29. The Crew Scrambled

Chapter 29

The Crew Scrambled

The Pirate

A s soon as I made it back to my ship, I felt better. Proteus and his island had left me feeling wary. Not just because all manner of gods and creatures had roamed it, but because the magic that had shrouded that island had influenced my darkness the entire time that I'd been ashore. My darkest desires, which I had done my damnedest to suppress all these years, had been unleashed, and I knew I had committed an act that I'd had no right to commit. One that would haunt me for the rest of my days, however long that ended up being.

I had taken a siren to bed.

I watched her now, as she leaned out over the front of the ship, watching the dolphins as they jumped and wove in and out of the waves my ship cut through. If she wasn't below deck helping Barlow in the kitchens, or hiding in my private quarters, then she was at the bow of the ship, always eyeing the sea with the wind in her hair. She stared down at the dolphins playing, longing behind her gaze as if she wanted to join them.

She could if she wanted to. The binding between us allowed her some distance, and yet, she remained on the ship in her human form. In fact, it had been weeks since I'd seen her in her siren scales. Even last night, when I'd thought she'd meant to escape, she'd only let her tail show for a matter of minutes while she'd held her blade to my throat before she remained on the beach with just the waves tickling her skin. Gone were her lengthy swims beneath my boat. It was as if she feared being spotted with me, and I couldn't blame her. I was just a selfish pirate.

Our evening together burned within my mind, a reminder of what we'd done, the way we'd done it, almost had me hardening just with the thought of it. The cold press of steel against my throat as our bodies had melded into one had awoken the darkest desires within me, desires I had long since thought I'd stamped down and put away for good. I'd never desired to mix blood with desire before, and I couldn't help but wonder if that had been the darkness growing within me, or if I'd always been this twisted.

Talia's arm stretched toward the sea as if she could reach out and touch the dolphins that broke the surface as they swam alongside the ship. Then her hand clenched, and she pulled it back, pressing her fisted hand into her chest with a long exhale.

I came to a stop next to her, Patton guiding the ship at my back as my crew busied themselves with the many tasks required to ready our ship for the travels ahead. "You can swim if you want," I offered, keeping my voice kind, which was something I hadn't cared to do in a long time. She was my captive, but I'd taken advantage of her too much already, had stolen too much from her for my own selfish needs.

She didn't turn toward me, her gaze only watching the water frothing against my ship as the sails pushed us through the sea. Finally, after a long silence passed between us, she spoke, her voice soft, broken. "It is best that I not until we have completed our mission."

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of her longing, the sound of her voice cracking at the lost sea she was so close to yet couldn't return to yet because of my choices. I swallowed back my disgust with myself, my jaw clenching as I squared my shoulders. "Speaking of which, we need to go discuss our plan."

I wanted to place my hand on her shoulder but didn't, careful with the affection I showed her in front of my crew. Despite everything she had done for them, for me, they still avoided her, spitting curses her way as she passed. She ignored them all without ever blinking, her chin held defiantly high no matter what any of us threw her way.

She turned then, giving me a nod. We moved together across the groaning planks of the ship as it listed slowly side-to-side. Her bare foot slipped on the wet boards, and she stumbled. My arms instinctively reached for her, catching her and letting her lean on me before quickly releasing her. We stood so closely to one another that I could smell the sea orchid and sea salt on her skin. I could hear her heartbeat speed up, and her breath hitch as she seemed just as affected by my closeness as I was by hers.

I felt the eyes of the crew on us and heard their whispered murmurs as we crossed the deck. Distancing myself from her, I left her to follow behind me, passing several of our newer members to our crew as I made my way to the doorway to the lower decks. Something thudded, like flesh hitting flesh, and then a sharp intake of breath had me spinning around on the heel of my boot as pain throbbed within my gut.

Talia was on her knees, her hands clenched around her middle as Barley, one of our newest crewmates, stood over her, his hand cradling his fist as if he'd just struck her. Pure fury ignited within me as I charged forward, my boots slamming into the planks as my fist shot out and wrapped around Barley's thick neck. He stood taller than even me—he was rumored to be part giant—but my fingers clenched his windpipe until his eyes bulged, veins cording along his neck and temples, and his struggles ceased.

"She is MINE!" I growled, my voice trembling with rage as I lifted him off the ground and hurled him overboard without another thought. A thunderous splash echoed through the air, followed by frantic frothing of the water as the massive man fought to stay afloat. I turned my back on him, ready to leave him to the sharks.

"Captain," Patton called out to me, "We cannot let him become shark food."

