Shipwreck Souls

by Kendra Moreno

  “I’ve been waiting for you,” I purred. “You’ve interrupted my task, but you’ll be a nice distraction at least.”

  Something touched my back, cold, metal, but I only turned and looked over my shoulder, meeting his eyes. He was close, which I already knew. I didn’t flinch with the touch of his weapon. I didn’t fear human tools. This man who stole from others, he was far easier on the eyes than expected. A short, trimmed beard gave him a rugged appearance, and his ice-blue eyes matched whatever cold heart he had. What did I need to do to thaw that ice? What did I need to do to make him groan in pleasure?

  “I’m no distraction,” he said, a cocky expression on his face. “I’m the main event.”

  “You’re a tad late. I’ve already had the leader of this ship. But I’ll be willing to take you to my bed as well.”

  My words surprised him, and I grinned at the widening of his eyes. I should have let it go, sank this ship and the one slowly pulling up to the side, but instead, I had the urge to push this man’s buttons, hard. I finally turned, faster than he could level the weapon on me again. I didn’t give him a chance to react at all before I slammed my lips against his. For a moment, I thought he would shove me away, maybe shoot me with the metal in his hand. Instead, he growled and crushed me harder against him, his hand grabbing my backside roughly. Yes! This was what I was missing!

  “Captain! We found Malone. You ready?”

  The words of one of his crew made him pause in his ruthless domination. I had already made up my mind. Before I sank the ships, I would have this one too. Might as well have some fun while I was up here. What was the point in doing all of this without enjoying it?

  “You’re coming with us,” he snarled, wrapping his fingers around the back of my neck and shoving me towards the ladder.

  “Why are you taking Malone?” I asked.

  “Good girls don’t speak.”

  I grinned.

  “That’s your mistake for thinking I’m a good girl,” I replied, meeting his eyes. “Captain.”

  “Take her and put her on the boat.” He shoved me towards one of his men, their grubby fingers immediately taking hold of my wrist. I snatched it back easily.

  “Touch me again, and I’ll chum the waters with your organs,” I growled. I decided who got to touch me, no one else. Whatever the man saw in my eyes, he left it alone, gesturing with his weapon towards the new ship. I jumped aboard easily to see Roger already tied up and gagged in a corner, his eyes wide as they shoved me aboard.

  I turned around to watch the ship, expecting them to just pull away after their thievery.

  “You have long since been the elite, making money off of innocents, from making sure those lower than you can never gain more. Let this be a lesson for you, that not even you are invincible.”

  I stared in confusion as Carrie pushed through the crowd, her sparkling dress catching my eyes. Her hair was a mess, obviously from her panic, her skin flushed with fear. She looked between where I stood and where Roger was tied up, her hand wrapped around some sort of device.

  “I’ve called the Coast Guard,” she warned, her eyes meeting the captain’s even through her fear. “You won’t get away with this.”

  “I already have,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Stupid girl. Now, I better make sure that there’s nothing left of you to find.”

  He nodded to his crew once, and then they were torching Roger’s ship, flames crawling along it faster than I could follow. Carrie screamed and threw herself away from the fire. Others weren’t so lucky. Several threw themselves over the railings to avoid the flames. A few didn’t make it that far, and they burned on the deck.

  They were stealing my task!

  With a growl, I lurched forward, not sure if I was intending to attack someone or to leap across and grab Carrie before it was too late. She was meant to be saved, not left aboard. Whatever the Coast Guard was, I hoped they get there fast.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” the captain asked, pointing the weapon at me. I paused, but only because I was pissed. I didn’t spare him words. Instead, I opened my mouth and began to sing softly.

  I’d intended to douse the other ship, to put out the flames, but with my anger flowing through my body, it had the opposite effect. Roger’s ship jostled on the waves, and the one we were on was backing away to avoid the sudden rough waters. Roger’s yacht capsized, almost without reason, and screams filled the air. I lost track of Carrie, and I no longer knew if I’d caused her death, or if I had saved her.

