Fantasy Romance: 6 Book Set

by Daniella Wright

  “That be just a tale!” He exclaimed, trying to convince himself that I was simply trying to scare him.

  “Maybe…” I ran his fingers over my chin, feeling the pinpricks of my facial hair. “Maybe…” I repeated, dropping my arm. “But I’ve been here once before… and I can tell you, those creatures are very real.” I grinned at my first mate’s expression, patting him on the shoulder. “But don’t sweat it, lad. As long as you’re with me, no harm will befall you!” I gave a hearty chuckle, shoving him off.

  I turned around, placing my hand back on the wheel, guiding the ship toward a small formation of rocks. It was currently low tide so most of them were on display, looking like a statue crafted by the hand of nature.

  When the ship was close enough, the wind died down completely. The boat would no longer move on its own accord. Satisfied, I stepped away from the wheel and grabbed one of the ropes tied to the main staff. I yanked on it, testing its strength before I let out a loud shout, swinging off the boat and onto the rocks. I landed gracefully, a proud expression on my face.

  “Sir! What are you doing out there?”

  “Don’t mind me! I plan to wait for the nymph who saved me from drowning many years in the past. Wait for the wind to pick up again and guide the vessel around that bend yonder. I’ll be back by the end of the night!”

  ***

  Hours passed and I found myself sitting idly on the rocks. I sighed, thinking of the beautiful nymphs called Oceanids. They were tiny creatures, with petite frames and delicate features. I smiled, thinking of the time I had been a naïve first mate. I had fallen overboard, with no knowledge of how to swim and quickly found myself drowning. The rest of the crew ignored me, thinking it was funny to see me struggle. In the end, just when I thought I would find myself in Davey Jones’ locker, a beautiful, woman-like creature swam up to me, kissing my lips and filling my lungs with air. It had been one of the best moments of my life and something I could never forget.

  I had come to learn that she presided over the Caribbean Sea so I never hesitated to pay her a visit if I was in the area. Today, however, it didn’t seem like she would appear. Around me, the water was already beginning to rise. The wind had picked up, lapping at the rocks, threatening to pull me into the watery depths. Even now, I didn’t quite know how to swim. I would never make it back to the ship alive.

  Finally, just as I was starting to get desperate, something broke the water’s surface. Strands of silver hair sparkled in the moonlight, getting closer and closer. Eventually, a face emerged. I smiled, instantly recognizing her. She was just as gorgeous as ever with her ocean blue eyes, button nose, and coral-colored cheeks. “Nixie!” I called out, waving my arms in her direction.

  Her pink lips transformed into a radiant smile. I felt like my knees would buckle at any moment. My heart started to hammer in my chest. It was always like this whenever I laid eyes on the beautiful nymph. “Slade.” She whispered, her voice whimsical, casting soft lyrics in my direction. “Forever my bane.”

  “Whatever do you mean?” I inquired, a grin on my lips as I looked down at the near-naked female. All she had to cover herself up were a few shells and pieces of coral. It was impossible to take my eyes off her.

  “You know I’m forbidden to talk to humans, and yet, I always find myself coming back to you.” She giggled, the sound harmonious and perfect. “I’ve already saved you once, and by the looks of it, I might have to do it again. Father will be furious.”

  “He doesn’t need to know.” I let out a hearty chuckle, winking in her direction.

  “Oh, but when the heart yearns, it’s hard to keep secrets.” She said with a mysterious look in her eyes.

  Chapter 2

  I stared at her a moment, trying to interpret what she could mean with such a statement. She giggled once again, breaking the silence that had settled between us. “What brings you to my domain, anyway?” She asked.

  “I came to strike a bargain with you.” I sat down, taking off my boots and rolling up my pants, letting my legs dip into the warm water. Nixie positioned herself between my legs, her hands on the rocks, dangerously close to my thighs. She gave me an innocent expression as if such a position wasn’t immediately scandalous.

