The Siren Princess

by Lichelle Slater

  Timbony affirmed those ideas were bad after I spoke with him. “Nah, a pearl this rare and you don’t want to hide it. I got just the thing.” He grunted when he bent over and rummaged under the counter. I could have sworn I heard he let one rip as he straightened. He set something on the counter in front of me.

  I looked down, and my breath caught. The golden charm was a siren with her hands spread. Her wavy hair flowed over her left shoulder, and her face was simple, with only the curved shape of eyes and a nose. Her scaled fin extended downward.

  “May I?” He held out his hand.

  I handed over the pearl, and he placed it in the hands of the siren. With a tool and a delicate touch, he pinched the siren’s arms closed around it.

  The pearl fit perfectly.

  Timbony grinned and scratched at his sweaty blue bandana. “I made her to hold a diamond but haven’t found the right one. I think a black pearl’s perfect for her.”

  “How much will this cost me?”

  The pirate tilted his head. “I know.” He crouched again and set a skull charm in front of me. “I need two gemstones for the eyes. Preferably rubies.”

  I frowned. “How do you think I’m going to obtain two rubies?”

  Timbony smirked. “I heard about yer plunder.”

  I placed my hands on my hips. “Add in a sturdy chain for this mermaid, and I’ll see what I can do. I’ll have to take this, of course, to find the perfect size.” I pressed my finger to the skull’s face and dragged the pendant toward me.

  “Then I’ll hold onto this until yer done.” He picked up my pearl and mermaid charm before I could snatch it.

  “Fine. I need that for the announcement of the new captain today.” I pushed the skull back to him, and he gave the siren charm back to me.

  Timbony pulled a box off a shelf and picked through it until he found the perfect chain. He strung the charm on it and held it out to me.

  When I put it on, the pendant rested perfectly on my chest. I found myself fingering it as I walked from the jeweler and down to the bay, which was already crowded. Almost everyone in Port Mere had gathered in front of the stage. Athena had it built for special occasions, such as musical celebrations, announcements, or auctions. Today, she would announce her newest pirate captain.

  Sky stood near the stage wearing clean blue pants, a pale-blue shirt with a faint white design, and his typical red scarf tucked around his neck. He had even polished the hilt of his sword.

  My throat tightened, nerves starting to take over.

  I trotted up the wooden steps and took my place at my mother’s side.

  Athena leaned toward me. “You’re late.”

  “Pirates are never late,” I said with a proud sniffle.

  Athena held what would soon be the new captain’s hat. It was black with a gold ribbon around the edges and had a beautiful, new, red feather plume even larger than Captain Avery’s hat.

  “I would like to take a moment and explain how I chose this new captain. As tradition details, the honor of a captain is typically handed from captain to first mate. However, I felt it was time to add a new ship, especially to replace one recently damaged.”

  I glanced unintentionally at Sky, who averted his gaze from everyone knowingly.

  Athena continued. “I chose this captain based on their ability to take charge of a crew, high success rate of missions, and the amount of income they’ve provided for us. Isn’t the new ship beautiful?”

  Everyone applauded.

  I wiped my hands on my pantlegs with nervous anticipation.

  “It is also fit that I announce the new captain and first mate.” She turned to her right, away from me, and held her hand out. “Meet the newest captain of our fleet. Captain James ‘Pan’ Barrie.”

  My jaw dropped.

  I stared as a wave of shock, horror, and disbelief washed over me and ended in an explosion of pure anger. I balled my hands into fists. That was the real reason Captain Barrie had gone to my mother the day before. Earning the honor of captain in such a way wasn’t something I imagined James doing.

  To have his father sleep with my mother to secure his role?

  Disgust tingled on my tongue, and I suddenly wished I had rammed my sword through his chest when I had the chance the day before.

  James appeared at my mother’s side as the crowd of pirates cheered. He waved, flashed his stunning smile, and when he met my gaze, winked.

  The audacity!

  Athena held up the new captain hat and placed it on top of James’s head. I didn’t care that he looked like he’d bathed or that he wore a new, crisp white shirt with a red vest and black and red coat, or that he looked stupidly handsome with the whole matching outfit. I also didn’t care that the wink he gave me was sexy.

  He’d taken my ship!

  “Captain, tell everyone the name of your ship and introduce your first mate.” My mother stepped back, allowing James to bask in his stolen glory.

  James bowed to her. “Thank you, Captain Athena. I have chosen to call my ship “The Sea Devil.” And my first mate will be Sky O’Beron.”

  “What?” I blurted. I threw Sky a glare, but he’d moved from where he’d been standing and was soon at James’s side. I wheeled toward my mother and lowered my voice. “You gave the new ship to Hook and Scuttle?” I made sure she felt the animosity in my voice.

