by Guida, ML
His eyes turned hard, and his cheek twitched. He had a faraway look as if he’d experience something horrible. She brushed back his hair. “Are you in pain?”
“Must be something I ate,” he panted. Her soft voice sent chills down his spine.
He was a powerful man, but she could sense the black magic seeping into his system. It smelled of death. “’Tis the magic inside you. I can help you feel better if you’d let me.”
“Why do you care?”
She hesitated, afraid he’d be upset, but decided to tell the truth. “To show your captain the healing power I have, and maybe he’d let me go.”
Ronan rubbed the bridge between his nose. “I wouldna count on it. He wonna let you go until you tell him the power you’d possess if you’d mate with a human.”
Despair filled her heart. “Then I’ll be here a long time, because our powers do not change. Well, unless we mate with a human that is a descendant from a selkie or a mermaid.”
The tension left his face. “That’s not a problem.” His hard voice was like a slap across the face.
She stiffened. “’Tis not so terrible.”
“I’m sorry. I didna mean to offend you. Aye, I’d like it if you could reduce the darkness inside me.”
Hoping if she helped him the captain would release her, she quickly crawled behind him. “Inhale and exhale. Deeper, That’s it.”
“What are you doin’?”
“Trust me.” She kneaded his naked shoulders, hard, massaging the tension gripping his massive muscles. This was a man not afraid of hard labor, a man who worked hard on the ship and a warrior in battle. He was sleek with sweat and his woodsy scent teased her with desire. Her heart quickened, sending tingles of lust rushing over her. Ty’s masculine scent had never enticed such hunger. Forget it. This man was one of her captors, not a lover.
Trying to concentrate on healing him and not kissing him, in her sweetest voice, she sang, “Relaxat. Convérso cleris deo.”
He jerked and turned around. “What are you singin’? Another curse?”
She bristled. How could she get them to trust her if they suspected she was evil? “No. ’Tis a song my father taught me. It dispels evil. Our voices have the power to banish devilry.”
He mumbled, but she didn’t hear what he said. He sighed. “What language is that? It sounds Latin.”
“That’s because it is Latin. ’Tis an old, but simple, song. I’m asking God to take away your worries.”
“God? Which God?”
“The same one you believe in.” She clasped his tight muscles. “We do not pray to the dark gods. Now, listen to my voice. Destruunt omne malum.”
He didn’t answer, but faced forward. Stubborn man. She pressed her thumbs into his spine, pushing deeper, trying to break up the tension. If he was calm, then the magic lost power. He groaned. His breathing slowed, and she dragged her elbows down his spine, eliciting another moan.
He cracked his neck and straightened. He stretched his arms high over his head and lifted his back, but he shifted his leg too fast. The hammock swayed too high. Angelica slipped and cried out.
Ronan seized her arm and dragged her close to him. “Be careful.”
“Huh? What’s going on?” A crew member in the next hammock mumbled. He glared, his brows thickening into a frown. “What’s she doing here?”
Angelica gripped Ronan’s thick arm. She moved closer to him to escape the man’s hate.
Ronan raised his fist. “Shut your mouth and go back to sleep.”
Before she could answer, he wrapped his arm around her and easily lifted her out of the hammock. He escorted her out of the stuffy crew’s quarters. “Where are you sleepin’?”
“Up on deck.”
He stopped in the hallway. “What? Why? I thought Mariah had a makeshift cabin built for you.”
“She did, but I want to be close to the sea.”
“You shouldna be up on deck by yourself.” He led her up the stairs. “’Tis not safe.”
“You don’t trust the crew?”
He didn’t answer.
“Sean’s at the helm.” She bet with his good looks, he drew women to him the way coral reefs draw sea urchins.
Ronan pulled his lips back into a tight frown and dug his fingers into her flesh.
She pushed on his hand. “Ow, you’re hurting me.”
“I’m sorry. I donna like you bein’ up there with pirates.”
“Is Sean dangerous? He’s treated me quite well.”
“Aye, I bet he did,” he mumbled.
A lantern shined on Ronan’s face. His eyes were filled with anger—or was it something else?
“Ronan, what’s the matter?”