  “And what would that be?” She batted her eyelashes, small pieces of coral decorating their tips, making them look even longer than they actually were.

  “I believe it would be beneficial to both our races if we struck an alliance between the Pirates and the Oceanids.” I paused, gauging her expression. When she didn’t comment, I continued. “The Inland people are starting to disrespect us Pirates, calling us vermin. They don’t trust us and think that we use dirty tactics. Now, I’ll admit we occasionally bend the rules, but we aren’t crooks.” I balled my hands into fists on my thighs. “If we formed an alliance, the Pirates could protect the reefs.”

  Nixie seemed to contemplate this for a moment before she laid her head on my thigh. Her long, silver hair glittered in the bright moonlight. Her eyes gazed into the distance as if she were in deep thought. Then she let out a long sigh. “I wish I could help you… but alas, it’s my nine hundred and ninety-ninth year and when I turn a thousand, I’m destined to marry Poseidon, God of the Sea. I don’t have the authority you need. Only after my marriage would I be able to aid your cause, but I fear that by then, it’ll be much too late.” She looked up at me, her eyes full of longing. In that moment, I was possessed with a need to kiss her sweet lips, but I refrained. Instead, I laid a hand on her wet hair, gently smoothing it against her skull.

  “You don’t want to marry him, do you?” I asked in a whisper.

  She sighed again. “Poseidon may be a God, but he doesn’t have my heart.” She said, looking up into my eyes. I felt my own heart skip a beat at her words. Could she mean…?

  “Nixie, isn’t there some way you could postpone the marriage? Call it off. Anything.” I paused, cupping her cheeks in my hands, pulling her closer. “What if… what if I marry you?” I spat it out before I could regret saying it. My dark eyes burned with hope.

  Her expression darkened and she looked away, swimming out a bit. “Alas, the only way I would even have a chance of convincing my father to let me marry you, would be if you had a royal title…” She let her words drop between us.

  I frowned, knowing I was nothing more than a lowly human. “What if I was the Pirate King?” I said suddenly, getting up in my excitement.

  “How would you manage that?” She asked, cocking her head to the side, her hair framing her delicate face.

  “I’ll defeat King Atlas and take his place!”

  Nixie gasped. “But King Atlas is a vile man! He has been at war with us Oceanids for years. You cannot, must not, fight him!” She pleaded with me, grabbing hold of my ankles, imploring me to reconsider.

  I shook my head, firm in my conviction. “I’d fight Hades if it meant being with you…” I squatted, placing my hand under her chin, lifting her face up to me. Our eyes locked together and I smiled at her. “I’ll stop at nothing to make sure that your people are safe and more importantly… that you’re happy.” I whispered, my eyes shining with excitement.

  She looked at me, her piercing blue eyes gazing into my soul. I shivered, once again feeling the urge to take her into my arms and kiss her. “Alright.” She finally agreed. “If you’re adamant about this suicidal mission, then I’ll aid you in any way possible.”

  “Could you start by bringing me back to my ship?” I asked, blushing slightly at the fact that I didn’t know how to swim and was therefore marooned on the rocks.

  She chuckled, an amused look on her face. “You’ll never learn, will you?”

  ***

  It took several weeks to find the notorious King Atlas. His fleet was large, consisting of at least twenty Barques and Galleons of the highest quality. I didn’t let this deter me, however. I knew Nixie was counting on me and I couldn’t let her down. With this in mind, I sailed into enemy territory, aligning my ship with Atlas’.<
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  We made eye contact, both of us standing at attention at the prow of our ships. “Permission to come aboard?” I shouted out to him.

  The man, with his greasy red hair and unkempt beard, grinned at me, showing off a lack of teeth. He raised his hooked hand and suddenly pointed it straight at me. Seconds later, cannons were fired, volleys being cast in our direction. Hooks were dug into my ship, tethering it against his. I ground my teeth, growling. “So that’s how you want to play, is it?”

