Chapter 8 Rhyland
Rhyland
Ifinally start to calm down, the rage simmering beneath the surface as I take a deep breath and try to focus on the task. But then I get a good look at Dani, and I nearly choke on my tongue.
Christ, this woman... The way she looks in anything she puts on, it's enough to drive a man fucking crazy.
Seriously, she could be wearing a goddamn potato sack and still manage to look like a walking wet dream. It's like her body was specifically designed to make my blood run hot and my thoughts turn sinful.
That damn pirate wench outfit is going to undo me.
The way it hugs her curves, barely containing her luscious breasts and hinting at the treasures beneath.
.. Fuck me, it's taking every ounce of my self-control not to throw her over my shoulder, find the nearest empty room, and show her exactly what she does to me.
She looks fucking edible, and suddenly I've got a thing for pirate wenches. I don't want anyone else to see her like this. She's mine, and I'll be damned if I let these filthy bastards lay their eyes on what belongs to me.
I mentally growl. "Do you have to look so sexy in everything you put on? I don't want you prancing around in that, tempting all these horny fucking pirates. Can't you, I don't know, put on something else?"
Dani sighs, her voice echoing in my head with that sassy tone that always drives me crazy. "Oh, sure, let me just pop on over to the nearest Pirate Wench Boutique and pick up something a little more modest. I'm sure they have a lovely selection of floor-length gowns and turtlenecks."
Did that bastard Captain purposely give her this outfit to wear? So he can fucking ogle what's mine, like the pervy son of a bitch he is?
I swear, if I catch him eyeing her curves or undressing her with his filthy gaze, I'll rip his goddamn eyes out. No one gets to feast on the sight of my woman but me.
My little angel has no idea what she's doing to me right—
"Aye, I see Izabelle brought ye some clothes—ye clean up nicely." The Captain praises with a wink.
This son of a bitch.
I growl under my breath, my hands itching to reach out and cover her up, shielding her from his lustful gaze—I know the crew will have a hay day. But I know Dani can handle herself, and the last thing I want to do is make her feel like I don't trust her or not give her credit for handling herself.
The Captain breaks through my thoughts, motioning for us to sit down, "We're making our way to Captain's Haven," his says with false cheer.
"There, we can dock and find suitable quarters for you to freshen up.
And with some luck, we might even be able to arrange a meeting with the Queen herself to help find ye stone ye need. "
Dani perks up at that. "Queen Undine, correct?"
The Captain looks at her momentarily. His brow furrows in confusion. "Nay, lass," he says slowly, like talking to a particularly dim-witted child. "Queen Undine died ages ago. Queen Cordelia rules now."
Dani's face falls, but she quickly recovers, her expression curious. "I see," she says with a bit of sadness. "And how do we go about getting an audience with her?"
Dani and I both studied our asses off on the book of Aquaria, and I see why she's so fucking defeated; nothing is as it seems from those dusty old tomes—same with the book of the Fae.
It makes sense, though, since those books were written centuries ago, and with the realms shut off, well, no shit, nothing is as it was written.
The information is outdated as hell, and now we're stuck in this goddamn place with no real clue what to expect.
The only good thing about it is that it gives Dani a waypoint.
The Captain chuckles, shaking his head. "It's not that simple, lass. The Queen is a bit of a stickler and doesn't take kindly to entertaining guests. But there is a way."
He pauses for a moment, letting the suspense build like the fucking drama queen he is. "You'll have to speak with someone from Serraphatic Cove," his voice low and conspiratorial.
Dani frowns, her nose wrinkling in confusion. "What is that, and why do we need to go there?"
The Captain's eyes glint with amusement. "Serraphatic Cove is the island of the merfolk," he explains, his voice taking on a dreamy quality. "It's only there that ye can speak with one of them and possibly be granted an audience with the Queen. It's rare, but sometimes it works."
I feel a surge of hope rising in my chest, but I quickly tamp it down. I've been around long enough to know that nothing is ever as easy as it seems, especially when dealing with the supernatural."And what's the catch? There's always a catch with these things."
The Captain grins, his gold tooth glinting in the lamplight. "Ah, you're a sharp one, ain't ya? The catch is, ye'll have to prove yourselves worthy of the merfolk's attention. And that's no easy feat, let me tell ye."
Dani throws up her hands. "I knew it," she sighs, shaking her head in disbelief. "There's always a catch with you supernatural types. It's never a simple 'Hey, can we talk to your leader?' It's always 'prove your worth' this and 'retrieve a mystical artifact' that."
Dani tenses beside me, her hand gripping mine tightly. I give her a reassuring squeeze, but I know my girl is not about to let this one slide.
"Okay, let me guess," her voice laced with enough sarcasm to sink a ship. "We'll have to go on an underwater scavenger hunt, right? Maybe find Ariel's long-lost treasure or Sebastian's secret stash of Jamaican rum?"
The Captain blinks at her. "Who's Ariel?" his voice laced with genuine bewilderment.
Dani rolls her eyes. "Never mind. The point is, we've been through this song and dance before. And let me tell you, Captain, it's getting a little old."
Her eyes narrow on the Captain."But hey, if that's what it takes to get an audience with her Royal Fishiness, then fine. We'll jump through their hoops and play their little games. But remember, Captain—We're here to save the world and do whatever it takes to make that happen."
