The Captain eyes me skeptically; his weathered face creases with suspicion. "Not until ye've been fed and properly clothed, lass. I take care of my own, and now that you're one of us, it is my responsibility to see to yer needs."
I can't help but snort at that, my eyebrows climbing toward my hairline. "One of you? I don't recall signing up for the pirate life, Captain. And as for my needs, well... let's say I'm a little more high-maintenance than your average wench."
The Captain's lips twitch as if he's fighting back a smile. "Aye, that much be clear, lass. But the fact remains, ye are on my ship now, which makes ye my concern. So, ye'll eat, ye'll dress, and then we'll see about freeing yer companions. Savvy?"
I let out a long-suffering sigh, realizing that resistance is futile. "Alright, alright. You win, Captain Jack. But let's get one thing straight: as for the wardrobe situation…I'm not exactly the 'yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum' type. So, if you could rustle up something that doesn't scream 'wench of the seven seas,' I'd be eternally grateful."
The Captain chuckles, a deep, rumbling sound that fills the cabin. "It's CaptainSterling. I'll see what I can do. But ye best be warned—life on the high seas ain't for the faint of heart. Ye'll need to toughen up if ye hope to survive."
Obviously, my pirate pun went straight over his head.
I flash him a grin, "I'm tougher than I look. And trust me, I've survived worse than a few pirates and a little ocean spray."
Captain Sterling rises from his seat, strides to the door, and bellows for one of his crew.
Finn appears—the young handsome lad who saved my drowning ass, snapping to attention. "Yes, Cap'n?"
"Finn, tell Barnaby to send up some grub from the galley," the Captain orders.
"Aye, aye, Cap'n!" Finn disappears, off to relay the message.
Gideon returns to his seat, fixing me with a pointed look. "Once you eat and dress," his tone leaves no room for argument. "Then we can talk more about this... quest of yours. But if you ask me, our best bet is to get an audience with the Queen. She'll know what to do."
I nod eagerly, my stomach growling in anticipation. I'm so hungry I could devour an entire feast for Queen Undine herself. I've read about her in the book, how she rules over the aquatic realm with an iron fist and a heart of gold. Or something like that.
But before I jump to conclusions, let's not forget the little surprise party the Fae realm threw. Talk about a plot twist; even M. Night Shyamalan didn't see coming! How nothing was as written in the Fae Book.
Who knows if she is even the Queen anymore?
It's almost as if the universe is trying to tell me something. Like, "Hey,Dani! You know those books you've been treating like your personal supernatural Wikipedia? Yeah, about that... it might not be entirely accurate."
But in all seriousness, I need to put on my detective hat and start separating fact from fiction—time to dust off the cobwebs and figure out which parts of the book are still relevant and which parts belong in the "ancient history" section.
Gideon regards me for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Thesefriendsof yours... what's a girl like you doing with them?"
"Rhyland, the big, broody Viking guy? He's my mate. And the silver fox, Erik? That's his brother—but don't worry—they only bite if you ask nicely." I flash a cheeky grin, trying to lighten the mood.
The Captain's eyebrows shoot up, but to his credit, he doesn't look too shocked. "Well, that's a new one. I'm just surprised to see a nice girl like yerself caught up with those creatures."
I shrug, trying to play it cool. "Things have changed in our world—they're good guys, I promise. A little rough around the edges, but who isn't in this day and age?"
Gideon nods slowly as if processing this new information."So, uh, do they... bite with those fangs of theirs?" Gideon asks, his face all worried-like.
"Only if you're into that sort of thing and you ask nicely," I say with a grin. Gideon looks relieved for a second until I add, "Or if you royally piss them off real good—then it's a free-for-all." I shrug.
Gideon raises an eyebrow, half-relieved, half on edge. "Aye, thanks for that. Just what I needed to hear."
As if on cue, there's a knock at the door. Finn enters, carrying a tray laden with steaming dishes. The smell of hot food makes my mouth water and my stomach growl even louder.
"Ah, perfect timing," the Captain says, gesturing for Finn to set the tray on the table. "Dig in, lass. You're going to need your strength for what's to come."
I don't need to be told twice. I practically lunge for the tray, which holds some seafood chowder. It smells delicious, so I grab a hunk of bread, dip it in the chowder, and tear it into it like a starving wolf. The flavors explode on my tongue—rich, hearty, and oh-so-satisfying.
I pause mid-bite, a piece of bread dangling precariously from my mouth as I catch Gideon and Finn's intense stares. They're looking at me like I'm a particularly challenging riddle they're trying to decipher. I swallow the bread, nearly choking, and shoot them a sheepish grin.
"What can I say? I've never been one for table manners," I quip, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "I like food."
Gideon's eyes glint with something that might be amusement or possibly indigestion. It's hard to tell with him. "It's refreshing to see a woman—a lady such as yerself— who doesn't hide her appetites," he remarks, his tone laced with a hint of innuendo.
