by Guida, ML
Drawing on her waning strength, Angelica arched her back and wiggled her body. The net gave away and slipped back toward Isabella. Hope soared in Angelica’s heart. Freedom was within a reach.
A strong yank destroyed it. She was suddenly flying out of the sea, water spraying into the air, then landing with a hard plop on the dreaded deck. The rope slackened, and she scrambled to get on her hands and knees, gasping for breath. The railing was only a few feet away, but it might as well have been a million miles. Pirates circled her, cutting off any escape.
Her thick blond air hiding her face, she stared at the surprisingly clean deck. She inhaled the fresh sent of soap. She’d always thought pirates and filth were simultaneously one. She drew on her power to change into water, but she didn’t even feel the slightest tingle. Was it the dreaded net? She curled her fingers, vowing to scratch the first pirate’s eyes out if he tried to rape her. Like her mother before her, she was powerless and at the mercy of the vilest humans on Earth.
Chapter 5
The creature plopped onto the deck, thrashing and twisting in the mesh. Ronan shoved men out of the way to get to the nets. A curvy woman on her hands and knees was tangled in the web. Her thick blond hair hid her face. She was breathing hard and fast, obviously frightened.
Kane looked down at her, suspicion filling his eyes. “She’s on board my ship, Mariah. Now, what?”
“It’s a mermaid, Cap’n.” Ewan looked at the blonde uneasily. “She’s dangerous. We’ve got to lock her in the brig.”
“Aye,” another man agreed, pulling out his cutlass. “They’re evil.”
Ronan put out his hand. “Wait. Donna hurt her.”
“Don’t frighten her.” Mariah put her hands. “She may be our only link to save my brother.” She gripped Kane’s arm. “Without my brother, you’ll not be able to end the curse, Capitaine.”
“Free me,” the creature said. “It burns.”
Her sweet voice struck a cord in Ronan. No one moved. He whipped out his blade, and without permission from the captain, rushed over to the mermaid.
“Be careful,” a gruff Scottish voice said. “Or she’s liable to take you to a watery grave.”
Ronan didn’t know who made the remark. He thought maybe it was Ewan, but didn’t care.
He slowly knelt next to the mermaid. “I’m Ronan. I’m not going to hurt you.”
The mermaid lifted her head, and her hair parted, revealing the bluest eyes that stole his breath.
“Then cut me loose,” she said.
Her husky voice sent chills racing down his spine. He didn’t know if it was spell, but all he knew was that he wanted to help her.
“Ronan, I think you should let Mariah talk with the creature.”
The mermaid glared at Kane. “I’m not a creature. I’m a mermaid. My name happens to be Angelica.”
There was no fear in her voice, and Ronan couldn’t help but admire her. Not many people stood up to the captain of the Soaring Phoenix.
“Angelica, I’m going to set you free.”
She sat crouched on her hands and knees and didn’t say anything else as he slowly cut through the rope. When the last of the bindings fell away, Ronan shoved them aside. He stretched out his hand to help Angelica stand, but she only stared at it.
She staggered to her feet. Standing tall, she was about a foot shorter than Ronan, and he was a tall man. Ronan couldn’t take his eyes off her. The wind blew her hair around her snug blue gown that hugged her body, tempting every man aboard the ship. Where were the petticoats and bustles? Hell, what about her shoes? She didn’t have any. She was barefoot, and her toenails were painted blue. But he had to admit he liked it. Etiquette be damned.
She looked around the grim men. “You have a witch on board, don’t you?”
Mariah squeezed between William and Kane. “I’m Mariah Fey.”
Angelica cast her gaze over her. “You’re related to Morgana Fey?”
“Oui. She’s my Grand-mere.”
“Morgana Fey has always been a friend of my people. Why would you betray this trust by binding my powers and preventing me from returning to the sea? I demand you set me free.”
“Je suis désolé, but I cannot. We need your help.”
“Why should I help you? I refuse to help witches who cast a binding spell. ’Twas the net, wasn’t it?”
