Chapter Thirty-Seven
Perdita
D amn it all to the Underworld!
Today was not going as planned. That oaf of a prince gave me double what he said he would, which should have excited me, but he had Blue and her absurd lover bring it.
She was getting on my nerves. Not because she was being clingy like other females usually were, but because she was being quite the opposite. It was no secret that I wanted her, just as it was plain as day that she did not want me.
Absurd. I was the greatest pirate to walk Alemthian. She should beg on her knees for me. Stupid, ridiculous fae.
I hated her.
Lian walked up to me where I leaned back against the starboard bulwark of the Abaddon. Her hair was shining beneath the bright light of midday as she approached. She was without curves, her chest nearly flat and her hips nonexistent. So different from Dima—from any female I had ever wanted. She was also far less alluring. Apart from when she was flirting with CJ, of course. I caught it for the second time the day before she left me, the sight of her practically humming words to the Water. CJ would giggle as Lian winked, and the two would go on chatting as they worked.
The bane of my existence stopped before me, her overly full lips splitting to show her bared teeth—too large compared to her small, upturned coffee eyes.
I wanted her.
“Blue,” I signed before crossing my arms and lifting my chin. She rolled her eyes, mirroring my stance and looking at me. While I had three or four inches of height on her, she still seemed to scowl down at me. As if I were the one leaving.
“You have your money and your privateer license, which means you no longer need to steal for wealth. We expect you to behave.” She said the words slowly before quickly signing, “To be good.”
I could make her be good for me, if only she would let me.
“I am the ,” I signed with a sharp jolt of my hands, “Perdita Harligold. I will do what I want.” Lian put her hands on her barely-there hips, glaring at me like she might stab me. I wondered what face she made when that giant, stupid fucking demon made her come. “Is your little lover not eager to leave, Blue?”
She watched my hands with an intense sort of focus before following my now-pointed finger until she noticed Henry, who stood with Fatima. She was likely finding herself stumped on lover.
I had not taught her that one yet.
Smirking, I reached forward and pinched the end of her hair. It stopped just above her breast, the strands brighter than the sky above. It was the blue of Eoforhild. It was like second nature to close the distance between us as I twirled the hair around my pointer finger. Then, ever so slowly, I released the strands and slid my finger beneath her chin.
With Dima, it would have worked. She loved how forward I was. All the females I had ever sampled agreed. Lian, sadly, did not. One second I was trying to decide how to show her what the sign meant, the next I was on my back. My lungs burned as they searched for air that was not there, my body already aching.
Just as the smiling beast of a female above me went to release my arm she had used to flip me, I called to my shadows. We were engulfed instantly, the Moon magic taking us to my quarters.
“You moron,” she signed. Laughing, I pushed myself up. It was not until I was in front of her again and staring into those eyes that a brilliant idea came to me. A smile lifted my cheeks and creased my skin, making me nearly feral with the perfection of what would soon be my life.
I turned, dashing for my desk and quickly scribbling words onto a page. Lian knowing exactly what I was offering was more important than ever. Finishing with a flick of my wrist, I grabbed the paper and practically ran at her. She stared with wide eyes and downturned lips, as if the sight of me was concerning. Before she could say something like goodbye, I shoved the paper into her face, watching as she mouthed the words.
“Join my crew. We could use an Air, and you already get along with CJ. You can keep us in line for your pretty prince.”
I could have Blue any time. All the time. As long as I want. Until I inevitably got sick of her, too.
Her eyes moved from the paper, to me, back to the paper, and settled on me again. Then, with all the consideration of a youngling that just learned to speak, Lian bent over and laughed. Slapping her hands together, she continued to full-body laugh, the amusement turning her face red. My hand slowly lowered, rejection sitting heavy on my chest.
“You are funny, I will give you that. Anyways, I have to get going. But make sure you stay out of trouble. I would rather not have to come find you.” With that, she wiped a tear from under her eye with her middle finger before lifting it my way. Bitch.
Lian winked, turned, and left me.
She fucking left me.
My patience gone, I stormed to the door of my quarters, ripping it open. Lian was taking her place next to Henry as I stepped out. The male looked me right in the eye with the most obnoxious smirk on his face. Then, as if he knew just how badly I wanted Lian beneath me, he reached over and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him. The two disappeared beneath rays of Sun magic, but not before I noticed how Lian swatted his wandering hand and opened her mouth as if to yell at him.
They were not together. I was sure of it then, even if the proof was flimsy at best. And if they were, I no longer cared much.
No one left me. Ever.
My crew all watched me from where they stood scattered about the deck. Fists bunched and body shaking from my fury, I took a deep breath and nodded. She wanted me to be good? Then I would be worse than ever.
I lifted my hands, quickly signing to the five of them. “We set sail for the Ibidem Sea. They gave us a license, so let us make them regret it.”
Their cheers rumbled the deck below my feet, and for a moment I felt light again. We were made to loot. To take what we wanted. The prince and his pets might think that wrong, but that was their problem, not mine.
For now, I needed Dima back. Not only because having a siren would make life easier, but also because I now had an itch I needed to scratch. She would understand. Plus, she had been separated from her kind for so long that she craved acceptance and companionship. I was enough for her. More than enough. And she would be enough for me until I got what I really wanted.
Blue would catch wind of this soon, and when she did I would be ready.
I would show her trouble. She was coming back whether she wanted to or not.