^“Thank you, Cassandra,” Livvy says before she walks down the stairs to the lower decks and the bed the guys have said she can stay in. They offered her a similar deal to me, a safe trip with food and a bed. She just cried when Ryland told her this, and I patted her back. I wasn’t sure what else to do. Livvy explained how she can’t believe she has a chance to live and that she is finally off Sevten. I think it’s just a lot of pressure for a girl her age to handle. I know I’m only three years older than her, but my life has made me strong. Hers has too, and I hope that reflects on her future. I hope I’m around to see her find some kind of happiness.

We left Sevten a few hours ago, with ten new people on board, and they all wish to travel to Fiaten, like me.

“Collecting strays, are you?” the crackly voice comes from behind me, and I turn to see Laura stood there. Laura has on a strange, white dress, with circles all over it, and a yellow ribbon holding her hair back. A matching yellow ribbon is tied around the walking stick she’s leaning against.

“Not exactly.” I say. I wouldn’t call Livvy a stray, more an adopted member of the ship. Like me.

“My grandson likes you,” Laura says.

“I didn’t realise you were related to anyone on this ship,” I reply.

“Hunter and Ryland are my grandsons. When their mad father went too far, they took me with them on this ship. They feared their father would kill me. They were right, he would have. My only daughter was already the high price he took from me, and those children suffer enough for that. It turned Hunter cold and Ryland strict,” she says, her blue eyes watching me closely. She doesn’t look a bit like Hunter, but her eyes are like Ryland’s. I should have seen it before.

“Is she dead?” I ask.

“No, but there are far worse things than death. Sometimes, someone can love a person too much to let them go, and my daughter paid a price for that kind of love,” she says, and I wonder what price was paid. It doesn’t make much sense.

“I’m sorry, Laura,” I say.

“Perhaps you need to read more of that book in Ryland’s room. It may answer more questions.” She smiles softly.

“How did you know I read that?” I ask, and she laughs.

“I told you this was my ship, girl,” she says.

“That you did,” I smile, and she taps me on the arm with her stick.

“Dinner is ready, changed one,” she says, walking away from me, and I follow her. I hate when anyone calls me ‘changed one,’ but the way she said it, was like it’s a gift. The useless mark seems to define me, and I would never call it a gift. It has given me nothing.

I walk into the dining room following Laura, and I’m surprised to see all the guys sitting around the table. When I glance at them all, I see that Hunter is missing. Laura takes the seat in the middle of Ryland and Chaz. Dante stands up and holds a seat out in-between his and Zack’s. I sit down, and he pushes me in before taking his own seat. Jacob is sitting opposite me, and he smiles widely when he sees me, his eyes tracing over every part of my face. I pick up my drink to break the silence that has filled the room, every single one of the pirates are looking at me. I can feel it without looking.

“A present,” Hunter says behind me, making me jump and cough out the water I was drinking. My eyes widen when he puts a large, dragon egg on the table in front of me. The egg is about the size of my head, the shell is a shiny sea-blue, and there are tiny white dots all over it.

A dragon egg from the market on Sevten. The island we have just left.

“Hunter, by the seas,” Dante says, his voice dripping with shock. Just like how I feel. Hunter has brought me a dragon. An actual dragon.

“Why did you buy her a dragon?” Ryland shouts, and the room goes silent. I place my hand on the egg. It moves slightly and feels warm to the touch.

“The little bird wanted it, and now she might actually be able to fly,” Hunter says with a laugh as he sits down and gives me a smirk. Whatever his excuses may be, I still think there is another reason for him buying me this dragon egg. Hunter doesn’t seem the type to buy something just because someone wanted it. I watch him closely as the others talk.

“We are on a wooden ship, in the middle of the sea, and you thought buying her a dragon was a smart idea?” Chaz says.

“It’s not a fire dragon,” Hunter explains as he puts potatoes, off a tray in the middle, onto his plate.

“You have never bought anything for a woman before, and the first time you do, it’s a dragon,” Laura says and starts laughing. Hunter looks at me briefly and sharply turns away. I don’t understand him, but the gesture is making me want to understand him more.

“Ice, it’s an ice dragon and a big one, apparently,” Hunter finally says as all the guys glare at him.

“Thank you, Hunter,” I say softly, and he grins at me.

“I hope it eats you, would save us all the trouble,” he says, and I laugh, Chaz and Zach joining in. I really hope he’s joking, and that the dragon isn’t going to eat me. Or even worse, freeze my hand off when it’s born. Zach picks the egg up as he stands and puts it on the spare seat next to him.

“Any dragon egg care advice?” I ask them all, my eyes still drifting to the egg.

“I had a dragon once,” Laura answers me as I put some chicken meat on my plate. Zach slides an apple over to me, and Dante puts potatoes on my plate too. It’s strange how they always do this, they always put more food on my plate. I like how Zach always remembers to put an apple on my plate because he knows they remind me of my home.

“Calaria was an earth dragon, not as rare as that one you have, but she was a gift to me. They need only a little care, they look after themselves and those they believe are family to them. When they are hatched, they only need meat to survive. I have heard ice dragons are found in the water a lot, so perhaps this dragon will be good at hunting fish,” she says.

