Chapter Six
I awoke to an arm draped over my waist and blinked at it a few times before remembering that I was in the bed with Steel. My body reacted instinctually and jerked away. That action triggered him to sit up with half-lidded, confused eyes. It also sent me tumbling out of the bed. The blanket came with me and he was left half-naked.
“What happened? Why are you on the ground?” Steel asked groggily.
“I was startled…”
He stared at me for a moment longer before falling back onto his pillow. He rolled onto his stomach and returned to snoring. Even without a blanket. With Steel sleeping again, my options were appearing right in front of me.
I could go get something to eat because I doubted anyone would mess with me after last night. Stan was tied to the mast and the others didn’t want to be in his place. I could at least go out for some fresh air. The window showed the sun shining with no grey clouds around it. The third thing—that wasn’t as productive—would be to get a closer look at Steel without him catching me for once.
Steel was easy on the eyes and living with only my parents had some downsides. Like I’d never encountered a male around my age until I hopped aboard this ship. Now that the opportunity presented itself, it was hard to turn down. Truth be told, it would be a complete waste of time since we would never work out. Steel only saw me as a means to get richer and I was only using him for the ride.
Right?
I didn't like where my thoughts were leading, so when my stomach growled, I took that as reason enough to go get something to eat. It was shocking that Gregor wasn’t outside our door. I’d gotten so used to him being there that his absence was hard to miss.
On the deck, I wasn’t sure what I assumed was going to happen, but it definitely wasn’t the crew cheering for me. Gregor pushed through the crowd that was quickly forming around me. Behind him was the guy I’d saved last night.
The confusion had to be obvious on my face because Gregor said, “Don’t look so surprised at the attention. You did save Bastian here who is a crowd favorite.”
Bastian’s face reddened and he nodded at me. “Thanks, miss. For saving me.”
I smiled. “I’m so happy to see you’re well enough to be up and moving.”
“Thanks to you I am. I have some scratches but that’s nothing. They’ll heal.”
A guy with bright orange hair and freckles nearly scared me out of my own skin when he threw his arm around me. “We haven’t met yet, but the name’s Barty. Got that name because I’m good at hornswagglin’. I wanted to thank ya for savin’ me brother.”
It was hard to get beyond the stench of his breath, but mine probably wasn’t much better these days. I needed to bring that up to Steel. There had to be something on this ship to make our mouths cleaner. My mom had been able to concoct something on an island with limited supplies, so there had to be something on this well-stocked vessel that we could use.
It was hard not to grimace as I said, “You’re welcome. It wasn’t like I was just going to let him die.”
“You could’ve,” Bastian said and I took the distraction to shrug off Barty’s arm. “You’re a siren after all. You could’ve drowned me faster.”
“I could’ve, but I’m not that type of person.”
“No, you’re not and you’re welcome aboard this ship.”
“We all agree,” someone from the crowd cheered and I recalled him as the guy with two missing fingers—Antony.
This was a whole new level of attention. I never would’ve imagined I’d have this many eyes on me unless it was to watch me being killed. Instead, these human pirates were happy to have me here. What a difference one night could make!
“Um… I’m happy that I was able to do something useful and I thank you all for the nice words, but is it okay if I go get something to eat?” I asked.
A chorus of “yeahs” broke out and I quickly shuffled away from them before they changed their minds. Gregor followed me with the largest grin.
“What are you so smiley about?” I quirked an eyebrow at him.
He chuckled. “It’s amazing how you’ve gone from enemy number one to their best friend.”
I refused to look at Stan as we passed him. He shouted a string of curses, but I pretended not to hear. My focus remained on Gregor instead.
“Humans are finicky creatures.”
“Are sirens not? I thought that was standard for all creatures.”
“I’ve only really had my parents to talk to before now so I’m not certain. My opinion about someone rarely changes though.”
“So, you’ll always be scared of us?”
“I’m not scared of you guys. I was more cautious than frightened.”
“What about Steel? You were afraid of him just last night.”
“That’s different. He’s cursed and that’s something he can’t help. I only hope we can find a way to break it. For the both of you.”
“Me too.”
The dining room had a couple men in it and they both grinned at me when we entered. I smiled back and was grateful that they didn’t bombard me like the others. Once Gregor and I were seated, the chef brought us two large helpings of junk. Gregor was correct about it being hard to chew and I nearly choked on it.
“Do you have any fruit?” I asked.
“Of course. Anything for you.” The chef was missing a couple of teeth too—which must be the standard around here. He was sweet and pudgy. His hair was greying and his eyes were the color of emeralds. There weren't many chunky pirates, but it looked good on him.
