Chapter 16

Kai lifted me from the boulder, careful not to press against my mangled back. My emotions waged war with my body as he held me tightly in the rowboat. Although I didn't want to admit it, I liked the feel of his thick, muscled arms around me, and at the moment, I was at peace in his strong silence.

He hoisted both of us up the rope ladder that led to the ship's deck with the greatest of ease, not even breaking a sweat under the rising sun.

Once aboard, he took me below and sat me down gently on his bed. "I'll be back. I'm going to help Cael gather the supplies needed for your operation."

At some point between the time it took Kai and Cael to gather the supplies needed to fix my back, my body transformed back into human form. The pain from the transformation was surprisingly dull compared to the searing agony of my torn back. Sirens typically healed fairly quickly, but the injury must have been more severe than I had originally assumed, given the amount of pain.

I quickly slipped on my pants but had to leave my upper half exposed until the "operation" was complete. That word sent dread spiraling to the pit of my stomach.

Cael walked into the room with Kai on his heels, arms loaded with supplies. "I'm ready."

I'm not, but I refused to say that out loud and admit my fear in front of these men.

"You'll have to lie on your stomach," Cael instructed.

A tremor shook my body as I obeyed. I snatched a nearby pillow, hugging it close to my breast as I exposed my bare back to him.

"What are you doing here?" Kai's deep voice rumbled.

I turned, angling my head to look toward the door that led into the cabin.

Rat cleared his throat. "Don't make us leave, Capitán. We want to be here for the se?orita. We owe her our lives."

Unshed tears gathered in my eyes at Rat's declaration, my throat constricting with emotion. Most of the crew members gathered in the door frame.

Kai turned to me, uncertainty written across his facial expression. "Do you want them here?"

Did I truly desire them to witness the excruciating reweaving of my torn back muscles? Did I want them to see my weakness? Probably not. What if I fainted or screeched in pain?

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "They can stay."

At my words, the crew members crowded in, all with sober expressions on their faces.

"Just stay out of the way," Kai warned them.

The pop of a cork resonated in the room, which was way too quiet with the number of people within. "Take this tequila and dab it on the wounds," Cael said.

From the corner of my eye, I watched Kai take it.

Kai glanced down at me one last time before disappearing from my peripheral vision.

As the liquid touched my skin, a hiss of pain forced its way through my clenched teeth. It felt like Kai was brushing literal fire against my back. Once he was through, the pain slowly subsided.

He held the bottle of clear liquid before my face. "Care for a swig?"

I bit my lower lip, blinking rapidly as I shook my head. Kai corked the bottle and set it on the table.

When a hand brushed against my back, a tremor shot down my body.

"Hold her down," Cael instructed, and two other sets of hands gripped me and pressed my body further into the mattress.

A cry worked its way up my throat. I bit my lip, the taste of copper on my tongue, as I tried to keep the scream within while Cael pushed the needle through my skin.

I had a death grip on the pillow underneath me, and I sank my teeth into the fluffy material as Cael pushed the needle through my skin again and pulled the thread tight. Tears escaped my eyes and splattered on the pillow while Cael continued to work the needle in and out of my skin.

Kai bent before me, his face hovering inches from mine. I quickly buried my tear-stained face in the pillow, but he lightly cupped my cheek in his large palm, prying my face from the pillow.

He brushed his rough thumb over my cheek, dashing away a tear. "I think after what you did for this crew, no one will judge you for showing a little weakness. You cry, scream, hold on to my hand, or whatever else you need to do to get through this."

Kai's words brought even more tears to my eyes. I gripped his hand, hanging on to it for dear life as Cael continued to weave the needle through my skin.

"It's almost over, se?orita," Rat encouraged, coming into view with a smile on his whiskered face.

The room started to spin, and I blinked a few times to regain focus. I had made it this far. I wasn't going to lose the battle to unconsciousness.

With one last tug of the thread, followed by a swift yank, Cael declared, "It's finished."

A whoosh of relief left my lungs. The slashes across my back throbbed with pain, but it was over.

Kai stood and gently lifted me to allow Cael room to wrap bandages around my wounds. After they completed their work, I cradled my pillow close, finally feeling the tension release from my muscles, the first respite since they had begun.

"She should heal fine now. We have to watch out for infection," Cael whispered to Kai. I heard the warning, but I did not have the energy to care.

Rat crouched before me. "Rest, se?orita. When you wake up, we will have a meal fit for a queen ready for you."

I smiled at him then closed my eyes as exhaustion overwhelmed me. I heard the scuff of their boots against the wooden plank floor as they left the room.

