Chapter Forty-Seven
Perdita
D ima had been difficult to find.
I had used the conche she gave me five fucking times and received no response, until suddenly, the crew heard her. She sang to us, drawing Bek into her web like a spider on the hunt. My right hand took us to the creature beneath the sea, steering us to what would be our doom if not for the fact that Dima would never kill us. She had no one else.
Within minutes, Dima boarded the ship. She was fully nude, her lavender eyes sharp as they took in my crew. Her crew, in a way. She still had a place with us, even if it was not necessarily at my side. Accepting that might be difficult, but she could manage.
“Storm,” I signed as she slowly approached me. My lips split in two, a yawning chasm of delight at the sight of her. She knew how much I loved her body, but she secretly delighted in how desperately I needed her magic. And, at the moment, I was prepared to beg for it.
In no reality could I do enough damage and cause enough trouble to warrant Blue’s involvement without her. So, when she slapped me across the face, I took the slight with dignity and little to no anger. Kicking her off the ship had not been a good idea.
“Dima, my love. I would like to apologize for how I acted—how awful I was. Incorrigible. Heinous. Outright undeserving of life.” Okay, maybe I was laying it on a bit too thick. Clearing my throat, I pulled out a tangle of red roses that I had wrapped up in white string.
Storm took them with little to no interest. But her eyes gave her away. She missed me. The longing in her slouched face and wide stare was obvious. Like any good pirate captain, I seized the moment.
“What do you say to eating a few weak sailors and then letting me devour you?”
“Fine, but I am sleeping in your quarters and you are not allowed to finish,” she signed back, her movements slow from disuse.
“You drive a hard bargain, but deal.”
***
I would never get over the jaw dropping sight that was watching Dima consume living beings. Clearly she was in a mood, because she did not bother to kill them first. She just started ripping off chunks of their skin with her teeth and swallowing the pieces. Fitting, seeing as they had refused to tell me where their gold was. I had spent a whole three minutes searching. That was wasted time that completely fucked with our schedule. The utter audacity.
Dima stood, drenched in the blood of the male she had eaten cock first, and turned to me.
“We make a great team,” I signed. Storm smiled at me, her teeth nearly black from the blood. “You truly are a queen.”
“By blood. On these seas I am merely death. Now come make me scream in ecstasy.”
***
Days passed with no word from her. Lian was far less predictable than Dima, but I knew she would find us. She had to. I was staining the seas around her realm red. Prince Bellamy Ayad would not stand for it, and she would be the one sent again.
I watched Dima finish off her meal, the sailor no longer gurgling out strained pleas. Gold surrounded me, the merchant ship captain having just traded her goods. My fingers toyed with the coins, the cold bite of them against my sweaty skin a relief.
Heaving a breath of boredom, I kicked one of the chests over, letting the coins spill across the sea water soaked deck of the Abaddon. And then, with all the flare of the greatest pirate to sail the three seas, I promptly fell backwards into it.
The rumble of my crew’s laughter could be felt beneath my splayed palms, and I could not help but smile in return. However, something was different about this time. I felt empty. Oddly unhappy despite the success of the attack. Why was I… unsatisfied?
Groaning, I tried to remember where my last correspondence from the prince was, plotting even as I celebrated with my crew.
***
Lian appeared on a foggy day on the Sea of Akiva. I knew she would be there, as I had successfully gotten the prince’s attention by writing him a letter. If one could call it that. Though it had not been very formal. Something along the lines of “I thought you would care to know that I have killed a merchant carrying what must have been weaponry for your soldiers. Finders keepers.”
Lian had written back one of the most heinous responses. She called me a scoundrel. A psychopath. A stupid bitch. But my favorite? A filthy pirate.
I hoped she would call me that last one in bed.
And when she used a female to portal her instead of Henry, I had grown even more excited. She was mine for the taking.
The two of them appeared amongst shadows instead of light, their faces grim and fierce. My attention immediately went to Blue. She had on a tight-fitting pair of olive green trousers, her black boots tied halfway up her calf. An equally skin-tight top with short sleeves covered her upper half while leaving little to the imagination. Exactly how I liked it.
Come on, Blue, show me what you are made of.
