2. Hali
CHAPTER 2
Hali
T he wind whips around me as I walk up the gangway, my eyes taking in the details of the ship and the angry sea it floats on.
The notorious ship’s name is the Trident, and there’s a bad omen that surrounds it. Faded black letters across the bow tell me this ship has been used for many sails, weathered many storms, yet it sets a shiver through me, noticing the black shadow hovering above the surface of the water, whipping around the monstrous ship.
I hold in a shaky breath as I follow the others onto a deck and into a line along the gunwale. My head dips downward, eyes cast to my feet as the rest of us board. Although I suspect the men and women boarding the Trident are no longer looked at as people, since we fetched a rather decent price.
Nausea roils in my stomach as I think about the disgusting building I snuck into after following the ship’s trail to the Isle of Morda—which is no easy feat.
I exhaled a shaky breath as I peered into the room from the darkened corner I hid in. I made it just in time to watch the chief mates of every ship docked come and make their selections, stocking their vessels with whores and prisoners to do the jobs not even their crew want to tend to.
The moment I saw Captain Erickson’s second-in-command step forward to make his selections, I emerged from the shadows, pulling the scarf from my hair to reveal the vivid hue beneath it.
As expected, his eyes almost immediately drifted to me, and as I averted eye contact to imitate a sign of respect, I began to hear the whispers around me as I caught the attention of others.
“Who is she?”
“Where did she come from?”
A bittersweet smile pulled at my lips, knowing I was one step closer to ridding another Erickson from this world.
“I’ll take that one. The redhead.” The chief mate had a deeper voice than I imagined him to, and he was much closer than he was a moment ago.
Someone moved behind me and pushed into my back, attaching a note to me indicating I’d been sold.
Now, the same shoes I recognize from the flesh-house stand before me.
“This is the one I told you about, Captain.” His deep voice has a level of smugness to it.
“Look at me, whore.” Another deep baritone voice commands, and without hesitation, my eyes flit upward, instantly locking with a man I’ve only heard about. A man who has haunted my nightmares.
Biting my tongue, I force myself to stay quiet, even if it burns my very soul.
He’s ruggedly handsome, his dark eyes mystical with swirls of auburn, and a fresh dusting of facial hair covering his sharp jawline. He stands tall, his frame well built and muscular, poorly hidden beneath a pressed blouse.
It maddens me how attractive he is. Someone so evil shouldn’t have the Goddess-given gift of being easy on the eyes.
Captain Erickson’s eyes rake down my body. Everywhere he looks, my skin burns like hot coals pressed against it. Reaching up, he grasps my chin between his thumb and finger, tilting my head from side to side to get a better look.
Anger seethes within, and so badly I want to rip away from his hold. Yet, I feel the familiar surge of desire ignite low in my belly. His gaze is like a separate touch altogether, warming me in places I didn’t expect. It only serves to enrage me further.
“Not like the others you typically purchase,” he muses as he releases me, his voice low and curious.
Swept by another flicker of desire, I bite my tongue harder, and the metallic tang of blood stings my taste buds.
“I thought you might fancy this one,” the man from the flesh market, Kalis, says jubilantly. “She looks much… cleaner …than the rest.”
“Yes. Almost like she doesn’t belong,” Captain Erickson replies, never taking his eyes off me.
My heart lunges into my throat at his words, fearing that the ruse may be up sooner than I imagined.
Still, I remain calm as they talk about me like I’m not there.
Captain Erickson’s eyes narrow slightly, raking down my body once more. When they meet mine again, he nods once as though silently answering his own question before he says it. “You will join me tonight for dinner. Someone will fetch you when it’s time.”
He doesn’t wait for a response. Why would he? The man didn’t even ask for my name. In his eyes, he owns me like he owns the ship that is my new prison, and that’s all there is to it. He rips his gaze from mine and walks away, ignoring the rest of the men and women he’s summoned to this ship.
Once his back is to me, I can breathe again.
My hope of catching the captain’s attention fell into place much faster than I imagined it would—a relief that settles deep in my bones.
Now, I just need to make it until dinner.
Nausea rolled through me as a crewmate grabbed my arm forcefully, yanking me out of the line to escort me below deck before pushing me into a dingy room with a threadbare cot and a bucket to urinate in. Then the crewmate smiled, all browning teeth and gums and said, “I’ll be back when the Captain’s ready for you.”
The double entendre way he said it made me feel cheap when I should be feeling powerful.
I’m a siren. I am powerful. And my plan is falling perfectly into place.
As the man's footsteps disappeared down the corridor, and silence fell outside my door, I began to pace. The men were still moving around, but not along my corridor. I could hear the heavy footsteps above my head and the distant shouts as orders were being made, and the crew were still above deck to manage the ship on its route.
I might be able to slip out before they’re brought back down.
Though risky, as quietly as I could, I snuck from my chambers to look for the one person who will ease my terror-stricken soul and reassure me we’re on the right track.
