The Mermaid's Pearl (Tears of the Deep Book 1) (9 page)

I took a deep breath to sort my thoughts before I continued. “Humans heard of the merfolk’s special abilities and decided to take them for their own. They wanted to have everything they ever wished for and thought if they took the merfolk prisoner, they would get all they could possibly want. Therefore, they devised a plan to take over the small island and take it for themselves.

“During the night, they snuck into the castle with their guns and swords to take over. The guards of the merfolk fought back with all they had. Still, the humans were stronger and owned more elaborate weapons. The women and children ran for their lives, wishing upon the Goddess of the Moon to save them. She gave them their fins to hide underneath the sea and wait for their husbands and sons to follow.”

I paused for a moment, not wanting to make it sound too personal. I remembered it clearly. It was one of the worst days of my life. “A lot of the mermen died in battle. What was left of the creatures built a home for themselves underneath the surface. They had to give up their legs for good because of the humans. They would never again be at the mercy of humans.”

The crew began to talk at once, some of them surprised at the tale and others not believing. I lowered my eyes to the table. Talking about my people and how we ran away from our home brought on a pain I had long ago tucked away. The story reminded me just how much I missed the way things used to be, along with my parents and our castle on land.

In my mind, I envisioned the last glimpse of it I ever saw. My mother held me in her arms and ran toward the sea. My father was right behind us, fighting off a human with the castle lining the dark sky behind him. I could see him clearly in my mind as the human ran him through with his sword. The humans killed my father, and although my mother was able to marry again and have three more beautiful girls, things were never really the same after we permanently went under the surface.

Aiden noticed my distance. He reached out to take my hand, but I ignored him. His other hand took a hold of my chin and forced me to look at him. There was concern in his eyes, and he tilted his head to the side as if to ask what was wrong. I shook my head in response and moved my eyes away from him.

“I suppose we will be going to bed, lads,” he said and stood up from the table, his hand falling away from my face. He was taking me out of the uncomfortable situation, and I was thankful. As he pulled me to my feet, his grip on my hand tightened. “Give the lady your thanks for her story,” he growled.

His crew began to mutter their thank yous, but he didn’t stay to listen.

He pulled me behind him as we walked back to his cabin; however, I didn’t want to be close to him. He was a human and too close of a reminder of what I’d lost. When we walked inside of the captain’s quarters, I didn’t say a word as I went into the washroom to change. I brushed water from the basin over my face and curled my hair around my finger nervously. I couldn’t stay in there for long; he would come looking for me. A long breath of air came from my mouth as I went back into the room.

Aiden was sitting on the bed as if he was waiting for me, but I walked past him to sit on the window seat.

“What’s the matter, lass?”

“Nothing,” I said with a shrug.

“Don’t close up on me, darling, I thought we were getting past that.”

I shook my head and didn’t respond. Maybe we
had
been moving in a different direction, and I felt myself open up to him, but it didn’t change the fact of who we each were.

Aiden stood up and began to put out the lights, except for the single candle beside the bed. As he tucked himself into the covers, he looked over to me. “Come to bed, Rae.”

“No, I think I will sleep here by the window.”

It was silent for a moment, but then the bed rustled. Aiden came to stand beside me. “You are not sleeping here. If I’ve done something to upset
you then sleep in the bed, and I will put up pillows between us. I won’t touch you I swear it.”

I was surprised at how calm and reasonable he was being with me, but it felt right to be by the sea, and that’s where I wanted to sleep. “I just need to sleep here.”

He sighed and stomped over to the bed to retrieve a blanket and pillows. He walked back over to where I was and dropped them in my lap.

“You can be a stubborn woman,” Aiden said as he ran his hands through my hair and pulled me to him. He planted a soft kiss in my hair before returning to the bed.

A part of me did want to be in the large bed with him and not alone in the window seat, but I felt incredibly unhappy. I needed time away from the warmth of the captain’s body to think through what needed to happen next. The sound of the ocean on the other side of the window was the next best thing.

Chapter Twelve

The sword swung toward me and I cried out, jumping away from the pirate and holding my own sword high.

“You would make a bloody good pirate,” Aiden laughed.

“I told you I could do it.”

Just like I suspected, sword fighting wasn’t much different from fencing with the swordfish back home. After a night of tossing and turning, I had woken up angry and needing a way to get it out. I was able to talk Aiden into teaching me how to swordfight by winning a bet on how rough the waters would be when we went on deck. I had a connection to the ocean, and he had no chance against that bet.

