Mira
Chapter thirty
Reflections
The ocean feels wrong. Too still. Like it’s bracing for something. We’re still headed to Alek, to Taika. The thought of facing her under these circumstances knots my gut. I’m not afraid of what she might do, but I’m afraid of what it’ll do to him.
Kai masks it well, but I can feel the storm brewing inside him.
A son aching for answers, a wound left open for far too long.
Every time her name is spoken, I feel his heart twist. I feel the weight of what he’s never said.
And it terrifies me, because I don’t know if meeting her will heal him or break him.
I can’t help but wonder, why did the map she gave me lead to him? Was it drawn from her own desires, a mother’s quiet hope that her son still lived? Or was it truly shaped by mine? Or both?
We haven’t touched the map since we found Veyra.
I haven’t touched anything Taika gave me, not the shell she said to use if I ever needed her, not the vial of mermaid tears that could heal even the deepest wound.
They're relics from someone I no longer trust. The vial of mermaid tears never leaves my neck.
The one who gave them to me may be far from pure, but the tears, at least, are not.
I’m scared that everything she gave me is cursed. That every gift was a chain in disguise and I was too blind to see it.
Kai informed me we’re running low on supplies, weapons, food, even rum again, and insisted we stop at Seal’s Island.
He always tries to dock there during his voyages.
Says the merchants give him the best deals, especially on the things he values most: steel, salt, and spirits.
Especially the rum. Gods forbid we run low on the rum.
I didn’t want to stop. I wanted to power through as much sea as possible. Something’s shifting in the ocean that I can feel, and my gut is rarely wrong. But Kai’s right. We need what we need.
Seal’s Island was only half a day away from where we encountered the tarlock. Since then, Kai’s been locked in the study room with Jay, poring over every map and scrap of parchment, hunting for anything that could lead us closer to Sirens Cove. He’s been in there for hours.
I’ve been at the helm scanning the horizon for any more unwelcome visitors.
The ocean is both beautiful and brutal. One wrong turn, one moment of hesitation, and she can swallow you whole, delivering you to a place no soul has ever seen.
That’s what makes her so dangerous. She’s unpredictable, always shifting like a living thing.
As I stare out at the horizon, my mind drifts to the Soul of the Ocean. The one who came before me. The one who now clutches the title like a blade held to the throat of the sea. Who was she, truly? Was she once human, like me? Or born a creature, siren, mermaid, witch, something older?
How long did she live before the ocean chose her? Was her transformation slow, or instant? Did it hurt? Did she love someone the way I love Kai? And if she did, did she have to give him up to become what the tides demanded of her? Questions I can’t answer. Not until it’s my turn to become her.
She must be endlessly exhausted, carrying the weight of every soul in the sea. Feeling their pain, their joy, their rage. Every creature’s death echoes inside her—every scream swallowed, every war ever waged bleeding through her veins.
Maybe it broke her and that’s why she turned cruel.
Built an army out of fear. Twisted her power into something dark.
Maybe she simply couldn't carry it anymore and decided the ocean should suffer with her.
After I fight this war, fighting for every creature that swims beneath the waves and sails above them, I refuse to become the darkness that already bleeds in these waters.
The sun dips low on the horizon, casting golden light across the sea, and there, just ahead, I spot Seal’s Island with my naked eye.
It is far larger than the scattered isles I’ve grown used to.
Bursting with color and sound, its painted buildings climb the hillside like stained-glass steps.
It looks like Magda, feels like home, but it isn’t.
It only reminds me of what I left behind: The Siren, my people, the pieces of myself I would trade for this journey.
Neressa. The ache comes fast, blooming in my chest like a bruise.
I feel him before he could even touch me.
Kai’s warm hand slid to my waist. I turn around to look up, locking eyes with him.
“Hi, treasure,” he says, his smile crooked and voice rough like weathered rope.
I smile, unable to help myself. “What’s going on in that mysterious head of yours? ” he asks, eyes searching mine.
Where would I even begin? A thousand thoughts swirl behind my eyes, none of them easy to name.
“We don’t have enough time for that,” I say, teasing.
“Let’s just focus on making port, and maybe grabbing some rum?
” He grins. My back presses against the helm, his arm brushing mine as he steers, his other hand still resting lightly at my side, like he couldn’t bear to let go.
“I always have time,” he says softly, “to listen to every single one of your thoughts, Mira.”
My name on his tongue still sends a chill down my spine.
The crew begins scrambling with anticipation, their boots clattering across the deck as they prepare to make port.
Kai was right. They need this break for more than just supplies.
This is what they look forward to: the brief thrill of land under their feet, rum in their hands, and the touch of a woman.
I don’t answer Kai’s inquiry of what’s on my mind. Instead, I kiss him. It’s easier that way. A kiss to make him drop it, at least for now. But Kai isn’t the type to let go, especially when it comes to my thoughts and my heart. I love him for that.
The crew makes their way down the gangplank, their laughter echoing into the growing night, leaving just a few of us behind to keep watch. It’s always done in shifts, and tonight, it leaves me and Kai alone on the quiet deck.
I start to walk away when he reaches out, gently catching my hand. “I can feel you hurting,” he says. “Talk to me. What can I do?” His words stir something warm in my chest.
I look up at him. “It’s nothing you can fix. The ocean feels wrong. Unbalanced. Something is coming. I don’t know what or when, I just feel it.”
Kai pulls me closer, one arm wrapping around my waist. “Then we’d better find that fountain,” he says with a crooked grin.
The flame from the lanterns flickers in his hazel eyes, dancing across the tattoos on his skin.
The moon paints him in silver. In the soft hush of night, with the ocean at our backs, he looks more alive than ever.
