The Mermaid's Pearl (Tears of the Deep Book 1) Read online

  “That’s what I thought,” he said and took a step back from me. He motioned over to a door towards the right. “You won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, but I want you to feel at home. You really are safe on my ship. There are clothes over there that should fit you, and there are books for you to read. If you even know how to read. And I’m hoping that my men haven’t hurt you in any way. They don’t know how to treat beautiful things.”

  “You can’t keep me here,” I insisted and put my finger in his chest.

  “Oh to the contrary, my dear, I can do whatever it is I want. This is my ship. I make the rules and whether or not you want to, you will follow them.”

  Chapter Four

  I slept on the window seat that night, tossing and turning without the ability to fall into a deep sleep. My eyes kept roaming over to where Aiden slept to make sure he was not going to try anything in the middle of the night. That’s exactly what I expected from a pirate—to take advantage of a woman when she was vulnerable.

  When he awoke the next morning and left the cabin, I was thankful. I pulled myself up into a seating position and stretched. My body was so sore from my sleeping arrangements, and I yearned for my own bed. Gazing out the window, all I could see was ocean for miles. We were probably far away from my home by now, and I couldn’t think of another way to escape…

  Unless he left the door unlocked.

  I hopped up from my seat but stumbled from the force and fell to the floor. With a frustrated growl, I pushed myself up and forced my legs to take me to the door. It was a slow journey, but I made it without another face plant. With both hands I grasped the knob, twisted, and pulled, but to no avail. It was locked. Even putting a foot on the door and pulling did nothing. I felt trapped, but I wouldn’t let that stop me.

  As quick as I could, I searched through the room for the perfect weapon. There were none to be found. Aiden must have swept the room and removed them before he brought me in. However, my eyes settled on an empty bottle of rum on the table across the room. A smile broadened over my face, and I ran over to where it was. I picked it up and smashed it against the corner of the desk, turning it into one long jagged weapon. The extra bits of glass I pushed under the table to hide. Then, I tucked it underneath the pillow on the bed and returned to the window to wait. Surely with my mermaid charms and a weapon I could escape the cabin.

  When the sound of the door unlocking rang through the room, my body stiffened. I hadn’t expected him back so soon. The door opened, revealing a young boy around the age of thirteen with a tray in his hand. He gave me a sheepish smile and closed the door behind him. The boy was thin, with dirty blond hair a mess upon his head.

  “Excuse me, miss?” His voice was timid and quiet as he looked at me for a moment before averting his large, brown eyes to the ground.

  My body relaxed at his sight, although I wondered why he was here. “What is a young boy such as yourself doing aboard a pirate ship?”

  He came over to where I was without a word and held out the tray. The fantastic aroma of freshly cooked food flowed to me from the tray, and I could see the delicious looking meat and sides sitting upon it.

  Still, I shook my head. “No thank you.”

  He frowned. “But the cap’n be angry with me…”

  “You tell the captain that it was all my fault. I want nothing to do with him or his food. Now, I asked you a question.”

  “Can I…can I sit down?”

  “Of course,” I replied and moved over on the seat. What could it hurt to talk to the boy? He wasn’t large enough to hurt me, and perhaps I could get some information from him about what I had gotten into. At least there was one person on this dreadful ship who might be somewhat normal.

  “I wanted to be a pirate,” the boy explained and then looked up at me with sparkling eyes. I could see the excitement there, though I didn’t understand why anyone would want to be a pirate.

  “So you came here on your own?”

  He nodded. “But the cap’n’s been good to me. Keeps me fed and lets me live on his ship.”

  I laughed. “Ah, you’re his servant boy.”

  “Cabin boy,” he corrected me.

  Same terrible thing. “Oh, well I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. What’s your name?”

  “Casey. Casey Martin.”

  It wasn’t much of a pirate’s name, but I couldn’t begrudge him that.

  “The cap’n says he’ll give me a better name when I’m ready.”

