don’t know what it is?” He eyed me curiously as he pulled out a thick piece and popped it in his mouth.

As he chewed and looked at me expectantly, I gave in. He’d never tried to poison me before or get me to eat something wretched. I supposed it would be fine. I reached into the bag and took one for myself. It was delicious. It was rough but chewy, parts of it more than the others, and the flavor was of the sun and salt with meat mixed in. It must have been what I saw laid out in strips on the boat one morning.

“What do you want the future to hold?”

His question caught me off guard. I wouldn’t have taken him for the kind to think too much about his future. But I had done a lot of thinking about the future. I knew exactly what I wanted—love and the old ways back. I longed to return to Camilla. I wanted the merfolk to have their home again and the choice to live with fins or legs. It had been too long since humans had chased us from our home. It had been too long without fighting back. Still, none of the merfolk even thought about taking their land back. They were too scared to do so, preferring to hide in fear.

“I want things to be how they used to be.” I couldn’t give him the details or I would be giving my own secrets away.

Aiden cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean, lass?”

“My people have been wronged,” I said, choosing my words wisely. “I want them to have the life they used to when things weren’t so fearful.”

“It sounds like you have quite the heart for others.”

“I suppose. Most of the children don’t remember what it was like but I do. If I close my eyes, I can still see everything as it used to be.”

“Things cannot go back to how they used to be, Rae,” Aiden sad sadly. “Things happen for a reason, I believe that. Even the worst of things do. Don’t waste all your time wishing for a past that can’t return.” I heard the bitterness in his voice and knew he wasn’t just talking about my past, but also his own. He had lost everything that meant something to him. I lost my home and my parents, but there were still those around who loved me. At least I still had a family and friends. He had none of that.

“I’m so sorry for all you’ve lost,” I whispered and rose my hand to rest on his cheek. “If I had it in my power, I would return it to you.”

Without a word, Aiden sat up and took my face in his hands. His kiss was slow at first, easy and delicate, as if he were afraid he would break me. My hands ran into his hair as I pulled myself closer to him. I didn’t want him to hurt. I wanted to savor the moments we had together in the cave while we were alone, even if it meant I was getting too emotionally close to him. I wanted to make him feel better.

Aiden deepened the kiss and lowered me to the ground slowly. He held himself up with one hand as the other greedily moved down my body. I tightened my hold on his hair and pressed against him, yearning to fulfill this intense desire in me he elicited. I’d never felt it so strongly before him, and I loved it more and more each time it happened.

A whimper escaped me when he pulled away and laid down. He brought me to him and wrapped his arm around me. My body fit perfectly against his; I rested my head on his chest and got as close as I could get to him. I ran my hand down his chest and to the top of his pants, playing with the hem there. I wanted him, and I was surprised he wasn’t taking advantage of the situation.

Aiden sighed and pushed my hand away. “Not now, love. I refuse to take any sort of advantage of you.”

“You’re not taking advantage,” I insisted and tried to return my hand to his pants.

He laughed. “You’ve had too much rum to think straight. Now go to sleep, and we will continue our journey in the morning.”

I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep in the dark cave; but with Aiden beside me and the familiar sensation of his digits in my locks, my eyelids became heavy as I drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Rae.”

The seductive whisper of Aiden’s Irish accent trailed down my skin as his fingers played along my leg. My brain was cloudy, but my skin was ablaze from his touch.

“Rae.”

His voice was more persistent now as I clung to him, begged him not to break the spell we were under. He felt so good next to me and made me feel safer than I’d ever been before. I wanted to get lost in his arms, but something was trying to tug me away from him. I wasn’t ready to go yet. Suddenly, I felt a pair of rough hands on my shoulders. They pulled me from Aiden’s arms and began to shake me.

I cried out and sat up, immediately fighting against the arms that held me. The fire had died down and left me in darkness. As I realized I was dreaming, my thoughts flashed to where Aiden was. I tried to escape the hands of whoever held me. A hand flew over my mouth.

“It’s me, lass.”

My hands gripped his arms and breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled me to him so he could whisper in my ear. “We are not alone any longer. There is something coming down the tunnel ahead.”

I nodded in understanding, and he stood up in front of me. Slowly, I stood up behind him and reached for my sword. I could hear him pull his sword from its resting place as he took a few steps away from me. His hand grabbed ahold of mine and led me forward a few steps. I couldn’t hear or see anything without a light. I wondered how he knew something was coming.

Aiden let go of my hand for a second. A flame suddenly appeared in front of us, and I saw Aiden holding a log on fire in front of him. He led us into the tunnel, and I crept closely behind him. I wasn’t looking forward to what awaited us next. The lamia was dangerous but no match for the both of us. Worse things could be waiting for us up ahead.

Loud scurrying rang out in the tunnel and made my skin crawl. That didn’t sound good.

“Aiden,” I said in warning as I reached out to take his arm.

His body seized up for a moment. He heard it too, but he still continued on. I wasn’t sure if he knew what it was, but I had an idea. The sound alone made me want to run in fear. I hoped I was wrong. If I wasn’t, it was one of the creepiest tales of lore I knew.

“Would you stop,” I hissed.

He turned to look at me in irritation. “What is it now?”

“I think I know what that is…”

“I’m not worried about it.”

Before I could explain, he continued to walk. I huffed in frustration as I followed him and tried to swallow the fear in my gut. I readied my sword in front of me and prepared myself for the sight I really really didn’t want to see.

When the torch lit up the face of a beautiful woman, Aiden stopped. Her face was pale with two large blue eyes staring back at us. Her blonde hair was cut short atop her head in a pixie cut. There was nothing about her that wasn’t appealing, with her pink cheeks and seductive smile.

I tugged on Aiden’s arm to pull him back, but he shook me off him. My skin crawled.

“Get away from it,” I whispered and tried again.

Aiden pushed me back from him, and I cursed inwardly. It was too late; she had him in her charms.

He smiled with that cocky smile of his as he spoke. “Hello there, lass. What brings a beauty like you down here?”

I scowled, hating the feeling of jealousy that hit me. It was part of the arachne’s powers. They could charm men or women in a way that rivaled even a mermaid’s powers. If one were to catch a peek at just their face, they were a goner.

Thankfully for Aiden, he had me.

I grabbed ahold of his shirt and jerked him backwards. He stumbled and looked at me in anger as I stepped in front of him.

“What are you doing?”

“Saving your ass,” I snapped and turned to point my sword toward the girl. I swallowed my fear and swung with all my might, hearing Aiden cry out in disagreement behind me.

The arachne brought up one large, hairy spider leg to swipe at me, but my sword cut through it. She cried out and brought up another, connecting with my legs and knocking me to the ground.

“Bloody hell,” I heard Aiden say as the creature stepped closer to us.

The cave behind her illuminated with fire, as if someone lit all the torches. We weren’t alone. There were more of them. I looked to Aiden for help, but he was still too shocked by what he saw in front of him.

Her back hit the top of the tunnel. With the body of a massive black and grey spider, her face was the only attractive thing on her. Bile rose in my throat at the actual sight, and I held my sword up between us. Her mouth opened into a wicked smile, rows upon rows of sharp fangs shined down at me ready for dinner.

As she lowered her mouth toward me, I sliced my sword at her again. She ducked away and snapped at me again, only to get a mouthful of steel.

“Raewyn!” Aiden shouted as he snapped out of his stupor and came to aid me against the monster.

He swung his sword. It sliced into her front left leg, and she screamed. She stepped back from me, making the scurrying sound I heard earlier. I backed away from her and rubbed my arms, trying to clear the goose bumps from them.

Ew, ew, ew!

Aiden’s hands grabbed my underarms and pulled me to my feet. He forced me behind him and held up his sword just as a threatening roar came from behind the female.

“What was that?” he asked.

“Her mate?”

He looked back at me with shock in his eyes but then shrugged. “Aye, we will destroy him too.”

With a fierce nod I stepped forward to slice at the beast with my sword. She retreated from us, walking backward until we were facing the larger room with the torches. If we followed her into the room, we would also be facing her mate. Potentially. Unless there was more than just to two of them.

I sighed with relief as I saw there was only one other inside, but that didn’t make the sight much easier to take in. Her mate was slightly smaller than her but stronger in bulk. He was black with yellow eyes, his face that of an average man instead of a breathtaking one to match hers. The males of the species were never as pretty as the women because this was the way they hunted. The women drew out the prey and then the men jumped in.

Aiden ran forward toward the male and began to swing his sword around. I took the opportunity to turn toward the female to attempt to finish her off. I advanced on her with my sword held high, slicing it into the air until she was backed against the wall. She cowered and looked to her mate for help, but he was too preoccupied with the pirate.

For a moment, I almost felt sorry for her. Then I remembered she tried to kill me. Since she was weak and terrified, I hoped she’d make for an easy kill.

I ducked down to run underneath her, hoping none of her hair touched me. She was so nasty. I shoved my sword into her stomach and ran forward, dragging the sword across her skin until I reached the other side. Her foot flew out and kicked me to the ground behind her. I hit the dirt with a thud and crawled out of the way. When I reached the wall, I threw my back against it and looked back at her. Her intestines fell to the ground, followed by her body. My hand flew over my mouth to keep me from throwing up. I gagged and moved my eyes to the other side of the cave.

The male roared angrily as his eyes roamed from her lifeless body to mine. He threw one of his legs out at Aiden, slamming him into a nearby wall, and started walking toward me. I held my sword covered in the female’s blood in front of me.