“Why am I getting so much special treatment?” I whispered so the chef wouldn’t hear me.
“You saved a guy’s life. A popular guy at that—one that everyone likes. That doesn’t happen on a pirate ship. Ever. It’s usually every man for himself.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Not all of us are great swimmers, so I don't see anyone else diving in after him, especially during a storm.”
“It wasn’t exactly like I was in the water by choice.”
“So you’re saying that if you weren’t in the water then you wouldn’t have saved him?”
“Well, no. Not exactly. Okay, I probably would’ve jumped in after him if I saw it happen. You’re telling me you wouldn’t have?”
The chef chose that moment to drop off some bananas and mangoes. I thanked him before tearing into a banana.
Gregor waited for the chef to leave before he answered. “No, I probably wouldn’t have. I would’ve drowned too.”
“I guess that’s one of the perks of being a siren.”
“Guess so. You know, you don’t have to find an island. You’re perfectly fine staying on this ship if you want.”
“I think that’s up to the captain to decide.”
“I’m sure he feels the same.”
Gregor nodded towards the entrance and I followed his eyes. Steel was smiling at us and quickly made his way over.
“Hello, mates. I’ve got to stop sleeping in.” Steel grinned even brighter than a pirate’s mouth should.
“Are you feeling okay? You seem extra chipper this morning.” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Just had a good night’s sleep. That’s all. So, what were you guys talking about?”
While I was stuttering over what to say, Gregor replied with, “I was just telling Sera that she can stay with us for as long as she wants.”
My muscles tensed as they waited for the freak out, but it never came. Instead, Steel said, “Islands are no fun by yourself anyway. Think of all the fun you’ll have pillaging ships with us.”
Thankfully, the cook saved me from answering by bringing Steel his plate. Steel immediately tore into his meat without saying anything to the chef.
“Thank you for providing us with the delicious food,” I told him.
He inclined his head to me with a blush. “You’re very welcome, my lady.”
“Steel, don’t you agree?” I looked at him pointedly.
Steel raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, it’s good. Like always.”
He went back to stuffing his face without even looking at the cook this time. It was incredible that he was able to chew his food that quickly without gagging.
I grunted. “What’s your name?”
“F-Felix, miss,” the cook said.
“Well, Felix, thanks again.”
Felix looked like he was about to die from excitement as he all but danced away. Poor guy probably never got complimented even though he deserved it.
“That was very rude of you.” I glared at Steel.
“What the Hades is wrong with you? One moment you’re happy and now you’re scolding me? Makes me want to rescind my invitation for you to stay.” Steel returned my hard stare.
“When your men are doing a good job, you should tell them so.”
“Sera, I’m a pirate. I don’t do gratitude. Everyone has their job and everyone does it as expected. That’s part of being on this ship. If you’re so worried about it, then that can be your job.”
“Captain!” Bastian came running in out of breath. “We’re nearing a merchant ship and are waiting for your command on what to do next.”
Steel’s mouth formed into a wicked grin, revealing all of his teeth. “Looks like we have some looting to do. Tell the men to man their stations and prepare to hook onto them.”
“Aye, aye, captain.” Bastian ran off as quickly as he’d come.
“Gregor, will you help man the cannons like usual?”
“Yes, captain.” Gregor left his half-eaten plate on the table.
Steel turned to me. “You can watch how we do things this time. It may make you appreciate what we do and you’ll want to join in on the fun.”
I felt a little dizzy as Steel rushed away. It was really happening. These pirates were about to rob some innocent merchants. My stomach felt like doing somersaults and I realized how not okay I was about all of this. People were going to die. Would they leave behind a family like my parents left me?
My heart was screaming at me to stop Steel, but my mind was telling me it would be impossible. This was their lifestyle as pirates. They chose to do these types of things willingly because they took pleasure in it. There was no way I would ever be comfortable with that. Whether I saved one of them or not, I still didn’t have the words to change their whole way of life.
The ship started rocking and I heard men yelling from near and far. The ground beneath me vibrated and then, I was roughly thrown out of the chair I’d been in. The vessel felt like it was swaying and I saw why the chairs and tables weren’t moving with me. They were all nailed to the ground to prevent them from doing so. More proof that this wasn’t the first time The Sea Nymph’s Revenge entered a battle.
Metal could be heard clashing together and screams of agony followed them. I didn’t dare go out of the dining room. Instead, I curled into myself and hid under the table. It wasn’t because I was afraid of getting hurt. It was because I didn’t want to face what was really happening. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that Steel and his crew could be stealing the merchants away from their families. Sitting here made me feel guilty, even though I wasn’t one of the people swinging a sword.
