Page 18 of Of Song and Darkness

“If you think you can do better, siren, be my guest,” he whispered. As his breath brushed against the shell of my ear, a shudder ran down my spine.

“All hands on deck! Lower the mainsail! Ready the capstan and prepare to heave to!”

I didn’t get a chance to argue as he jumped down from the pavilion and started yelling orders. I watched for a while, amazed at how fast and fluidly the men moved to his harsh commands. When I glanced up at the “Rat’s nest” he referred to, a smile spread across my face.

Nobody was paying any attention to me as I walked over to the rope ladder ascending to the structure high in the air. Tentatively, I gripped the rope and started to climb. I started questioning if this was a good idea about halfway up when the wind started whipping and the rope ladder started swaying. I clung to it tightly until the wind died down and then continued.

“Señorita, what are you doing? You shouldn’t be up here!” A hand reached down, gripped my own, and pulled until I was safely inside the structure high in the air.

“I wanted to see what a rat’s nest was, and the view…” My mouth fell open as I looked out across the sea.

The scene was breathtaking. I had seen the ocean from below but never from above. As far as the eye could see, the sea stretched on for miles. The waves rolled in a rhythmic motion as the sun glistened on the water, making it look like a treasure trove. To our right, I could just make out the land as it came into view—the tans and browns of the beach and the greenery of the trees. Several kinds of birds chirped, and seagulls were cawing as they drew closer to the land.

“Si, it is breathtaking, señorita. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rat.”

I pried my gaze from the ocean and looked at the man who had helped me.

He was much smaller and leaner than the other men, with a thick dark mustache above his lip. He shoved his black hair out of his face as the wind tossed it.

“Rhea.” I smiled at him as his eyes twinkled with kindness.

He grabbed my hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed my knuckles. “The pleasure is all mine, señorita.”

“Rat!”

He tugged away and leaned over the siding as the captain called his name.

“Si, Capitán?” Rat called down.

“How many leagues…” Kai’s words died on his lips as I leaned over the railing, and he went stark still.

“What are you doing up there?” he thundered.

I shrugged and glanced back out across the sea. I had no intention of yelling back and forth with him like younglings. Instead, I rested my elbows on the railing, enjoying the view. The captain simmered with anger and started up the rope ladder. He was moving faster and with more precision than I thought possible for someone of his size. I turned toward him as he landed with a loud thump inside the lookout tower.

“Leave now, Rat.” Kai’s tone was deathly calm and rang with warning.

“Adios, señorita!”

I gasped as Rat jumped over the railing.

My skin tingled with discomfort as I watched him free fall until he grabbed onto a rope, swinging around to land on the deck. I turned back to the captain as he took a menacing step toward me. I retreated until my back collided with the railing.

“Do you have a death wish, sea demon? You barely just learned to walk—you don’t have the stamina to climb a mast.”

I batted my eyelashes to further enrage him. “Your concern is touching. It almost seems like you care.”

“I do care. I care about that treasure on that sunken ship.” He snarled as he ventured closer.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms defiantly across my chest. It was a pity there wasn’t any treasure on that ship. I smiled to myself at the deceit. I couldn’t wait until I rubbed that information in his face, pointing out that a siren had outsmarted the dreaded Blackheart Kai. He stepped around me, rested his forearms on the railing, and looked out across the sea.

“So, can you see the reef and the sea’s bottom with your wonderful siren eyes?” he mocked, changing the subject.

“No, but the sea tells me everything I need to know. The reef is about ten yards off the starboard.” I smiled victoriously when the smug look faded from his face and was replaced with fleeting shock.

“And just what exactly did the sea say?”

“If you stopped long enough to listen, it would speak to you too.” I followed his gaze as it danced across the glistening water.

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