“Aiden!” I screamed and looked over to where he laid.

When he didn’t move, I ran toward the monster without another thought. The idea of him being hurt fueled me. My eyes didn’t leave his unmoving body on the ground as I ducked out of the way of the monster.

I slid across the ground and thumped beside of Aiden. My sword hit the ground and I started to shake him.

“Aiden, you have to get up.”

He didn’t move.

I shook him again and looked up to see the male staring me down. I killed his mate, and now he wanted to kill mine. “Aiden!” I grabbed his shirt and pulled him up, shaking him harder. When his face crinkled in pain, relief flooded through me.

“What the bloody—”

The monster's arm swung at me, cutting his question short as the monster pushed me away from him and rolled me across the dirt floor. When I stopped, I groaned from the aching in my body and looked up to where the captain and the arachne stood.

Aiden put his sword into its sheath and balled his hands into fists. As the arachne leaned his face down toward him, Aiden reared his arm back and slammed his fist into the unsuspecting giant’s head. The monster paused for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

I pushed myself off the floor, ignoring the pain in my limbs, and rushed over to where they were. Grabbing Aiden’s arm, I pointed toward the exit. “Come on, we better get out of here before he wakes up.”

Aiden smiled down at me and chuckled. “I don’t think he will be getting up for a while.”

I scoffed at his cockiness and headed toward the tunnel. Aiden picked up my sword and followed behind me, continuing to chuckle in amusement at his take down of the beast. I figured if you punched anything in the face hard enough, it would lose consciousness; it wasn’t as impressive as he was making it out to be.

“This way, lass,” he said and pulled me to the right, into a different tunnel. “We are almost there. Apparently there is some big adversary in this room. He may be scary, just let me handle it.”

“I think I’ve proved myself enough.” I stopped in front of him. “I don’t need you to try and protect me the whole way.”

“Maybe not.” He ran his hand through my hair and smiled down at me with worry in his eyes. “But I don’t want to take the chance something could happen to you.”

“Who dares come into my home?” a loud voice boomed from up ahead.

I recognized the deep growl immediately—a minotaur. One used to reside in the castle on Camilla Island. He was a guard, and we had been the best of friends. I was never sure why he would become so protective of a young girl, but I was always glad to have him by my side. Once I went underneath the surface, I never saw him again. Just hearing the voice brought back a flood of memories I had kept dormant. Could it be him?

“Raewyn,” Aiden said, chastising me as he reached out to grab ahold of my arm.

Shaking him off me, I raced into the other room. My hopes were high, and I wasn’t thinking straight. There was a small chance it was him, but I wanted to be the first one to set eyes on the beast.

I stopped dead in my tracks as my eyes settled on the seven-foot minotaur in front of me. He had the black face of a bull with impressive horns on either side of the top of his head. A metal septum piercing sat in his nose, making him look incredibly tough along with his dark skin pulled taunt over his large muscles. In his hand he held a long axe, which he pointed toward me.

“Who are you?”

Although the disappointment tore me up inside, I started to approach him. “I’m Raewyn.”

He wasn’t my childhood friend. I didn’t know who he was, but just the thought of being in the room with a minotaur made me want to get closer.

“What are you doing here?” His voice still quaked throughout the room, rumbling deep in his chest as his black eyes peered down at me.

“I’ve come to get the stone of prosperity.”

“You cannot have it!” He sliced the axe through the air.

Aiden came to stand beside him and pulled his sword from his side. “Be careful, this one is dangerous.”

A small smile tugged at the edge of my lips. Dangerous he looked, but he was a mortal creature. If I could get close enough to him, I could use my charms to help us out. I just prayed they worked like they were supposed to, since it didn’t work on Aiden. They’d worked on Hayes, but this was a mythical creature.

“I’ve got this. Don’t worry,” I whispered under my breath and hoped I was right. I wasn’t sure if we would defeat him otherwise.

I walked up to the creature and smiled sweetly. He snorted as I got close, looking down at me in anger, but I could see the confusion filling his eyes.

“Has no one approached you before?” I asked.

He growled deep in his chest and shook his head. Maybe I had lost my mind, approaching such an intimidating creature as if I had no worry in the world, but I wanted to show I wasn’t afraid. I needed to prove I was confident and ooze charm with everything I had. It was almost as if a shimmer flowed over my skin, making me look perfect, and I could feel my magic working.

Thank the Goddess.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“That is none of your business.”

“But I want to get to know you a little better.” I bit my lip and reached out to brush my hand across his bicep.

He stepped back from me. “What are you?”

“Just a girl,” I said innocently and took a step toward him. I reached out to run my hands down his chest and onto his stomach. I could hear Aiden’s snarl of protest as the minotaur closed his eyes. “I bet you’re so lonely down here.”

“Yes, and…I do not have a name.” He opened his eyes. I could see the swirling of the black orbs, meaning everything was working the way I wanted it to.

“So sad,” I whispered and shook my head in concern. “Perhaps we should give you one. A handsome minotaur like you should have something strong and fierce.”

He grunted in agreement.

I looked back at Aiden. “What do you think?” I could see the anger in his eyes at the way I was treating the monster, mixed with surprise at how easy the minotaur responded to me. I pursed my lips and gestured my head toward the doorway. If he could get to it and get it open, I could take care of the minotaur.

“I. Don’t. Know,” he spat unhappily but put his sword back in its sheath. He eyed the minotaur as if he would kill him but slowly began to make his way around him. He was jealous again, and I smiled.

“Where are you going?” the minotaur growled, his eyes cast at Aiden.

I turned back around and took his hand in mine. “It’s okay, don’t worry about him. He’s no one of importance.”

Aiden huffed at the comment, but the minotaur focused on me again. “No, he’s not.”

I rubbed his large hand with my mine as I began talking to him about possible names and his life. It was a silly conversation to have in such a dangerous situation, but it appeared to catch his interest. He longed for someone to care for him, and he was very lonely in the caves by himself with only monsters to keep him company. Minotaurs weren’t usually evil; they were mostly misunderstood.

Each chance I could, I let my gaze travel over to where Aiden was fiddling with the lock on the door. He was working quickly, getting irritated whenever his lock picking skills failed him. With a final grunt, the lock slipped open and he looked to me in urgency.

I reached up and took ahold of the minotaur’s shoulders. He leaned forward so I could whisper in his ear. I had to keep him busy while Aiden opened the door, keep his mind off the sounds of it.

“I think we could be very very good friends,” I said softly, letting my breath settle into his ear. His hand tightened on mine as I pulled away.

“What is wrong?” He asked and ran his hand down my hair.

“Oh nothing,” I said nonchalantly as I dropped my hand from him.

Using my charms was always something that made the adrenaline roar in my veins; it made me feel powerful.

“Rae!” Aiden exclaimed from the doorway.

I looked over to see him pushing the door open and motioning for me to follow him.

Pushing myself up onto my tiptoes, I placed a kiss on the minotaur’s cheek. “I must be going.”

As I stepped away from him, he frowned. “Did you only speak with me so that you could go for the treasure?”

“No. No, dear minotaur.” I slowly backed away from him. Sure, I felt sorry for him being so alone with no one to talk to, but I had to use my charms to get what Aiden and I needed.

The minotaur’s large hand reached out to grab ahold of my arm, and I gasped.

“All you had to do was ask, my lady.” His large eyes looked down at me as he smiled. “Whatever it is that you want, I hope that you enjoy it. But…can we settle on a name before you go?”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “How about Dand? Where I come from, it means warrior.”

“I love it. Thank you,” he agreed and let go of me. “Please be safe.”

With one last smile, I turned and went to join Aiden in the other room. Victory filled me. I hadn’t lost my charm after all. There was just something different about Aiden. I had once thought it evil, but now I wasn’t sure what it was.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Dirt flew up in the air as the large door slammed behind us with a thud. Aiden pulled me to him to shield me from the debris. We would not be getting out the way we came in. We’d have to find another way out of there. Just the thought of being stuck in the cave made my stomach sink.

“I don’t know how you did what you just did, but I’m not going to let it go,” Aiden said as he stepped back from me. I could still see he didn’t appreciate the way I handled things, but we were safe now. “We will be talking about it once we get out of this mess.”

I dreaded that conversation, and wasn’t sure how I would get out of it or explain my actions. Once again I had acted without thinking about the consequences, and this time it might be the end of me.

I turned around to face the room in front of us and froze. All my worries went away in a second as I took in the treasures in front of me.

The room was huge, with rows upon rows of shelves lining it. Each shelf held an immeasurable amount of wealth on it—gems, gold, and pearls galore. Across the floor was scattered more treasure, close against the walls but extending several feet into the room. Each piece glistened in the bright light coming from the sky above. My eyes trailed up the shelves to see the sunlight peering in from far above us, through a small round hole, not even large enough for a person to fit through. I wondered what stopped invaders from coming in the top. There was one thing for sure, above all else.

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

“Come on, lass,” Aiden said and took another step into the room.

I didn’t move, just continued to look around the room in awe. There were no words for it, and I yearned to go through it. All of it. I needed to stuff my pockets full and take it with me. Each piece called to me. I had never seen so much treasure in my life. My fingertips itched to reach out and touch it. I was overwhelmed with need.

“I feel it too, the need to gather it up for yourself,” Aiden said as if he read my mind. I looked over at him, puzzled. “And I recognize the look on your face.” He was right; his own bright green eyes reflected the same desire as mine did. After all, he was a pirate, discovering treasures and claiming them for himself was a way of life for him. He knew I wanted the treasure, and I suspected he would help me run away with it if the situation was different.