  “That’s good, unless you don’t want the other pirates to take you seriously,” I joked.

  He looked hurt.

  “I’m sorry, I was only kidding.”

  He smiled. “Oh—ok. Where do you come from?”

  “I can’t tell you, you’ll tell Aiden.”

  “It’s Captain. You can’t call him his by his name. None of us do. It’s disrespectful.” He spoke the words as if they had been told to him repeatedly.

  “Well I don’t, and he’ll get used to it. My name is Raewyn by the way. You don’t suppose I could follow you outside for a little sun do you?” I hoped he’d give in.

  A look of terror crossed his face. “Oh no, miss! There rules are you stay here. He said, ‘The dark-haired maiden must stay in my quarters. Any man who lets her out will be fed to the fishes,’ and I cannot betray him. I hope you’re not mad at me.”

  My excitement dropped. “You’re awful loyal for a kid stuck aboard a pirate ship.”

  “I told ya, I want to be here.”

  “Do you really think he will train you?”

  He nodded quickly. “Yes.”

  “Do you keep a weapon on you?”

  “No, I’m not old enough yet. I just clean and help as I’m needed. I help with the fishing too and preparing meals.” He held the tray up again. “Are you sure you won’t take a bite?”

  “No, thank you. Tell the captain to come speak with me if he has a problem with it.”

  “Okay.” He sighed and stood up. “I hope he doesn’t hurt you. I like you.” He bowed and left, securing the lock behind him.

  His words haunted me as I anxiously awaited Aiden. It wasn’t long before I heard a noise at the door again. I stood up from my place, careful not to go too fast, and moved to lie down on the bed. I tugged the dress up on my legs and ran my hands through my hair to tousle it before propping myself up on my elbow. Let him try to escape the charms of a mermaid.

  Just as suspected, Aiden stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. He leaned back against it and cast his gaze at me. His eyes roamed down my body, and I hid the smile that wanted to come upon my face. I had him.

  “Good afternoon, lass. Me cabin boy tells me you are too good for pirate food.”

  “That’s not at all what I said, Aiden,” I said sweetly.

  He cocked an eyebrow before stepping away from the door and closer to the bed. When he reached the bedpost at the foot of the bed, he stopped and crossed his arms. “What kind of game are you playing?”

  “Game? There’s no game.” I pushed myself up to sit and let the strap of the dress fall off my shoulder. I made my gaze darken and bit my lip, making it appear as if I wanted him to join me on the bed.

  Aiden’s eyes moved to my bare skin, his mouth curving into a devious smile as he shook his head. “Oh you are a beautiful thing, aren’t you?”

  I shrugged my shoulders and smiled up at him without responding. Flirting came easy to me, and I was determined to prove that I could use my charms to win. Even though I didn’t feel anything for Aiden, there was something about the way he looked back at me that made me feel uncomfortable.

  Without a word, Aiden placed a knee on the bed and leaned toward me. “I bet you taste like salt from the sea too.”

  My breath caught in my throat, and my pulse began to race. Did he know what I was? “And why would you think that?”

  His other knee came upon the bed and he crawled toward me. I could feel the danger crawl under my skin as he came closer to me. The warm
th trailed up my body, surprising me, and I fought to ignore it. Aiden reached out to softly run his finger over my shoulder, sending shivers down my spine, even though the room suddenly felt warmer.

  “Because I found you entangled in my net, of course,” he explained, his voice deep.

  I forgot I even asked a question. I reminded myself I had to stay on my game and stop getting enthralled by the proximity of him. It didn’t make any sense, and I didn’t like the effect he was having on me.

  “Of course.” I leaned back on my elbows again. For some reason, I was suddenly insecure. My charms weren’t working on him so far. I had to try harder. “I have something for you.”

  “You do?” He moved to sit beside me.

  “Yes, I think you will like it.” I moved my hand down my body and his eyes followed. He chuckled as his eyes wandered over my body, giving me time to trial my hand back up and underneath the pillow. Fear and excitement twisted in my body as his hand settled on my side, but my own found the broken glass in its hiding place.