“Oui, I’m desperate. My brother is trapped in another time.” She motioned with her hand toward Ronan. “He’s lost his hand. A demon is willing to set my brother free and restore Ronan’s hand in exchange for the blood of a mated mermaid.”
Angelica raised her eyebrow. “You mean with a human?”
“Oui,” Mariah said. “We need to find out why a demon needs your blood. Will you help us?”
“You expect me to be raped by one of these wretched pirates. Pirates murdered my mother.” Her voice shook with anger.
Horror flashed in Mariah’s eyes. “No, I’m asking if you know why the demon needs this blood. I canna find anything in my spell books.”
Ronan blurted, “I’m sorry.”
Angelica whirled around, fury flaring in her eyes. “Are you? Since you all think I’m a creature, it wouldn’t matter how my mother died.”
“We’re desperate,” Mariah said. “Will you help us?”
“I don’t like being forced,” Angelica said. “Stripping me of my powers does not fill me with confidence of your intentions.”
“We mean you no harm,” Ronan said. He actually meant it.
“Then you’ll let me return to the sea?”
“No.” Kane stepped up to her.
Angelica glared. “Who are you?”
“I’m the captain of the Soaring Phoenix, and until I decide differently, you’re my prisoner.”
Ronan glanced around the open hostility of the crew. “But, Cap’n?”
Kane held up his hand. “She’ll not be harmed, Ronan. Unless she does something to endanger my crew.”
Hannah stepped around Kane. “I’m Hannah. I was a prisoner on board this ship, but now it’s my home. Let me take you somewhere to freshen up.” She gave Kane a hard look. “We will make a cabin for you. Will you follow me?”
“It appears I don’t have much choice.”
“You don’t,” Kane said.
Ronan glared at him. He wanted to argue, but he was out numbered. Kane wouldn’t listen; no one would. Why was he feeling so protective? She was a fish, not a human.
Hannah stretched out her hand. “Please, come with me.”
When Angelica moved, the gown slit open, revealing her legs. He wanted to run his hand up her creamy thigh. She was taller than Mariah and Hannah and rounder and sexier.
Sean followed his gaze and a stupid smile spread across his face. “Why don’t you go talk to her?”
“Because she’s a damn fish, fool.” Ronan headed to the stern, grumbling at listening to Sean’s laugh. For the remainder of the day, he would refuse to take notice of the wench—he wouldn’t think about her. Not about the way she swayed when she walked, nor the way her skin gleamed in the sunlight, nor the way she seemed to have eyes only for him.
Damn it! His attraction had to be due to some spell, Zuto was casting it. He bloody well wasn’t going to give into it, just let the demon try and get him to be alone with the wench.
* * *
Ronan lay in his hammock and ignored the sweat trickling down his body. The rough blanket stuck to him, and he kicked it off, then turned over onto his stomach. The snores of the crewmen grated on his nerves, and he closed his eyes trying to sleep, but all he could think about was Angelica’s beautiful eyes and her luscious body. He wanted to draw her into his arms and kiss her. Her soft touch had lit his blood on fire and cooled the hate and anger brewing inside him. Why was he so enticed by a magical creature? It had to be some kind of incantation.
He opened his eyes. Hell’s bells! It had to be Mariah. She had said the spells don’t always go the way a person asks. Is this what happened? Had her bl
oody goddess chosen him to be the mermaid’s mate? Curse it to hell.
He rolled onto his back again and put his hand over his forehead. Maybe he needed a drink. Rum would help him block out these thoughts. He needed to fall asleep without thinking of a tempting mermaid. He went to get out of the hammock, but his legs refused to move. He couldn’t even put his arm down. Cold gripped him, and he wanted to grab the blanket, but he was powerless, frozen in this state. Holy hell.
Zuto.
Dizziness gripped him, and nausea swirled in his stomach. A haze clouded his vision, and he fell asleep.
One minute he lay stretched out in his hammock among his fellow crewmen aboard the safety of the Soaring Phoenix and the next, he stood on a white pristine beach, the waves rushing over his bare feet. He stood face-to-face with his hated enemy—the demon Zuto.