“We could take it with us,” I said, breathy as I reached up to wrap my hand around the back of his neck. “You wanted this before I did. Come on, Aiden, let’s take it with us.”

It was all too much—the captain here with me alone in a room full of gold and treasure. It was exciting and intoxicating, and I didn’t want to leave. We had both searched out this treasure and found this wealth together, more than we bargained for. Maybe I could convince him to stay here just a little while longer.

“No, we have to get what we came for and get out.”

“But the treasure…”

“Focus, Rae, we need to hurry,” Aiden insisted and pulled me behind him, hard enough I had no choice but to follow. “We don’t have time to worry about anything but that stone.” He was right; we needed to go. The gold distracted me, even as I followed behind him.

My eyes wandered over to the glittering gold all around me, and I longed to take it with me. Absentmindedly I started to walk toward it, but he yanked me back. I was thankful he was with me, or I might never leave.

“Look, lass, just there.” Aiden pointed ahead, and I followed his gaze.

The stone of prosperity stood on a pedestal made of metal on the far side of the room. It sat alone, just waiting to be stolen.

I took a step forward, but he jerked me back. I glared at him. “What now? I can’t get it?”

“I just don’t trust this isn’t a trap.” He looked around, his hand still wrapped tightly around my wrist so I couldn’t get away. He continued assess the situation. He took a few slow steps forward until he was just inches from the treasure. Once he was satisfied nothing was going to pop out of nowhere and destroy us, he nodded. “Aye, I believe we are good.”

As much as I wanted to reach out and grab ahold of the object myself, I let him. This was, after all, technically his journey. He wrapped his hand around it and cocked an eyebrow.

“This is odd.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, worried this was a trap like he predicted.

“I can’t get the stone off the pedestal. It’s not even that heavy…what the bloody hell?”

My stomach dropped. It was just as Julianna said; only a princess could remove the stone. Aiden was definitely not one of those. I took a few steps forward and looked at him. “Let me try.”

“I don’t feel comfortable with—”

“Listen, you wanted to get out of here quickly to keep me safe. Let me try. Julianna said only a princess could remove it.”

His eyes grew wide as he looked at me, but he shook his head. “No, absolutely not. Why would she want you to touch it so bad? Maybe it’s spelled.”

Not caring what he thought, I reached out and grabbed ahold of the stone. He didn’t let go, but I easily lifted it from its spot. He looked at me in shock and removed his hand.

“See, easy peasy. No need to worry, it’s just a stone.”

He smiled at me crookedly, but as he opened his mouth to speak, a low rumble reverberated through the room. His eyes looked around frantically.

“I knew this was too good to be true. Come on, we must find a way out.”

“What’s happening?” I asked as I grabbed ahold of his arm.

The floor below us began to shake and groan as if it would jump up from the earth. My legs shook as I lost my balance. I would have fallen over on my clumsy legs if it weren’t for my hold on Aiden. I had heard of earthquakes happening on land, but what bad timing it was.

“Sand pit,” he said simply and began to back away toward the wall.

“What’s a sand…” I started. A popping sound, much like a cork, filled the entire room. The sound continued, one after another, as the holes scattered on the walls opened up and crisp white sand poured out. “Oh—oh no.”

It filled up the room at a fast pace, and I wasn’t sure how we were going to get out.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Aiden said, snapping me out of my trance. He grabbed the stone from me and tucked it safely into his pocket.

Panic hit me as we ran to the edge of the room. There was nowhere to go. “But how do we get out?”

He pointed to the sky. “Just there, but you must be careful,” he said as he climbed onto the first shelf and knocked the gold and treasure into the floor.

The sound of the pieces hitting the ground caught my attention and almost calmed my fears. Excitement and terror mingled into something wonderful as I took it all in. It was beautiful and all of it was going to be hidden under the sand, never to be seen again. Such a pity. I wanted to save it.

“Rae! You must concentrate,” Aiden cried out. I looked up at him, and he was holding his hand out to me. “Come on.”

I took ahold of his hand and let him pull me up onto the shelf. I focused my eyes on him, and tried as hard as I could not to look at the treasure. I couldn’t let it distract me. “We can’t climb this all the way up there.”

“That’s the only choice we have unless you would rather drown by sand.”

I shook my head. No, I didn’t want that to happen. I climbed up behind him, adrenaline rushing through me as I heard the continuing flowing of sand beneath us. Every so often the gold caught my eye and distracted me. Only Aiden was able to bring me back into reality.

The closer to the top we got, the more I realized we wouldn’t even fit through that hole. A hand might fit, but that was it. Once we reached the top, Aiden pulled out his sword and began to scrape away at the ground above. Dirt and grass fell down on top of us and into the sand below.

“Hurry, Aiden.” I looked down to see the sand almost to us.

“I’m doing the best I can, lass, this isn’t exactly easy.” He shoved his sword back in the hilt and started to claw at the ground with his hands. It seemed to work better.

My body started to shake with panic as my eyes opened wide. The sand was getting close. It was going to take us under.

“Please, Aiden!”

With one last scrape of his hands, more pieces of dirt fell down upon us, opening up the hole just enough so that we might fit through. Aiden took ahold of the side of the hole, pulling himself up with his strength and disappearing over the edge.

He had the stone, and he was free. I was suddenly worried he wouldn’t come back for me. He’d talked of saving me, but what if it was all a rouse? What if he just wanted the treasure?

I let my fear fuel me as I reached up to grasp the side of the hole. The sand hit my feet, causing me to sink down into it as I desperately held onto the ground above. I couldn’t pull myself up; I wasn’t strong enough.

“Aiden!” I screamed as I lifted my feet closer to my body. I was dangerously close to being taken into the soft grasp of sand and being lost in the cave forever.

Out of nowhere, rough hands grabbed mine and lifted me out into the open. I stumbled over onto Aiden, and he rolled us away from the opening. We were in a grassy area surrounded by trees. No one walking through would have ever noticed the once small hole in the ground. The large trees and greenery provided an effective hiding spot. The sky was beginning to darken to bring on the night.

“Are you alright, love?” Aiden whispered and looked down at me. He brushed the hair out of my face.

I nodded. “Thanks to you. I didn’t think you would come back for me.”

“Haven’t I proved my loyalty to you yet? I thought I’d lost you for a moment,” he admitted, his voice full of relief. “I thought…I thought I wouldn’t pull you out in time.” His jaw hardened, working back and forth as if he was trying to hold something back. He pursed his lips and looked away from me.

“It’s alright,” I said, finding myself wanting to comfort him and help him to feel better. “There’s no reason to feel guilty. You saved me.”

When he looked back down at me, there were tears in his eyes. I was surprised to see them. He had always been so tough. He rarely showed any real emotion, always preferring to be strong. I remembered that he gave up the treasure he had sought after to get the stone; he did it to save me.

“If I lost you, lass, I don’t know what I would do. Before you, there was…pain and loneliness. I tried to move on from my past, make something of myself, and I did. I became feared and respected among the worst kinds of men. I never dreamed I would find someone like you. That you would get tangled in my net, fight me so hard, but then warm my cold soul.”

I didn’t know what to say. How do you respond when the person who held you captive makes your heart flutter at his words? What do you do when the feelings you’ve been fighting back for weeks suddenly come crashing down around you? I had looked everywhere for love, but it showed up in the most unexpected place inside of someone I would have never considered before.

This is what my mother told me stories about. Here with a pirate captain, one who was more than I ever could have imagined. Our connection was one neither of us had control over, but it was wonderful. The mermaid’s call echoed through our veins and brought us together. I couldn’t believe I found it, and I was breathless.

In that moment, I wanted to stay with him. I no longer wanted to leave when the full moon came. I wanted to fulfill my fantasies of being a pirate aboard his ship, by his side. There was something in his eyes that called to me. My dreams once seemed so far away, but now felt so close to coming true. There was only one thing standing in our way—he didn’t know who I really was. What I was. If he couldn’t accept that, then we would never work out.

As I opened my mouth to respond to him, laughter rang out around us, followed by the sound of slow clapping. “Bravo. Bravo.”

Aiden rolled away from me and jumped to his feet. He reached out to help me up, and I took his hand. After pulling me to my feet, he pushed me behind me protectively.

He will never learn.

I moved to stand beside him. He looked down at me and shook his head before addressing the couple in front of us.

“We have what you’ve asked for. Now, take the device off the girl.”

“Not until you give us the stone of prosperity,” Julianna said with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

Aiden took an angry step toward them. “No, you free the girl at once or I will destroy your precious stone.”

“Now, now, let’s not be hasty,” William said, as he put his hands in the air in front of him defensively. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a key. “How about an even trade?”

“No.”

William laughed. “Ah, you think you are in control of this situation…but you should know you are not. You would really risk her life to keep the stone from us?”

“I would risk the stone to save the girl from you.” Aiden pulled his half of the stone from his pocket and held it high in the air, as if to smash it on the ground. “It means nothing to me, lad.”

My mouth ran dry. Would he really smash the stone? Then they would have no reason to spare me, and I wasn’t sure if I could survive whatever this poison was inside of the band.

This is what the past month boiled down to: my life in Aiden’s hands. Did I trust him? Should I even? He’d saved me numerous times, and we proved to make quite the team. He told me of his feelings for me, but was it enough for him to put aside his selfish pirate ways?

