Page 31 of Of Magic and Rum
“And I say, there’s no stopping her from using her powers, and only God knows what those are. Now that we all know she’s not human—” Ragnar tugs on his hair. “—she has no reason to hide them, so what’s to stop her from murdering us in our sleep?”
A pain begins to throb in my right temple, and I slam my fist onto the desk. “Enough. Both of you. You’re giving me a bloody headache.”
“Gotalkto her, Jack,” Duke encourages, welcoming my cat into his arms in a silent apology.
Ragnar thumbs his ear. “I’m going to come right out and say it. This is a bad idea.”
“Opinion noted,” I say, more gravel in my tone than usual. Checking my flintlock is adequately armed, I slip it back into my belt and crack my neck. “If you hear screaming, make sure to check on me. Otherwise, I’m not to be disturbed. Understood?”
Ragnar’s mouth draws into a rigid line, and his grip tightens on his cutlass, but he nods in affirmation.
Sucking in a breath I intend to hold until I reach the brig, I make my way on deck. Murmurs, accusations, and outlandish remarks from the crew flood my ears.
“Think Cap will let us keep her?” One man asks Red.
Red rolls his eyes and shoves the man. “She’s not a bloody dog.”
“Did you see those scales? And thosebumps? Disgusting,” another man spats.
Irritation courses through my veins. Over what? The crew turning Anne into a scandal? Why did Icare? Or do Ilikethe way she looks? Scales and all. I awoke from unconsciousness only to find a sea goddess peering down at me. She could’ve left me for dead—could’ve let the water in my lungs drown me onthe deck and claimed she did all she could to save me and steal my crew. Or she could’ve not bothered to pull me from the ocean altogether.
But. She. Did.
Growling, I storm below deck, pausing only when I hear Mary’s voice. She’s saying the crew is willing to bleed for each other because of my captaincy. And it edges into Anne earning my trust again.
Trust. Such a damn concept. And one I’ve never been much good at.
Anne and I need to hash this outnow.
I’m quiet as Mary leads me below decks, partially astonished she hasn’t shunned me too. She put trust in me that I defiled by hiding who and what I am. Not to mention, my very existence will jar these mortals’ beliefs. Had they believed in magic before? In myths and legends? I’m living proof it all exists. Would some of them not be able to handle the epiphany?
“I don’t want to have to do this, darling, but Captain’s orders and—” Mary whispers, opening one of the iron cell doors.
“It’s alright, Mary. I understand. I’m not who I said I was. How can you all possibly trust me now?” My throat numbs. I gulp it away and walk into the cell. “Will you please grab my clothes? They’re by the stairs.”
“Of course,” Mary says, leaving the door ajar as she fetches them.
She’s still so trusting. But why?
After she returns, I clothe myself and hand her jacket back before sitting on the cold stone floor, knees pressed to my chest, arms wrapped around them. “You can lock the door, you know?”
“I’ll lock it when I’m good and ready. Why do it now? You gonna jump into the sea again if I don’t?” Mary crosses her arms and presses to the cell entrance.
There is no way in the Seven Seas that I will return to the water soon. Now that it knows where I am, the Charybdis will undoubtedly follow us.
“No,” I say hoarsely.
“Good. Glad we got that cleared up.” Mary squats in front of me, nudging my knee with a finger. “I think you owe me an explanation, Anne.”
I do, and then some. But where to begin? It’s been centuries since I’ve had to explain this to a mortal.
“I’m a sea nymph,” I start, wiggling my webbed toes that have begun to disappear the drier I become.
Mary pans her gaze from my feet to the ridges on my forehead. “Not a mermaid?”
“No. Mermaids can’t conjure legs at will and have many more pointy teeth.”
Mary’s expression becomes grave, and she nods. “I get why you didn’t say anything. You hid it to protect yourself. Many of us would have done the same, but—why are you here? And why can’t you swim to where you need to go? Orpoofthere—or, I mean, do you poof?”
