Rhyland
8
Ifinally start to calm down, the rage simmering beneath the surface as I take a deep breath and try to focus on the task. But then I get a good look at Dani, and I nearly choke on my tongue.
Christ,this woman... The way she looks in anything she puts on, it's enough to drive a man fucking crazy.
Seriously, she could be wearing a goddamn potato sack and still manage to look like a walking wet dream. It's like her body was specifically designed to make my blood run hot and my thoughts turn sinful.
That damn pirate wench outfit is going to undo me. The way it hugs her curves, barely containing her luscious breasts and hinting at the treasures beneath... Fuck me, it's taking every ounce of my self-control not to throw her over my shoulder, find the nearest empty room, and show her exactly what she does to me.
She looks fucking edible, and suddenly I've got a thing for pirate wenches. I don't want anyone else to see her like this. She's mine, and I'll be damned if I let these filthy bastards lay their eyes on what belongs to me.
I mentally growl. "Do you have to look so sexy in everything you put on? I don't want you prancing around in that, tempting all these horny fucking pirates. Can't you, I don't know, put on something else?"
Danisighs, her voice echoing in my head with that sassy tone that always drives me crazy."Oh, sure, let me just pop on over to the nearest Pirate Wench Boutique and pick up something a little more modest. I'm sure they have a lovely selection of floor-length gowns and turtlenecks."
Did that bastard Captain purposely give her this outfit to wear? So he can fucking ogle what's mine, like the pervy son of a bitch he is?
I swear, if I catch him eyeing her curves or undressing her with his filthy gaze, I'll rip his goddamn eyes out. No one gets to feast on the sight of my woman but me.
My little angel has no idea what she's doing to me right—
"Aye, I see Izabelle brought ye some clothes—ye clean up nicely." The Captain praises with a wink.
This son of a bitch.
I growl under my breath, my hands itching to reach out and cover her up, shielding her from his lustful gaze—I know the crew will have a hay day. But I knowDanican handle herself, and the last thing I want to do is make her feel like I don't trust her or not give her credit for handling herself.
The Captain breaks through my thoughts, motioning for us to sit down, "We're making our way to Captain's Haven," his says with false cheer. "There, we can dock and find suitable quarters for you to freshen up. And with some luck, we might even be able to arrange a meeting with the Queen herself to help find ye stone ye need."
Daniperks up at that. "Queen Undine, correct?"
The Captain looks at her momentarily. His brow furrows in confusion. "Nay, lass," he says slowly, like talking to a particularly dim-witted child. "Queen Undine died ages ago. Queen Cordelia rules now."
Dani's face falls, but she quickly recovers, her expression curious. "I see," she says with a bit of sadness. "And how do we go about getting an audience with her?"
Daniand I both studied our asses off on the book ofAquaria, and I see why she's so fucking defeated; nothing is as it seems from those dusty old tomes—same with the book of the Fae. It makes sense, though, since those books were written centuries ago, and with the realms shut off, well, no shit, nothing is as it was written.
The information is outdated as hell, and now we're stuck in this goddamn place with no real clue what to expect.
The only good thing about it is that it gives Dani a waypoint.
The Captain chuckles, shaking his head. "It's not that simple, lass. The Queen is a bit of a stickler and doesn't take kindly to entertaining guests. But there is a way."
He pauses for a moment, letting the suspense build like the fucking drama queen he is. "You'll have to speak with someone from Serraphatic Cove," his voice low and conspiratorial.
Danifrowns, her nose wrinkling in confusion. "What is that, and why do we need to go there?"
The Captain's eyes glint with amusement. "Serraphatic Cove is the island of the merfolk," he explains, his voice taking on a dreamy quality. "It's only there that ye can speak with one of them and possibly be granted an audience with the Queen. It's rare, but sometimes it works."
I feel a surge of hope rising in my chest, but I quickly tamp it down. I've been around long enough to know that nothing is ever as easy as it seems, especially when dealing with the supernatural."And what's the catch? There's always a catch with these things."
The Captain grins, his gold tooth glinting in the lamplight. "Ah, you're a sharp one, ain't ya? The catch is, ye'll have to prove yourselves worthy of the merfolk's attention. And that's no easy feat, let me tell ye."
Danithrows up her hands. "I knew it," she sighs, shaking her head in disbelief. "There's always a catch with you supernatural types. It's never a simple 'Hey, can we talk to your leader?' It's always 'prove your worth' this and 'retrieve a mystical artifact' that."
Danitenses beside me, her hand gripping mine tightly. I give her a reassuring squeeze, but I know my girl is not about to let this one slide.