After several long, agonizing minutes, Aiden shrugged. “Alright then, have it your way.” He rose up on his tiptoes and began to slam the stone downwards.

“Wait!” Julianna shouted. It was the first show of strong emotion I saw from her.

Aiden froze and cocked an eyebrow. He’d been in control of the rock the entire time. There was never a plan to drop it because he knew they wouldn’t let it go. “Yes?”

“We shall free the girl,” she said and turned to her counterpart. “You would risk them destroying our precious stone!” She pushed him and jerked the key from his hand.

Aiden held his hand out for it. She placed the key into his hand, and he handed her the stone. It was a simultaneous swapping. They both jumped back from each other once it was done.

He turned to me and held his hand out. I gave it to him readily, wanting the band off me. Turning my wrist over, he observed the cuff and slowly lowered the key to its resting place. His eyes looked to me for the go ahead, his tongue snaking out to lick his lips in anticipation.

“It’s okay,” I whispered and raised a hand to cup his cheek. “I trust you.”

As much as I fought him not to have a place in my heart, he was there. As much as I told myself I couldn’t trust a filthy pirate, I did. I couldn’t deny it any longer.

A smile lit up his face, a proud expression covering it as he lowered the key and turned it. The cuff hit the ground with a clank, and he pulled me into his arms. He ran his hands down my hair and held me close. I wrapped my arms around him and let him hold me, let him have his moment. It felt so good.

“Now, I need the girl,” Julianna stated, breaking us from the moment.

I was shocked. I had nothing to offer them, and now neither did Aiden.

“I don’t think so,” the captain growled and began to pull away from me. As he did, we both realized William was closer than we thought.

He stood right behind me, and I felt the tip of his sword touch the back of my neck. Aiden struggled to keep a straight face.

“Step away from her slowly,” William demanded.

“What do you want with her?” Aiden asked.

“That’s no longer your business. She isn’t yours to claim.”

What William didn’t know was Aiden already claimed me, and I was slowly but surely consenting to be his. He was close to me, but there was stillness in him I hadn’t seen before. I recognized the look in his eyes. He was contemplating something, but I didn’t know what. His silence worried me.

“Aiden,” I whispered as a warning, hoping he wouldn’t do something too incredibly risky. These people were more dangerous than we originally thought. They had high tech gadgets in on their side, and my father’s ring. It was possible they knew more about me than they should.

His fingers grasped me suddenly, pressing into my skin, and his decision was made. In a second’s time, he picked me up and whirled around, getting me out of harm’s way. He pushed me to the ground, just as William raised his weapon high above his head. If they couldn’t have me, they weren’t going to let him have me either. Aiden reached for the sheath of his sword and pulled it back to swing at his opponent as he stepped in front of me, but he was too slow.

I screamed out his name in terror. Everything told me to get up, run away, save myself, as the world came crashing down on me. William’s sword sliced through Aiden’s wrist, causing his hand to fall away and his sword to hit the ground. Aiden cried out in pain, echoing my desperate screams behind him that I couldn’t contain, but William wasn’t finished.

He pulled his sword back and jabbed it into Aiden’s stomach. Aiden screamed again, but William twisted it in delight. When he slowly pulled the sword back, it was covered in bright red blood. Aiden’s hand gripped the hole in his stomach as he fell to the ground.  His face paled as the blood poured from his body and soaked his clothing.

My hands flew up over my mouth as I took in the scene. My entire body ran cold and my mind struggled to comprehend what just happened. My heart felt as if it was ripped away from me, my stomach falling to the ground and twisting in a knot of nerves.

“Have you lost your mind?” Julianna cried as she ran forward and grabbed William by the arm.

“But we need her!”

“She’s not going to help us right now, you moron. You just stabbed her lover.”

“Well, then we will just make her.” William took a step toward me, but froze when a ferocious roar echoed in the woods.

Juliana’s eyes grew wide as she backed away from whatever it was. “What is that?”

I felt the ground shake behind me, and I closed my eyes. What now? I needed to get to Aiden so I could heal him before he lost too much blood. I couldn’t be distracted by another creature, and the better fighter between us two was down.

“Leave the girl alone,” a familiar voice boomed.

I whirled my head around to see Dand, the minotaur, standing there. His axe was held high, and his sights were set on the two in front of me. A sly smile came over my face. He came for me.

Julianna grabbed William’s hand. “Come on, we need to go.”

He looked as if he would stay and fight, but he nodded, giving one last hateful look at me before running the other direction with her.

Dand paused and looked down at me. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine; I just have to get to him.”

He nodded. “I will take care of those two.” With a quick bow, he was gone.

I crawled over to where Aiden laid as fast as I could. Never in my life had I experienced such terror. I rolled him onto his back and tried not to look at his severed arm. My eyes roamed over his stomach. Hopelessness set in as I watched the red soaking his shirt.

“Raewyn,” he groaned and tried to move.

“Lay still,” I begged.

He didn’t fight me, and it only confirmed just how badly he was hurt. He was a human, and he wasn’t going to survive such blood loss.

“Your lip, it’s, bleeding.”

I brought my hand to my mouth and pulled it away to see blood on my fingertips. “Don’t worry about me.”

Aiden closed his eyes and struggled to breathe as his face contorted into pain. It scared me, and it hit me just how much the dreaded pirate meant to me.

“Don’t you leave me.” My voice cracked as I spoke. I’d seen so much death in my life, and I didn’t want to see anymore—especially not another person I cared about. No matter what qualms I had about Aiden finding out I was a mermaid, I couldn’t just sit around and let him die.

“I’ll be fine, love,” he said, blood seeping out of his mouth as he spoke.

He was trying to be strong for me, but I wouldn’t be fooled. The blood pooled out from his wrist, and even if I covered it tightly with cloth there would be no saving him. Tears filled up my eyes and poured over the lids, streaming down my face. I couldn’t lose him now, not when everything made so much sense. I loved him.

I did the only thing I could think of. Leaning over him, I let the tears flow. I thought of all the times he saved me, of all the things he’d taught me in the short time we’d been together. I thought of the way he made me feel when he was close to me and the way he chuckled with a delightful sound that erupted from his lips. This man was important to me, so important, and I made sure that every single tear that fell onto his body was filled with those emotions.

The tears began to glow, each one hitting him with a shimmer as they fused with his body and began the healing process. I couldn’t replace the limb he lost, but I could heal the open bleeding spot where it once had been. I couldn’t replace the blood he’d lost, but I could heal the stab wound at his stomach without a glance or a touch. As my eyes closed in concentration, I stopped fighting all the tears I’d hidden away from the hurt I felt for my parents’ death, for losing my home, and for losing my way.

Aiden’s sudden intake of breath, followed by a fit of coughing, caused me to open my eyes.

“Are you—are you some sort of angel?”

I threw out my hands to take ahold of his arm. His eyes were wide and confused as he looked at me. He tried to sit up, but I stopped him. I reached out to feel his pulse. It sang back loud and clear. I grabbed his arm to peer down at his wrist. The skin had closed up over the end, leaving him with a stump, but it was healed.

When I reached for his shirt to look at his stomach, he grabbed my arm and sat up. He pulled it up himself and looked down in shock. His tanned abs were perfectly healed without a scar to be seen. He looked back at me with disbelief.

“You healed me, lass. I knew you did. Back on me ship when I was hurt. And now, you’ve saved me from death.” He reached out and ran his hand around the back of my neck. “What are you?”

“A mermaid.” The words came out fast and soft. I wiped the remaining tears from my face and prayed he wouldn’t use my words against me. If I ever trusted him, it was now. Fear clinched at me, fear that he wouldn’t accept me now. My vision zeroed into his face. I worried all my thoughts of him hunting down my kind would come true. After being terrified of this for weeks, there was also a fear that he wouldn’t want me anymore.

“Mermaid,” he repeated with a nod of his head. He laid his forehead against mine and smiled. “Ah, love, I suspected there was more to you than you were telling me.”

I was surprised when my fear faded away.

“We mustn’t tell anyone,” he said firmly.

I nodded, in complete agreement with him. I was both stunned and thankful he wanted to keep my identity a secret. It was not what I expected to hear from him.

His injured arm rose to hold me, but as he realized he couldn’t, he frowned and lowered it. The one on my neck tightened with a loving squeeze. I felt terrible for his loss.

Aiden sighed. “We need to get back to me ship. Though you’ve healed me, I feel weak.”

“You’ve lost a lot of blood, you need to sleep,” I explained and stood to my feet. This time I reached out to help him up. With a sly smile, he took my hand and let me pull him to his feet. I put my arm around him to help steady him, but he stopped me.

“Just a moment, love.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver ring. The silver twisted upwards and enclosed a large pearl. It was the same size of the one I intended to steal before the squid attacked and I was taken aboard his ship. There was no way he could have known.

“What’s that for?” I asked, not wanting to assume it was for me, though it was beautiful and I longed for it instantly.

“I took this for you when we were rushing out of ground. Every good pirate needs a piece of stolen jewelry.” Aiden took my hand and slipped the ring onto my finger. He smiled triumphantly as I beamed back up at him.

It fit perfectly.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Cap’n!”

Both Aiden and I’s head snapped up to see Hayes running toward us from the ship. I tightened my arm around Aiden to help him walk, but also from fear of how we would hide the healing from the pirates. Now was the time I needed to trust in him the most. I hoped he would keep his promise and not tell my secret.

When Hayes reached us, I could see the look of terror across his face. “Oh the blood! We must get you to the ship! What happened, Cap’n? Where have you been? We’ve been lookin all over for ya.”