As we fought, I channeled my anger into every swing and let it feed my fury. It pushed me forward with every slice of the sword. I was angry at myself for giving too much information about merfolk to the crew, and I was angry that I couldn’t stop the calm when Aiden’s hands were in my hair. Either he didn’t care for me, or he was still holding back his true thoughts and feelings, and
that
made me angry.

Once again, I brought the sword down towards him and his own collided with it to stop the swing. Aiden swirled away from me with laughter.

“Good job, lass. You’re ruthless.”

“You should know better than to underestimate me, Aiden,” I said excitedly as my sword stopped his from colliding with my body.

It was such a rush, to be sword fighting with the renowned Captain Aiden. My blood pumped in my veins at the excitement. I wasn’t sure if he would really strike me or not. I was surprised at how rough he was handling me, but I wasn’t about to let him get the best of me. Sword fighting was almost like a dance, a deadly one that could have negative repercussions. I wasn’t as good as him, but I was decent.

“I would never do such a thing,” he replied as he kicked his foot out to sweep underneath mine, and I tumbled to the ground with a thud. I cursed my useless human feet. If only I had my tail to swim away. Humans were so limited by standing in one spot. Swimming gives such grace and versatility.

“Ow, Aiden.” I reached back to rub my backside.

Concern crossed his face before he pressed the tip of the sword into my shoulder. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt, just to show my defeat. “You put up a good fight, lass, but not good enough.”

“That really hurt,” I whined, feigning injury.

The second the concern crossed his face again, I threw my foot up to slam into his knee. He growled as he threw his sword off to the side so he could catch himself. His hands slammed into the ground on either side of my face. My breath caught at the sudden feel of his weight on me, his warm breath on my throat. He pushed himself up onto his knees and laughed against my skin. Shivers ran down my spine.

“Oh, Rae, touché.”

I didn’t answer him, finding myself caught between pushing him off me and running my hands
through his hair. Whatever this attraction was grew inside me, into something bigger than I wanted. I hadn’t meant for us to end up in a pile on the floor, just to win the sword fight.

He caught on quickly to my weakness, just as he always did, and he touched his lips softly to my skin. It wasn’t a kiss, just a gesture, but it was enough to make my hands curl into the cloth of his white shirt as my breathing became erratic.

“You’re trembling, darling,” he whispered as he moved his lips slightly across my skin. “What’s the matter?”

       It was too hard to think this close to him. My fingers wound tighter into a fist as I shook my head. I wouldn’t ask him to kiss me, not and be rejected again.

“You—you promised,” I reminded him. I needed him to leave me alone before I gave in to what he was tempting me to do.

“Oh, and as I told you, I keep my word. I will not kiss you unless you ask me to. I am an honorable man. I always—”

“Win,” I finished.

I could feel the smirk on his lips, and it irritated me. I wanted to tell him to leave me alone, stop flirting with me, and let me leave his ship. Still, the words wouldn’t come to my lips. His nose nuzzled my neck, and I closed my eyes in satisfaction. The feel of him against me was amazing, and my resolve was quickly weakening. A part of me wanted to kiss him, for whatever reason, just to seal the curiosity about what his lips would be like. It would further unravel the enigma that was Captain Aiden.

“Aiden—” I started, ready to ask him to kiss me and give in.

The door to the room slammed open, and a voice frantically began to speak. “Captain—”

Aiden growled in frustration before sitting up and turning to the pirate with annoyance in his voice. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“But Cap’n, we’re being invaded. Other pirates! I’ve seen the flag, it’s Captain Gabriel!”

Aiden lost any expression on his face and his body stiffed. He stood up from where he was, giving me the space. I needed to clear my mind. I closed my eyes and let out a long breath. Too close. Way too close. I almost lost. Yet again.

I screamed as he picked me off the floor and threw me over his shoulders, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Come on, we must get you to my quarters,” he said as he hurried toward his room.

“Put me down, Aiden,” I exclaimed and pounded on his back.

“Not until I know you are safe. Pirates aren’t to be trusted.”

“Is that right?” I laughed. “Aren’t you one to speak.”

He ignored my comment and continued on his way.

“I can help, don’t you treat me like some damsel in distress.”

“I am aware you are capable of taking care of yourself, but I don’t know how these pirates have gotten aboard my ship. I’m not happy about it, lass. Heads will roll.”

