Page 15 of The Pirate Queen of Ruin
“Do you remember anything from…” I let my voice trail off, allowing the woman in front to fill in the space if she so chooses.
“Some of it, it’s- it’s blurry.” She shrugs her shoulders delicately, and all I can think is this woman won’t be able to handle anything.
It will take the whole summer to get her ready for service. Everywhere I look, all I see is a softness that isn’t suited to the way of life on this ship, in this job. She may not be crying now, but there is no doubt in my mind she will break. There is a power within us, the crew, that Love bestows upon us to transfer the essence of humans to them. This creature is going to struggle to draw forth the anger required to even summon an ounce of that power.
There is a weakness in her that calls to a long-dead part of me, though. I want to see her in tears of ecstasy. Like a sickness inside me, I want to hear her beg for my command, my touch. I want to be the one she comes to for everything she needs because I am her guide, her protector.
Could she…
“Delphini,” I start, standing up abruptly as if pacing the length of my quarters will rid me of this new, rabid energy. “Where are you from?”
Safe starting point. Particular creatures gravitate towards different regions of the world. If she truly is a nymph, she could easily be a Naiad from one of the many national forest regions. Her presence is steady, calming, as she watches me move up and down the room. She could be from the Redwood National Park. It would make complete sense that she is of such a noble and ancient clan. Would people try to steal her to get a ransom?
“Chicago,” she murmurs. “Where are you from?”
“Doesn’t matter.” I brush the notion that I will answer personal questions aside. She doesn’t need to know. This conversation is about figuring out what she is without straight up asking her. From what I have gathered through centuries of this work, it would be rude. Creatures are offended when you guess right, and they are offended if you guess wrong. Getting them to tell you is like getting a Fae to speak their true name to you. A minefield. “Is there next of kin we need to contact?”
Her eyes narrow, long lashes touching her cheek. Delphini’s whole body language shifts, and the hairs on the back of my neck rise. The ire I feel from her is nearly cutting.
“I can do it myself,” she says. “Do you have my phone?”
My patience is generally weak. I am not impulsive and can’t be with the life I lead, but I am used to a certain level of respect from the crew and from creatures in the city. They know something is lurking in my depths, another being that is neither human nor monster. They know that a fight with me would end in their demise. This one doesn’t have that instinct.
Yet.
“No. Should we be concerned they will be looking for you?” If she is a part of a pack or charm, they will be looking for her and causing a stir. I will not have that on this ship.
“I don’t know, maybe.” She rolls onto her back again and stares at the ceiling. “I thought I was supposed to leave everything behind for this?”
“You are, but closure is important.”
“I’d rather leave it open for now.”
Her words make me pause in front of her. Clearly, she wasn’t taken from her family then but has been cast aside by them. They could even be the ones who killed her in the first place.
“How many people do you have to…?” I ask, changing the subject away from families if I can.
It takes a moment before she responds, “Four.”
That will take some time in this modern era. Between surveillance and forensic technologies, we can’t just murder anyone. Well, I do, but I own the docks around here and have centuries of experience. I can harvest the essence of my prey in moments and have it fed to Love before someone even notices I am there.
“Have you been waiting for me?” Delphini asks.
As she moves to sit up, her palm slips on the wooden floor, and I instinctively reach to catch her. My fingers wrap around her bicep harsher than I intend, but my world lights up. Centuries of icy waters and frigidity rush through me, out of me, as I yank my hand back. I stare at my palm in confusion as something new takes hold of me. Wonder.
Her touchburns.
“She’s the one.”Love’s voice is warm as they confirm it.
Delphini is mine, the other half of my broken soul. After centuries of waiting, of convincing myself I didn’t need this part of Love’s promise, she is here. My soulmate. I fall back into my chair.
“Holy shit,” she whispers, staring at my hand and then my face.
I swallow the sudden lump in my throat, “I’ve been waiting.”
This beautiful creature is mine? She is my opposite and my match. Her softness to my hard edges will blend together until we are one. My faith in our mission, in Love, has never wavered. They have always provided and guided me and my crew, but this feels like I have a chance at peace.
“Can I touch you?” she asks.