  My song had a different effect on the captain. He lowered his weapon, his eyes watching me with something other than the ice in his veins.

  “Something wrong, captain?” I inquired, with a grin spreading across my face. He raised his weapon again, but it was unnecessary. We both knew he was not the most powerful one onboard, but he didn’t comment, didn’t acknowledge my power. I turned and sat next to Roger, his eyes anguished as he watched his boat sink beneath the waves. As I sat there, I closed my eyes, searching for the bright spot in the waves. There!

  I ignored the rest of the crew as they started to move around me, going about their jobs. I started to hum, the ocean barely churning beneath the people, and suddenly, Carrie would find herself with an orange creature tugging her through the waves, close enough to the capsized boat to climb on top and await rescue. Orca would ensure she made it.

  I smiled gently and opened my eyes, glancing over at Roger.

  “Don’t worry,” I whispered. “She’s safe.”

  His anguish disappeared, and I could see the relief painted across his face. No, he hadn’t been worried about the ship at all. My view of the man gagged beside me went up a few more notches. This one, this one would be saved too.

  Chapter Three

  The crew called themselves “pirates.” That much I garnered from their light chatter. While they went about their jobs, I stayed next to Roger, if only to keep him from getting himself killed. That man had a heart that could make him snap at any moment, thinking he was protecting someone’s honor. I didn’t need him suddenly jumping up to save the honor of the monster beside him.

  I could sense Orca on the side of the vessel, always within reach, willing to come aboard if I made any sign I needed him. He latched onto the side shortly before we’d left the capsized yacht behind. The pirate ship was larger than Roger’s had been, more opulent even as it was functional. Thievery must pay well.

  “Hold her steady,” the captain called, and I realized we were moving towards some sort of landmass. It was small in the scale of things, easily swallowed up by the sea if she wanted. They pulled the ship into a makeshift harbor and immediately started to unload the ship, tossing the bags of loot down, as well as the gear they used to breath underwater. They only came back for Roger and me once they were finished. I let them lead me off the ship but only because my curiosity needed to be slaked first. That, and I was simply having too much fun over the fact that the captain couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of me.

  They led us inside a large, extravagant building, where the structure resembled some sort of palace rather than a headquarters, and I supposed that was the best description. Painted a mossy green, the building blended into the surrounding landscape rather than stick out. I suppose if I were a criminal, too, I wouldn’t want to advertise it so much either.

  The captain’s eyes kept following my movements throughout the entire process. Every now and then, a hard glint appeared there, a madness he wasn’t quite in control of, but it was so fast, I convinced myself it was nothing more than his icy heart.

  They didn’t waste any time before they were tying me up against the wall with bonds that were far too weak to actually hold me. It only made me smile wider, which seemed to unnerve many of the crew. Roger was handled much more roughly, and I could tell there was resentment towards him, whether because of his money or status, I wasn’t sure. I knew it was unfounded. From what I understood, Roger made his money in a pleasant way, and came from no
thing. These men had no right to judge him for that. Didn’t mean they wouldn’t use it to their advantage, however.

  “Goddard!” the captain screamed. “Where are you?”

  A male, barely a man, skidded around the corner in answer. He was tall and covered in lean muscle. While the other members of the crew were dressed in tactical gear, this one was only dressed in a pair of skin-hugging pants and a loose shirt that showcased his strong shoulders. He was attractive, in an innocent sort of way. I had the urge to corrupt him right away, an odd reaction to have for me. I was not drawn to innocents normally. His eyes immediately locked on me and held, with a mixture of surprise and wariness in his gaze. I was certain I made an unusual sight, a woman with dark hair and bright lips, dressed in loose pants and a too small tank top, tied against the wall, with a smirk on her face. I couldn’t deny that the whole charade amused me more than anything, and for that reason alone, I was going along with their ruse.

  “Yes, captain?” He didn’t look towards his leader when he answered.