The Captain nods slowly, his expression turning serious. "Aye, lass," his voice low and gruff. "I can see that. And I respect it. But the merfolk are a proud people who don't take kindly to outsiders. If you want their help, you'll have to earn it."
Erik, the stoic bastard, takes in all this information with his usual look of complete and utter boredom. Typical of my brother.
It's like nothing fazes him, no matter how crazy or convoluted the situation gets. He stands there, his expression as blank as a goddamn slate, as if he's listening to someone recite the phonebook instead of unraveling ancient secrets and navigating treacherous realms.
But I know better than to let his bored act fool me. Deep down, I know he's processing every detail, analyzing every angle, and formulating a plan. He's a fucking mastermind, always ten steps ahead, even if he looks like he couldn't give a rat's ass about what's going on around him.
I trust him with my life, and I know he's got our best interests at heart, even if he doesn't always show it. That's our brotherly bond, an unspoken understanding transcending any momentary annoyance or frustration.
"Alright, Captain," my voice steady. "Cut the bullshit and tell us straight. What must we do to prove ourselves worthy to these fish folk? We're not here to play fucking games. We've got shit to do and people to save, so lay it out for us."
The Captain's grin widens, and he leans forward in his seat, his eyes glinting with mischief. "They like shiny things, booty of such—"
"Why did I not see that coming?" Dani's sarcasm is at an all-time high now. "What kind of gadgets, gizmos, and plenty are we talking about here, Captain?" Her tone as sweet as poisoned honey. "Something special, or just any old whoozits and whatzits galore from a sunken pirate ship treasure?"
The Captain blinks at her, clearly not getting the reference. "I... I'm not sure what you mean by whoozits and whatzits, lass. But I can assure you, the artifact we seek is no mere trinket."
Dani sighs, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Of course not. Alright, so what is this oh-so-special thingamabob we're supposed to retrieve?"
The Captain's eyes glint with excitement. "It's called the Siren's Lyre and said to be hidden deep within the Coral Caverns on Serraphatic Cove. Legend has it that the merfolk used it to communicate with the gods themselves and that it holds the key to unlocking their deepest secrets."
Dani raises an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "The Siren's Lyre? Like, a musical instrument?"
The Captain nods, a grin spreading across his face. "Aye, love. But not just any musical instrument. The Siren's Lyre is said to have the power to control the tides and summon somthin' of great power at the wielder's biddin'."
Dani's eyes widen, "Okay, that's... that's pretty impressive. But let me guess—it's guarded by a terrifying sea monster or ancient curse, right?"
The Captain chuckles, shaking his head. "Not quite, lass. Traps and puzzles guard the Siren's Lyre, each more fiendishly clever than the last. It's said that only the most cunning and resourceful of adventurers can hope to retrieve it."
Dani nods, her expression thoughtful. "Traps and puzzles, huh? Well, I guess that's better than a giant squid or a Kraken."
I can feel Dani's excitement about this shooting through our bond. She fucking lives for this type of shit. Solving puzzles, riddles, and cracking codes— it's like her goddamn lifeblood.
The Captain grins, "Aye, lass, that it is. But I have faith in you and yer crew."
Dani sighs, "Alright, priority check." She locks eyes with me, "Step one: Head back to our world. Step two: Snag Lucian. Because there's no way in hell I'm playing 'Under the Sea' scavenger hunt while that nutjob has Lucian."
She's right. I already feel like a fucking asshole for abandoning Lucian, and Dani's inner remorse is shooting through our bond like a goddamn live wire.
She hates abandonment with a passion and would never have done it herself.
But she was weak and barely able to stay conscious.
She would've fought tooth and nail to save Lucian, even if it meant sacrificing herself.
That's just the kind of person she is—loyal to a fault and willing to put everything on the line for the people she cares about. It's one of the many reasons I love her so damn much, even if it scares the shit out of me sometimes.
But something about the Captain's story isn't sitting right with me. It's like a puzzle piece is still missing, a crucial detail he's intentionally keeping from us. And I'll be damned if I'm going to let him lead us into some trap or wild goose chase without getting the whole picture.
Why would the merfolk, with all their power and knowledge of the sea, need us to retrieve this artifact? What's the real reason behind this supposed quest? I don't particularly appreciate being kept in the dark, especially when the stakes are this high.
I won't let Dani's guilt and my sense of failure cloud my judgment. We need to keep our wits about us and approach this with a healthy dose of skepticism. The last thing we need is to get caught up in some political shitstorm or ancient feud that has nothing to do with us.
"Hold up, something doesn't add up here," I interject. "If this artifact is so damn important to the merfolk, why can't they just swim down there and retrieve it themselves? Why do they need us to play fetch for them?"
I narrow my eyes on the Captain's face for any hint of deception. "This whole thing seems fishy as fuck, no pun intended. What aren't you telling us?"
Beside me, I can sense Dani's mind working overtime, trying to piece together the puzzle. I know she's just as skeptical as I am; her analytical brain searches for the missing pieces.
"There's got to be more to this story," I press on, my tone growing insistent. "Some reason why the merfolk haven't fetched it themselves. So why don't you cut the cryptic bullshit and give us the full picture, Captain?"
The door swings open, and a young man wearing a red bandana barges in. "Cap'n, we be reachin' the port. We need ye on the helm," he announces, his voice urgent.
The Captain rises and heads to the door, "Aye—We'll finish this discussion when we make landfall."