The first thing she did, the shadows from the female behind her still clinging to her form, was throw a dagger my way. I portaled before it reached me. My feet went from the small landing in front of the door to my quarters to the deck a mere foot from her. Then, I tackled her to the ground.
My fist went sailing into her cheek, catching her by surprise and forcing her head to whip to the left. That would likely be my last good hit.
And it was.
Lian let out a guttural roar that vibrated in my bones as she dug her nails into my neck, flipping us before slamming my skull into my own deck. Her fists smashed into my face again and again after that, unwavering in their pursuit for my blood. My crew watched on in resigned horror, each of them, even Dima, knowing better than to step in. The female who had come with Lian seemed just as prepared to watch, but she wore a lethal smile.
I finally caved after the ninth punch. My fingers tapped three times on Lian’s arm, and she immediately stopped. It was then that she seemed to realize she was straddling me. It felt good to sense her weight there, pressing into my hips. I would gladly keep her there forever. Alas, she was still pretending she did not want me like I wanted her.
She got up with a look of disgust on her face, saying something too quickly for me to catch.
“Eyes on me, Blue,” I signed, catching her attention. She glared, looking as if she truly might gut me right there. Instead, I lifted my hands and slowly signed her reward for winning the fight.
“What does that one mean?” She asked out loud, her mouth moving slow enough for me to understand, though she turned her head to face Bek after. My eyes followed Lian’s hazel ones, catching sight of Bek as she laughed. A smile tore open my face when my second answered her.
“Captain? Captain! What a stupid sign!” Lian was nearly hysterical as she tilted her face down to me again.
“Just teaching you since you will need to address me properly as a member of my crew.” Her eyes flicked with each movement of my hands, understanding enough that a snarl lifted one half of her enormous top lip and gave me the barest hint of her equally large teeth.
I wondered what they would feel like against my skin.
She was driving me fucking insane. Maybe killing her would be better. Get rid of her before she sucked me in any further.
No. I needed her at least once.
“I will never join your crew, you stupid fucking moron!” Lian was shouting so loudly that I could feel her voice against my skin, her fingers twitching as if she wanted to sign but simply could not amidst her anger. I was getting better at reading her lips. Her lips, which looked so soft. So enticing. “Sink one more ship and I will tear you limb from limb!”
I adored her when she was angry. The way her nearly round face grew flushed and her shoulders squared. Simply delicious.
Fight with me, Blue. Let me help you get out that frustration.
Just once. I only needed her once and then I could move on.
I whistled, catching Ro’s eye and waving her to my side. She walked slowly, her loose blouse billowing in the chilly wind. We needed to put some of this gold to use and splurge on new clothes. We deserved to look the best seeing as we were the best.
With Ro at my side, I focused back on Lian. On my conquest waiting to happen.
“Come visit me for one night and one day every two weeks,” I signed. I had no doubt Ro was translating for me, as both Lian and her companion were listening with squinted eyes and pursed lips. “Be a part of my crew for one full day each fortnight and I promise I will be good.”
Lian glared daggers at me, her hand going to the sword strapped to her back. Surprisingly, it was her companion with the flowing golden-brown hair and the curving hips that saw reason. She caught Lian’s hand, saying something to her with full lips that hardly moved. Her light brown skin showed no signs of nerves or rushing blood. This female was smart. A spy maybe? Something that required her to see the world for what it truly was rather than what was presented to her.
After an odd sort of staring contest between the two females, Lian pivoted to face me fully.
“One day and one night. I work your sails with CJ. That is it.”
Success!
“We are eternally grateful, Blue.” Ro nudged me, and I turned to find her looking baffled. Her jaw was loose and eyes scrutinizing as she seemed to will me to change my mind. From just over her shoulder, Bek looked on in outrage. Shrugging, I faced Lian once more. “Tonight will be your first.”
With that, I walked away from them, heading towards the port side of the deck. CJ’s eyes were on the water instead of the commotion behind me, her desire to be useful often leaving her alone. I came up to her back, reaching out to softly touch her shoulder and get her attention. When she turned to face me, I began weaving my master plan.
“Tell Lian to come see me in my quarters after her friend leaves,” I ordered, my signs lazy and my smile wicked. Turning, I could not help but wink at the little blue-haired fae who had no idea what was coming to her.