  “You’re in charge of the hostages. Make sure they don’t die. They’re worth more alive.”

  “Aye, captain.”

  I winked at Goddard, bringing a nice blush to his skin. Cute.

  I watched the crew move around us, their eyes either on me or studiously ignoring me. I wiggled my fingers in the bonds and was happy that they, indeed, felt much weaker than what it would take to hold me. Men, always underestimating a woman.

  “Are you hungry?”

  I looked up at Goddard where he’d moved closer. He had been quiet, far too quiet for a human, and I hadn’t noticed how close he’d gotten to me. That was not a mistake I should have been making.

  “Will you feed me like a hound?” I asked, raising my brow at him.

  “I can’t untie you if that’s what you’re asking. But I can feed you.”

  “So, like a babe then?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “If you want to call it that. I call it keeping your strength up.” His eyes trailed down my body again, and I grinned up at him.

  “Like what you see?”

  The words forced him to jerk his gaze up to mine, as a blush crawled across his skin. He opened his mouth, an apology on his lips, but he was interrupted by one of the other crew.

  “Hey, Goddard! Better watch yourself, boy! That one’s got something wrong with her.”

  I scowled at the words from the other pirate, irritation in my blood. How dare he say I have something wrong with me when they took me hostage? The urge to break my bonds hit me harder. I wanted to teach them a lesson. Only Goddard, with his pretty honey eyes, kept me from breaking them.

  “Don’t worry about him. He’s just annoyed he isn’t over here talking to you.”

  How curious, I thought. He was actually trying to make me feel better. This one didn’t belong with the rest of the pirates. This one wasn’t cruel.

  “Why are you here?” I questioned, frowning. “What’s your story?”

  Roger sat quietly beside me but probably not by choice. They’d left his gag in his mouth, which seemed odd because I was the one they shouldn’t want to speak. His shoulder bumped against mine gently in a show of camaraderie. If only he knew I would leave him here in a heartbeat if necessary and the only thing saving him was my desire to keep him as a pet.

  Goddard just sort of stared at me for a moment, no doubt trying to decide whether he should actually talk to me or not. I was tempted to start humming, an encouragement for him to continue. A siren’s song had many different variations. Some sirens sank ships in different ways than mine would. While my powers encouraged the sea to rise up, could bring up storms even, others might be able to communicate with the ocean life or steer a ship towards the rocks. But we all had one similarity. Our song could play off of desires, and we could bend men and women alike down to their knees. But I didn’t use that power on Goddard. I allowed him the opportunity to decide for himself.

  “The captain took me in as a child after I lost my family. There isn’t much else to say really.”

  Ah, that made sense. That was the reason why he seemed uncorrupted by the crew, and it gave me new information about the captain. Why take in a child not your own when you live a life of crime? That was something I truly wanted to know but doubted I would receive an answer to.

  “Goddard! Stop talking to the hostages and get to work!” the captain barked across the room.

  “Aye, captain!” Goddard replied, but before he stood up, he met my eyes again. “I’ll bring you some food later. The cook makes one hell of a tilapia.”

  He didn’t see me wrinkle my nose before he turned away, but the captain did, coming across the room to squat down in front of me. He looked at Roger first.

  “You’re worth a lot of money, Malone,” he said, pursing his lips. “I imagine your people will pay handsomely to get you back.” Roger didn’t reply, not that he could with the gag. His eyes were like steel though, with fire in their depths. Oh, yes, I picked a great one for my first foray on land. “And you,” the captain continued, turning his eyes on me. “I don’t know who you are, but I imagine you’re worth something.”

  “You have no idea what I could do to you,” I chuckled, looking him up and down. “Of course, there are many things I could do to you if you untie me.”

  Fire ignited in the captain’s eyes, but he didn’t move forward to release me. Before I could comment on it, that darkness passed across his eyes again. For a moment, his ice-blue eyes were crawling with black, but then just as quickly, it was gone. I frowned. That was quite unusual.

