Chapter 37
Gerald finally broke first. Honestly, Edith had been hoping for tears too, but she was willing to accept fear as a consolation prize.
Surrounded by three enormous Krakens, a panicking pirate, and one deeply furious ex-bounty hunter brother, the male’s composure had started cracking visibly. She grinned… excellent.
Brutas loomed over the boat like ancient judgement. “You will remove the bindings.” The guardian’s voice rolled across the sea with terrifying calm.
Gerald hesitated as Dave’s enormous tentacle slowly curled around the back half of the boat. Wood splintered loudly, and the pirate fainted again.
“Right,” Gerald muttered tightly. Slowly, carefully, Gerald stepped toward Edith.
Spencer’s massive tentacle tightened instinctively around her waist. A protective and a touch possessive, but actually, Edith found it alarmingly comforting.
Gerald reached toward the silver cuffs. “You move too quickly…” Spencer growled low through the water. Gerald froze immediately and Edith bit back a grin.
By the Gods, protective Kraken energy was doing unfortunate things to her emotional stability.
The silver unlocked with a sharp click and the moment the cuffs loosened, magic exploded back through Edith’s body, making her sigh loudly with relief.
She never realised how much she would miss it until she had been bound.
It felt warm and comforting, her dragon side surged beneath her skin making her gasp.
The sheer relief nearly brought tears to her eyes as the silver cuffs dangled uselessly, now in Gerald’s hands.
Edith stared at them for exactly one second before snatching them straight back.
Then, feeling particularly spicy, she smiled sweetly.
“Oh,” she said brightly. “My turn.”
Before Gerald could react, Edith lunged forward and slammed the cuffs onto his wrists. They closed with a loud click. Everyone stared and Gerald blinked down at the silver restraints now locked around him.
Edith could stop the vicious smile that spread. “That,” she informed him, “is for being a creepy arsehole.”
Dave burst into delighted laughter so loud the boat rocked again. Even Brutas made a suspicious rumbling sound that might have been approval. Mark covered his face briefly with one hand.
Spencer’s Kraken eye fixed entirely on Edith now, and if giant sea monsters could look impressed, he did. Edith sat smugly in his tentacle for approximately three seconds before another thought hit her.
“Oh,” she said suddenly, turning to look at Spencer. “Please could you put me down.”
Spencer froze and Edith could practically feel the immediate reluctance radiating from him.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she added quickly. One massive tentacle twitched uncertainly.
“Spencer,” she said patiently, “I need you to put me down… please,” she urged, smiling at him as she rubbed a hand along the tentacle that held her.
That landed and, slowly, so very slowly, Spencer lowered her carefully onto the deck.
The second her feet touched wood and she felt the tentacle recede, Edith let go.
Magic surged violently through her body, her bones shifted and power exploded beneath her skin.
Her true form burst free in a blaze of purple scales and silver fire.
The boat groaned alarmingly beneath the sudden weight as Edith shifted into her full dragon form for the first time in years.
Large, elegant, and absolutely magnificent.
Her wings unfurled wide against the morning sky, shimmering purple scales flashing silver and lilac beneath the sunlight.
The sea wind rushed beneath them instantly as Edith threw back her head and roared.
She wasn’t small anymore, and she wasn’t afraid.
She was finally free of the obligations of her family and she was no longer alone. The freedom nearly hurt.
She stretched her wings fully with a shuddering breath, claws digging into the deck as years of confinement finally fell away.
Dave whistled appreciatively from the water. “Oh, she’s pretty.”
Spencer looked utterly transfixed.
Edith noticed and absolutely preened internally.
Gerald, meanwhile, stared at her with stunned disbelief. Like he’d forgotten what she truly was beneath all his fantasies of control. Edith turned slowly toward him and snorted a small burst of flame directly at his feet.
Gerald yelped and stumbled backward, making Edith snort with satisfaction. “Oh I’ve wanted to do that for years,” Edith sighed happily.
It was then another idea occurred, she seemed to be having plenty of the best ideas lately. It was beautiful and perfect and the best idea for a touch of spiritual healing. It was also something Binky and the boys would very much approve of.
Gerald seemed to realize it exactly one second before she moved. “No,” he cried out.
“Oh yes.” Edith laughed, and with one powerful flap of her wings, she launched upward from the deck.
The boat rocked violently beneath the force and Gerald turned to run.
But he was too slow. Edith swooped low and snagged him neatly by one leg with her claws.
The scream he let out was deeply satisfying, but not as much as what she did next.
The sea rushed beneath them as Edith shot into the air, Gerald dangling upside down while flailing wildly.
“PUT ME DOWN!”
Edith laughed, and the sound echoed wildly over open water. “Oh, now you’re scared of heights?”
Below her, Dave was nearly hysterical with laughter, while Brutas looked deeply serene about the entire thing.
Even Mark appeared stunned speechless, which seemed to be a common occurrence just recently.
Gerald continued screaming threats and insults all the way up, and Edith ignored every single word, because honestly?
This was therapeutic and very much needed to heal.
Then with one smooth flick of her claws… Edith dropped him.
Gerald screamed the entire way down before slamming into the sea with a spectacular splash. Below her, Dave actually applauded with his tentacles.
“THAT’S OUR GIRL!”
Gerald resurfaced seconds later, spluttering furiously. Still handcuffed and still a twat. But he was a beaten twat and held no power over her anymore.
Edith felt genuine joy for the first time in forever.
She circled once triumphantly overhead before gliding back toward the boat.
The moment she landed on deck again, she rounded immediately on Mark and growled, low and threatening.
Luckily for Mark, he stayed still. From the side of the ship, Edith watched as Spencer vanished, he shifted.
His Kraken form retreating before a very wet and very naked human Spencer climbed aboard the small boat.
It was at that point Edith forgot how to breathe.
Water dripped down his bare skin as he straightened fully, dark hair soaked, chest heaving slightly from exertion. Edith completely forgot how language worked, every thought vanished directly from her brain.
Beside her, Dave muttered loudly, “Oh, she’s buffering.”
Edith remained frozen and Spencer looked toward her. Then he visibly realised he was naked, his eyes widening slightly as he looked down and slowly lifted his hands to cup himself. Edith’s entire soul left her body as the image ingrained itself onto her brain.