He clasped her hand and escorted her up the stairs. “Come on, I can feel the fresh air.”
The stars blanketed the sky, and lanterns glowed, casting a ghostly image on the Phoenix. Sprays of water splattered onto Angelica’s face, and she longed to dive into the water again and play with her sisters, but every time she tried to escape, she slammed into an invisible wall that knocked her back on the hard deck.
“This is my first time on a ship,” she said. “I’ve seen them from under the water, but after what happened to Mother, I never wanted to get close to them.”
He ran his hand down her arm. “We wonna hurt you. I promise.”
Angelica wanted to believe him, but she’d never forget Mother’s cries of anguish. She changed the subject. “I couldn’t believe how many mollusks covered a ship’s hull.” She laughed. “No matter how many times men scrub the wood, the mollusks return.”
“Pesky creatures.”
She looked out to the vast sea. “I like the motion of the ship. It rolls like the waves and reminds me of when I was a little girl riding the waves all the way to the beach.”
“Do you feel sea sick?”
“No, I’m accustomed to all of her different moods. The sea is my home.”
Ronan released her hand and gripped the railing. “The Phoenix is my home. There’d be no other place I call such.”
“’Twas the ship that is your home. Or the people aboard the ship?”
“A little of both I guess. On land, I’m restless and have never developed my shore legs. Even on leave, I’m always anxious to return to her. The mates aboard this ship are the only family I’ve left. The bloody Sassenachs murdered my family during the Irish Rebellion.”
She clasped his rough hand. “I’m sorry.”
“’Twas a long time ago.”
“You had a wife?”
“Hardly. I was a lad. The Sassenach burned and pillaged my village. I was lucky to get out alive. ’Twas when I found Kane and Sean. Kane was carin’ for his wee brother, William. He became our leader. Gave us a reason to survive.”
“William? He’s mated with Mariah.”
His eyes darkened. “Aye, she chose him.” Bitterness laced his words.
Mariah was a beautiful woman. Petite, dark hair, and violet eyes. Everything that Angelica was not. Not wanting to think of Mariah, she cleared her throat. “Ronan, why are you so angry?”
“’Tis naught of your concern.”
“Yes, it is.”
He grabbed her arms and shook her. “Will you leave me alone, you praddlin’ woman?”
His fingers dug into her arms and her teeth rattled. Angelica winced. She couldn’t think. No man had ever touched her. Anger flooded those brown eyes, and fear rushed through her veins. He’d promised no one would hurt her. He was a liar.
She struggled. “Release me.”
“Ronan!” Sean thundered over toward them. “What the bloody hell do ye think you’re doing? Leave the poor lass alone.”
Ronan shoved her to the side of him, and she stumbled. He grabbed her hand to keep her from falling, but he squeezed too tight.
She tried to pry loose his fingers. “Let go!”
Sean took a step toward Angelica. “You’re acting like a blasted leech, Ronan. Let her go.”
Ronan t
ightened his grip. “She’s not of your concern, Mallory.”
“The hell she isn’t. This is no way to treat a lady.”
“She’s not a lady. She’s a mermaid.”
Tears formed in Angelica’s eyes. How could he be so callous? She only wanted to help.
Sean smashed hard onto Ronan’s wrist, breaking his iron clad clutch. He stepped in front of her, becoming a stone barrier. “You’ll not talk that way about her.”
Ronan pushed Sean. “Get away from her!”
Sean skidded to the left, but he quickly redeemed his stance. “Are you looking for a fight, Macmillan?”
“Aye, if ’tis what you want, Mallory.”
Angelica looked between the two men. “No, please!”
But her words fell on deaf ears.
His eyes blazing with hate, Ronan charged Sean. He slammed his head into Sean’s gut, knocking him backward. Sean staggered and bent over, grasping for air. But he didn’t stay down long. He curled his hand into a fist and plowed it into Ronan’s face, blooding his nose. Crimson ran down Ronan’s face in two streams, soaking the front of his shirt.
