I reluctantly untangle myself fromRhyland's embrace and turn to face my stoic, silver-haired vampire. He's standing a few feet away, his posture rigid and his expression unreadable.
"Little Huntress," he says, his tone formal and sweet. "I am relieved to see you unharmed."
I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around his waist, hugging him tight. "I'm glad you're okay too,Erik. You had me worried there for a minute."
The Captain clears his throat, drawing our attention back to him. "Alright, now that ye lot are back together, let's have a littleparley—savvy?"
Rhylandturns to face him, his body tensing like a coiled spring. I can feel the anger radiating off of him in waves, and I know this isn't going to be pretty.
"First off,"Rhylandgrowls, his voice low and dangerous, "you wanna explain why the hell you let my girl almost fucking drown on this floating piece of shit?"
I wince at the harshness of his words, but I can't say I blame him. I mean, I'm pretty pissed off about the whole almost-drowning thing myself.
The Captain holds up his hands in a placating gesture, but a glint of amusement in his eye makes me want to smack the smirk right off his handsome face. "Now, now, mate. No need to get yer knickers in a twist. The lass is fine, ain't she?"
Rhylandtakes a step forward, his fists clenched at his sides. "That's not the fucking point," he snarls. "She's not just some piece of cargo you can toss around."
"We were under the Dark Tides, mate. I knew what must be done to ensure she didn't kick the bucket." The Captian retorts.
I place a hand onRhyland's arm to calm him down before he does something stupid. Like, oh, I don't know, punching the Captain in his smug face.
"Rhyland," I murmur, my voice soft but firm. "It's okay. I'm fine. Let's just hear what he has to say."
Rhylandlooks down at me, his eyes blazing with fury. For a moment, I think he will ignore me and go off on the Captain anyway. But then he takes a deep breath, his shoulders sagging slightly as he nods.
"Fine," he grits out. "But I swear, if anything happens to her on this fucking ship, I'll hold you personally responsible and rip your goddamn throat out."
The Captain nods, his expression turning serious for once. "Fair enough, mate. I give ye my word. No harm will come to the Lass while she's under my protection."
I resist the urge to snort at that.Protection?More like imprisonment. But I keep my mouth shut, not wanting to antagonize the situation any further.
I step forward. "Alright, Captain, fill us in. What's the deal with these Dark Tides you keep yammering on about?"
The Captain heaves a sigh that could rival the wind in his sails, his eyes going distant like he's reliving some nautical nightmare. "Aye, lass, the Dark Tides be a curse upon these waters, a blight on the very soul of the sea. They strike without warning, pullin' pirates and sailors alike down to the briny depths, claimin' their souls for the Sea Witch's twisted collection."
My eyebrows shoot up so high they practically merge with my hairline. Collecting souls? Well, if that doesn't sound likeMoretemis's particular brand of bullshit, I don't know what does.
I glance at Rhyland and Erik—their faces light up as they've just had a major "Aha!" moment. I would bet my left ass cheek she's holding the last shard of the Soul Stone.
"'Tis all part of the Sea Witch's curse, ye see," the Captain continues. "She seeks to punish those who dare to sail her waters, draggin' them down to a watery grave as payment for their transgressions."
I can't help but roll my eyes at the dramatics. "Okay, hold up. What waters are we talking about here? Is there a specific area we need to avoid, or isUrsulajust snacking on souls willy-nilly?"
Gideon frowns, his confusion written all over his face, "Ursula?" The name going straight over his head. "Nay, love—Calypso"
I blink, my brain taking a moment to catch up with the Captain's words. "Calypso?" I repeat. "What, like the music? Don't tell me we're dealing with a sea witch who's into steel drums and reggae."
The Captain's frown deepens—a vein throbbing in his forehead. "Nay, lass, not the music. Calypso be the name of the Sea Witch herself, the one who cursed these waters and claimed the souls of countless sailors."
The Captain shakes his head, continuing, "And it is all of 'em, love—all the seas. It takes a good ship, a sturdy crew, and a Cap'n with nerves of steel to sail through the Dark Tides and keep the ship afloat."
He puffs out his chest like a preening peacock. Excellent, just what we need. A pirate with an ego the size of the seven seas.
As much as I want to take the wind out of his sails (pun totally intended), I know we need all the information we can get if we're going to navigate these cursed waters and make it out alive.
My mind is already whirling with plans and possibilities. If Moretemis—Calypso—Soul Stone—is responsible for the Dark Tides, we will need all the help we can get to navigate them and emerge in one piece.
"Now," the Captain continues, clasping his hands behind his back and rocking on his heels. "About that little matter of helpin' ye lot with this quest of yers."
