Page 34 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

“Blimey,” he huffed, “we can continue this later. They’ll be expectin’ us on deck, anyhow.”

The door swung open, and the two pirates looked down at the stowaway girl, with confused expressions crossing their faces. Nola, who still had her hand over her mouth, slowly ran her hand down her face, looking up at them, whose eyes would not leave hers.

Nola looked at Kitten, scanning her long brown hair that reached her hips, large breasts, and perfectly sculpted legs. She wore a black tricorne hat tilted to the right and a black bandana around her neck. Her skin was light tan, like she had spent days basking in the sun. Nola narrowed in on her eyes; the left one, sapphire color, and the other, bright ochre—it almost looked like liquid gold.

The other buccaneer, Boots, was at least a foot taller than Kitten. His clothes were baggy, overly accessorized with ropes, scarves, and leather. His goatee, which reached right below his chin, was dark brown, his skin light but not pale, and his eyes chestnut brown. Each ear dangled a golden plated earring hoop, and he wore a hat to match Kitten’s, but the color was a bright maroon like most of what he was wearing. As she sized him up, she noticed he only had one leg—the other made from wood. For a short moment, she wondered how he had lost it.

Do something,she thought. Say something.

The pirates’ eyes swept her up and down. “Nope, not a rat,” Kitten said.

Nola blinked.

Kitten turned to Boots. “Well, say somethin’.”

Boots’s eyes narrowed, and his rust-colored mustache arched at the ends. “Arrrrgh!!”

Kitten slapped him in the arm. “Don’t be a damned fool,” she said, then looked back at Nola.

Boots scrunched up his nose at Kitten and said, “Well, look at what we have here; a stowaway.”

But when Nola did not move, he gripped the hilt of his sword, but thankfully, he did not unsheathe it.

Nola had not realized how fast her breathing was until Kitten stepped forward. The brunette pirate placed her hand on Dyson’s knuckles, which rested on the hilt of his cutlass. “Easy, Boots. Look at ’er. She’s scared witless.” Kitten looked down at Nola and smiled kindly. “I recognize ye, darlin’. Yer the girl who ’ad me captain smitten back at the tavern yesterday.”

Nola lowered her brows. “I think you’re mistaken,” her voice shuttered.

Kitten flashed a smile again and stood up, folding her arms while cocking her head to the right. “I’ll be honest wit’ ye, girl, ’e is a bit upset ’bout his pistol.”

Nola was not sure why the pirate giggled when she said that, but it did help her feel the sense of security she would need to calm her nerves.

“Can you help me? I need help, but I have little money,” Nola said.

Boots’s lips spread into a wide grin. “Did you hear that, Kitten? She wants us to help her for free.”

“Not free,” Nola refuted while clamoring to her feet. She gripped the rack next to her to keep from falling.

Boots outstretched his arm. “Need a hand there, darlin’.”

“No, thank you, I’ve got it,” Nola said. She still smelt the revolting scent crawling out of the closet. “Mind if I step out of this closet, though? It smells like piss.”

Kitten chuckled. “Oh, the captain isn’t goin’ to like this, but I’ll try to talk ’em down, eh?”

Nola thought about the captain. He was cruel at the marketplace, but she saw something other than a ruthless pirate at the tavern.

Will he grant me mercy, or am I about to be fed to who knows what kind of sea creature?The girl thought.

Nola looked down at her wrist and began to untie the leather rope wrapped around the ruby. Her father had given her only but a few coins. The ruby would have to do; it was the only valuable thing she had to offer. She gripped her fist around it and let out a painful sigh.

She hesitated. The ruby was the one thing she never wanted to part with—it was what connected her to her birth family. It was everything she had left from them. But it was giving up the jewel or walking the plank.

I would have run to the sea for nothing, she thought.

The two pirates exchanged a glance as Nola held out the gem from her bracelet and the coins. “Here,” she said, “Your captain can have these.”

Boots reached out, taking the ruby in one hand and pocketing the coins.His eyes grew wide as he held the red, sparkling jewel between two fingers.

“Well, shiver me timbers,” he said, his eyes gleamed at the ruby.

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