The sound of a pencil scraping across paper wakes me up from my dreams of the sea and brown eyes. I move slightly, feeling that I’m still in bed and the smell of herbs is stills strong. My arm burns a little now, and I place my hand on it. It feels warm, but I don’t know if that’s a good thing. I move so I’m lying on my side and, so I can see the room. It’s night now, and the room is lit by two candles in lanterns.

Chaz is leant over the desk, writing something quickly. I don’t have many options, but I’m not senseless enough to stay on a pirate ship with a load of pirates I don’t know. I would have more chance of living in the sea. If this pirate is being nice to me, there is every chance he wants me for some reason. I have no intention of sticking around to find out what that reason is when I feel better.

I slide off the bed slowly, my feet touching the cold, wooden floor, and it creaks. Chaz lifts his head and his eyes meet mine.

“There is a toilet over there,” he points to the door near his desk and turns back to his work. I smile internally as I spot the heavy-looking book next to my bed. I slide it into my hand and hide it behind my back as I walk over to him. I pause a little, feeling unsure about hurting him. It feels wrong. I force myself to remember all the stories about pirates that I’ve heard. The stories my father has told me, and I ignore how I feel.

I quickly whack him on the back of his head with the heavy book, he slides off the chair and lands in a heap on the floor. I drop the book, feeling more than a little guilt as sickness slides up my throat.

Never turn your back on a woman. I read that in a book somewhere, and it’s apparently true. Men really underestimate us, and pirates are no exception to that rule.

“I would say sorry, but you’re a pirate. I’m sure you have done worse,” I say as I feel his pockets and pull out a key. I slide it into the door and pop my head into the corridor. The sound of water splashing against the boat can be heard and the distant noise of someone snoring. After a second of waiting, I pull the door closed behind me and lock it. Just in case.

The corridor is dark, with only two candles in wall sconces on the wall. There are boxes lining the corridor, perfect to hide behind as I make my way to the stairs at the end.

All these years of being hidden, makes me great at being invisible, but there is no need. All the doors are shut that I pass, and there is no one around. I make it to the stairs and quickly run up them, hating every creak my feet make. At the top of the stairs are two flat doors, and I push the one open and pop my head out, finding that I’m lucky as no one is around. I pull myself out of the door, shocked at how light it is, and shut it quietly behind me. When I turn around, it’s to see I’m in the middle of the ship. Three big sails fill the skies, one is black with a white skull in the middle. The typical sign for pirates here. The wind is strong and blows cold, wet air into my face as the ship rocks against the waves. I can see the outline of the big wheel that steers the ship. The ship is made out of shiny-looking dark wood, and I have to admit to myself that the ship is cleaner than I thought a pirate ship would be. The mast in the middle has little handles all around it, and ropes tied around them. There are ropes everywhere as I look around. How can anyone know what they do? There are two boats on the one side of the ship, perfect for me to take one and escape. I don’t know anything about ships, only little bits from books, but it’s nothing like what I read. The books can’t make you feel the gentle movement of the ship, the salty breeze, or the sound of the wind hitting the sails.

I stop, looking around, when I hear a clap and a laugh behind me.

I spin to see a male shadow leaning against the wooden wall where the captain’s room must be. The man’s laugh fills the night as he steps into the moonlight. He is tall, wearing a black, pirate hat and his hair is as black as the night, long and wavy as it falls to his chest. He has a blue feather braided into his hair on one side, and it moves in the wind. The pirate is wearing all black, with a long, black sword hanging from his belt. I narrow my eyes at his dark ones as he opens his arms with a smirk.

“A nice night for a stroll,” he says, his voice deep and seductive. I finally understand what the people wrote about in my books when they say a man’s voice is seductive. His voice makes me want to walk to him, if it wasn’t for the sarcasm I can pick up in his words.

I simply smile as I move my eyes away from him to the small boat hanging off the side of the boat. If I can get there and–

“Don’t think about it,” the man warns, his voice full of humour, and I snap my eyes to his.

“Try to stop me then.” I laugh when his eyes widen in shock or humour, I don’t know. I quickly make a run for it. I don’t even get close to the boat when I’m tackled to the deck. The man turns at the last second, so I land on him, his arms holding me tightly against him. I do the only thing Miss Drone told me to do to win in a fight against a man. I lift my knee and slam it up in-between his legs. The man groans and yet doesn’t let go as he rolls me over and pins me down on the cold, damp deck of the ship. The wind picks up strands of his hair, as bits of water splash against us from the harsh sea.

“You are a brave, little bird, aren’t you?” his deep tone says next to my ear.

The pirate has no idea.

“Get the hell off of me,” I spit out and struggle to move as he laughs.

“Women don’t usually say that when they are under me, little bird,” he says. I look up at him in disgust, which only seems to make him laugh more.

“They must be dumb as well as blind then,” I grit out when he pushes his hard body into mine. I try to ignore how he feels so warm, and I feel that draw to him, like I did with Chaz.

“I’m going to like you,” he says with a chuckle as he watches me.

“Hunter, the girl knocked Chaz out and has esca–” a man says and stops a few steps away from us.

“What in the seas are you doing on top of her?” the other man says, but I don’t take my eyes off Hunter as he replies.

“Do you need a lesson in women, Jacob?” Hunter replies, keeping his body on top of me as he laughs. His dark-blue eyes still watching mine the whole time.

“Apparently you do, Hunter, get off her,” Jacob says, and Hunter does, slowly, and keeping his eyes on me. I push myself to my feet and take a step back. I glance over at this Jacob man; my first thought is that he is clearly another pirate. Jacob has light-brown hair, that is slightly curly and slightly out of control. He has a full beard that looks soft, and he has a black pirate hat on, which has a white strip around it.

“Hear us out first, I didn’t jump into the Green Sea after you to watch you kill yourself now, Cassandra,” Jacob says, and I close my eyes, trying to reason with myself. I can’t run, and I can’t swim away from here. His warm, blue eyes watch me closely. I’m guessing that Chaz told this Jacob my name.

I open my eyes just in time to see a big wave splash against the side of the boat and wonder if jumping without a boat is a good idea.

Would the Sea God save me?