Page 72 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

“What the hell is happenin’?” Ardley asked, trying to keep his tone calm, but instead, panic reflected in his voice.

Nola and the rest of the crew looked ahead, watching as dark grey clouds hovered low over the sea. Suddenly, a waterspout began to form, swirling around, threatening the pirate ship. The ocean then pulled down, and amid the thunder and rain, a massive whirlpool appeared.

“Batten down the hatches, hearties! ’Cause this will be quite a ride!” Hill yelled from the crow’s nest.

The pirates held onto the railing as the Sybil Curse rocked back and forth, resisting the current.

“We’re goin’ to die!” Kitten cried, fear creeping up her spine as she gripped at the taffrail. “Wha’ do we do, Captain? Wha’ do we do?”

Boots turned to the captain as his eyes stared at the storm. “Is that a bloody maelstrom?”

A slow smirk reached Lincoln’s lips as his crew clung firmly to whatever they could hold on to.

“Not quite, matey. ’Tis a door into another world,” he replied.

Nola shook her head in disbelief. “...a world? Inside the sea?” she asked, aghast.

“Aye,” Lincoln answered. “And we better hold on tight because we’re about to sail into it.”

The current was stronger with every second; the waves crashed forcefully, landing on the old wooden deck, sweeping loose barrels and everything else on their path.

Kitten squealed as Boots’s hand slipped from the railing and was washed away by a wave. Luckily, the peg-legged pirate caught himself on time, gripping a pole as tightly as he could. Nola appeared just as frightened as Kitten. She dug her face into Lincoln’s neck, clinging firmly to his unbuttoned shirt.

Suddenly, Ardley shouted at Mazie, “Raven! Here!” as he tossed the end of a rope to the black-eyed pirate, and with all the strength he had left, he pulled her to him.

The captain remained calm but held Nola firmly against his chest.

“Don’t be afraid!” he whispered to her ear, wrapping his arm around her waist.

It was not the first time Lincoln crossed that portal. In fact, Wentworth, his previous captain, and his crew had visited Dratose several times during Lincoln’s early days as a pirate. It was never a pleasant visit, but Wentworth always took a gamble to get what he wanted from the people who lived there.

“Are you fuckin’ mad, Captain?” Mazie shouted at him, the rope slipping from her fingers as she swung to smack him. Ardley quickly reached out and yanked her elbow to pull her back.

The Sybil Curse fell into the whirlpool and it spiraled them down as they sank deeper into the hole. The golden-eyed pirate looked up, watching the sky above vanish before her eyes. All she saw was water swirling around them.

“Kitten!” Boots shouted, stumbling forward, failing to hook his hand over hers. She reached out to grab him as he fell when his wooden leg shattered in half.

“Gotcha!” she said, pulling the bearded man next to her.

A nervous feeling hit Lincoln as he watched his mates struggle.

“You okay, mate?” Lincoln shouted. Boots gave the captain a nod and waved his broken peg in the air as Kitten held him up.

“This bloody piece of junk!” Boots laughed, tossing the broken peg leg onto the deck.

Lincoln shook his head. “Hearties, hold on tight now!”

The deep-blue ocean swallowed the ship. Everything turned black. There was no water, no air, no light. It was a complete void. For a few seconds, they ceased to exist, only to suddenly re-emerge into another world—a cold, frozen world.

The water settled on the ship. The sails hung low, heavy from the icy water. They all opened their eyes and took a minute or two to adjust to the bright turquoise sky around them. Shocked, the pirates stared at a tall glacier wall in front of the ship. It had a cave-looking shaft as an entrance.

“Blimey! It’s quite chilly, ain’t it?” Kitten said, squeezing the freezing water from her dress.

Lincoln pulled a few blankets from an old chest and handed them to his mates. When he got to Nola, he took the liberty of wrapping the blanket around her himself.

The siren girl’s eyes gleamed at the blue glow coming from the water surrounding them. The sight was precious to behold.

“Wow,” she said, watching the heat of her breath dance before her.

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