“One question at a time, Hayes,” Aiden said and forced a chuckle from his lips. “We were ambushed on the beach and taken prisoner. No need to worry though, we are both in one piece.”

I opened my mouth to object, but he shook his head at me. There was no way he could hide the fact he was missing a hand. It wasn’t something he could charm or lie his way out of; I wasn’t sure what he was trying to do.

Hayes wrapped his arm around the other side of Aiden, and the two of us helped him toward the ship. The Devil’s Pearl was a sight to behold, and I never thought I would be so excited to see it again. She stood along the coast in all her glory, a beautiful mix of ash and grey colors that stood out on the ocean. She was tall and strong, and I could hear the sound of the crew singing their song aboard her.

Aiden stumbled, his face paling as he did, knocking me out of my trance. Both Hayes and I grabbed him to keep him from falling to the ground.

“He’s lost a lot of blood,” I explained. “He needs to lie down.”

Hayes nodded, and we picked up the pace. When we reached the plank leading up to the deck of the ship, we carefully maneuvered our way up it. The crew stopped everything they were doing once we stepped on board. The silence was deafening. All of them stared at us in wonder, some of them looking at me with accusation. Did they really think I did something to him?

“The cap’n needs to rest, he does. The lady has rescued him,” Hayes said and began to lead us to the captain’s quarters.

I was surprised he told the crew I rescued Aiden. I didn’t want his reputation among his men to be harmed because of all this. However, I could see the accusation in some of the crew’s eyes dampen into confusion or more of an understanding at his words. I appreciated Hayes standing up for me. Maybe I would be more welcomed aboard the ship. Just maybe.

We stepped into Aiden’s room and closed the door behind us. We led him to the bed where he sat down and shook us off him.

“I’ve got it from here,” he insisted.

Hayes reached out to observe his wounds and Aiden pulled back from him. “Fetch some food for Rae and me. She can help me clean up.”

“Aye, Cap’n,” Hayes agreed, but I could hear the worry in his voice. He wasn’t used to being unable to help Aiden, and he wasn’t sure what happened. He wanted more information and to help, but he knew Aiden didn’t need him. He had me now, although I felt bad at the sadness on Hayes’s face.

Aiden tried to lift his shirt, but with the little strength he had it was difficult. He groaned in irritation and sighed. “Would you mind to help?”

For a second I paused. I couldn’t remember a time he asked me for help. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I walked over to him.

“You need me help do you?”

“Don’t be smug with me, my dear, or I will bend you over my knee.”

I reached out to begin undoing his shirt and shook my head. “Tsk tsk, Captain, such promises you won’t keep.”

“Don’t tempt me, love.”

My eyes rose to meet his as I pushed the shirt off his shoulders. His green eyes darkened, showing his primal want for me. My body returned the feeling instantly, feeling the pull of this connection between us. I ignored it as I tossed his shirt to the floor. It wasn’t the time for such things.

There were no wounds on his body, but the blood remained there. It made my stomach sink to see it, remembering just how close to death he had been.

“I will be right back. Don’t move,” I instructed before heading to the washroom. I picked up the small basin and a piece of cloth and returned to the room.

Setting the basin down on the ground, I dipped the cloth in the water and stood back up. I reached out to carefully run it over Aiden’s skin and wipe the blood away. It was the second time I had done it in the short time we’d been together. It was also the second time I saved him, even though the first time I didn’t know I did it.

He didn’t move, just watched me with intense eyes as I worked. When I was done with his torso, I placed the cloth back into the water to rinse it out. After I rung out the excess, I returned to his arm, running it down his tattoos and onto where his hand used to be. I frowned, unable to help the frustration at the limitation of my powers.

“I’m sorry…I couldn’t save it.”

Aiden’s fingers tipped my chin up to look at him. “You couldn’t have fixed it, lass. Don’t apologize for that. I’m grateful for what you have done for me.”

He leaned in toward me and pressed his lips against mine. My eyelids fluttered closed in response. I was thankful he didn’t hold it against me, but I was still disappointed in myself. If I hadn’t gotten caught in his net, none of this would have ever happened. I really should have stayed at home and watched over my sisters, not go out hunting for treasure.

Our worlds weren’t meant to collide, but they did. When I realized what I needed to do, my emotions shut off. I didn’t want to do it, but when the full moon returned to me, I had to wish for her to give me fins so I could go back home. There was no need for me to complicate his life further. He was better off without me.

A single tear ran down my cheek at the thought, and I raised my hands to take a hold of Aiden. I deepened the kiss as if I would never see him again. He pulled me to him, not even questioning the new taste of tears in our mouths. I wanted to stay there with him to see what life would be like and if we could work it out, but I couldn’t be so selfish.

We were so lost in our moment that we didn’t hear the door open and close, just the loud sound of something crashing to the ground.

I jumped away from Aiden and wiped the tears from my face. Whoever it was didn’t need to see them. I looked up at the door to see Casey standing there. His hand was over his mouth as he looked at us. At his feet laid a tray of food, now smashed into pieces.

“Casey,” Aiden started as if to explain.

The boy fell to the ground, scrambling for the food and brushing it up onto the tray. “I’m sorry, Cap’n, oh so sorry. I was just bringing food in. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He rushed through his words, and I could hear the fear in them.

Aiden opened his mouth to speak again, but I shook my head and rushed over to the boy. I placed a hand on his arm to stop him, and he looked up at me with panic in his face.

“I’m so sorry miss.”

“Everything is fine, Casey. Don’t worry about it.”

“But I spilt the food. I was bringing it to you guys but I didn’t expect you two—and his hand—and—”

He noticed.

He was the first one aboard the ship to actually see Aiden’s missing hand, and he was shocked to see it.

“How—how is it healed? Where did it go?”

His large eyes looked up at me for explanation.

“There are some things that can’t be explained,” I said and brushed his hair from his face. “You have to keep this a secret okay? No one else can know it’s healed yet.”

Casey nodded several quick times and shot another look behind me at Aiden. He leaned in to whisper to me. “Is he going to be angry I spilt his food?”

“Don’t worry about the food. I will clean it up if you will go get us some more.”

“Uh, oh—okay,” he stammered and stood to his feet.

When he left, I started picking up the pieces of food off the floor and put them back on the tray. I was surprised when Aiden appeared beside me and began to help.

“You’re good with the boy, I’m impressed.”

“He’s just a boy. If you guys would treat him with more respect, I think he would be easier to deal with.”

“Perhaps, but he has to learn the hard knocks of being a pirate.”

I looked up at him and shook my head. “You make it sound so terrible. If it’s that bad, why do you do it?”

“Adventure. Treasure. Isn’t that something you understand?”

“I do, but what I don’t understand is the look in your eye for more when you look at the ocean.”

“I wouldn’t give it up, love, mark my words.” He tailed a finger down my cheek. “And now I have no reason to want more.”

Inside, I twisted with sadness. His words reminded of what I had to do. I would never ask him to change or give up his ways. Everything about him was perfect in my eyes now, and I understood him a lot more. Sure there were things he needed to work on and learn to deal with, but I wasn’t perfect either. It didn’t change the fact I needed to leave to keep him safe. If others found out what I was, it would put him in grave danger. I couldn’t risk his life for mine again. Those people, whoever they had been, were a part of something bigger. I just knew it.

“A mermaid, huh lass?” Aiden asked as he lifted my chin to look at him.

I looked into his eyes, trying to memorize them so that I could recall how he looked when I returned home. “Yes.”

“Such a beautiful thing, you are. Have you bewitched me like you did that minotaur?” He smirked as he looked back at me.

A smile curved on the edge of my lips. “Maybe.”

“Ah lass, then I am just as stupid as that big beast.”

I slapped his arm. “That’s not nice, stop it.”

“Well, it’s not very nice of you to put me under your spell.”

Reaching out, I wrapped my hands around the back of my neck. “I think it’s you who’ve bewitched me, Captain.”

“It shall be my best feat!” He rested his forehead against mine. “But as it were, I did not.”

“And I didn’t use my charms on you.”

“That monster was quite smitten with you, you know.”

“You’re saying that you aren’t?”

“No, love, I’m not saying that at all.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

A shifting of the bed and rustling of leather caused me to pause in the middle of the night. I was lost in thought and awake, struggling to decide whether or not I should sleep. The candle crackled beside the bed, casting a small amount of light into the room. I sat up and pulled the covers to my chest, my eyes searching for Aiden and wishing I still had my night vision.

He stood by the door, fastening his pants as he noticed me. He was beautiful in the candle light, with his tousled hair from my hands in it. A tired smile rose on his face and he walked back over to where I was.

He bent down, planting a kiss on my forehead. “My crew needs me, love, I will be back shortly.”

I wanted to ask him what was going on, but I also wanted to trust him. He had proved I could rely on him, so I forced myself to do that. As he left, my thoughts continued to run off with me. It was the reason I’d been up all night.

Slipping out of bed, I pulled on one of his shirts and walked over to take my place on the window seat. The full moon sat high in the dark sky, shining onto the sea with her silver light and into the cabin. I curled my legs up to me.

Three achingly long days had passed since returning to the ship. We explained to Hayes what happened for the most part. When it came to explaining his healings, Aiden reported finding a special potion in the treasure room that closed off all his wounds. He never mentioned I was a mermaid. Not to Hayes or to his men. He hadn’t even asked me how it worked.

