Page 35 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

Kitten leaned forward to get a closer look, her mouth agape. “Blimey. Did ye steal this?” She turned to Boots then back to Nola. “Who the bloody ’ell are ye?”

She used her father’s words. “I’m nobody.”

Kitten’s brows knitted together, taking the ruby from Boots’s fingers into her own hand. “Well, nobody, where did ye get such an expensive lookin’ jewel? I know real ones when I see ’em!” Kitten questioned, “This ’ere’s a ruby—and not any ruby!” Kitten said, rolling the gem around in her palm.

“It doesn’t matter where I got it. Take it. It’s yours if you don’t kill me.”

The lady pirate gave Nola an inquisitive look and turned to Boots again. “Wha’ shall we do, love?”

He shrugged. “Bring her to the captain, I guess?”

“And what if ’e decides to kill ’er?” Kitten asked.

Nola stiffened.

Boots looked over Kitten’s shoulder and creased his brow. “She’s too pretty to kill. He might...you know.”

Nola sucked in a shaky breath, which caused Boots to snicker at his poor taste in a joke.

Is he serious?Nola thought.

Kitten slapped him hard against his shoulder with the back of her hand.

“—the ’ell Boots! Don’t be a pig,” she said, turning to Nola. “I give ye me promise, the captain won’t lay a finger on ye, got it?”

Nola nodded. The woman was a pirate, and her father taught her better than to trust their kind. Yet, Kitten’s eyes were gentle, and she had a subtle feeling she could trust her.

The wooden floor creaked from behind them as Mazie hurried below deck to check on her mates. The two pirates both turned to look over their shoulders at her.

“What’s takin’ you two so long? I cannot stand the smell of puke all over the deck! I just cleaned it this mornin’,” the woman said.

Boots and Kitten moved aside as Mazie’s dazzling eyes went round. Then she stepped closer to the closet, giving Nola a better look at her. When the siren girl heard stories about pirates, she always imagined them scruffy and ramshackled, wearing baggy clothes and tacky makeup around their eyes. But Mazie was the exception.

Whoa! She is breathtakingly beautiful,Nola thought.

Mazie’s raven-black hair, which fell to the middle of her back, adorned her slim face and gorgeous cheekbones. Her skin was the color of a moonless night, and her attire was not as loose and frumpy as the others. She wore different shades of black, and every piece was snug against her skin, showing off her ravishing curves.

“Well, what do we have here?” she asked, a smile pulled at the side of her lips.

“Stowaway,” Kitten said, “But look at this!” she continued, handing her mate the jewel.

Mazie held the jewel between her fingers and looked back to meet Nola’s eyes. “Grab her,” she instructed. “The captain needs to see this. And her.”

Boots reached out, taking her arm lightly. Nola stepped forward.

“You don’t need to hold on to me,” Nola said. “Where would I go?”

Boots shrugged. “Go on, then,” he said, pointing to the stairs that led to the deck. “The captain is this way.”

Not one of them said a word as Nola followed the lady pirates down the hallway and up the stairs which lead to the deck. Boots staggered behind the stowaway, making sure she did not run. Once on deck, Nola eyed a tall skinny pirate, whose body slumped over the ship’s rail. When he lifted his head, his clothes were soiled from collar to knee.

Kitten tossed a mop in his direction. “Clean up yer mess, mate. We have more important matters to address with the captain,” she said, now looking around the ship. “Where is ’e, anyhow?”

“What the fuck is this?” Nola heard a deep voice hiss from behind her. Boots turned her around to face the familiar face.

Lincoln really is strikingly handsome, Nola thought as she took in the sight of him again.

The captain had trimmed his beard since she had last seen him, revealing more of his stunning features. She eyed what she had not noticed before because of all the scruff—a thin, one-inch-long scar just inches to the right of his lips.

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