  As I pulled it out, I cried out in anger and thrust it toward him. Aiden’s free hand jerked forward in an attempt to grab ahold of my wrist and stop the movement. I pushed forward, trying to break his hold, and added my second hand. He laughed loudly as if it were a game grabbed my wrist with his other hand.

  “Give me the glass, Raewyn. Don’t be rash.”

  I brought my knee up with every intention of slamming it between his knees, but he moved out of the way just in time. He snorted threw one of his legs over me, so he was straddling my waist.

  “We’ll have no more of that, dear. Can’t be having you ruining the family jewels, now can I?”

  “You’re lucky I haven’t killed you in your sleep, pirate.” I threw my body forward and spit in his face.

  He closed his eyes and bent forward, trapping my wrists above my head. One of his hands let go of me and wiped his face. “Bloody hell woman. Are you trying to piss me off?”

  I continued to struggle against him, bucking and twisting to try and free myself. He didn’t stop holding me down until my hands were numb and the glass slipped out of them. He picked it up and tucked it in his pocket before letting me up.

  “Don’t make me tie you up, lass, because I will. I’m trying to give you some freedom, but your actions are pushing it.”

  My breath came in quick spurts from the struggle. It made no sense. Why weren’t my charms working? They never failed me before. Aiden must be some sort of true evil.

  “This isn’t freedom!” I beat on his chest with my fists.

  “Stop it,” he said, calmly at first. As I continued to fight, his voice got louder until he was screaming at me and grabbing my fists. Aiden yanked me to him, showing me the anger in his eyes.

  “You are frustrating, woman. Any other pirate would have had his way with you already. You could at least have some gratitude.”

  “I owe you nothing.”

  “Have it your way then,” he growled and pushed me back on the bed. He forced me between his legs again and held me down as his left hand dug into the drawer beside him. When he returned his attention back to me, he had a rope in his hand, which he used to tie my wrists to the bedpost. “You will learn some respect.” His words dripped with venom as he pushed himself off me and stood up. Aiden paced back and forth several times before leaving me there alone, without the ability to move.

  My wiles had failed me. What kind of mermaid was I if I couldn’t even charm a pirate captain?

  Chapter Five

  “If I untie these knots, are you going to act crazy again?”

  “Maybe.” I scowled as I turned my gaze away from Aiden. I’d been tied up for two days so far, only letting me up to use the washroom. I refused to eat anything he or his other crewmen brought me, and I was starving. But I didn’t trust Aiden, and I certainly didn’t trust the rest of them.

  I refused to let him see me cry; I didn’t want to lose my strength. I didn’t want to give him a reason to see me weak. Plus, I couldn’t remember the last time I had truly cried. My best defense mechanism was pushing the tears away, unless it was something extremely painful—emotionally or physically. It made me feel pathetic.

  With a sigh, he leaned over me and pressed cool metal to my restraints—a knife I guessed. I could feel him tugging on them as he sawed the rope away from me. When they finally broke, he sat back on the bed. I rubbed my pained wrists and frowned at the red burn marks left there.

  “You should know, it’s pained me to see you like this.”

  I shot him a glare. “It’s a pain to have to deal with you every day.”

  “I like to think I’ve shown you quite a bit of respect for someone who is being so difficult to get along with.”

  He stared back at me with a challenge in his eyes. Inside I knew I needed to give him some credit. Even with my constant disagreement, he had been patient with me. No one had ever put up with my antics like he did, not without some sort of repercussion. He was just holding off on his and making me wait for it. Instead of responding, I crossed my arms and stared back at him.

  “Listen lass, you don’t have to speak with me, but you must know that you are making this hard on yourself.” He gestured to a door on the other side of the room. “There are books in there you could read. Loads of them.”

  I scoffed. I never heard of a pirate reading before, or even one caring about learning how to. Still, I was determined not to engage in any activities he suggested.