These days had passed too quickly, and now it was time for me to go home. Aiden let his men run the ship, while he and I bided our time in his cabin alone. Even with his missing hand, he was still an amazing lover.

Day and night, we shared stories of our past, and lost ourselves in each other’s bodies. He was the most amazing man I’d ever met.

Now I had to make the choice between him and the sea. I had contemplated leaving while he was still asleep so I wouldn’t have to say goodbye, but not he was up and walking around. It would have been easier that way…on both of us.

As much as I wanted to stay with him, it was just a dream. A dream for the both of us to hold on to but never be able to grasp. I couldn’t wrap my mind around how we could make it work. Looking down at the ring he stole for me, I twirled it around on my finger. I would keep it forever, no matter what happened.

I pulled on a pair of cotton pants and made my way to the deck. The wind was cold and sent chills up my spine as I stepped out into the open. Aiden stood at the head of the ship, one hand on the helm but unmoving, his injured arm rested at his back. His white shirt moved in the harsh wind, but the man himself was motionless as he stared out at the sea in thought. No one else was in sight; they were drinking away in the tavern.

I approached him without a word, not wanting to intrude on his thoughts. As I reached up to place my hand on his shoulder, he swirled around and grabbed me with his hand. Anger flashed across his face for a moment as he looked at me and then froze.

“So very sorry, princess, I didn’t know it was you,” he said with a smirk as if nothing happened.

“And what would you have done if it were someone else? A crewman perhaps?”

His smile faltered as I questioned him. “I—I don’t know. You know I don’t think of such things.”

“You are still wound up from what happened to you,” I said with sadness, knowing it affected him more than he cared to admit. “Isn’t that it?”

He shook his head and let go of me. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. It was then I noticed the tears on his face. He wiped them quickly away in hopes I wouldn’t see.

“Then what are you doing out here? You said you had to deal with your crew but no one is even here.” I gestured to the shore.

“Why all of the questions, Rae?”

“I don’t appreciate secrets, and you know that. Over these past few days, I’ve become fond of you, but if you are just going to close up again I will not—”

Aiden pressed his finger to my lips to shut me up. “Raewyn, I was not about to lie there any longer and worry if you would sneak out in the middle of the night.” He looked up at the sky to the moon looming over us. “It’s the night you leave me, love, and I am not sure how to handle it.” When he looked at me again, his green eyes were full of uncertainty.

“Is that why you’re crying?”

“I’m not crying, lass,” he said with a laugh.

I pursed my lips. “Aiden, you know I have to go. I have to make sure my family knows what happened to me, and they are okay. I can’t stay here and put you in more danger. I have to make sure this is right.”

“Doesn’t it feel right to you?” he asked, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me to him. There was sorrow in his face made me want to tell him I would never leave; I would stay with him forever. I wanted to erase the pain from his eyes and make his world okay again, but I had to go.

“Aiden—”

“I love you, Rae. I wasn’t going to tell you, but I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. I don’t care I’ve lost me hand, but I will be devastated when I lose you.”

The world felt as if it would come crashing down on me. My vision narrowed around me and my heart felt like it might beat out of my chest. My entire being started to shake. The warm tears threated to push themselves into my eyes. The knot at the back of my throat urged it on.

Returning home was all I had ever wanted. I never wanted to be on this ship in the first place. I hadn’t entertained the thought that leaving him would cause me to hurt so much inside. I also hadn’t expected him to say those words. I stumbled back from him to put some space there, afraid if he touched me again I would break down in tears.

“Rae, please say something,” he whispered.

My words left me, I couldn’t make anything coherent come out, and I couldn’t move. Where I was going, there would be no Aiden Flynn, and I couldn’t find the words for the pain that ate at me. This may be the last time I got to look at him up close, trace the tattoos with my fingers, and feel the roughness of his lips on mine.

“No matter what decision you make, I will never forget you, and I will not hold it against you. Are you listening to me, love?” He tilted my face up to look at him.

I nodded slowly as the tears finally filled up my eyes. I couldn’t hold them in any longer. It hurt too badly. Aiden’s expression changed to confusion, unsure of how to react to my tears. Didn’t he realize how much he meant to me?

As he opened his mouth to speak,  a fierce need came over me. I needed to kiss him one last time.

Before any words could come from his mouth, I grasped his jacket and crashed my lips against his. The force of my movements caused us to stumble backwards, but his strong arms were there to quickly save us from falling to the deck below. His hand ran up my body and into my hair, tangling in my locks as he deepened the kiss. Kissing me as if I would always be his, and permanently etching the taste of him into my brain.

His lips trailed along my chin and to my ear, finding a delicious interest in the soft tissue there, and making me weak in his arms. I whimpered as he led me backwards. I was willing to go wherever he wanted. I needed this last bit of time with him.

We didn’t stop until my back rested against a wooden beam, a mast of the ship. He pressed me against it, running his hand along my body ravenously. My hands moved into his hair and tangled there in its mess. He was my captain, and I was his.

“Gods, woman, you are so beautiful. When you kiss me, you turn me into a madman,” he said, words turning into a growl against my skin as his fingers pressed into my hip.

Being in his arms was a wonderful feeling. My heart fluttered and begged me to stay. It was something I never experienced until I met Aiden, something I feared I would never feel again. It felt so incredibly real. As he made love to me on the deck of The Devil’s Pearl, I savored every moment of it, and committed every second of bliss to memory. Every move he made echoed with the call of the mermaid and reflected the ocean running in our veins. The moon watched over us and kept us safe, as she granted us her blessing.

Chapter Twenty-Five

I stood on the edge of the sand while the water splashed onto my legs. This was the time I had waited for, the one where I could move on with my life and stop being a prisoner of the pirates. Now that the time was here, I couldn’t imagine life without Aiden. Who would be there to help his loneliness?

Things would be different at home when I returned. I would brush off my suitors and Tristen when they tried to get close to me, and I wasn’t sure what I would tell them. My stepfather would be furious if he found out what I’d done. Returning home would prove to me that love was not so wonderful or real. It would prove exactly how wrong my mother was, but I had a feeling I would be miserable all the while.

My heart was elsewhere now, tucked away in a pirate’s ship where I couldn’t get it back. Instead of excitement at going home, I felt empty. There were no emotions inside of me anymore, I was hollow.

I looked up at the moon, begging her to help me. “Please give me a sign. I don’t know what to do.”

She shined down on me, filling me with her silver beams. I couldn’t even feel comforted be her. There was nothing left of me. I would return home an empty shell.

Slowly, the clouds began to move in the sky. They swirled around until they covered the moon. My heart flipped, the first emotion I felt since coming to stand on the beach, and I knew what I had to do. I was going to give up my wish tonight, and leave my world behind to be with the one I loved.

I spun around on my feet and rushed toward the ship. Even though I stumbled, I pushed on, knowing true love was calling for me. I rushed onto the ship, and went straight for the captain’s quarters. As I swung open the door with Aiden’s name on my lips, my excitement fell. The room was empty.

Quickly, I rustled through the closet and traded in my pirate wear for the flimsy blue dress. He loved the dress on me, and would prefer me to wear it in the tavern so I would blend in. Once I pulled it on, I ran my hand through my hair in an attempt to calm it and went in search of the captain himself.

The first few places I walked into were void of pirates, but commoners exchanged whispers of Aiden and his men making a run through the taverns…and the women. He had to be there somewhere. I hoped he hadn’t already found some floozy to take his worries away.

The last tavern was the dirtiest of them all, reeking of smoke, liquor, and men. Pirates sat at the tables, eyeing me as if I were there for their delights. I whispered a prayer to the moon to keep me safe and pushed my way inside, ignoring the calls the men made to me.

In the back of the room, my eyes landed on familiar faces. Aiden’s crew looked back at me with suspicion. Some of them regarded me with disappointment. They’d hoped I was gone for good. I smiled at them, giving a small curtsy before continuing my search. No need to upset them.

A familiar chuckle from the corner of the room made my stomach twist in knots and my pulse sped up. I pushed my way through the crowd of men to find the source of that wonderful sound. I wanted to get close enough to see him and tell him I was staying.

Finally, my eyes settled on him. He was seated at a table in the very back, mug in his hand, void of his captain’s hat and coat, the familiar smirk plastered on his face. No one else seemed to notice, but I could see the sadness he tried to hide.

“And that’s how I lost me hand, lass,” Aiden boasted as he took a drink from his mug and looked around at the others seated at his table. He smiled at the woman perched at the edge of the table.

At his words, all my hopes died. He was telling the bar wench tales of adventure as if he’d never met me. Everyone at the table was impressed by his story. Of course, he was the best storyteller, and he never told those of his failures. One would think he’d never made any sort of mistake. He exhumed confidence and charm unlike any other pirate on the sea.

Perhaps I should just leave.

I could still make my wish to go home, but I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to forgive myself…or ever recover. I would never forget the way his fingers curled around mine, rough and calloused, or the way his dark hair felt on my fingertips, or even his lips on mine. Just thinking of being without him made me miss him more than my own home.

Aiden laughed again, sending chills up my spine. He took a large gulp out of his mug and began to scan the room. Everyone else continued to talk around him. He was ever the observant man, something that kept him alive, the ability to be present but yet far away at the same time. His gaze passed over me and my breath hitched. Did he see me? His eyebrows furrowed, and those bright eyes turned back to where I stood.

I couldn’t move. I was frozen there by his stare. Everything around me seemed to halt in time, the sounds dulling into an incomprehensible lull. Aiden’s eyes widened at the sight of me. His mouth dropped open and then curved into a smile.

