Page 341 of Kingdoms of Night

The pirates caught sight of him, and quickly followed suit. They left without a word.

The man didn’t budge as they walked by. He simply glared at them with an intensity that made me uncomfortable

Who is this man?

As the others left, the stranger held up his hands to the fishermen, encouraging them to linger back lest they restart the fight outside.

Why a nobleman dared break up a fight between sailors and pirates was beyond me. But, I wasn’t complaining. I’d take the handsome stranger over the soldiers any day, since whenever they showed up it usually meant arresting my regulars and shutting me down for the rest of the night.

As the last pirate stormed out the door, I glanced down at my ring. Once the glow in the small pearl faded—indicating they were out of range—I let out a slow exhale and then whirled back toward the mess. Patrons were already reseating themselves and swigging at their remnants of ale as they engaged in lively conversations.

It was incredible how quickly they returned to normality.

Meanwhile, the places was still a mess, and I had to clean it up while the men waited for the pirates to clear out. I wasn’t sure where to even begin. I now faced the biggest bar fight aftermath than I’d seen in years. Broken clay, splintered wood, blood and spilled ale, and the damn ocean air still spitting in the front window.

I growled beneath my breath.

“Ay lass,” the handsome stranger said.

When I realized he was speaking to me, I froze.

Of course, he was speaking to me. I was the only woman in the tavern.

I cleared my throat, averting my eyes. “Yes, my lord?”

“How about pouring me one, will you?”

I nodded.

“And, I’m no lord.”

That was surprising to hear. How a commoner commanded such power was beyond my comprehension. I ran my hand through my dark hair, suddenly a bit concerned about my appearance. I stole a glance.

I nearly gasped when I caught him watching—studying me. There was such an intensity in his eyes that I was sure he could read my thoughts—see my past—and discover all of my deepest secrets.

The way his storm-colored eyes looked me up and down was unnerving. Human men weren’t supposed to make me blush the way I did just then. I never found them too appealing. They looked nothing like the men back in my kingdom, but, this one was something extraordinary.

Beyond that…hehadjust taken on a tavern full of sailors and pirates without breaking a sweat. Not to mention, stopped the situation from getting worse and ruining my night. The least I could do was get him a drink.

After all, that was my job.

“Coming right up,” I said. I turned my attention to the fishermen and sailors. “How about a hand getting this place cleaned up?”

A chuckle came from Fennick, the fisherman with the thick white beard who’d been coming to the tavern since it was turned over to me by an elderly couple who was more than happy to receive a small box of gold as payment for their livelihood.

“As long as you sing a song for us, Siddhe,” Fennick said in a gruff voice that betrayed his slender frame.

Brilliant.

My smile widened. I could use a song just as much as my customers. “As you wish.”

I bounced up to sit on the edge of the bar and began one of my favorite songs. It seemed appropriate after what had just transpired. I could only hope my smile and sweet singing voice masked how frantic I felt to have been merely feet from pirates…the only true predator for mermaids around the world.

I still wasn’t sure why they stumbled on my little tavern in the first place, but I could let my curiosity on the matter subside as long as they didn’t return.

As I belted out the notes, my patrons listened aptly while turning the tables right-side-up and throwing away broken mugs and trash. The magic of my voice made them serene, a bit docile even, like children listening to a bedtime lullaby.

I kept the melody going as I poured the stranger a frothy mug of ale. He settled in the same chair Malia had been sitting in earlier. I’d much rather have his company over hers, even though he made me feel a bit giddy inside—as if I’d been sipping pixie nectar on a full moon.

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