Whispers of the Tide

Three's A Crowd

Serene’s POV

After my emotional outburst, and leaning on Lee, who I barely knew, I couldn't help but crave my fathers advice. I wonder what he was doing. He would be furious to know what I was doing. After finding out my mother had connections to pirates, I really wanted to ask my father about it and see if he would be as surprised as I was. Had she known something was going on? Could it be the same mystery we were currently trailing? That would mean people have been going missing for years. I really hope that wasn't the case.

We were now back on board The Black Soul, it wasn't long before Lee joined us in the navigation room so we could relay the evening's events.

I sat on a small wooden stool at a table in the middle of the room which had a map spread across it. Lee was in the far corner by the door in a soft red armchair.

The captain walked in holding a lantern, pulling out a box of matches. He set it on the table next to me to light it, his eyes flicking up to me. The flames warm glow cascading a warm glow to his handsome face. He looks away and turns, taking his position leaning against the wall across the table and next to the big viewing window that looks out over the deck and ocean. The lantern now casting enchanting shadows across his features which made him look even more dangerous. I can’t help but smile at the sight before pulling myself together. We had a plan to set.

The pirate captain listened intently as we described what had happened earlier on the beach, with the disappearing woman. He frowned when I went on to tell him it was not the first time I had seen the strange portal. I described the trance-like state it put me in and the uncontrollable urge to reach it.

Shaking his head in disbelief, the captain ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

“Ya only tellin us this now?” He growled.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his response.

“This is hardly the biggest question we are facing right now Captain.” I stated. “Do you care to let us in on what you learned from your...friend.” I couldn't help but grimace at the memory of seeing that woman with her hands all over the captain.

“First of all, she aint fuckn my friend.” he sighed. “She told me that there are reports of up to seven missin women over the last three weeks. Tonight will make eight. She also said that all women were on their own and no one had seen what happened to them, as though they had vanished into thin air without a fuckin trace.” He explained.

“Okay, we know who are going missing and how they are going missing, but not why. I believe my people are disappearing the same way. But I need to confirm this for sure.” I added.

“We need to find out who is doing this, is it merfolk or human or witch?” Lee pondered, scratching his greying beard. 

“This is magic of some kind is it not?” I asked as they both nodded in agreement.

“So I guess it is safe to assume that witches are involved, we have sea witches amongst our kind as do humans. But who would be working with them.” 

“We need to find a witch to interrogate.” the Captain said as he crossed one ankle behind the other. He turned to Lee.

“Know of any Lee?”

Lee sighed and leaned back in his chair, scrubbing his chin with his hand in thought. 

“Aye captain, but she is a good few days sail North from here. She is not good or bad, she is an elemental witch who I met many years ago. She believes in the natural order of things, and that there must be darkness to have light.”

This piqued my interest, I also knew of an elemental, a sea witch whose morals were much the same. 

“I know of a witch also, a sea witch that is. Perhaps it would be good to ask both to share their knowledge and guidance.” I said, glancing up at the captain.

He became pale at my words. 

“Ya can't go on ya own. And if it's a sea witch ya seeking we can't go with ya.” He said, holding my gaze. 

“I will not live in fear in my own kingdom. I refuse to let anything stand in our way of uncovering what is going on.” Looking down at the map in front of me I found the town we were currently docked in. Using my finger I traced the coast line  North East then out across the ocean where a large ocean channel was mapped. “This is within the realm of the Second kingdom, and is the location the sea witch Orla is  rumoured to be.” 

“No.” The captain simply said.

I looked back up at him, his jaw set and his eyes determined. 

“You may not order me to stay. It is also on our way to Lee’s Witche. It makes sense for me to do this.” I turned my body to face him, squaring my shoulders. I let some of my royal authority out into the air as we locked eyes. 

We must have been locked like this for a while when Lee cleared his throat, Connor dropped his shoulders. Looking defeated.

“Fine, but we will be puttin a time limit on ya time with the witch. I won't risk ya!”

“Fine with me.” I smiled at him.

Shaking his head he looked down and tried to hide his smile back. My skin started to prickle with further desire at the sight of the captain smirking in submission to me. 

I could not help but wonder what else I could get him to submit too.

“Well now that that is all sorted, I will be hitting the hay unless you need anything else Captain?”

Lee asked, stretching out of his chair. 

“Nah, we're done here. We'll instruct the crew at first light.”

Lee left the room, and I looked down to further study the map in front of me. I had never known the place names of the coastal villages and towns. It would be great to combine one of my maps of the ocean kingdoms with one from land. My thoughts wandered around how that could work and who would be allowed to know of such a map.

I didn't notice the captain step towards me until his hand landed on top of mine. 

I gasped at the contact, moisture instantly pooling between my legs as the sparks of the captain's touch wreaked havoc on my senses.

“Show me where ya come from?” He asked in a low, gruff voice. His breath fanned my neck making me shiver.

I moved my hand and placed it on top of his, pointing his finger I moved it South to the familiar group of small islands, to the one I had met the captain.

Continuing South East out towards the deepest part of the ocean, a place in the ocean many ventured and few returned.

The captain's eyes widened.

“The Bermuda Triangle?”

“Yes, to some, to others it may be known as Atlantis. To me, It is my home, my kingdom.”

Connor, coughed on his gasp.

“It’s real? Atlantis? For centuries men have been looking for its location to study it’s mysteries, to uncover its treasure. And all these years it has been right there?”

He pulled his hand away to scrub the back of his neck. My hand going cold, missing the contact.

I took a breath and stood from my stool stretching my arms above my head.

“Legend has it, my ancestors were cursed by a powerful coven of witches. A nobleman had an illicit love affair with a witch, promising her the world. Until he met his soulmate, who happened to be queen at the time. He could not fight the bond and rejected the witch, marrying his soulmate and becoming King.

The witch thought him selfish and greedy not understanding the true nature of the soulmate bond. She and her coven sank the kingdom and all who resided in it.

The sea god took pity on the drowning people and turned those only pure of heart into the first merpeople..Only those of royal blood may walk on land. Some say it was to give the nobleman the opportunity to set things straight with the witch, others say it was a gift to help him enact his revenge.”

I couldn't help but blush at the mention of soulmates, but I kept my eye firmly glued to the map. “But that is legend. I could not tell you if it is true or not.” I shrugged and started fiddling with the length of my hair, twisting it to one side.

“That's an incredible story, real or not. Thank you for tell me.” He was right in front of me now, my heart was pounding in my chest. I was terrible at fighting this bond, and I didnt think I wanted to.

I looked up, my eyes locking with his. His gaze was intense, filled with lust and fascination. All air left my lungs. 

“I understand how the nobleman from your story must have felt.” He all but whispered, tucking strands of my hair behind my ear.

“I can't seem to get ya out of my head. I want ya more than my next breath. I can't fight it Serene, I know I should but I can't and I don't want to. This quest is getting more and more dangerous, Something could happen to either of us and the fear I have of losing you I can't live with the regret of never following this pull I have to ya”

He was now clutching my face in his hands, his thumbs caressing my cheeks. I could hear the loud thudding of my heart as his words began to register. I looked down at his mouth that held one of my favorite, smoldering smirks. I bit down on my bottom lip to keep from whimpering. 

“Serene, Mi cielito, my sweet. Say somethin will ya?” he asked, almost pleading with his eyes.