  “Keep tempting me, woman,” he whispered huskily, “and I might take you up on that offer.”

  I didn’t smile again as he stood and walked away, leaving me alone to puzzle out his strange behavior.

  Goddard returned hours later with two plates of food in his hands. He, indeed, brought tilapia, and I tried not to think about the poor fish that had been swimming in the sea that morning only to become food for these scoundrels. Of course, we eat fish as sirens, but there was a mutual understanding when you’re both sea creatures. I didn’t fault the humans for trying to survive however. Everyone needed to eat, no matter where they came from.

  “Cook’s famous tilapia, fresh from the skillet.”

  I raised my brow at him. “And I’m supposed to just let you feed it to me?”

  “Either that or starve,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

  “Will you provide the same service for Roger?” I smirked at him when his eyes shifted to Roger.

  “I suppose I’ll have to. Can’t have you two dying of starvation. Captain would have my balls.”

  That actually drew a laugh from my lips, and a kind smile crossed his. Carefully, meticulously, Goddard cut a piece of the tilapia and held the fork out for me. I leaned forward and took it with my teeth, meeting his eyes as I did so. That blush crawled across his face yet again, such an easy color to bring forth. While I still yearned to corrupt him, I also had this odd urge to protect him from corruption. I would have to tell my sisters about the odd emotions.

  “What sort of siren you must be for the captain to go against his plans,” he whispered, watching as I chewed the surprisingly tasty morsel. “In all the years I’ve known him, he has only grabbed the mark or the treasure, and left everyone else behind. So, why are you here? What’s so special about you?”

  I didn’t answer him with more than a smile. Besides, he already knew the answer.

  His captain had brought home a monster, and this siren likes to play.

  Chapter Four

  They kept us tied up like that for two days. Even my arms started to ache from the locked position. I couldn’t have imagined what Roger must have felt like. I considered breaking my bonds and releasing him myself–a weak pet was useless–but I restrained myself only because I was trying to keep up appearances. I never wanted to reveal my whole hand. So far, none of them realized that when I sang, weird things happened. A few of the crew m
embers had even come up to me a few times and asked me to sing again. Little did they know that when I did sing, it would be their deaths on my lips.

  Goddard had become a sort of lost puppy to me. I had the overwhelming urge to save him, which far outweighed the urge to corrupt him. I decided I would protect him when the time came, if only because it would be a crime to squash such innocence. He looked at me like I was the vast ocean, beautiful and dangerous. He was the only one that looked at me that way. Though he was more innocent than the others, he was far more perceptive than the rest of the so-called pirates.

  The captain spent his time either barking orders or staring at me. Both were done in equal parts. Every so often, he would travel closer to where I sat a hostage, his nostrils flaring wide, his eyes flickering between ice and darkness, as if something lay just beneath. He’d developed a twitch in the time we’d been there, one I was most confident he never had before. Something was happening to him, and I wasn’t sure what. Perhaps, I simply made him nervous. His face never appeared nervous, however, when he drew near. He was nothing but completely confident in his manner.

  While he spent his time busy, I spent mine either talking to Goddard or working on the seduction of the captain. I would have him in my bed before I sank his ship, of that much I was certain. It was just a matter of when. There was a certain draw to making a man who was so cocky bend to his knees before you, a certain pleasure in making someone powerful kneel to you. I’d once had a rendezvous with one of the generals of Atlantis. I’d taken great pleasure in making him worship me.

  “How are you feeling?” Goddard whispered, his voice low to keep others from hearing. We figured out pretty fast that the other members of the crew didn’t like when he talked to me. Some were acting strange, almost possessive. Those were the ones who stared at me until I itched to wash their gaze from skin. The others simply seemed to think it wasn’t right to talk to the hostages. They’d finally left the gag off of Roger, but he wasn’t speaking, either, knowing well enough not to give the criminals more ammunition.