Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 144411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
I push that thought from my mind and clear my throat.
“Good evening, Nerissa. What brings you to the Nightwind?”
She chuckles softly, twirling a piece of kelp hair around her finger. “Loving the formality, Bones,” she says to me. “No time for idle talk, aye?” Her gaze sharpens. “I’m here because your crew has stolen something from my crew.”
“We didn’t steal it, we borrowed it,” I tell her. “And the mermaid is below deck if you want her back.”
“She’s dead,” Sterling spits out.
I shoot him a hard look. “Thanks for that. Very helpful.”
“Dead, is she?” Nerissa asks, her voice low, rich and melodic. “Well, I shouldn’t be surprised, she had been dying for some time. Her blood didn’t even help my crew in the end, but they are a stubborn bunch as you know. So attached to the idea of becoming something they will never become.”
“Yes, well it’s your crew now that has something of ours,” I tell her. “Sedge, our cook. He’s useless on your ship. They don’t eat.”
“Neither do you,” she says.
“Of course we do,” I scoff.
She raises her chin. “Right,” she says. “I forget sometimes.” She makes a face of disgust. “Regardless of who has what and how important that is, my crew won’t be giving you your cook back unless you give us something in return.”
“Well, you can have the fair mermaid,” I tell her. “Be my guest.”
“Alive. We want something alive.”
“Why do you care what the crew have or don’t have? You’re the one that cursed them.”
Her nostrils flare contemptuously. “I’m sure you can understand, Captain, that no matter what you’ve done to your crew or how they feel about you, they’re still your responsibility. I may have cursed them and their ship, but I do care about their well-being. Didn’t you ever have a pet while growing up? Perhaps eels or barracuda?”
I frown. “No…”
“Give her the princess then,” Sterling says. “That will call it even.”
“Yes, give her the princess,” Thane says and oh, I could kill my brother right now, my hands curling into fists.
Nerissa’s watchful eyes notice this. “Princess? Do tell.”
“He’s been sticking his cock in the princess,” Sterling rasps. “She was captured for ransom but now her husband the prince is dead and none of us, save the Captain, have any use for her.”
“I have not been…” I start, then close my eyes and give my head a shake. When I open them I give Nerissa an imploring look. “You don’t want the princess. She’s not even a princess anymore. She’s worth no money and she’d be a lousy member of any crew. All she does is talk back and look pretty.”
“Is she a human?” she asks.
“Possibly?” I answer with a shrug.
“Possibly?” Sam repeats under her breath.
“Hmmm,” Nerissa says, her lips pursed. “I suppose this might make a fair arrangement. Though I am a little confused by her possibly not being human.”
I lift a shoulder. “It’s hard to tell sometimes.”
“Yes. Well, let me lay eyes on her,” she says taking on an air of command. “Take me to this princess.”
Oh, hell.
My head spins and I’m trying to think of what to do. I need Sedge back but I can’t let her take Maren either. I can’t let her take any of our crew.
“Is the captain seriously considering not trading a useless cunt for one of his own crew?” Sterling challenges, noticing my hesitation.
I glare at him. “Not at all. Let’s go.”
I lead them down to the quarterdeck and to the stairs below, my mind desperately trying to figure out how to get through this. Could I offer myself to the witch? Nerissa would probably like that even though her curse would never work on me.
We pass by Thane who is looking at me sharply, perhaps not believing what I said I would do.
Nerissa pauses by him for a moment and runs her finger over his chin. “You and I have destiny together,” she purrs at him then continues following me.
I lead her and the rest of the crew down to the hold and over to the room where Maren is locked up.
Only to find Page John unconscious on the ground, half-naked, and the chains empty.
Maren is gone.
CHAPTER 18
Maren
I don’t care if he made me see stars and shot his seed all over my belly, I don’t trust the captain not to kill me. He’s one step closer to finding out what I am and I won’t have my blood siphoned to feed him and his crew, even if it brings me closer to Edonia. I won’t let what happened to my sister happen to me.
You could have thought about that before your desires got the best of you, the voice of reason says. Before that pirate stuck his skilled fingers inside of you and made you buck and moan like you never have before.