  I looked back at my crew. They had already started preparing for battle, loading up the cannons and buckling jewel-hilted swords. If old Atlas wanted a fight, he was about to get one.

  Chapter 3

  The sound of the battle was deafening. Men boarded ships and people were shot in midair. Groans of pain echoed between cannon fire. Yet, despite the chaos surrounding me, all I could think about was Atlas. If I killed him, I assured my place as King of the Pirates. The thought of being with Nixie urged me on.

  With my sword in hand, I stepped back, getting some distance before rushing forward, leaping over to Atlas’ ship. He looked surprised as I landed perfectly on my feet, crouching down like a cat about to pounce. Without hesitation, I swung my sword in his direction, getting it caught in his ship’s wheel. He chuckled, taking a swing at me, but I quickly dodged out of the way and tried to sweep his feet, hoping to get him off guard.

  Even though Atlas was much older than me, he wasn’t to be underestimated. He had seen many a battle in his day. After all, he was the Pirate King for a good reason. “Give it up, boy.” He said with the heavy voice of drunkenness. His breath stank of rotten fish. As he tried to drive his saber through me, I rolled out of the way, getting up as quickly as I could, holding onto the railing of the ship.

  For a split second, I looked out at the approaching fleet. Soon, we would be surrounded and it would be all over. I quickly grabbed a dagger I kept tucked away in my boot, determined to win this fight at any cost. Atlas chuckled at my feasible attempt, finding it amusing that I thought I could defeat him with a tiny blade.

  Suddenly, the tide changed, quite literally. A sweet sound arose from the depths of the ocean around us. One by one, the forms of Oceanids appeared, bobbing along the water’s surface. The song they chanted quickly changed cord, becoming dramatic and dark. Up above, storm clouds formed out of nothing and a great shadow was cast on all the ships.

  The sea grew violent, turning into a fierce monster, rocking the ships and making it incredibly difficult to keep one’s footing. Atlas clung onto the wheel of his ship, the thought of fighting fleeing his mind as he watched this natural phenomenon. “What in the Heavens…” He gasped, watching wide-eyed as a large, looming wave approached his ship.

  It crashed down, threatening to turn the ship over at any moment, but it managed to hold. The same couldn’t be said for some of the crew who had been swept off the deck and into the prying arms of the Oceanids down below. They dragged them deep underwater, never to be seen again.

  I grinned, looking down, spotting Nixie among the midst. I was certain I could win the fight now. Confident, I walked forward, swagger in my every step. Cannonballs, bullets, and harpoons continued to fly past me, mingling with the intensifying storm.

  Not too far off, a group of nymphs swam in a circle, their songs formulaic and cyclical, growing louder and louder until a whirlpool started to form between them. Slowly, Atlas’ ship was drawn toward the maelstrom. The crew tried to stop this advance, but it was hopeless. They were no match for the Oceanids’ power.

  Behind me, Nixie swam up to my ship, placing a hand on it before her angelic voice conjured a song of protection. I smiled at her, knowing my men were now safe.

  “Stop this madness!” Atlas had finally regained his bearings, lunging forward, brandishing his sword in my direction. I ducked out of the way, making a dash for my own sword, dislodging it from the wheel. He came at me once more, but I quickly parried. Our skills were well-matched, but I had a lot more at stake than he did. Grinning, I felt like I couldn’t lose. My overconfidence, however, made me sloppy.

  Just as I was going to deliver the fatal blow, Atlas clipped me, his saber slicing through my leg. I screamed, my eyes growing wide with rage. Adrenaline rushed through my body and I thrust my blade right through The Pirate King’s neck. I had won. With a bright smile, I let my sword drop from my hand, the excruciating pain that throbbed through my leg making me fall to my knees.