“How big do they get?” I ask because my books never spoke of their size. I knew dragons existed because my father told me so. He said there were far more before the land was destroyed and they died. I also know the royals all have dragons. Fire dragons, and the King is said to have the biggest one in the world. I have never seen the dragon he has, as he never brings him along when he travels around the islands.

“As big as a very large horse. Some people used to ride them back in my day. They live for fifty years, but my Calaria was killed,” Laura says and eats her food.

“How did–” I start to ask, but Ryland interrupts me.

“How long until it hatches?” he asks, changing the subject, and I see him give a strange look to Laura. She seems to understand as she nods.

“Did your books teach you nothing other than dragons exist? All those books you were forced to read as a child, when all you wanted was to be fighting.” Laura laughs, her voice crackly.

“I know this, they take around eighteen months to hatch,” Chaz says.

“Did you ask how long the egg has left?” I ask Hunter who shakes his head.

“No,” he says and goes back to his food. That doesn’t surprise me, so it’s going to be a guessing game for when this egg hatches. It could be any day.

“You’re staying in my room tonight. Come on, you should have an early night as you had a long day,” Dante says next to me, and I nod at him. Zach hands me the egg after I stand up, and it’s very heavy. I resist the urge to drop with the egg to the floor and instead, hold it close to me. I expected it to be cold but it’s not, it’s warm. I guess even ice dragons are warm.

“I can stay and help you clean up,” I offer, and he smiles.

“No, like Dante said, it’s been a long day for you,” he says, and his fingers skim over my hand on the egg.

“I’m glad you’re safe, I should have told you that before, my little fighter,” he says and steps back. I nod, feeling his words connect with me, and I move away, clearing my throat. When I turn, I catch Laura’s eyes as she watches me. Her look is a simple smile, but her eyes seem like they are figuring something out about me. I wish I could figure something out about her.

“Good night,” I say to them all after I pull my eyes away from Laura. They all say goodnight as I walk out the door, following Dante. We go to his room, both of us quiet as we walk. Dante holds the door open as I walk in and he lights a candle in a lantern for me. Dante’s room is smaller than the rest, with just a bed and no window. There is a painting on the wall of the sea. Strange to have a painting of the sea when you’re on a ship. The room is warm and cosy, making me want to get into the bed as I suddenly feel tired. It’s been such a long day, and I just want to forget most of it. I don’t want to forget the way Hunter looked at me or the feelings I seem to be having for Dante. Well, the feelings I have for all of them. How can I like them this much in such a short time? I couldn’t face losing Dante today, and I’ve only known him a while. What will my feelings be like for him and the other pirates when we finally get to Fiaten?

How long will it be before I fall in love with these pirates, as they slowly take my heart with each day?

When Dante shuts the door he snaps me out of my thoughts. I place the egg on the small chair in the corner of the room and pick up a blanket off the small dresser. I wrap the egg up, just in case. I also pick a spare pillow off the bed as Dante watches and put it on the floor in front of the chair. Just in case the ship moves. When I turn around, Dante is lying on the bed and looks comfy.

“Come here pretty girl,” he says, patting the bed next to him as he lies on his side. My cheeks go bright red as my mouth parts. Dante looks so attractive tonight, not that he hasn’t always been. His shirt is laced at the top but left open, so I can see the muscles of his chest. His hair is cut short, and he has a slight beard which suits him. I glance at his muscular arms and down his body.

“I can’t lie in bed with you, Dante,” I say with a chuckle.

“Please? I thought we lost you today, and I just want to hold you. Nothing more. I just need to feel you close to me,” he asks me, shocking me enough with his kind words that I find my feet taking me to him. I slide off my flat shoes before getting onto the bed with him, and his arm snakes around my waist, pulling me against his hard body. I don’t feel myself breathe as I tuck my head under his chin and place my hand on his chest. We stay like this for a long time before Dante speaks.

“When the others came back to the ship and woke me up, and you were gone–” Dante clears his throat and then continues speaking, “All of us panicked. Until that point, I didn’t realise how much I would miss you. I know it’s a lot to ask, but could you stay on the ship with us and not leave?” Dante asks, each word feels like an arrow to the chest.

“Dante,” I say gently as his hand slides down my face, then lifts my head up, and our lips meet. He moves his lips slowly against mine, giving me time to respond, and I gently move my lips like he does. Dante controls the kiss, but he is gentle, each kiss sweet and slow. I can’t think straight until he breaks away and looks at me.

“I can’t make you stay with us, and living with pirates isn’t safe, but think about it.” Dante says and gently kisses me again before letting me go. I sit up as he rolls off the other side of the bed and walks to the door,

“Goodnight, pretty girl,” Dante says before he opens the door.

“Wait, Dante are mermaids real?” I ask him, and he laughs,

“One kiss doesn’t get you that answer,” he says, and I glare at him. I pick a pillow up and throw it at him. He catches it and throws it back at me.

“Dante,” I say using a more serious tone, and he smiles.

“Mermaids are real,” he says and turns to walk out. I knew it. I wonder what they look like, what they are like.

I place my fingers against my lips, still being able to taste Dante’s kisses. My first kiss was with a pirate, and I’m surprised that I don’t regret a second of it.