"He struck her," I seethed through gritted teeth, my molten gaze sweeping over my crew who had all stopped their work to stare in shock at what had just happened. I faced them all, my eyes locking onto each of theirs with a deadly glare. "If anyone so much as lays a finger on this woman, disrupts even a hair on her head, without my permission… I won't hesitate to feed you to the sharks."

Patton helped lift Talia from the deck, standing in front of me with worry creasing his brow. "Sir, he has a traumatic history with sirens. They took his entire family from him. I'm sure he has learned his lesson."

Barley's panicked cries for help filled the air, the water splashing as he fought to keep up with the movement of the ship.

I wrapped my arm around Talia's waist, turning my back to the railing as I waved a dismissive hand over my shoulder. "Let him serve as a warning," I declared, leading Talia away from the chaos. I knew it wouldn't take long for the sharks to find the feast as I guided Talia below deck, my crew still silent at our backs.

As the distance grew between what had happened on deck and me, I chastised myself for my foolishness. I'd claimed this vicious creature as mine. A creature who would rip my heart out without a second thought. How had I let myself care this much for someone I was merely meant to use as a tool? A means to an end? It was the darkness within me, growing and churning, leading me down a path to my own destruction. And now, it would take my crew down with me.

"I didn't need your help!" she exclaimed, shrugging out of my hold as the door closed at our backs. Her lips twisted into a sneer as she rubbed the bruise I knew to be forming on her abdomen, right along where one grew upon mine.

"I'm aware," I replied dryly. "You could have ripped his heart out if you wanted, but that won't gain you any allies on this ship."

We walked the rest of the way to my cabin in silence, but I felt her eyes on me, felt the pull of her dangerous allure. My body was torn between wanting to fight for this woman at my side and pulling away, distancing myself from this dangerous creature. My mind raced with conflicting thoughts as I imagined holding her lower lip between my teeth. I cursed under my breath as my body betrayed me, responding eagerly to the thrilling danger before me as my cock hardened at the thought of her seductive nature.

Talia crossed my private quarters, her eyes widening as she stared down at the map spread across my desk, her fingers trailing across the aged parchment as she turned to me, asking, "Are we really heading toward Scylla?"

My hands closed around the edge of my desk, needing to hold onto something solid so I wouldn't reach out and move her hair aside. I wanted nothing more than to lay my eyes on the gentle curve along her neck.

"Yeah. Why?" I said, my voice low.

She straightened, her hands twisting as she held them together in front of her. "We are right here." She pointed at a spot within the Mediterranean Sea where I'd placed a rock marker, and then she slid her finger to a new spot. "And that is where the Kraken is."

I shook my head, trying to swallow down my own fear. "No. He's farther north, in the cold sea."

Talia's face paled. "He used to be…" She let her words trail off, her knuckles turning white beneath her grip as she held her fingers so tightly that her blood stopped pumping into her hands. "But Poseidon called him back here," she said, tapping the spot again. "He hasn't returned to the cold sea yet."

My brow lifted as I sucked in a breath. "How do you know this?"

Her expression turned serious. "I saw him destroy a ship as I was searching for a place to gain my powers."

"You mean, a place to find a victim," I corrected her.

She shrugged nonchalantly, unashamed of her intentions. "Either way, we need to go this way." She pushed the rock marker aside on the map, determined to continue our journey toward Scylla despite the potential danger of encountering the Kraken.

"That will put us miles off course and make our trip a half day longer," I said, my hands tugging at my hair as I stared down at the map.

She laughed. "It's better than getting your ship ripped apart and your crew consumed by one of the deadliest creatures in the ocean."

I couldn't ague with her. Instead, I shook my head, my hands pulling my hair back into the ribbon it had come loose from. I snatched up my discarded hat and moved to inform the crew to change course.

"You better hurry," she said, turning as she rested her perfect behind on the edge of my desk as her soft voice lilted after me. "He's getting closer. I can feel it."

I stopped in my tracks, turning to face her as I felt the desire and danger dripping from her sing-song voice like a newly sharpened blade. "Never use your siren magic on me," I growled out at her, my teeth grating as my jaw tightened.

She threw her head back and laughed, the sound both alluring and ominous. "Oh, darling, that wasn't my siren song. That was just me feeling comfortable in my own skin." Her gaze hardened as she batted her lashes at me, her lips curving into a dangerous grin. "Trust me, if I wanted to command you, you'd be like putty in my hands. And I could think of much more pleasurable things to do with you than just commanding you."

I raised a brow, smirking. "In that case, go ahead and sing away."