  And my mother, Athena, the pirate queen, eyed me. “Why . . . of course. Did you think I was giving it to you?” Her tone was condescending as if I should have known all along she would never give the ship to me.

  I squeezed my lips together so tightly they tingled. I marched off the wooden stage, my new heels pounding loudly on the wood and then stone roadway as I headed for home.

  I heard quick footsteps on pebbles behind me before Sky yelled, “Odette! Aren’t you going to congratulate me?”

  I spun around so quickly, I stumbled on the uneven ground. “No! Because you knew! I asked you, and you knew, and you didn’t tell me!”

  Sky’s grin froze, and his face folded into confusion. “Knew what?”

  “That you were going to be Hook’s first mate! And that Hook is the captain!” I shouted.

  “It’s Pan now, remember?” Sky corrected.

  James approached behind him with a bemused smirk.

  I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly. “What would everyone do if they knew your father slept with my mother so you could be captain?” I kept my voice as calm as I could.

  “I don’t think anyone would care.” He frowned. “But that isn’t how I got the ship.”

  “Oh, I’m sure it’s not.” I spun on my heel.

  “Don’t go after her,” James said. “Let her have some time alone to accept this.”

  I raised my finger in a crude gesture.

  The instant I made it back to the house, I stalked to the old oak tree behind the house. I threw my worn hat onto the ground, then ripped my sword from its sheath. I didn’t waste a single moment more before smashing my sword against the trunk with all the force I had. The vibration stung my hands, but I didn’t care.

  I had done everything my mother asked of me. I had gone on voyages, fought in battles, and this was how she thanked me? By giving my ship away? And to Hook of all people!

  I pried my sword out of the thick bark with a few wiggles and hit the tree again.

  And again.

  I’d brought back a bounty bigger than anyone had, aside from Athena herself. I’d proven my worth over and over. I’d proven I could lead a crew on a mission, keep them safe, and return home!

  Chipped wood flew this way and that, and after several minutes I had successfully managed to dull the blade until the blade could no longer bite the tree.

  Drenched in sweat, my hands stinging and arms aching, I finally lowered the tip of my ruined sword to the thick grass.
/>   From the corner of my eye, something moved, and my attention darted to it. My mother stood with her shoulder against the house, and the movement I’d caught was her adjusting her stance.

  “Why are you so angry?” she asked innocently.

  “That was supposed to be my ship!” I spat.

  She laughed. She actually laughed. “Odette, darling, you’re a wonderful pirate.” She shrugged off the side of the house. “And you’re going to make a fantastic captain someday.”

  “Someday?”

  “You’re only eighteen. Why in the deep blue sea would you think I’d give you control of a crew of your own?” She inclined her head.

  I lifted my chin defiantly, my hand squeezing the hilt of my sword so tight my hand went white. “Because I deserve it, and you know it. My age has nothing to do with it. James is barely two years older than I am. Yet look at everything I’ve done for you. Look at what I just brought back!”

  “I know, Odette. You did bring back something impressive.”

  “Impressive? That’s all you’ve got to say?” I yelled. “What will it take for me to prove to you I’m ready to be a captain?”

  Athena put her hands on my shoulders. “You’re still young. You still have a lot to learn.”

  I pulled away from her. “That was supposed to be my ship. Did you truly never consider me for it?”

  She sighed. “I can’t put you on a ship with a crew of men who don’t respect you, Odette.”

  Her words struck me like a dagger. “Why not? Because you claim I’m too young? The men listen to you. If you showed them you respect me and think highly of me, maybe they would too,” I snapped back.

  Her eyes narrowed. “If I showed you respect?”

  “Yes! How many sailors have you bragged to that I returned home successfully? That I am the one who found and executed this better than any other sailor could have?” Tears stung my eyes, but I wouldn’t give her yet another reason to look down on me. “Is it because of whatever I did at Castle Bay?”

  Athena stood silently watching me for several tense moments. My stomach dropped and my hands went clammy. I didn’t know what she was going to say or do. Whatever happened that night, she didn’t want to tell me.

  “No,” she answered plainly.

  I tossed my blade at her feet. She’d given it to me as a gift the year before. I wasn’t even sure it could be repaired, and I didn’t care. I swallowed my welling heart and walked past her.

  “Odette, how dare you turn your back on me! Get back here.”

  “Or what? You’ll ground me?” I glared over my shoulder before rounding the corner of the house.

  I would prove to her once and for all that I was forced to be reckoned with. I would prove to her that I was a much better captain than Captain James Hook.

  five

  I knew I was being impulsive.

  I knew better than to yell at my mother.

  But what eighteen-year-old hadn’t run away from home? Of course, my situation was a little different than others. Most girls my age were working on their parent’s farms, sewing dresses, knitting blankets, flirting with men to find a husband, swimming in the sea, or whatever else people who weren’t pirates did.