Panting, Ronan stalked Sean, who held his fists up. Ronan flung a punch, but Sean blocked it. Both men were huffing, sizing each other up. Shouts down from the stern caught Sean’s attention, and he glanced to see men approaching, which was a mistake. Ronan growled and slammed his fist in Sean’s mouth.
Sean jerked his head back. He had a split lip, and blood oozed from the cut down the side of his chin. Sean touched his mouth. “Getting serious, Ronan?”
Ronan glared and raised his fist to smash it into Sean’s grinning face, but Sean ducked and swung. He pummeled his fist into Ronan’s eye, spinning him around.
Angelica was powerless. The men were two wild predators fighting over a female. In the sea, dolphins could be deadly when vying for a mate, but this battle terrified her.
Pounding feet came rushing onto the deck. Angelica backed away and covered her mouth with her palm, too scared to cry out.
Sean’s face was a bloody mess, and Ronan’s eye was swollen shut. But this didn’t stop Ronan. He crashed into Sean, knocking him on his back, and scrambled on top of him, pinning him to the deck. He smashed his fist repeatedly into the poor man’s face. Turning Sean’s angelic face into a bloody and swollen mess. Even with just one fist, he was unstoppable.
Angelica could see a black aura outlining Ronan’s form. Anger and hate ruled him.
Zuto was winning.
Men grabbed his arm, but he flung them off and landed another fist into Sean’s nose. Bones broke.
She covered her mouth with her hands. “Ronan, please stop.” Her voice shook with horror.
“Damn it, Ronan,” a man yelled. “Get the cap’n.”
Four men seized Ronan, working hard to haul him off Sean’s prone body. Angelica rushed over to Sean. His eyes were closed, and she put her hand over his mouth and could barely feel any breath. “You’ve killed him.”
“You bloody fish,” Ronan spat. “He’s immortal. He canna die. Release me.”
Her hand shaking, and her insides churning from Ronan’s cruel words, she used the folds of her dress to wipe the blood from Sean’s swollen face.
“What the hell is going on up here?” Kane stormed over to them. “What happened?”
Ronan struggled. “Tell them to release me.”
“Like hell I will.” He glanced at Sean, then Ronan. “Put him in the brig.”
“No!” Ronan dug his feet into the deck and tried pulling his arms loose, but Ewan and William held tight and dragged him away, cussing and screaming.
Kane grabbed Ronan’s bloodied shirt. “You’re trying my patience.” He tilted his head at Sean’s unconscious body. “Doc, take care of him.”
Wisely, Ronan stopped struggling and kept his jaw clamped shut.
Doc knelt next to Angelica. “I’ll take care of him, lass. He’s been through worse.” He beckoned to the gathering men. “Take him to his hammock.”
Men carried Sean down to the crew’s quarters.
Hannah rushed up to them. “What happened to Sean?”
“Stay here.” Kane clasped Hannah’s arm. “Take care of her. I’m going to bloody find out.”
Hannah wrapped her arms around Angelica’s trembling body. “You’re turning ten shades of gray. Are you all right?”
The flood gates opened, and Angelica leaned her head against Hannah’s shoulder. “The evil is growing inside him. I tried to help him.”
Hannah held her. “Shhh.”
Angelica stared over the deck. The sea called to her. She could hear her sisters. Would she ever be able to escape this cruel fate?
* * *
Ronan wrestled to get free from the two lug-heads clasping his arms tighter than pissed off crabs. But Ewan and William ignored him and dragged him down the stairs to the brig. The air turned cooler, and lanterns cast long shadows on the walls. What had happened up there? ’Twas as if something over took him, and he couldn’t stop from saying nasty things to Angelica and stomping Sean into mincemeat. “Release me!”
But no one listened. His face grim, Kane walked past him and unlocked the cell door. Ronan yanked his left arm free and slammed his fist into Ewan’s face, getting a satisfied growl.
Ewan rubbed his swollen cheek. “Yer off yer head.”
Before Ronan could attack William, he shoved him into the dreary cell. Kane slammed the door shut and locked it.
Ronan rushed and grabbed the iron bars and shook the door. “Let me out of here!”
But instead of opening the door, Ewan turned his back. “Cap’n’ s orders. Ye’ll have to ask him yourself. Come on, William.”