Her glare intensified, angered by my challenge. She crossed her arms and bared her teeth, the sharpened edges snapping at the air between us. Yet, I couldn't help but feel turned on by her fiery spirit, her defiance, her viciousness. For some reason, every time she looked at me like that, I wanted her to devour me, and I felt the urge to show her just how much more delicious it would be if we simply devoured each other.

My arousal throbbed within the confines of my pants as I turned from her, focusing on the task at hand as I casually adjusted myself. My beautiful seductive siren was going to be the death of me…in the most pleasurable way possible. Yet, I couldn't allow that. The conflict of what I wanted and what we both needed a constant war within me as I tried to remain steadfast on the curse breaking quest that we both desired.

I left her in my quarters as I went above deck. "Patton, adjust course immediately!" I called across the way as I stormed toward the mast.

"Where to, Captain?" he asked without batting an eye, his fingers already fisting around the helm as he waited for my command.

"East for now," I answered, my hands pulling at ropes as I shifted the sails, my men instinctively working around me as I watched the ocean around us. It appeared calm, but like Talia had said, there was something out there watching and waiting. I could feel it too. "Quickly," I said as a sense of dread hit me.

The water in front of us seemed to move abnormally, as if something big moved within the water. Something large, something dark moved at an alarming pace toward the surface.

"Open the sails! Turn the ship! Everyone on deck now!" I hollered as loud as I could.

Talia raced out onto the deck, her feet slamming into the boards as she tore her clothing from her body. Then, she dove over the railing and into the churning waters. Fear ignited within me for the briefest of moments as I realized she was sacrificing herself to the creature to save us.

Instead of the expected chaos and destruction, the ocean lay still and empty. No sign of Talia or the Kraken as I raced to the railing in her wake, scanning the depths for any sign of movement. The ship had fallen silent at my back as everyone waited, the sea quiet around us as if even it held its breath. My heart thudded in my chest as I reached for the bond, trying to feel anything from her but feeling nothing.

The eerie calm was shattered by a sudden, harrowing sight as a massive tentacle emerged from the water, clutching Talia, my beautiful vicious siren, in its clawed grasp.

"Grab the spears!" I bellowed to my men, and my ship clamored into motion at my back as waves of panic and dread spread through my veins like ice. A sharp, sudden pain ripped through my chest like a knife and my knees slammed into the deck as crimson blossomed from my chest. My heart felt like it was being torn apart as my breath heaved from my chest and my fingers curled around the rails of my ship to hold me steady.

A swirl of purple in the water spread like ink in the churning blue sea. It resembled blood, and my gut clenched in terror. What color did a siren bleed when they were in their true form? I had no idea, but Talia flayed within this monster's tight hold and fear engulfed me at the thought of her being torn apart by this foul creature.

My heart hammered against my ribcage as I pulled myself up over the railing and leaned over it, debating whether or not I should jump into the unknown waters after her. My mind raced, and I struggled to take a deep breath. Talia was shoved beneath the surface again as an ear shattering roar tore through the silence, and I decided to hell with this and threw myself over the railing. I plunged into the cold waters, kicking out immediately as I pushed myself toward the beast. I couldn't stand the thought of not knowing what had happened to her.

My head broke the surface and the waters had stilled. Both beast and siren gone. The only sign that either of them had been there a moment ago was the still churning waves. I pulled my curved sword from its scabbard at my side and dove deeper, searching the water for any sign of her or the creature but finding nothing. No Kraken. No siren. Just a trail of blood sinking deep into the waters, so far down that even the light couldn't penetrate that far.

For a moment, I wondered if I should just let my air run out as I floated deep beneath the surface, the pain of my lungs already like a blade within my chest. I hovered there until movement beneath me approached fast, almost a blur of motion. I twisted in the water, preparing to swim toward the surface, to my ship, but a smooth hand pressed at the small of my back, stilling me.

Turning, I saw Talia, her magnificent tail swishing in the water as her eyes met mine. Her hair floated around her head and a severed tentacle still clenched around her waist, a trail of dark blood leaking from it and down into the depths from which she'd just come.

Get on the ship and hang on. I will get us out of here. Drop the sails. Nod if you understand me.

Her lips didn't move, but I heard her voice inside my head. My lungs were bursting with their lack of breath, but I nodded as her sharp grip wrapped around my arm. She gave a kick of her long tail, propelling us toward the surface and launching us both from the sea. The wind whistled past my ear as our bodies twisted around each other until we slammed into the deck of my ship with a brutal force that knocked the breath of air I'd just sucked in from my lungs.

