16. The Blood Oath

Chapter 16

The Blood Oath

The Pirate

S he stared back at me with eyes I found hard to look away from. Large, beautiful aquamarine orbs ringed in gold that reminded me of the ocean beneath the glittering heat of the sun. I hadn't been expecting the ring of royalty. The rumors among pirates had the queen long dead with no heir in sight. Supposedly, Poseidon himself now ruled over the sirens, which had kept him occupied in the deep oceans all these years. It had served me well, the lack of violent storms on the surface of the seas for every tantrum he threw. This creature in front of me could change all of that, but, more importantly, she could change my future.

Sharp, glistening, white teeth peeked from behind her lip as she chewed her lip while she watched me, her brow creasing as if she were deep in thought. I could almost picture the images flitting across her expressive face. I had struggled to keep the grin from my face from the moment I'd captured her. I hadn't just found any siren; I'd found a royal descendent. She would be the perfect creature to break this damn curse.

There was a bite to her words as she said, "Who says I want to help you, or that I even will?"

"I'm Kipp."

I ignored her question because there was no reason to answer it. She would help. She really didn't have a choice. She simply hadn't realized that yet it seemed. Once she did come to that conclusion, this would be so much easier for her, for me, for everyone on this ship.

A bead of blood dotted her lip, and I found myself almost mesmerized by it as her teeth released her lip. My head tilted as the strangest urge hit me, willing me to pull that moistened lip into my mouth to suck the blood away. My breath left me as I imagined the tip of my tongue lining the curve of her upper lip. I cleared my throat, giving my head a subtle shake to clear the errant thoughts running wild in my mind. I watched her arch her brows, a slow seductive smile lifting those lips I'd just admired as if she knew my line of thought. The lust of the siren truly was a plight I'd have to resist it seemed.

"I don't care what your name is. Release me," she demanded, as if her royal heritage had any standing on this ship.

"I will… Once our task together is finished. Like I said before. I give you my word."

I pulled my dagger from my hip, and she flinched back, hissing as she bared her sharp teeth in warning. Claws broke free of her fingertips, and I held up my empty palm to show her that I meant her no harm. She stilled, her teeth still clenched and on display, her claws still curled between us. Using the point of the blade, I pricked my thumb until the flesh bubbled with my blood.

"By blood oath, I swear on my blood that I will release you once my task is completed and my curse is lifted," I said, my voice as tense as the air between us.

Her nostrils flared as my blood dripped to the wooden planks at our feet. She relaxed slightly as I slipped the blade back into the holster at my hip, but her watchful gaze didn't leave me once. "It does not matter. I cannot be here. I do not have the time to waste to be here. There are those who depend on me."

As soon as her words left her, an odd expression crossed her face as if her admission had pained her. Her claws receded as she clutched her fingers into fists, her own blood streaking the skin of her fingers. The slight tightening of her eyes as she winced was the only indication that she had noticed the pain.

"The quicker we are with my tasks, the faster you can return to your people," I said, though I wasn't sure of that. Still, I let the lie fall from my lips. The blood oath had been true. I would release her from the task. The bond I'd created between us was another story. I didn't know how to break that.

She would be able to leave, sure. But she would always be aware of me, and I her. What I'd done had been a great risk, but I'd do it again if I had to. Desperation made people reckless. If we failed… it wouldn't bode well for her.

"What is it you need?" she finally asked, her shoulders drooping slightly, her chin dipping. It was as if a bit of the fight had been sucked from her, though I knew she still held a lethalness about her.

A wave of relief washed over me, a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time. "I was cursed by a sea witch, and I need you to help me break it."

Her skin flushed red as she smirked, her gaze widening as she responded, "I find it odd you were cursed and your solution to escape it requires my help."

Venom coated each of her words and it flared to life the darkness within me that I barely held at bay. Her nostrils flared, her anger singing to my curse, almost as if it wrapped it around her finger. The darkness within me ignited as if it wanted to devour her along with me.

I knew my eyes filled with that darkness, I'd seen it happen several times over the years when this curse flared to life within my chest. I stared at her, relishing the way she recoiled slightly from me. Then she shocked me, lifting her chin in challenge as if saying I see your darkness and match it with my own. The image of her taking that last bite of the still beating heart of a man I knew she'd seduced into loving her made the darkness within me grin. It didn't see that moment through disgust. Instead, it wanted to know if her bloodied lips would taste like the sea.

Gods, she must be putting a spell on me. I leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath as that darker part of me demanded I share that bed with her, demanded I find out exactly how those lips tasted. It wanted to hear her demand more from me, it wanted my name cried from her lips. My fingers gripped the arms of the chair, locking me into place as we watched each other.

This creature, this beautiful woman in front of me, was going to be the death of me. She would either bring me to my end, or she would bring me to my knees. And I didn't know if I cared which at this point.