Then, I caught sight of Dima and quickly grabbed onto her hand, the sight of her lush body draped in a thin silver dress making me far less excited than it once did. She would do for now, though.
The two of us snuck away, slipping into my quarters without catching anyone’s eye. Just before the door shut all the way behind me, I caught it, leaving a small sliver of space. Just enough for wandering eyes to see through.
With my plan in motion, I turned on Dima, grabbing her by the neck and forcing her lips to crash into mine. She met me with full force, her tongue pushing into my mouth and her hips slamming into mine. I felt the way she sucked on the blood still leaking from my split lip, eagerness pouring from her. Reaching up, I yanked the thin straps of her dress off her shoulders, tugging once and pulling away just in time to watch the silk pool on the ground.
Dima smirked as she watched me taking her in. While the siren was as she always had been—a glorious sight to behold—it was as if she had lost her shine somehow. Or perhaps my eyes no longer wished to see it.
Shoving that thought aside, I grasped Dima’s breasts and once more kissed her. The two of us walked back until my bed forced us to fall. She landed first, her back against the plush mattress and my body atop hers.
Time was running low. Without truly meaning to, I glanced at the barely ajar door, seeing nothing but empty space. Quicker. I needed to move quicker.
I ripped my lips from Dima’s, trailing kisses down her body and letting my tongue glide along it. She writhed below me, her hands tangling in my mane of curls as I tasted her. What would be the hottest? The most enticing? My fingers? My mouth? I needed this to be perfect. I needed this to change minds.
A mind.
Attempting to show what I was worth did not always mean looting. I was great at many things. And I needed to prove that.
My mouth. My mouth was best. With an aching jaw and a cut lip, the act would likely hurt. If I were honest, my energy would waver soon, but I had survived worse than a few punches. I needed to do this.
So I kept trailing lower, stopping only to choose which leg of Dima’s I would pay the most attention to. I bit and sucked on her thigh, relishing in how large it was. In the space that it gave me to work with. The siren squirmed below me, her moans vibrating against my lips and making them tingle.
Twice more, I looked up to find an empty doorway, my anger beginning to flare to life. Impatience and I were good friends, and the two of us loathed unpredictability. That, and untimeliness.
But Dima was ready, and I had no more time to waste. So, with a growl of fury that I hoped more closely mirrored desire, I shoved my face between her thighs and licked a long, slow line upwards. At least she still tasted good, if not a little blander than she once had. Rolling my eyes at my own desperation, I suddenly caught movement.
There, looking through the crack in what could only be described as panic and horror, was Blue. My devious, stabby little fae had her hand raised as if to knock, but clearly she saw more than she bargained for. And I was going to make sure she bore witness to much more.
A soft hum swirled in my chest like a tornado as I went to work on Dima, sucking her into my mouth and gliding my tongue across her. She bucked and shook, but I did not take my eyes off Lian. She had not fled, as if she were frozen to the spot.
Yes, Blue, watch how I feast and pray I will devour you next.
I lifted Dima’s legs, tugging each of them onto my shoulders and digging my fingers into them as I consumed her. All the while, Lian matched my stare. That was, until I winked at her. My mistake, really. I should have known better than to challenge and tease her.
She kicked the door open, letting it swing and slam into the wall. I was sure the noise must have been startlingly loud, because Dima screamed and pulled herself away from me. I was left on my knees before my bed, my eyes scrutinizing Lian as she approached. But when she began speaking, it was Dima that Lian addressed. I tried to follow her lips, but she was talking too fast.
Leaving me in the dark on purpose. The nerve of her.
Sadly for me, I did not get a chance to call her out or so much as move before Dima’s foot slammed into my already bruised and bloody face. The kick made my head snap backwards, sending pain down my spine. Underworld below, that fucking hurt. Gripping my jaw, I stood, ready to scold the bitch for hitting me. But the siren simply grabbed her dress, pulled it on, and dashed out of the room without looking back.
What just happened?
“I told her what you doing,” Blue said in broken signs. “Tricking me to watch. Very rude.”
With a wink that rivaled my own, Lian saluted me and left the same way Dima had.
What the utter fuck just happened?