Page 65 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

She narrowed in on his mouth, which alone caused an intriguing quiver on her pink lips. The feeling of his touch against her cheek sent a warm feeling down her chest.

Control yourself,she thought.

Nola could not afford to dwell upon her feelings for Lincoln. She had found herself distracted again from her mission.

I must stay focused,Nola thought, concentrating on memories of her parents, her people, and the very purpose for coming onto that ship. However, her mind and heart leapt at the sight of the Sybil Curse’s handsome captain.

Nola broke the silence between them as he continued to stare at her, waiting.

“And what about you, Lincoln?” Nola cleared her throat. “Where are you from?”

“Someplace I vowed to never return,” he said, turning from her. His face hardened. “A place where I could never hope to be free, where its king destroyed everything I loved.”

Is he from Zemira?She wondered. There are nine other kingdoms in their world.

He turned back to meet her eyes. “Now my place is here on this ship, and I am goin’ help you, love, to get that freedom I never had.”

She hopped down from the railing and narrowed the space between them. Lincoln immediately placed his strong hand upon her cheek as she said, “My father has trained me my entire life for this.”

She dropped her head to the side, resting her cheek on his hand, taking in the warmth of his touch.

Closing her eyes, she continued, “You can leave me with the Fae people, Lincoln. This isn’t your fight.” The quiet, tender tone of her voice tugged at his heart.

He dropped his hand to his side. “I disagree,” he snapped, not giving her a chance to push him away. Nola felt a sense of relief hitting her at her core. To tell the truth, she was terrified. Though she did not want the crew to be in harm’s way, the idea of them fighting along with her gave her hope. Nola was devastated when she first left her home. She thought she would not have enough strength to do it, but with the captain and his crew in her corner, maybe they could defeat the king.

“My father taught me three things about life,” she started, thinking back at her childhood, “and I’ll never forget them.”

“And what are those three things?” Lincoln rushed to ask.

She smirked at his hasty inquiry. “Never leave food on your plate.” Her smile grew wide, “Never trust a pirate—”

He chuckled, giving her a cocky wink. “Oh, is that right?”

There was a slight twist at her lips before saying, “Well, he’s had his share of run-ins with those who weren’t like yourself,” she explained. “He spent a lot of time out to sea, and some pirates—”

“You don’t have to explain. I understand.” The handsome captain crossed his arms around his chest. “What’s the third thing?”

Her expression changed; a more serious one took over her features. “Fight like a warrior and be merciful only when you are given mercy.”

Lincoln turned out to the seas and began humming. Then he rested his hands back on the railing and drummed his fingers against the wood to a beat.

“He sounds like a wise man,” the captain said after a while.

“He is. I—” Nola rubbed her eyes, holding back the tears, allowing her sight to get lost in the fading pink painted on the horizon, the blue darkness of night quickly approaching.

When she looked back up, Lincoln’s hand was outstretched.

“Dance with me, Nola?” he asked, his tone gentle.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes with a grin. “There’s no music,” she almost whispered.

Ignoring Nola’s too-rational comment, the handsome pirate stepped closer to her. He gently brought his hand to her hair and twirled the front locks with his finger. She giggled when a shiver skittered down her neck as he tucked those silver and maroon strands behind her ear.

A smile across his face made his dimples crease.

“Listen carefully.”

Nola quieted her breathing and focused. There was music—a song—but it was only someone’s voice.

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