Kai rose from the bed, but not before placing his calloused hand upon my brow.

I kept my eyes closed as Cael's concerned voice reached my ears from the vicinity of the doorway. "She won't be able to face Medusa in this condition. She'll die."

"She had no chance of surviving Medusa anyway," Kai answered barely above a whisper.

"What are you going to do?" Cael raised his voice slightly, causing my pulse to drum louder.

"Don't wake her," Kai grumbled. His voice faded as he walked out and closed the cabin door.

Sleep claimed me the instant he was gone.

I didn't knowhow long I'd slept, but I awoke to the cabin door opening at some point during the night. Squinting my eyes, I tried to adjust to the darkness of the room.

The bed gave way to Kai's weight as he crawled in beside me. His scent engulfed my senses, and I inhaled, drawing comfort from it. He trailed his fingers as gentle as the ocean breeze over my cheek before turning over and settling.

I rested beside him and waited until his breathing deepened, signaling he was asleep, before slowly sitting up and easing from the bed.

After grabbing a few pieces of my discarded clothes, I clutched them to my chest and sneaked out of the cabin. Leaving the room practically nude was not my most brilliant move, but I couldn't risk waking Kai. I quickly fumbled in the dark, pulling on my pants. When my shoulders stretched in an effort to pull my shirt over my head, I hissed as my wounded skin pulled taut.

Once somewhat composed, I crept on deck. I glanced over the railing. Fortunately, the rowboats remained afloat in the water. I let out a relieved breath, well aware of the risk involved in lowering them myself and potentially rousing the entire crew from their slumber.

I threw one leg over the railing before a deep voice boomed from behind. "Where do you think you are going, sea devil?"

I rolled my eyes, glancing over my shoulder to see the helmsman Flynt leering at me. After slowly lowering my leg back on deck, I turned to face him. "I have a pressing engagement with Medusa," I answered through clenched teeth.

"The Cap'n said nothing about you leaving." He sneered.

Something about his slimy demeanor and the way his eyes traveled up and down my body raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

His elongated fingers clamped around my upper arm with a viselike grip, wrenching me forward. I tried to catch myself, but he was too strong. My body collided roughly with his. My skin crawled as he wrapped an arm around my waist with the strength of an octopus tentacle, anchoring my body to his. When he pressed against the lesions on my back, tears flooded my eyes.

"Now be a good sea devil and join me up by the helm. I'll make you forget all about that pain in your back." His hot, rank breath blew across my face, causing bile to burn up the back of my throat. "But you can't be too loud, no matter how difficult it is. Don't want to wake Cap'n," he warned, sliding a dagger from his sheath and pressing the tip to the hollow of my neck.

He tried to drag me forward, but I planted my feet, halting his attempt. His face pinched with anger, and he pressed the blade tip further into my throat. A wet substance dripped down my breastbone, indicating he'd punctured the skin.

"Don't play coy. I don't want to mess up that pretty face until after we've had some fun," Flynt grunted.

A wicked smile brushed across my lips as I looked up at him. "Foolish human. It's not the captain you need to be concerned about."

Before he could comprehend the gravity of his mistake, I parted my lips, and my siren song wafted through the air, its gentle melody ensnaring his thoughts like a seaweed in a tide. His pupils dilated, and the hand clutching the dagger went limp, causing the knife to tumble to the deck.

I circled him like a shark, tracing his movements with predatory precision. "I should make you jump overboard and drown yourself." I cursed in his face. "But that would make too much noise and would foil my plans. Instead, you'll return to the helm and keep your mouth shut."

He nodded his head, wholly dumbfounded under the enchantment of my song. My eyes traveled down to the sword that hung on his hips. I grabbed the hilt, pulling the sword from its scabbard. I might need this if my song fails to work against Medusa.

I closed my lips, and my song died in the air. Flynt blinked a few times and then headed back toward the helm.

I quickly glanced around to ensure no one else was on deck and then bounded over the railing into the small wooden boat below. It took me longer than planned to figure out how to use the oars. I had never steered a rowboat before. The men made it look so easy, but it was not, especially with my injured back. Finally, I found my rhythm, and the boat glided across the water's surface toward the shoreline.

Moonlight danced across the ripples of the deep lagoon, bringing me some measure of peace in the tense moment. I glanced back at Kai's ship, unease settling in my stomach. Kai would probably be furious when he awoke to realize that I had snuck out in the night, but I had come this far, and I refused to let my people down now. A surprising realization halted my efforts. In that moment, I found myself shocked to realize that I wanted the dreaded Blackheart Kai by my side.