As he spoke to those around him, his eyes never left mine. “If you will excuse me.” He stood to his feet and pushed his way through the crowd.

Like a fool I couldn’t move, but time stood still for us. Just like it always had.

He stepped in front of me and looked down into my eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His good hand reached out to cup my cheek and tilt my head up towards him.

“Hi,” I said, my voice cracking as I forced the words out. My pulse began racing at his touch, my knees growing weak, and my body begging me to hold him.

“Rae.”

My name fell from his lips as more of a growl, his hand snaking around the back of my head to pull my lips to his. It was soft and cautious, as if he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to kiss me. I brought my hands up to his chest, making sure he was really there. It all felt like a dream, a wonderful and glorious dream. His arm pulled me to him, and my fingers curled into the cloth of his shirt as he deepened the kiss

I felt whole and complete with him, even though we were surrounded by people who were going about their business. Every bit of doubt or confusion I’d felt was gone. Every worry in me disappeared. This was where I belonged, and I would never again think of leaving it.

He pulled back to look at me and let me see his excitement. “You came back to me.”

“I couldn’t leave. I love you.”

Aiden’s eyes grew wide, and I had never seen him so happy. He grabbed my hand and led me out of the bar, not stopping until we walked onto the ship. When we reached his cabin, he pushed me up against the door and pressed himself up against me. His hands came up to cup my face as he looked at me in shock.

“I really thought I’d lost you,” he said, just before closing the distance between us and softly touched his lips to mine. Each time he did, I felt the world stop. This was what I would have missed. I had been wrong to even consider leaving because this was real. He looked at me again, as if I were a mirage. “I just, I can’t believe it, me little bird chose me.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Are you ever going to tell me what that means?”

“It’s slang for woman, love. I would never use anything but endearing terms toward you.” He smiled at me, with that adoring turn of his lips.

“Alright, then I love it.”

“Where have you been tonight?”

“I tried to convince myself I was making the right decision, but I couldn’t do it. Here with you is my home now, not under the surface.”

“You don’t miss your people?”

“Of course I do, and hopefully one day I can rectify that situation, but right now I belong here with you. We are more important.”

“I hoped you would come back to me so I sat up here for a long time before going to get a drink. I wanted to go get absolutely sloshed so I could deal with the loss.”

I threw my arms around him and buried my face in his chest. “Oh Aiden, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sad, lass, all is as it should be.”

He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me like he’d missed me for months. After everything we’d been through, we were meant to be here in this moment. My mother was right, the call went out to Aiden when I was ready, and a crazy series of events brought us together.

I finally had what I was searching for all along, a love to call my own, and it was one I couldn’t have predicted. I smiled into his lips and wrapped my arms around his neck, ecstatic to spend another night wrapped up in the arms of my captain on board The Devil’s Pearl.

Epilogue

The sun shone brightly down upon us, lighting up the ship in the middle of the ocean. Music blared across the deck as the crew danced about. But they weren’t the only ones having a wonderful time.

Aiden swirled me around, and I couldn’t stop giggling. He yanked me to him and chuckled. I loved that sound, low and sexy and perfect. As he lowered his face to mine, I could smell the rum on his breath. It had been a day for drinking and celebration, and the captain had his fill of grog. Even still, he was light on his feet.

“This day has been amazing, love. The ship is so much more lively when you are upon it.”

“You just like having me around for your own benefits.” I giggled again as he twirled me around.

“I do enjoy that…” His voice trailed off and he ran his hands down my hair.

“See.”

“All joking aside, Rae, there’s something you should know.”

My throat ran dry at his words. “What’s that?”

“I’ve been preparing for the biggest quest I’ve ever taken on.”

I looked up at him with speculation. “Is that so?”

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, lass. This is all about you.”

“Me?”

“Why of course. I knew if I wanted to keep you, there was one absolute thing I had to do. Now that you’re aboard my ship, and I do hope it’s for a while, you better prepare yourself for this undertaking.”

I slapped his arm playfully. “I’m here to stay; I’m not going anywhere, Aiden.”

“But I want you to be happy.”

“I am.”

“But you will love this.”

Excitement bubbled up inside me as I looked up into his eyes. “Oh yeah?”

“Aye, my love.”

“Adventures like you’ve never known?”

“Aye.”

“I can’t imagine there’s something you haven’t done before.” I bit my lip mischievously. What could it be? I couldn’t imagine anything topping his large list of adventure; there had been many amazing ones.

“Aye. You see, I’ve been preparing my crew to head to hidden lands. Dangerous ones. There is something I need to do for someone dear to my heart.”

“And what’s that?” I asked, with a sly smile.

“Find the island of Camilla and retrieve the stone that will allow you to travel between worlds again.”

My heart leapt in my chest and my eyes grew wide. I couldn’t believe my ears. “Really? You’ve been planning this without me?”

“Oh yes, I was determined to have you, Rae. So what do you say? Ready for adventure?”

“As long as I’m with you.”

About the Author

Brooke is a self-proclaimed geek and day dreamer. She enjoys music, books, family & friends, and spending time with her husband and cat. She has obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in mental health counseling from Tennessee Technological University. She is the co-author of the Ethereal Underground trilogy.

Follow her on twitter: emera_lazzaly

Follow her on Facebook: BeneathTheSilverMoon

www.brookekennedy.org

www.etherealunderground.com

Acknowledgements

Thank you my awesome set of friends and family that have supported me throughout this endeavor. You’ve shared my posts on facebook and twitter, and listened to my musings and excitement about this book. Thank you, thank you! There are too many of you to name, but you know who you are.

Briana Gaitan, Briana Dean, and Sarah Walker, you guys have read this book over and over again. You’ve given me lots of helpful feedback, and I really appreciate the time you’ve taken from your busy lives to help out a fellow writer.

Troy Smith, you’ve been a big help with contributing your expertise and knowledge to me, as well as being a big supporter of my work.

I have the best parents that a girl could ever ask for. You guys have always been there for me and supported me in my endeavors. There’s no way I could have turned out to be the woman I am without your guidance. I love you guys!

My little brother, even though you aren’t so little anymore. You’re too cool, dude, and I appreciate your help and support through all this!

And to my husband, Chad, thank you SO very much for putting up with me writing and editing and marketing and writing some more. Some weeks that’s all I do, but it feels good to know you’re by my side and supporting me in it. Your knowledge (and thirst to obtain more) of randomness has contributed to things in my novel that I wouldn’t have thought of myself. Thank you, and I love you to pieces. You’re the yang to my yin.

Ghostly

Briar Summers never thought she would end up in the creepiest house on the block in a city far away from her home. Florida’s sun doesn’t quite fit well with her pale skin and dark clothing, but the weather seems nice enough. After all, her life has been one roller coaster after another and she’s ready for things to change.

What she didn’t expect was ending up in a haunted house with spirits ready to claim her for their own devices.

It’s no longer easy to tell who’s alive and who’s not.

It’s no longer easy to decipher what’s black and white.

A ghostly shade of gray is all that’s left.

COMING OCTOBER 31, 2014

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Continue reading for an excerpt from The Last Thing by Briana Gaitan

CHAPTER ONE

QUINN

“Don’t leave me, Bash!”

I opened my eyes to the sound of the airline attendant shuffling her way down the aisle.

Oh crap, did I just scream that out loud?

My hands clutched at my rapidly beating heart, knocking my elbow into the stranger sitting next to me. The little girl scowled and looked up from her tablet.

“Ouch! What’s wrong with you?”

“Sorry. Just—Just a bad dream,” I told her still struggling to control my breathing. She huffed loudly and set her tablet in her lap before pulling out her earbuds.

“People are staring you know.”

That only fueled my anxiety. I leaned forward and rested my head on the seat in front of me.

Pull it together, Quinn. You can do this.

I took a deep slow breath as the air flight attendant announced that we were about to land. Within a minute, I calmed down enough to buckle my seatbelt.

“You slept the entire trip by the way. We’re almost there.”

“No shit,” I mumbled. How was I stuck sitting next to a chatterbox?

“Whatever.”

I sighed, I was always cranky when I awoke. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.” My apology was only half-assed, but this girl couldn’t be any older than ten. What was she doing on a plane all by herself anyway?

“You’re weird.” She went back to playing her game so I turned my attention over to the window. As the plane descended down upon LAX, I wrinkled my nose at the dirty buildings and crowded spaces. This was my first trip to the west coast, but it didn’t look anything like Ginger had described it. What were the words she used? Oh yes, glamor and glitz. No, this place was just smog and buildings. There weren’t many trees, and each house had a uniform fence around it.

My fingers dug into the armrest as the plane landed, I hated confined spaces, which was why I’d taken a large sleeping pill before boarding.

I stood up and followed the crowd from the airplane into the busy airport.

“Welcome to Los Angeles ma’am,” a smiling attendant said to me.

“Thanks.”

California, the land that promised me change. Well it didn’t look special. Just different.

“Someone supposed to pick you up?” asked a voice. I looked over to see the little girl from the plane plop down in a chair. She looked over at me with one eyebrow raised in question.

“Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to talk to strangers?”

“I would hardly call you a stranger. I sat next to you for six hours and listened to you snore and drool on the window.”

“I didn’t drool.” Horrified, I put my hand over my mouth.

“You drooled, and you kept whispering someone’s name. Bash?”

My heart crashed into my stomach at the mention of his name. As if perfectly trained, I didn’t flinch. The fake smile remained displayed as normal.