I always see him differently after dark.
Night Kai is my favorite. I gently shake myself from the thought and meet his gaze again.
“Shall we go grab a drink?” I nudge his arm, barely moving him, though I know he lets it shift, just enough to please me. Kai chuckles low in his chest, that rare sound that hums through the air and settles under my skin. He nods once, offering me his hand.
“But first,” he says, his voice dipping, eyes glinting beneath the moonlight.
“A quiet deck and a full moon? Maybe we stay here a little longer.” He pulls me in by the waist, his touch rough and warm against my skin, and kisses me slowly, deeply, until I’m already unraveling at the taste of salt, smoke, and him.
The ocean sways beneath us, matching the rhythm of my pulse.
I break away, breathless, meeting those wild hazel eyes that always undo me.
“Show me the way, Captain Kai,” I whisper, teasing, watching the fire catch in his gaze.
He lifts me effortlessly, pressing me back against the helm as his lips find the curve of my neck.
My captain’s hat slips from my head, landing somewhere on the deck.
The night air hums around us as he lowers me to the boards, his touch reverent, deliberate.
Fingers trace the ties of my corset, loosening each one with aching patience.
Every breath feels heavier, every inch of exposed skin touched by the chill of the sea breeze—and by him.
I have nothing on aside from the large black long-sleeved shirt, and my undergarments.
Kai moves under my shirt, kissing my stomach, then my ribs, then my breasts.
My breath catches. He knows exactly how to make me tick.
I throw my head back with a light moan. He looks up at me from inside my shirt, and I smile down at him, “That smile, treasure—it could undo kingdoms. And right now, it’s completely undone me.”
He stands, pulling off his shirt, then his pants, the sight of him stealing the air from my lungs.
He spreads the fabric across the deck and eases me onto it, shielding my skin from the cold, splintered wood.
I remove my shirt. As he sits next to me, I move to straddle him.
“What do you want?” I tease, knowing exactly what he wants.
He sits up, keeping me straddling him. “You know what I want, my love,” he murmurs, voice low and rough.
I trail my fingers along the hard lines of his stomach, tracing the edges of his muscles. “I wish you’d tell me,” I whisper, teasing, challenging him.
His eyes darken, turning hungry, wild. “You,” he breathes. “I want all of you.”
He pulls me into a kiss that feels like it might set the whole world on fire.
Our bodies press together, every inch of him warm, solid, mine.
His tongue brushes against mine, deepening the kiss, making my entire body ache with need.
There is something about him under pure, raw moonlight that makes me want him even more.
One of his hands cups my cheek while the other slips lower, tracing the curve of my waist. He moves slowly, savoring every touch, memorizing me with his hands.
“No,” I whisper, stopping him gently as he starts to move down. He looks up at me, confused, hungry. “It’s my turn,” I breathe, my voice soft but certain. “To please you.”
The look on his face, gods, he looks like he might lose control just from hearing those words. I move to grab my shirt that was loosely thrown off to the side and smile as I cover his eyes with the sleeves.
“Oh?” he growls, low and eager, ready for whatever I was about to give him, he lays his back onto the cool deck.
I kiss my way down his chest, taking my time, worshipping every inch of golden inked skin and taut muscle.
He lets out a quiet moan, his body tensing beneath me.
By the time I reach his hips, he’s already straining for me, breath ragged, every part of him begging for more.
I wet my thumb and brush it lightly over his tip, drawing a deep moan from his chest. Gods, the sight of him, blindfolded, breathless, completely at my mercy, makes me want to give him everything, to let him ruin me in every way he wants.
I lower my mouth to him, taking him in slowly, using my hand to cover what I can’t with my lips. His hands tangle in my hair, tugging gently, urging me deeper, but I pull back, breathless, my own need overwhelming me.
I slide off my undergarments, guiding him into me, savoring the way he fills me, the way my whole body seems to come alive around him. “Fuck,” he moans, voice rough and desperate. His hands grip my hips, but I move slowly, teasing, wanting him to feel every inch, every second.
I lean forward, kissing his neck softly, whispering his name into his skin, wanting him to know there will never be anything better than this, than us, in this single, perfect moment.
“My treasure,” he rasps, his voice thick with need.
“You feel so good.” His hands slide up from my hips, tracing the curve of my waist, moving higher to my breasts.
His fingers tease my nipples, light and slow, making me shiver and gasp.
Then his mouth is there, warm, hungry, his tongue circling, his teeth grazing just enough to make me whimper.
I shatter around him, moving helplessly, clutching at his shoulders as waves of pleasure rush through me. He holds me steady, then flips me slowly onto the deck, pressing me down as he moves inside me, fast and relentless, until I can’t see and can’t breathe, only feel.
He finishes with a low groan, collapsing over me, his breath hot against my neck. Pulling off the shirt, he looks into my eyes, voice soft and reverent. “You’re ethereal.” His words melt me, turning my heart to lava.
“So are you,” I whisper with a small smile, tracing the dark lines of his tattoos along his neck, the moon bathing us both in silver ribbons.
He turns, grabbing my captain’s hat from beside us and setting it lazily on my head. I’m wearing nothing but the hat when he kisses me, slow and warm. “Look at you,” he murmurs against my lips. “Wrecking me without even trying.” I can’t help but smile, my cheeks flushing red under his gaze.
“So… about that drink?” I say, suddenly craving something amber and burning. He smiles, reaching for my shirt and handing it to me with that lazy confidence that always makes my stomach twist. “Let’s go.”
We get dressed—my corset laced half-heartedly, his shirt hanging loose—and head down together, stepping off the ship and into the glowing pulse of the island town.