Page 85 of Found at Sea
“Very good, pirate. How is it you came to know about nymphs?” he asked, and it was damn difficult not to become distracted by his voice. “Did you kill them, too, on your quest for hearts?”
Instantly, I looked at Fletcher. He’d been the one to tell me the stories about them. I’d once asked him what the difference was between a nymph and a mermaid, and he’d said they were mostly the same; however, nymphs were extremely rare and held special abilities. They were also known to be more exquisitely beautiful.
“I will only ask you once more,” I said, meeting his deadly stare with one of my own. “Why are you following my ship?”
“It is not your ship I follow, pirate, but something within it,” he said, and a slight hiss trailed his words. His teeth were still sharp and he displayed them. “Something of value to me.”
My heart sank low. He really was after Fletcher. There was nothing else of value on my ship, and since I was clearly not the only target, ithadto be him.
“You cannot have him,” I growled, pulling my dagger from my belt and placing it at his throat.
“Cap’n!” Kris shouted.
I ignored his warning. The anger fueling me was too intense.
“Men are so predictable,” the nymph said, tilting his head a bit as he regarded me with near-glowing green eyes. “A curse was placed upon you for killing beings of the sea and yet here you are trying to do so again. A lesson not learned.”
I put more pressure on the blade, pressing it more against his neck. He stared back at me with defiance.
“Captain Flynn, stop!” Alek said, barging forward. “Release him.”
When the nymph looked up at Alek, the hardened glare slipped from his face and his features softened, becoming almost dreamlike. A soft hum came from him as well, and I felt it reverberating against my hand.
Fletcher appeared at Alek’s side, both men looking at me with pleading eyes.
With indecision coursing through my mind, I didn’t move at first. Could I release the nymph after this? It was too dangerous to set him free, but it was unwise to kill him, given my current predicament with the curse. Keeping him as a prisoner on my ship was just as risky, especially with his ability of persuasion.
The nymph still watched Alek, humming low in his throat. I lowered my blade.
My men marveled at the sight, and as the seconds passed, some of them starting yelling to kill the creature. More of the crew chimed in after that, all except for Kris, Dax, and Horace. I’d already had too much blood on my hands, and they knew it.
I couldn’t kill the nymph. But I couldn’t set him free either.
“Byron?” I got to my feet and looked to the taller man. “Take care of him. By any means necessary.”
I couldn’t kill him…but that didn’t mean I couldn’t turn a blind eye while someone else did it.
Byron smirked before withdrawing his sword. “Aye, Captain.”
A weight settled in my gut when I met Fletcher’s gaze. He shook his head in disbelief as a tear slipped from the corner of his eye.
Alek, on the other hand, glowered at me, as if a deep-seated rage was brewing within him.
The nymph, seeing Bryon approaching him, started thrashing around and hissing. Behind the anger was fear. With his wide, fearful eyes, he appeared younger than I thought. More innocent. His tail flung out and smacked against Byron’s knees, causing the pirate to stumble before quickly regaining balance.
“I’m gonna enjoy this,” Byron said with a cold smile.
“Untie me,” the nymph said to Tig, using a velvety tone.
Right away, Tig lunged forward and pulled on the ropes at the nymph’s wrists. Redmond intervened, shoving Tig away right as the nymph became free. Wasting no time, the nymph flung out his arm and sliced Redmond across the shoulder with his fin blade. Byron swung his sword and sliced the nymph’s tail, causing the creature to cry out.
I averted my gaze, feeling ill at the sight. My heart had become too soft, all because of the redheaded beauty who now stared at me as if I’d betrayed him.
“Kellan, stop this!” Fletcher shouted. He usually called me ‘captain’ when we were in the presence of my men, but he was too panicked in that moment. Too desperate. “I’m begging you! He’s done nothing wrong!”
Redmond, who’d torn part of his shirt to hold to the bleeding cut on his arm, scoffed. “Look at my arm, boy! He’s a beast!”
“You deserved it,” Fletcher said, crying. “You were trying to kill him.” He ran over to me and grabbed my shirt, staring up at me with the saddest green eyes I’d ever seen. “Please. He’s followed us for a while, yes, but he means no harm. He’s only curious. Set him free.”
