Page 12 of Of Song and Darkness

Suspicion lingered in the glances of my men, their curiosity smoldering, eager to inquire about the girl. I scanned each of their faces, my posture and aura daring them to broach the subject. Swiftly, they averted their gazes, refocusing on the preparations needed to set sail.

“Tie it tighter, Rat,” I bellowed, my voice carrying on the cool morning breeze.

“Aye, Capitán,” he answered and quickly retied the rigging.

Minutes turned to hours before the ship was ready to sail. The intensifying heat of the day only served to stoke my mounting impatience and aggravation. After I inspected the crew’s work and was satisfied that it was seaworthy, we hauled up the anchor and easily sailed through the surf break.

I cast a cautious gaze over the expansive, open ocean. I didn’t trust that sea witch or the little siren she supposedly wanted me to kill. The thought had crossed my mind that this entire thing was a trap, and their sole purpose was to end my crew and myself to rid the world of another human that hunted their kind. I chuckled inwardly at the notion. They would have to do better than sending a little siren princess if they wanted to get rid of me.

My body was swaying back and forth in a rhythmic motion. I was on something solid, dry, and warm. It was not totally unpleasant. I snuggled deeper until my brain caught up with what my body was feeling. I wasn’t in the water. I was dry, too dry! Startled, I surged upright, my head spinning and my vision ablaze with swirling stars as I struggled to adapt to this unfamiliar environment. A veil of darkness enveloped me, punctuated only by the soft, swaying glow of a distant light.

Panic threatened to overtake me. I had to breathe deeply to calm my rapid pulse. My eyes darted from the wood plank floor to the bars of what appeared to be a cage. The swaying motion was making me queasy. I had to be on a ship. The lower half of my body throbbed with pain, and it felt strange and foreign. I glanced down, confusion clouding my brain. A scratchy fabric covered my tail. I yanked the material from my lower half. My mind went dead after that point. I reached a shaky hand toward where my beautiful tail used to be.

When I touched the offending legs, a cry ripped from my throat. This was real! They were real. I had legs! I thrashed until my body hit the floor. Panic swelled in my breast. I couldn’t breathe; I needed water and my beautiful tail. What had happened to me? What sort of magic was this?

A dark silhouette stalked from the shadows but stopped when the door to the room crashed open and the man from the beach walked in. As he approached, I scooted away until my backside collided with a wall.

“Your timing is impeccable,” the man in the shadows said.

“I was on the way down when I heard her screeching,” the one who just entered said as he approached the bars.

“Stay away!” I hissed.

He stopped and glanced back at the other man. “You head on up. I will take it from here.”

With a swift nod, the man left, closing the door and leaving me alone with the one who was looking at me menacingly.

“What did you do to me?” I cried as a tear slipped down my cheek. Even something as simple as a tear felt foreign. I would have never felt it on my cheek in the water.

“I picked you up off the beach, clothed you, and put you in the brig. I wouldn’t complain if I were you. At least you’re still living,” he thundered in a voice filled with disdain.

“What are these? Where did they come from?” I motioned toward my legs as they bent unnaturally and started flexing the ten little nubs at the end.

“Those are legs…” The dark-haired one eyed me up and down with a scowl on his face.

“I know what they are… I want to know how…” I stopped mid-sentence and slammed my mouth shut.

Why was I accusing this human? He couldn’t have done this to me. The sea witch… My mouth fell open again, but no words came out. She did this to me, but why? I looked at the stranger again, and one of his dark eyebrows shot up in questioning.

“Water!” I gasped. “I need water!” I tried to make these accursed legs straighten, but I didn’t know how the things worked and ended up on my side.

“Do you plan on drinking the water or drowning yourself in it? I’m fine with either if it stops your screaming.” His deep voice boomed, and he crouched down before me so that he was level with my gaze.

Fuming, I locked my gaze on his, and a surprising sense of calm washed over me. His eyes, swirling with shades of blue, reminded me of a tranquil summer ocean. I blinked a few times, still coming to terms with the fact that a human was hovering right in front of me. I had rarely encountered humans, let alone been in such close proximity to one. The rumors I'd heard painted them as feeble beings, lacking both physical strength and intellect. Yet the figure before me defied that description. He stood tall and broad, exuding strength and confidence. His wispy white shirt hung partially open, offering a glimpse of his well-defined chest as he leaned closer.

“See something you like?” His deep voice rumbled with laughter.

My gaze quickly darted back to his face, and a shiver of goosebumps rippled across my skin. I straightened, running my hands along my arms to dispel the sensation. As my eyes were tempted to wander lower, I fiercely resisted the urge to let him catch me ogling his muscles again. One side of his mouth curled upward in an arrogant grin, and I couldn’t help but admire his striking facial features. He had a strong face with defined cheekbones and a neatly groomed, dark-brown beard that harmonized with his untamed shoulder-length curls.

It was difficult, but I pulled my attention away from him and focused on my surroundings. I was in some sort of cage in a dark, musty room. “Why have I been locked up?” I tried to act innocent, desperately hoping that he would let me out.

“Let’s not play coy, siren. I don’t trust you, and I am sure you don’t trust me,” he answered as he straightened back up.

I glanced down at my legs again in momentary shock. How did he know that I was a siren when I clearly looked like a human?

“Who exactly are you?” I tried to gain my footing but only managed to make it to an upright seated position with my legs tucked under my body.

“Kaiden Alexander, but most people know me as Blackheart Kai.”

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