I flipped over onto all fours, water heaving from my lungs as I gasped for air. Panic bloomed within me as I watched with widened eyes as she launched herself back into the water without hesitation. I didn't even make it to my feet before I shouted at my crew to, "Pull down the sails!" I put my full trust in this siren who still wore one of the Kraken's tentacles like a god damn belt.

My crew pulled at the ropes as they did my bidding, and as I climbed to my feet, I watched the ocean explode in front of us as a monster the size of six full ships burst from the surface. Its tentacles stretched toward our ship, but before it could reach us, it was pulled backward with such a force, a massive wave crested from the displaced water. The impact rocked us violently, nearly tipping us over, but Patton held the helm and guided the ship, keeping us afloat as the crew scrambled along the soaked deck.

Shouts lifted into the air all around me as my crew prayed to the gods to save them, their hands tying down ropes as they secured the ship. A line of my greatest warriors lined the railing, their hands gripping spears as they await their chance to aim true. I sprung into action, my hands wrapping around the ropes as my gaze kept a constant watch on the battle waging beneath the waves. The water once again calmed but the tension hung heavy in the air.

"Great gods," Camilla said as she clung to the mast, the wind whipping past us as my ship rocked in the churning sea.

Tentacles lifted and slammed into the water, cracking through the air and making my ears bleed from the force of the shock wave. My grip tightened on the netting lifting to the mast as water frothed across the deck of my ship, tidal waves cresting with every crash of the Kraken's arms.

The monster's bulbous head broke the surface of the water, its rows of sharpened teeth filled with the bones and skin of its previous victims as it set its beady gaze onto my ship. My chin tilted skyward as I watched it raise above the sea, its tentacled arms roiling beneath it, frothing the sea into a chaos that threatened to capsize us. My men stilled around me, their grips tightening on whatever they could hold onto as we all realized the same thing.

We had no hope of defeating such a creature.

Talia exploded out of the sea with a ferocity that defied all logic, her siren form launching through the air with a blade gripped within her palm. It winked in the sunlight as she came down onto its head, her empty hand clawing a hold onto its face as she plunged the sharpened tip of her weapon into the Kraken's eye and directly into its brain. It shrieked, a sound that sent a chill down my spine as I watched with my jaw slackened as she pulled the blade free and slammed it back into place again and again.

"Watch out!" I screamed as one of its arms slammed toward her.

She moved at the last second, her tail coiling as she pushed herself around its face. Her dagger pierced into its skull elsewhere, and she wrapped both her hands around the hilt, swinging her body and dragging the blade in a long slice that spilled inky blood into the sea. With every pull on her weapon, the Kracken's tentacles slowed until it gave a dying shout and fell back into the sea, the water roiling as it sunk, bringing Talia along with it.

My heart raced as I watched the water that eventually calmed. No one moved at my back, my tension palpable as I waited for sign of my siren. "There!" I shouted, turning toward the men closest to me. "Lower the plank!"

They jolted into action, lowering the platform. Something was wrong. The vigor she'd showed as she single-handedly fought the creature no longer was present as she slowly moved through the sea, pulling herself atop the plank with arms that trembled. She lay back on the board, her naked chest heaving as she caught her breath while my men hoisted her back to the deck of our ship.

My mouth fell open in a mix of shock, disbelief, and relief as she toppled onto deck, her tail still and her hair splayed around her head. Her scales faded into smooth skin, and I couldn't help but stare as she lifted herself onto her elbows, her chin tilting with defiance as she completed her transformation back into her human self. Her naked body lay sprawled on the deck at my feet, and I just stared down at her.

I was torn between fear and desire for this fierce and dangerous vixen before me. My body betrayed me as I shook my head, my cock hardening as my want and desire consumed me. In all the years I'd lived, I'd never wanted someone as badly as I wanted her right now. The blade at her side held the inky blood of the monster she'd just slain, and I was incredibly turned on by all that I'd just witnessed.

"What are you?" I asked, my words forming the words as I stepped closer. What I really wanted to say to her was I want to fuck your viciousness so hard, but I refrained. My crew stood all around us.

She stood, lifting the blade she'd used as she smirked at me. She placed the weapon into my hold, then turned from me, walking away and disappearing below deck. Her hips swayed, and I so enjoyed the sight of her ass as she moved across the deck. That darkness within me expanded as if it approved of this vicious creature tempting me, and as I adjusted myself again, my length throbbing uncomfortably, I had to agree. My long dead, dark heart beat as an emotion stirred within. Something I hadn't felt in centuries.