Zuto held his gaze with his red eyes. He was at least a foot and half taller than Ronan, and Ronan was no slouch of a man. Zuto carried no weapons and wore his signature loin cloth. The demon didn’t need a weapon. He could strike a man down with a mere thought.
Ronan would rather face Quinton Palmer, cap’n of the Fiery Damsel, than the demon. A vampire he could kill, but a demon?
Zuto stretched out his arms. “Welcome back to my island, Ronan.” His eyes darkened. “Why are you wearing that accursed stone? This is offensive to me.” He waved his hand.
Ronan glanced at the stone draped around his neck, and the chain flew off his neck and landed in the surf.
“Much better.”
“I thought you couldna leave your island.”
Zuto frowned, his face turning five shades of purple at such an obvious statement, and stretched out his arms again. “Does it look like I’ve left it, fool? I’ve summoned you. My magic flows in your veins, and ’tis growing stronger.”
“I’m dreamin’?”
“Yes, of course, idiot.”
“Why am I here?”
“I have a proposition for you. A small task. One, even you can fulfill.”
Dread rushed through Ronan’s veins, and he shuddered. Demons often were able to trick mortals into handing over their souls or worse by mixing up their words. Silence was better. Maybe he could force himself to wake up.
Kane. Hear me. The captain was strong; maybe he could hear him.
“No one can hear you fool.”
Anyone. Please. I’ve need of you.
Zuto glowered and marched over to Ronan and slapped him across the face. Ronan fell onto the sand. Blood swirled in his mouth.
“I said to cease.” He grabbed Ronan’s hair and yanked him into mid air.
Ronan wanted to swing and lash out at Zuto, but his limbs refuse to move. Fear pumped through him at his weakness. Zuto could do anything, and he’d be powerless to stop him.
“Now listen, Macmillan, and listen well of the task I’ve laid before you. You’ll mate with the mermaid. Once mated, your vampire blood will mix with hers, then bring the bitch to me.”
“Why does it have to be me?”
“It’s not just your vampire blood that I need. You don’t know very much about your ancestors, do you?”
Ronan swelled his chest. His family was a sense of pride, something he treasured. He wanted to throw sand in the demon’s face for hinting he didn’t know about his family. “You’re daft.”
Zuto shook him hard, making his teeth rattle. “You are truly ignorant. Why not ask the mermaid? Tell her what you saw before she came aboard the ship.”
Uneasiness crept into Ronan’s gut. He remembered how Sean couldn’t see Angelica and only saw waves crashing onto the rocks. Even when Kane looked through his spyglass, he couldn’t see the mermaids, but for Ronan, they were as plain as the demon threatening to beat him senseless. It was something that ate at him.
“Why do you want our blood so much? I willna let you kill her.”
Zuto dropped him onto the sand, and Ronan was on his hands and knees. The demon slowly walked around him. “Did I say I’d kill her?”
Ronan peered through his tangled hair. “Then, what do you intend to do?”
The demon stopped in front of him. “She’ll develop a new power, and I need it. Or did you forget our conversation before?”
“Will you harm her by taking it?”
“She’ll not give it up easily and may be an empty shell once I’m through, but I will have what I want.”
Ronan closed his eyes. An empty shell? ’Twas one thing to hand over an unknown mermaid, but not any mermaid—Angelica. Beautiful Angelica. “No.”
“You dare to defy me?” The demon knelt and grabbed Ronan’s hair again. “Listen to me, slave. I do not tolerate disobedience. If you don’t deliver the mermaid to me by the next full moon, I’ll strengthen your curse. You’ll blood will burn, and you’ll lose more than your hand. You’ll lose your soul. You’ll transform into a mindless, blood-thirsty vampire, bent on killing every woman in your path. The first one you’ll kill will be the lovely Hannah O’Brien. My master will be pleased. The second will be Mariah Fey.”
“No! You canna do this.”
“Yes, I can. Do we understand each other?”
“Why do you want the mermaid so badly?”
“’Tis none of your concern.”
Fear stabbed Ronan’s heart. What was he going to do? He didn’t want to kill the women he loved, but neither could he hand over an innocent to die. There had to be a way to thwart Zuto’s new plague. “I’ll not allow you to hurt the mermaid.”