His chilly voice squashed any signs of hope of his opening the door. William looked at Ronan like he didn’t know him and followed Ewan out of the brig. Ronan needed help, but both Ewan and William had deserted him, leaving him alone in the cold cell. He struggled to breathe. ’Twas as if the loneliness squeezed his lungs tight. Misery sank into his spine. He leaned his head on his arm. What the hell happened?
Kane hurried over. “Macmillan, have you lost your bloody mind?” He gestured behind him. “Mallory’s unconscious, and his whole face is bloodier than a gutted pig.”
Ronan stepped away from the iron gate. “I’m sorry. I donna know what came over me.”
“Sorry? That’s all you’ve got to say? I want a better answer than that.” He kicked the bars hard, rattling them. “Talk to me.”
Ronan jumped. “I told ye, I donna know.”
“You’re trying my patience.”
“I grabbed Angelica and shook her.”
Kane narrowed his eyes. “You hurt her?”
“I didna mean to hurt her, I swear.” Ronan wiped his bloody hand on his pants, ashamed of the red stain. “I didna mean to hurt Sean. I lost control.”
“Obviously.”
“Maybe you should dump me on an island somewhere, Kane. I’m losin’ control.”
“I’ll not go through this again. First, William. And now you. We’re more than a crew, Ronan. We’re brothers. Zuto hasn’t won yet.”
The cap’n wouldn’t be saying that if he knew what would happen if Ronan didn’t obey Zuto. Hannah was Kane’s life. “I can feel it growing in me, Kane. The hate, the anger. ’Tis consuming me. William had Mariah. I’ve no one to help me.”
“You have me.”
Her blue dress stained crimson, Angelica stood in the doorway.
Ronan stared down at his boots. “Go away. You canna help me.”
“Captain, if I can stop the darkness growing inside him, will you set me free?”
Kane studied her as if trying to stare into her soul. “If I’m satisfied he’s healed, I’ll set you free.”
“She canna not help me, Kane.”
“If you do not let me help him, Captain, the demon will win. He will not be able to control himself and destroy you all.”
Ronan couldn’t believe her foolishness. “You canna fight Zu
to. He’s too strong. He’ll toy with you, and when he gets bored, he’ll feed you to his bulbous spiders.”
Fear flashed into her lovely blue eyes, but he didn’t care. She’d walk right into Zuto’s web.
Kane held up his hand as if to silence Ronan. “Is this true, Ronan?”
“Aye, it is,” Ronan said, as walked back to the bench protruding from the ship’s wall and plopped down on it, resting his elbow on his knee. He would not hand her over to the black-hearted bastard. The demon might not kill her, but Lord knew what he’d do to her. “’Tis not safe for you, Angelica.”
He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she walked over to stand next to Kane. She was different than any other woman he’d met, down to her bare feet, her toenails painted blue.
Kane lifted Angelica’s chin. “What can you do to help him?”
“I’m a mermaid. I have the ability to change into different forms of water and can follow him into his dreams without Zuto sensing me.”
Dread flooded through Ronan. “No! Kane, donna let her. She canna fool Zuto. She’d be in danger.”
“He’ll not be able to sense me.” Angelica tilted her chin. “You have to trust me.”
Kane looked between them. “And?”
“Darkness is growing inside me.” Ronan couldn’t look into Kane’s eyes. “I’m not safe. ’Tis why I hurt Sean. He’s just the first.” Ronan pushed his face into the bars. “You’ve got to put me on the island, Cap’n. For the sake of the crew.”
“Mallory tried to defend himself,” Angelica said. “But Ronan was too fast for him.”
Doubt seeped into Kane’s eyes. “Faster than a vampire?”
“Demon speed,” Angelica said. “Demons are faster than vampires.”
Kane stiffened. “Is he turning into a demon?”
“No.” Angelica shook her head. “But he’s in the process of becoming possessed.”
“If Zuto can appear in your dreams, can he come aboard my ship?”
“I donna know.” Weariness weighing heavy on him, Ronan slid down the wooden wall onto his arse. “’Tis why you must leave me somewhere. Away from everyone.”