Calypso shrugs, "Very well, then. It was strictly for your safety. I meant no harm."
"Let's cut to the chase and tell me what this whole kidnapping bullshit is about. Not to mention, why the hell did you send that Bloodbane prick after me?"
Calypso smirks, sipping from a black goblet adorned with seashells and intricate designs."Patience, little guppy. Eat, please. You must be starving."
Come to think of it, I am starving. The mere mention of food makes my stomach growl like a caged beast. Attendants glide around the table, bearing trays laden with mouthwatering delicacies. I load up my plate with a lobster the size of my head, a heap of mussels, a couple of crab legs, and some other weird-looking dishes that smell like heaven.
I don't hesitate to dig in, tearing into the food like a starving animal. I need to keep my strength up, after all.
As I take my first bite of the lobster, an explosion of flavors bursts across my tongue. The meat is succulent and tender, with a subtle sweetness perfectly balanced by the rich, buttery sauce it's been bathed in.
Even as I savor the delicious flavors, my mind is racing, trying to figure out what Calypso wants from me and how the hell I will get out of this mess.
"Bloodbane is a loyal pirate to my needs, getting things done with hardly any payment. Once I heard of your arrival, I knew I needed to speak with you," her tone flat."Anyhow, you vanished, and then suddenly you were back," She shrugs like she's discussing the weather, not my interdimensional field trip.
I stare at her, my brain doing mental gymnastics to keep up with this fishy fuckery. "Hold up, rewind, and freeze. How the hell did you know I was even here? Or left, for that matter? What, did you install an interdimensional LoJack on my ass when I wasn't looking?"
Lucian lets out a hearty laugh, his mouth half-full of whatever aquatic delicacy he's currently demolishing.
I'm half expecting her to pull out a crystal ball or reveal a network of spying clownfish. Because apparently, in this neon fever dream of an ocean, privacy is about as absolute as my chances of growing gills.
Then it dawns on me—the Soul Stone. Azrael always knew when I tore open a portal. Maybe Calypso's little trinket has the same party trick up its sleeve.
I lean forward, my eyes narrowing. "Do you know what that asshole did to me?" I bark. "I mean, seriously? Sending Captain Hook's rejected cousin to rough me up? That's your grand plan? What's next, hiring the Kraken as your personal Uber driver?"
My words drip with sarcasm thicker than tar on a beach. "If this is how you treatguests, I'd hate to see what you do to people you don't like. Do you feed them to the sharks, or is that too cliché for Your Royal Fishiness?"
Calypso flinches at my words. "I gave strict orders to bring you in unharmed."
I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. "Well, obviously, he didn't get the memo. Next time you want to chat, try sending a fucking e-vite. Or hell, a singing telegram. Anything's better than your current 'kidnap first, ask questions later' policy."
"My apologies for how he treated you. I've been surrounding myself with pirates my whole life on Blood Reef—Bloodbane wasn't supposed to harm you—only deliver you to my doorstep."
Huh—lived her whole life surrounded by pirates, has she? What is she, the queen of Blood Reef? Where scallywags haul in souls to trade with this walking, talking soul slurper?
Give me a break.
Quickly changing topics, "Do you want to know what I desire?" Calypso asks, with a sickly sweet tone as she sips her drink.
I glance up from my plate, my eyes landing on a small fishbowl sitting next to her, filled with live fish darting around in a panic.
"Yes, by all means, let’s drag this out all night. It’s not like I’m being held here against my will or anything," I quip.
Calypso's lips curve into a smile that is cruel and sinister. She reaches into the fishbowl, plucking out a bright yellow fish, and tosses it into her mouth, swallowing it whole with a single, sickening slurp. I can't help but wonder if she just devoured Flounder, Ariel's loyal sidekick.
"Have you ever heard of the Siren's Lyre?"
I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
Seriously? That's what she's after?
The same damn thing Gideon told me to swipe to get in line to meet the Queen of this underwater shit show? It makes me wonder why Calypso thinks so highly of herself, like she’s the goddamn ruler of the seven seas.
"Yeah, I've heard of it," I reply, with nonchalance as I crack a king crab leg in half, popping a flaky, tender piece into my mouth. I almost moan in bliss at the sweet and delicate taste.
Calypso fixes me with a piercing stare, her eyes boring into mine like she’s trying to read my soul. "Do you know what it does?"
I take a moment to mull it over, recalling the info dump Gideon had given me. "Something about a long-lost sea goddess, Lyria, who handed the Siren's Lyre over to the Merfolk's ancestors and juiced it up with some potent mojo," I quip. "But it's hidden somewhere, and no one can get their hands on it."