I had no idea how much time had passed, but I remained under the table even when the shouts of panic transformed into cheers. I didn’t know who’d won, which was another reason I stayed where I was. My butt was numb from sitting still for so long, but my arms felt like they were the only thing holding me together. It felt as if my parents were dying all over again even though I had no idea what the merchants looked like.
There was a lot of shuffling and excited murmurs as I assumed the treasure was being moved from their ship to ours. It was the only thing that made sense, but I couldn’t bring myself to go out there. I didn’t want to see another dead body for as long as I lived. At the rate I was going, it wouldn’t be much longer though. I was on a sinking ship because eventually, a pilly would go wrong. Nobody, not even pirates, could be lucky forever by winning every fight. The odds were stacked against them and death would claim them too if they weren’t more mindful of the lives of others.
“Sera?” Steel’s questioning voice flittered into the dining room.
I didn’t respond but it wasn’t long before a pair of boots stopped in front of the table I was under. Steel squatted down, but the teasing never came. His eyes were open and full of concern. There was no hint of a smile on his face.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“How many people were killed?” My voice was so low that I didn’t think he’d heard me.
“Only one of ours.”
“And theirs?”
“Do you really want to know?”
I shook my head as a shiver passed through me. No, I didn’t want to know because the number would only make it more real and make me feel sicker.
“Why don't you come on out and see all the treasure? There’s even a pretty dress for you. It’s thin so isn’t as heavy as the other one you have.”
“I’d rather remain here.”
“You’re going to have to become numb to death if you truly want to stay on this ship.” His tone had grown harder. “It surrounds this ship on a regular basis.”
“I don’t think I want to be around this much death. I’m not suited for it.”
He sighed. “We’re headed for Tortuga. It’s a port and we’ll leave you behind there if that’s what you want.”
Steel left me alone when I didn’t respond to him. I half expected Gregor to barge in and attempt to convince me to come out of my hiding place, but he never did. In fact, nobody came into the dining room. They were probably too busy admiring their gold. I could see why their species were disliked. Humans were petty if they truly valued wealth more than life.
When I thought about it, sirens were just as petty. The only difference was that they cared more about perfection over life. Why couldn’t these two races come together and learn something from one another? Humans were nowhere near perfect—these pirates were the prime example of that—and sirens didn’t seek monetary items.
When I could no longer take sitting there alone, I came out of my hiding place. It felt like needles were stabbing my legs and feet as I moved. My arms returned to trying to keep me in one piece as I wrapped them around myself. Nobody was roaming the halls and there weren’t any candles lit in Steel’s room. I’d sat under that table all day. Why had no one come to the dining room for dinner and where was Steel?
Not even a minute later, Steel stumbled into the room. He smelled pungent with a scent I didn’t recognize. The only way I could even describe it was that it was strong and burned my nostrils.
Steel’s eyes lit up when they discovered me sitting in the chair. He stumbled over—nearly tripping on his own feet—and fell to his knees in front of me. He placed his head in my lap and his arms snaked around my waist. My body tensed, but his words stopped me from pulling away.
“You’re so pretty. Do you know that? I’ve never had a woman in my bed that forced me to restrain myself, but you seem to have me under a spell. You’re the only woman who’s made me want to wait until you’re ready, which you will be eventually.”
“What are you saying, exactly?” I breathed.
He lifted his head to look at me. “I’m saying I want to see you naked and in my arms, but I want you to want me to first.”
The strong fumes emitted from his mouth as his spoke and I nearly gagged in response. “What is that smell?”
He sniffed the air. “I don’t smell anything.”
“It’s coming from you.”
“Oh, must be the rum.”
“What’s rum?”
“You’ve never had rum before? We’re going to have to change that. It makes you feel invincible and like nothing can ever go wrong. I’ll get you some.”
He rose, but his steps were so wobbly that he fell to the ground before he could reach the door. He didn’t get back up and I grew worried as I hurried to his side.
“Steel? Are you okay?” I shook his body, but he didn’t even crack an eyelid open.
He didn’t react at all as I continued to shake him and panic gnawed at the back of my mind. Did something happen to him during the fight earlier? I was about to go search for Gregor when a loud snore escaped Steel. It was much louder than his usual ones and that was when I realized he was breathing. I should’ve thought to look for that sooner, but the fear made my brain fuzzy.
Steel continued to snore while I debated about what to do next. He wouldn't wake up no matter what I tried. At that moment, I knew I never wanted to learn what this rum was.