“You will. I think you need a lesson on who is your new master.”
Zuto released his hair and kicked him, then pounded his fists into Ronan. Each punch broke bones. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Waves of agony pushed through him. He spit up blood onto the beach.
“Ronan,” a sweet feminine voice called.
Ronan didn’t know if ’twas real or not. Actually, he didn’t care—the pain, lord ’twas unbearable.
Zuto stopped beating him. His face twisted. “Ignore her! I command you.”
“Ronan, awaken, please,” the voice said.
Someone kissed Ronan’s bloody mouth. Was it real? Blimey, he wanted it to be real. He kissed back, anything to forget the upcoming pain.
The fog in his mind began to lift.
“No! You’ll pay next time.” Zuto picked him up and threw him toward a huge boulder in the reef.
Ronan ended the sweet kiss and grimaced, waiting for more bones to break.
Just before he smashed into the rocks, someone clasped his shoulders and shook him hard. “Ronan, awaken.”
He inhaled the fresh scent of the sea, then dizziness swept over him—the island, Zuto, all disappeared.
Sweet lips kissed caressed his again. He woke to staring into those blue eyes that haunted him. She bent over, and her hair brushed against his hot skin.
“Angelica?”
She knelt next to his hammock and wiped the sweat from his brow. “You were having a nightmare.”
That was an understatement.
“Jaysus,” he said. He struggled to sit up. His heart still pounded, and he panted hard. Angelica rubbed his back and ’twas as if he were a lad again and his mother comforted him from a bad dream, but his mother never ignited a bleeding desire. Not like this lass or whatever she was. Not wanting to give into temptation, he inspected his arms. No bruises, not even a cut. He licked his lips. No blood. “How can this be? Zuto was torturin’ me. I donna understand.”
“I don’t know. I just heard you calling me.”
“Ye did?” None of the men had awakened. Zuto’s taunt haunted him. There was something special between them, something he was too scared to find out. “How could you hear me when no one else did?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t even know why I came, but you were in pain. I couldn’t ignore you. It’s not in my nature to leave a creature in pain.” She gave him a small smile. “Not even a pirate.”
Even with what happened to her mother, she came to him when n
o one else did. She intrigued him. “Thank you.”
She lowered her gaze. “I found this.” She lifted the silver necklace with the amethyst stone, and before he could stop her, she draped it around his neck. “You must not take this off. It contains great power.”
“I didna take it off. Zuto ripped it off.”
“You must be careful, Ronan.” She put her hand on his beating heart. “I feel his power growing inside you. You must not give into hate, or he’ll gain complete control of you.”
How could he hurt this woman? Not only was she beautiful, she had come to rescue. What was the hidden power that Zuto coveted? He couldn’t let Zuto harm her, even it meant turning him into a dark vampire bent on killing all the women he loved. He would have to flee the ship and lose the only family he had.
Chapter 6
Angelica sat on the hammock next to Ronan and caressed his back. His face was pale, and he sucked in air as if he couldn’t take in enough. He was a pirate and a vampire, used to fights on the high seas, but he was trembling like a small boy after having a nightmare. Zuto must be terrifying, someone she’d never want to meet.
She licked her lips and relished the taste of the man. He was salty and spicy and all too human. “Are you well?”
He sat on the hammock and rested his head in his hand. “What? No. Wait. Give me a minute, will you?”
She edged closer. “You’re shivering.”
He took a deep breath and glanced at her and around the room. “I donna understand why no one else awoke.”
“I was going to go up on deck to look at the sea when I heard you call out.”
“Angelica, I’m sorry you can’t leave. ” He bent over and held his stomach.
She glared. “Why don’t I believe you?”
“It could be worse. You’d could be locked up in the brig and tortured.”
“Even if I was covered with jewels, it would still be the same thing. I’m a prisoner.”
“You’re lucky you’re on board the Soaring Phoenix. On any other pirate ship, you’d be in agony. Several years back, I remember what its’ like to torment. All hope vanishing quicker than honey on a bear..”