We reached the captain’s quarters, but he didn’t stop moving until he dropped me on the bed. He began to search through the room, eyes serious as he did, not satisfied until he searched every part of the cabin. There was no one there but the two of us. When he was confident no one was there, he pulled the sword from its sheath and returned to me.

“You stay here until I return. Do not come looking for me. Lock the door, and I will come for you.”

I opened my mouth to object. He should’ve known by now I didn’t like to be told what to do. His finger shot out to press on my lips to quiet me.

His voice was less than pleasant as he spoke again. “Do not challenge me, Rae. I will not have you around those blackguards. This is the only way you will be safe. Your cockiness will get us killed.”

I frowned. “
My
cockiness?”

“Shh.” Aiden pressed his lips to the top of my head and left.

That small gesture rendered me speechless, but I wasn’t happy to be forced to stay put when I might be able to help. He was trying to distract me from helping defend our ship. I stopped for a moment…I began to think of this as
our
ship. This dreary boat was becoming my home. I showed the stubborn captain I had fight in me. If I could sword fight decently with him, then what of common pirates? If being on this ship taught me anything, it was that Aiden was not a common pirate.

He didn’t even know I carried inside me powers to help the crew if they were injured, but I couldn’t think of such a thing. I owed them no allegiance. There was no way I could risk exposing what I was.
But if
Aiden
was hurt, would I risk everything to heal him? He’d saved me, twice now, and I had seen the worry on his face when he thought these pirate invaders would hurt me. A part of me felt like I owed it to him. He’d shown me nothing but kindness recently; how could I let him suffer? Even from where I sat, I could hear the cries of the men and the clanking of their swords.

It didn’t last long before silence fell on the ship. I sat on the edge of the bed waiting, hoping Aiden would return to his cabin in one piece.

A rattling at the door caused me to jump my feet, my eyes darting around for a weapon just in case it wasn’t someone welcome.

“Rae,” a raspy voice called from the other side.

“Aiden!” I exclaimed as I rushed over to the door. Fear gripped me at the thought of him being injured. I threw the door open to see him standing there alone. His nose was bleeding profusely, and he raised his hand, also bloody, to wipe at it.

Tears pooled in my eyes at the sight of him, but I wiped them away. Instead, I grabbed him by the arm and led him inside, shutting the door closed behind us.

“Are you alright?” All my deep thoughts of my loyalties were gone, replaced by the urge to take care of him. My initial reaction was to aid in the healing process, but I reminded myself he didn’t appear to be too badly hurt—not enough to give myself away.

“I’m fine,” he insisted as he held up his bloody sword before tossing it to the floor. “You should see the other guy.” He laughed but then bent over in
pain. Success played in his words, but his body showed that he was hiding something from me.

I pulled him behind me and into the washroom, forcing him to sit down on the clawed tub. “Don’t move.”

“Aye, are you going to take care of me now?” He laughed. “I’m perfectly capable of cleaning myself up. I’ve done it for years.”

Rather than argue, I ignored him, taking a piece of cloth off the counter and dipping it into the bucket of water before walking back over to him. I knelt down in front of him and lifted the cloth softly to his face to wipe off the dried blood. He brought his hand up to brush me off him, but I swatted him away.

“Stop it, Aiden.”

He sighed unhappily but let me dab the cloth across his face until it was clean. When I pressed it against his nose, he winced.

“It’s okay,” I cooed and began to hum quietly as I worked.

I could feel his eyes boring into me as I tended to him, but I didn’t meet them. I was lost in what little healing I was providing. I found myself giving him the sort of care I would give those closest to me. There was something in me that made me want to heal him, help him. After ringing out the cloth, I reached out to take his left arm. He tried to jerk it back, but I wouldn’t let him.

“Stop fighting me,” I said.

“I can take care of myself.”

“That’s just what you think. Who would tend to your wounds if I weren’t here? Hmm?”

“Me.”

“And if you couldn’t?”

He had no answer.

I laughed, satisfied, and ran the cloth slowly over his arm and hand, the one covered in blood from the sword. When I was done, I stood up and rinsed the cloth out again.

“Rae,” he said softly as he came to stand beside me. “Thank you.” He ran his hand through my hair and leaned in to place his face next to mine. “I need to go check on my men. I will be back.”

I nodded in agreement and watched him leave the room. He hadn’t said it, but I think he wanted to make sure I was safe. Otherwise, he would have stayed on deck to tend to his men. I was beginning to be able to read him without him admitting his feelings. A smile came over my face at the thought. Maybe I would be okay after all.