Page 21 of Siren's Treasure

Her legs betrayed her again, sending her stumbling onto his four-post bed. The impact knocked her breath away, and her first dizzying impression was of gold—everywhere gold, like a dragon’s hoard gone mad. Crimson velvet drapes framedcolumn-like bedposts, and gilded mirrors multiplied her terror from every wall.

“Stop! Raggon! Have you lost your head? Remember what your mother…”

The door slammed on Morris’s protests for decorum. Raggon turned to her, his dark hair and piercing gaze made him seem all the more dangerous. Her heart skipped. There was a storm in his blue eyes. She inched back on the elaborate coverlet, noticing everything about him, the leather cord carrying an elaborate gold coin, the billowing black shirt that flowed around his powerful frame, the worn sea boots that rose above his knees, marked by salt and adventure.

Her eyes lingered on his lips, full and firm, the memory of their touch against hers still burning on her skin. Her breath caught.

If only he’d never kissed her!

He seemed taller now, more imposing as he loomed over her, the crystal chandelier casting fractured shadows across his face. Her neck strained as she looked up at him, her pulse quickening in a way that had nothing to do with fear.

You never really knew him—remember that! He’s brought you to his shrine of excess and power.Distance yourself, girl!

Those thoughts scattered as he closed in on her, catching her shoulder. “You’re going to help me, sea maid… I need the Undine Blade.”

Her heart nearly stopped. He was after it, too? Circe’s flag had whipped around the white sails of his ship, showing who he served. None of this was coincidence. What game was Scylla playing with the both of them?

The gag made it impossible to demand answers.

His eyes roved over the strange dress Scylla had gifted her—she was almost tempted to look down to see what she’d missed earlier, except Raggon’s expression arrested her. Confusion andcuriosity softened his features—curse the man, the stupefied look was almost adorable against all this threatening splendor. “What are you… wearing?” he asked finally.

Was that a crack in his voice?

She couldn’t very well answer, now could she? And he was to blame for that! She could only glare in response. Shivers coursed through her body. The cold from this gloomy, garish cabin seemed to seep from the gilt-covered walls themselves.

Were humans always freezing like this?

His lips twisted when he met her angry eyes. If he was amused by this, she’d have his head! Well, as soon as she got the upper hand! Clearing his throat, he checked her gag, his movements turning brisk. His thumb brushed across her chin, sending sparks through her that should’ve been extinguished long ago.

Ah, raging tides! This new human body was nothing but trouble! Forget those kisses already! The instant she was free, she’d throttle Raggon for daring to touch her. The golden eels against the columned posts watched on with silent amusement.

“Get used to that gag,” he said. “You’re not using your siren’s powers on me again.”

She meant to roll her eyes, but another violent tremor betrayed her. This cabin was far too chilly with these damp clothes—Scylla needn’t have bothered with curses of daggers in her every footstep. Being human was torture enough.

The bed dipped as Raggon sat beside her, the gold-threaded coverlet catching the lamplight. His fingers, bearing the marks of countless battles, moved with surprising gentleness as he tucked the luxurious blanket around her shoulders. “What have you done to yourself?” he muttered.

If he’d only let her tell him. Instead, she found herself leaning slightly into him, shamelessly stealing his warmth. Her heart beat out a treacherous rhythm at the proximity. Trust was a luxury she could ill afford, but something in his touch made herwish she could. Even surrounded by all this evidence of a man who loved power and display, his gentleness made her wonder what lay beneath the surface.

Around them, the ostentatious cabin seemed to hold its breath. She closed her eyes, caught between two worlds—the sea that was her birthright and the islands where the Undine Blade waited, calling beyond these lurid walls.

Yet in this stolen moment, only one man stood in her way. Her eyes fluttered open to find him watching her. The glittering chandelier caught the sharp angles of his face, softening them just enough to reveal a glimpse of vulnerability beneath his carefully maintained facade.

Friend or enemy to her people, she couldn’t tell—but she knew with certainty that Raggon was no simple pirate, and their fates were now as intertwined as seaweed in a current.

Chapter eleven

The mermaid met his eyes with pleading. They were so dark, so big, like pools of midnight reflecting the dim lantern light that swayed with the ship’s gentle motion.

His breath hitched. He was a monster! The woman didn’t need her siren voice to tear his heart to pieces, did she? And for good reason—why was he manhandling the poor sea creature like this? The Duke was right—had he no thought for her sensibilities? The dripping maid was miserable, her skin pale as alabaster against Maddox’s garish blood-red curtains.

She was rightfully terrified in a cabin that had once belonged to that leering dolt—the man’s preferences had always run to the theatrical. Raggon’s gaze caught on a massive painting above the bed depicting a leering pirate capturing a mermaid, its gilt frame as tacky as everything else in this room.

The tasteless painting was nothing to the real thing trembling before him. There was something else in those fathomless eyesthat made his pulse quicken. His fingers tightened over her arms, feeling the delicate bones under his calloused grip.

“What’s your name?” he whispered, trying to ignore how Maddox’s crystal chandelier tinkled mockingly above them.

Her brows rose in response, and he almost laughed at the ridiculousness. There he went asking questions she couldn’t answer. “I’ll call you… uh… Clam.”

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