  “There has to be something in there that would tickle your fancy. Legends? Treasures? Geography?”

  “Shut up.”

  A mischievous smile formed across his face. “You are just determined not to humor me aren’t you?”

  “If that’s what you would like to call it.”

  “Yet, you speak to the cabin boy…”

  “That’s because he’s not a thoughtless pirate!”

  Aiden laughed. “Oh but he is.”

  “Oh but he’s not,” I insisted, trying to hide the sudden smile that wanted to spread across my face. What was wrong with me? Could I not even argue with the captain without wanting to flirt with him?

  I stood up from the bed and did my best to walk over to the window seat to put some space between us. I still stumbled slightly, but I found it was easier than the first day. Practicing was definitely on my list of things to do.

  As I sat down, I cast my eyes out at the sea. It was a beautiful sight. The greens and blues flowed together as they splashed upon the ship. I couldn’t see any land. I ached for home and the feel of the ocean water across my skin.

  My hand came up to rest on my chest. Depression threatened to take me down with it, but I fought it off as much as I could. I could still feel the dulled pain in my lungs from the human air, made worse when I was trying to hold back tears. Staring out into the open sea was as close as I could get to home, so that’s what I did.

  “She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Aiden asked as he came to stand beside me.

  I glanced up, readying a smart comment on my tongue but stopped when I looked at him. He gazed out at the ocean as he leaned against the wall, lost in some thoughts he wasn’t sharing with me. My mouth snapped shut.

  Hmmmm. Interesting.

  “I want to see all of it,” he said and looked down at me, connecting his intense green eyes with mine. My stomach did a weird excited flip, and I broke the gaze.

  “Are you going to eat dinner with me?”

  “No.”

  The answer was easy. During the day, he stayed away for the most part. Casey was the only company I had. But in the evening, Aiden always came to invite me to eat with him. My response was to glare at him until he went away.

  “Don’t you wonder what all is out there?” he asked.

  “No, not really.” It was the best I could give him. I had an idea of what was out there. My family, my friends, and my people who I missed dearly. I hoped I could find a way to return to them, even though I wasn’t sure where I would g
o or how far I would get without my tail. Saving my people used to be my goal, but now I had to save myself first.

  He sighed. “Well I am going to get some food. If you choose to stay here and starve, that’s your own choice.” There was irritation in his words, which made me smile. It seemed I might be able to become as good at this game as he was.

  Chapter Five

  I was smothering to death in the cabin. Sweat rolled down my body as I tried to gain my composure, but no matter how much I tried, breathing became hard and panic wanted to set in. I missed being able to be a free spirit with the ocean at my fingertips.

  I needed fresh air.

  It was dark in the quarters; the single candle Aiden lit before bed had finally died out. The moonlight flooded in through the window, so I didn’t need to use my night vision to see. I wasn’t even sure I could use it, seeing as I was in a human form now. Even though the moon wasn’t full at the moment, her light made feel just a little better. I listened for a few minutes to the steady breathing of the captain to make sure he was asleep. His breathing was deep and steady, signaling he was out.

  Slowly I slid from the bed, touching my feet to the floor carefully. I tiptoed over to the doorway, leaving my shoes off to keep from making any noise. The floor creaked as I touched the doorknob, making me cast a backwards glance to the bed to see if it woke Aiden, but he didn’t move.

  He was lying there, bathed in moonlight, with one arm over his eyes as if shielding them from it. The blanket fell away from his body, revealing his broad chest and chiseled abs, tanned from the sun. His necklace settled off the side of his body, drawing my attention to the tattoos littering his left side, as well as the shoulder and bicep of his right arm. I hadn’t seen them before, not having seen him shirtless, and he was breath taking.

  I scolded myself. He was a human, and I didn’t need to be staring at him. Just because he was attractive didn’t negate the fact he was a nasty pirate. I twisted the doorknob and slipped through the door, shutting it quietly behind me.