“Are you traveling alone?” I asked, anxious to get this little girl out of my hair. I put my hands on my hips like an overly concerned adult.

“I just came back from visiting my grandparents; my driver will be here soon. This isn’t my first plane trip you know. You, on the other hand, look like this is your first trip to Oz.”

“Oz?”

“Oz. Like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. You’re not in Kansas anymore.”

“I know what Oz is, but what makes you say that?”

“You look all wholesome and good. Just look at that braid. It screams country girl, like you just fell out of a tornado.”

I insecurely tugged at my brown hair. Why did I care what a ten-year-old thought?

“Trust me….” I began, but paused when I realized I didn’t even know her name.

“Jenna.”

“I’m Quinn, by the way. Just so you know, Jenna, there is nothing wholesome or good about me.”

“Yeah right. I bet you were a cheerleader, on the homecoming court, and dated the same guy all through school as well.” She batted her eyes at me.

“You’re pretty insightful.” I admitted. “Do you always talk like this?”

“Pretty much. My mom says I talk too much.”

I rolled my eyes at her. I bet she did.

“Are you here visiting your boyfriend or are you one of those cliché girls trying to become an actress?”

“Neither. No boyfriend, but I did move here to live with my cousin who, by the way, is one of those cliché girls trying to make it big as an actress.”

“Sweet! Has she been in anything good?”

“She stars in a soap opera.”

Jenna made a face. “Gross. I hate those shows.”

I laughed at her expression. “You and I both, kid.”

“So…do you have a boyfriend?”

“Nope, there’s more to life than boys.”

“I’m almost eleven; all I think about are boys. I bet your life is going to be so glamorous here.”

Think again, little girl.

She was so wrong. Life wasn’t rainbows and sunshine. The sooner she learned that, the better.

“Jenna?” a man in a black suit appeared from beside us.

“That’s me.” Jenna hopped out of her seat and grabbed her backpack, which donned pictures of some cartoon character.

“Nice to meet you, Jenna.”

“You to, Quinn. I hope you find a boyfriend and your cousin gets a better job.”

I gave her a friendly wave goodbye. A boyfriend? I didn’t want nor need a boyfriend.

I grabbed my rolling suitcase and pulled it behind me. Walking through large crowds always made me anxious, but I sucked it up and looked for Ginger. We had agreed to meet outside, but this place was so huge I wasn’t sure how I would ever find my way out.

Ginger had been living in Los Angeles since we graduated from high school two years ago, and had recently gotten her big break. She was the one who’d come up with the great idea for me to stay with her. That is how I’d found myself here in LA, over two-thousand miles away from Tennessee.

Spotting Ginger among the blur of people was easy. She stood right outside the exit, next to a sleek black limo. She waved as soon as I came in view. Her long, sleek hair fell down her back. Its bright red color was her calling card, and how she’d gotten her nickname. From the moment she was born, everyone had taken to calling her Ginger; I don’t think anyone even remembered her real name. I sure didn’t. She wore a khaki trench coat, tied loosely around her thin frame. A pair of white oversized sunglasses covered her face. She widened her perfectly blood red lips into an enthusiastic smile as I walked closer.

She closed the last few feet between us by rushing up to me and wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Quinn, I’ve missed you. Look at you! You’ve lost weight,” she said while taking a step back to study me.

“Yep, and it looks like your boobs have gained weight,” I joked.

“Thanks for noticing.” She proudly stuck her chest out to display her new implants. Ginger sounded odd. It took me a moment to pinpoint the change.

“Your accent is gone.”

“Good. It took me months to get rid of that awful twang.”

A few fans stopped to point at Ginger as her driver loaded my suitcase.

“People are staring.” I whispered.

“Just ignore them. So how was your trip?”

“I slept the entire time so it was uneventful.”

“Good because you’re gonna need all that energy.”

Ginger pushed me into the limo while talking a mile a minute. Something about exciting plans for us this week, but I wasn’t paying attention. Sure, she’d invited me to stay with her, but she only felt sorry for me. I was Quinn, the local murderer. They had all but run me out of town.

When we arrived at the house, Ginger made  (and by made I mean ordered) us dinner. Her housekeeper unpacked my bags while Ginger took me on a tour of her Spanish- style home. There were four bedrooms and four bathrooms, all with grand circular archways and white carpeting. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined living in such a large home. Back home, I lived in the apartment above my mom’s garage. On a tour of the backyard, Ginger showed me a breathtaking view of the city lights and a small rectangular pool. She had a large well-used BBQ grill and a fire pit with seating for about a dozen.

“Guess what?” Ginger asked after the tour was finished. By this time, we’d moved upstairs to enjoy the view from my bed. “We are going to a party on Saturday night.”

“Do we have to? I have a ton of other things to do. I need to find a job and pick up…toothpaste.” I panicked trying to think of an excuse. Toothpaste? How lame. I didn’t feel like meeting anyone new. Ginger looked down at me with her bright blue eyes and pouted.

“Did you really just suggest buying toothpaste over attending a Hollywood mixer?”

“Yes, yes I did.” I confidently crossed my arms in front of my chest.

“Come on, Quinn. You deserve some fun, please?” She placed her hands in front of her in a pleading pose and stuck out one Botox-filled lower lip. I wanted to say no, but offending the woman who opened up her home to me felt wrong. I tried to think of a more plausible excuse. I have to wash my hair, perhaps. That was stupid. What if I told her I had jet lag? No, there was only a two-hour time difference. She’d never buy it.

If I wanted a fresh start, I needed to be doing normal things, right? I could imagine my psychiatrist’s response in my head. You need to stop beating yourself up and let go. Have a bit of fun.

“Fine, one party, but I’m not staying out late,” I said after a few moments of consideration. She squealed loudly and began to jump up and down.

I was used to her dramatics. Maybe Ginger hadn’t changed that much. I fell back on the bed and stared up at the vaulted ceilings. Ginger and I’d grown up together and always spent our summers at each other’s homes. When she left for Los Angeles, I ‘d stayed at home with my high school sweetheart. Bash had been the love of my life since we were in Jr. High. We were going to be together forever; but nothing had worked out that way. I didn’t get the life that I planned. Ginger snapped her fingers in front of my face and interrupted my thoughts.

“You’re doing it again, come back to me…Quinn!” she said with a serious expression on her face. She had been snapping her fingers at me all night, not allowing me to think about the accident. Surprisingly, it was working. She was keeping me from the hate and anger that bubbled inside. In one day, she had already helped me stay focused on the future, not the past. My psychiatrist had tried to convince me otherwise, but a change of scenery was just the thing I needed.

“Honey, you need some serious work done before tomorrow. I can’t take a hillbilly to a Jo Gillian party,” Ginger complained. She started pulling on my long hair in an attempt to fix the mess into an elaborate up-do.

“Did you just call me a hillbilly?”

“Yes, what happened to you? When I left, you were on your way to becoming a world-renowned makeup artist. Now look at you, all plain-faced and wearing jeans.”

“I prefer comfort now.”

“You prefer blending in.”

I need to change the topic.

“And a Gillian party? Seriously? I’ve heard about her.” A regular party was bad enough, but Ginger was dragging me to a Jo Gillian party. The girl was a famous socialite and actress known for throwing wild parties and being on the cover of all the tabloids. She had her own reality TV show, and cameras followed her wherever she went.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Ginger insisted, “but her parties aren’t as bad as the tabloids make them out to be. No drugs, I swear.” She held up a perfectly manicured hand, two fingers up, like the Boy Scout’s sign. I couldn’t believe that I was actually about to agree to this; last week my weekends consisted of locking myself in my room with a TV dinner and a book. Now I was going to an A-list socialite party. I nodded in surrender, if only to shut her up. Ginger squealed loudly and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. I promised myself that I would try to be normal. Going to a party would be my first step.

“So tell me, what has been happening back home?” she asked.

I shrugged. “It’s still the same ole.”

“Aunt Brooke and Uncle Joe?”

“Mom and Dad are...workin’ through things,” After my problems begun to surface, my parents’ marriage had dissolved. Having a daughter that the town hated, and who had tried to kill herself, took a lot out of a person. I supposed there was no strength left to work on their marriage.

“Aw hell, remember that time in high school when we snuck out to go on that camping trip?”

Laughing at the memory, I nodded at my cousin.

“Yeah,” I added, “and when they figured out we weren’t staying at each other’s houses, we were in so much trouble.”

Ginger jumped on the bed beside me. She covered her laughter by burying her head in the comforter.

“Oh,” I said, “and remember that boy in high school we called ‘stalker D’?”

“Yeah, wow. I had adoring fans even then.”

I rolled my eyes. Ginger had been popular and the lead in all the school plays. If it weren’t for Ginger, I would have been nobody.

“What happened to us?” I asked her. We had been so inseparable back then.

“Life,” she told me. She flipped over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “We each had our own dreams, but I’m glad you’re here now. I should have never left you in that town alone. I can’t explain it, but I needed to get out.”

I smiled at her confession before closing my eyes. It was nice to have a friend again. I drifted off to sleep. I had a hopeful feeling that there wouldn’t be any nightmares tonight. Just before I passed out, I swore Ginger whispered something softly.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

I wanted to believe it. It was the truth, but I wasn’t there yet.

Table of Contents

The Mermaid’s Pearl

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Epilogue

About the Author

Acknowledgements

Ghostly

Check out these other titles by Brooke

Continue reading for an excerpt from The Last Thing

Chapter One