  At that very moment, a violent wave crashed against the side of the boat and I couldn’t stop myself from sliding off the deck. I fell overboard, my wound preventing me from floating on the water surface. I felt myself sinking. I wanted to move my limbs, but the saltwater aggravated my wound, causing me to sink deeper and deeper. A trail of red followed me in my descent.

  My eyelids started to get heavy and my heart struggled to keep beating. I knew I didn’t have much time left.

  Before death could get a grip on me, a pair of small, gentle arms wrapped around me. “Slade!” Nixie’s face was only inches away from my own, distraught with worry. “Please… you can’t die.” She clung to me, moving forward ever so gently until our lips collided together.

  My burning lungs received some relief, but the rest of my body continued to disobey. Weakly, I pressed my palm to her cheek. “I’m sorry. I have failed you…” My voice was barely a whisper. It didn’t even dawn on me that we were talking underwater just as easily if we were on the surface. Around us, there was a small glimmer of magic creating an air pocket.

  “No! You cannot die! I won’t allow it! I will not let you slip away from me…” Still holding me, she slipped off the two golden bands off of her upper arms and cast them off into the depths. My eyes grew wide, knowing they were the source of her immense power.

  “Nixie… you can’t.” I pleaded with her.

  “I don’t care. I’ll channel my spirit into a human body and wander the land until I find you again, my husband.” With that, she slipped a golden band on my ring finger, looking me in the eye one more time. “Until we meet again, Pirate King.”

  Chapter 4

  I never saw Nixie after that day…

  Two hundred years passed since then and at times, I questioned whether she still wandered the Earth as I did, feeling like a piece of her was missing. I sighed, picturing her in my mind as I worked on a new piece of jewelry I was designing.

  My little shop was situated in a market district of modern-day London. Outside my window, people walked by, holding bags and staring at their smartphones. So much had changed in two hundred years that sometimes it boggled my mind. I shook my head, knowing it was best not to think about it. What was so smart about them anyway?

  Outside, someone stopped in front of the sign that said Slade Blackstone’s Custom Jewelry. I was advertising a new sale I had going on, hoping to attract some more customers. One day, this well-dressed individual crossed the threshold, holding a briefcase in his hand. “Excuse me, do you know where I can find Slade Blackstone?”

  “You’re talking to him.” I chuckled, holding out my hand. He gave me a firm handshake, his thin lips pressing into a hard line.

  “My name is Dillion McKenzie and I’m your finical advisor. I’ve tried to call you several times, but you never seem to return calls. So, I decided to make a house call. I hope you don’t mind.” He paused, giving me a sly look.

  “Not at all,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. My features were calm and collected, but in reality, I wanted this man out of my store as soon as possible. I didn’t need anyone to tell me how to handle my money. I had been living in the lap of luxury for the last one hundred and fifty years!

  “I’ve noticed that your stock price has taken quite the dive over the last quarter and so, I decided to do a bit of research. It seems like your pirate-themed line of jewelry isn’t selling very well, but you still funnel an extraordinary amount of money into production.” He walked up to one of my display cases, looking at the jewelry with disdain. “If you a
sk me, it’s nothing more than tacky costume jewelry and you waste perfectly good high-end materials on making more.” He looked up at me. “Is there somewhere we can talk about this in private?”

  Getting a little frustrated by this man and his arrogance, it took a lot of willpower for me to smile at him. I walked up to the front door, closing it and flipping the sign to closed. “There,” I said through gritted teeth. Things were so much better when the government didn’t require businesses to be so regulated.

  “I suppose that will do.” The man commented, seemingly unsatisfied. He sat down at my workbench, pushing some things aside to put down his briefcase. I sat down across from him, my eyes narrowing as he pulled out some papers. “Now, I think it’d be in your best interest if you considered some diversity. If your jewelry already has a reputation of being high-end costume jewelry, then you might as well ride the wave, so to speak, and expand into semi-precious stones. You can get them at quite a bargain.” The advisor pointed out some graphs he had printed out. “If you do that, then I can see profits increasing by at least two hundred percent.”