I needed to know if he had made it aboard.
I couldn’t bear otherwise.
Now, the worn wooden planks groan below my feet as I tiptoe through the passageway, holding my breath as I pass each door, knowing one wrong step—one noise too loud—could alert others of my presence.
If I’m caught out of my chambers, I’ll surely be escorted straight to the prisoners' quarters.
It’s a wonder I wasn’t tossed into them with the rest of the women they brought onto this goddess forsaken ship.
My heart tugs in the familiar way it does when I think of him as I drag my fingers against the wall, willing my magic to sense him as it so frequently does.
We have a plan. If he didn’t make it on board?—
I can’t even bear to think about it. Carrying out our plans alone is unfathomable.
A darkness settles in the passageway, the light from the sun diminishing beyond the horizon as it sets. Dinner with the captain will be within the hour, I’m sure of it, which drastically limits my time to search.
With every advancing step, the dread settles.
He’s not here. I can’t feel him. What if he didn’t?—
A cool hand slams into my mouth, the arm it belongs to curling around from behind my neck as I’m pulled through a threshold that wasn’t opened just moments before. My heart seizes in terror. As the door clicks shut behind me, I’m trapped in the darkness of the room and pushed back suddenly against the door.
Dizzy, a whimper climbs up my throat. Without notice, warm lips replace the hand, a tongue sinking into my mouth as hips press into mine. I know this mouth like I know myself, and a rush of emotion surfaces in me. He locks me against the wall to keep me from moving.
Kai’s scent envelops me—ocean salt and sandalwood—and I moan against his lips as I finally allow myself to relax and melt in his arms.
We kiss until air is necessary, but the moment he inhales a breath, his lips are on my neck, peppering hot kisses against me.
“We did it,” he breathes against my skin. “We’re both on the Trident. We’re going to take Erickson down, Hali.”
The hardness between his legs strains against the thin cotton fabric of his trousers, and he circles his hips, digging into the channel between my thighs. Instantly, a rush of fevered desire pulsates through me.
My nails bite into his shoulders as he hikes my petticoat up higher, hitching my leg at his waist. “I was so scared you didn’t make it on.”
Kai licks up the column of my neck before finding my lips. His kiss is bruising. Pulling back abruptly, his mossy, seafoam green eyes land on mine. “I did, and I’ve already heard chatter about the fire-haired beauty that has captivated the Captain’s attention. I knew the moment he laid eyes on you, the plan would be set in motion. Even in human form, you’re magnetizing.”
Tipping my head back against the wall, I allow my eyes to shut as I bask in the way his fingers rake over the skin of my thigh and over to my center.
I’m wet for him, like always, my core clenching on air, desperate to feel him inside of me. My hips roll forward, chasing his touch.
“Selfishly, I had hoped it wouldn’t work,” I tell him breathlessly as his fingers skate over my wetness. “I don’t know how I’ll be able to act as though I don’t already belong to another.”
He shifts slightly, pulling his hand away from me as he takes himself out of his trousers. The smooth, hard tip of his shaft rubs against my entrance, smearing my arousal around him. With the opposite hand, he pushes the messy tendrils of my hair away from my face, then lowers his palm, collaring my neck as he thrusts his hips upward and sinks into me.
“You’ll do just fine,” he grunts as he pistons into me. “By whatever means necessary, you will lure him into infatuation with you, Hali. Then, when the time is right, we’ll use the shift and eliminate him for good.”
He reaches down beneath my dress and his fingers find the bundle of nerves between my folds that he knows I love him to stimulate. His fingers move in time with his thrusts.
“Kai,” I moan, feeling my body take me higher as I drift toward my release.
“I know. I missed you so much. Two days without you is too long.”
“Kiss me,” I beg, lifting my head so I can reach his lips.
“We need to be quick,” he reminds me before pressing his mouth to mine.
The moment our tongues tangle, my orgasm rips through me. Kai swallows down my cries as he chases his own release, finding it just moments after.
He stills inside of me, his shaft twitching its release as he fills me. His forehead comes to rest against mine as we catch our breath, both satiated and full of hope.
“I love you, Hali. This will also be over soon. The shift is in less than a week. We can do this. You can do this.”
“I can do this,” I repeat as he pulls out and drops my leg. “I love you.”
After readjusting my dress, he kisses the side of my temple. His hands linger on my face, his fingertips brushing along the side of my cheek. “My brave siren.”
I bloom beneath his touch, his words making my heart hiccup inside me.
The silence of the ship around us whispers the truths and the fate of our mission.
Kai cracks the door, peering left, then right, before pulling it open a bit more. “Go,” he whispers, not taking his eyes off the corridor. “I’ll find you soon, I promise.”
As I step past him, his hand grips my arm, encircling my wrist. Tugging me back to him, he presses one final, hard kiss against my lips. I melt into him in that quick moment, my fears muted by his presence.
Then I sneak back down the passageway toward the room I’ve been assigned.