  I grabbed my pack and shoved in a set of clothing, then stormed into the kitchen to find some pieces of food that weren’t spoiled—like dried meat and berries.

  “Odette, stop being so dramatic.” Athena stopped beside the table.

  “I’m not being dramatic,” I said flatly and shouldered my pack. “The last few months, you’ve done nothing but restrict everything I do. I sail with Captain Avery and him only.”

  “Because you are part of his crew,” she cut in.

  “Yes, but ever since whatever happened at Castle Bay, you treat me like I’m made of glass.” I faced her. “The pirates lower their eyes and hurry on like I’m a leper. A few brave souls will actually nod before they walk away. I still can’t remember exactly what happened, but whatever it was it must have been terrible for you and the pirates to treat me that way.”

  “Odette, I nearly lost you.” Athena walked to me and put her hands on my shoulders. “You almost died that day. I know I have been a little more protective lately, but the thought of losing you . . .” She reached up and stroked my hair. “I simply can’t bear it.”

  I didn’t respond right away. Anger still burned in my veins.

  She reached down and held the mermaid pendant on my neck. She ran her thumb and then index finger over the pearl. “I want to keep you safe. You’re all the family I have.”

  “At some point, you’ll remember I’m not a child.” I grabbed the chain and lifted the pendant from her fingers.

  With that, I left the only home I’d known behind.

  I couldn’t afford to sit and wait any longer for my mother to see me for the woman I was. I had to prove it once and for all.

  I reached the Flounder Tavern and spotted Captain Avery sitting alone, his hat on the table across from him.

  I marched over, pulled out a chair, and sat.

  He paused his chewing and looked me up and down. He tucked his food in his cheek. “And to what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “I need you to get the crew so we can leave immediately.”

  Avery resumed chewing on his food as he leaned back in his seat. “And why?”

  “Because there’s something I need to do!” I tried to keep my voice low while showing him how important it was to me that we leave. “We need to leave tonight before my mother can stop me.”

  He swallowed. “What is so important that we leave after having just returned from a three-week voyage, without telling Athena?”

  I didn’t want to tell him my plan because I didn’t want it to get back to my mother, but I needed him on my side. I finally leaned forward, arms resting on the table, and grabbed his mug of rum as soon as Stoon, the owner of the Flounder Tavern, put it down.

  Stoon raised a brow and glanced at Avery, who waved him off.

  I dragged my arm over my mouth and set down Avery’s mug. “I want to go after something almost impossible to find. But I think with your expertise and my talent combined, we can bring it back. Then my mother will see I’m worth becoming a captain.”

  He gave me an unamused frown. “Oh, of course. Especially considering how we took on three frigates?”

  I rolled my eyes. “No one needs to know the truth. Everyone embellishes their voyages. But this will be even better than our last victory!”

  “Odette, I appreciate your tenacity.” He grabbed his mug and pulled it away from me. “But, no. I’m not taking you on a voyage I know nothing about with a crew that just barely made it to land. It will take us at least a week to even stock up the necessary supplies. You know this. If you can give us a week, allow me to clear it with your mother—”

  “The point is not letting my mother know.”

  Avery ran his hand over his bearded face. “Then I’m afraid the answer, for now, is no.”

  I tightened my lips and tapped my fingers across the surface of the table. I trusted Captain Avery with my life, but it was imperative I left immediately. I had to find the summer stone, no matter what it took.

  “Thank you,” I said, lifting my gaze to him. “You’ve taught me a lot about being a pirate. Including going after what I want.” I got back to my feet.

  “Odette, if yer mother comes askin’ . . .”

  “Tell her when I get back that she will finally recognize I’m worth something to her.” I snatched my pack from beside the table and turned sharply on my heel.

  “She’s just tryin’ to keep you safe!”

  I didn’t look over my shoulder. I made it out to the street only to stop in the middle of the road. I looked down into the calm waters of the night. The Sea Devil sat with the lights on in the captain’s quarters and lanterns on de
ck were lit. I imagined Hook was having quite a fun time celebrating his new responsibilities as captain, showing off his captain’s bed to the girls, and drinking with his new crew.

  It made me sick.

  And then my eyes settled on a smaller ship. A barge, really, and I didn’t even hesitate to head down to the waters. Its crew was loading the last of supplies, which meant they would be leaving soon.

  When I drew nearer, I recognized the slanted sails of The Black Cape. I knew Captain Josiah only by name. He didn’t exactly have a good reputation. There was a story that floated around the summer before that he had sacrificed a crew member to the sirens for safe passage.

  The sound of my boots clomping on the wood announced my presence to the crew, and I was greeted by a shirtless, overweight pirate leaning on the railing of the ship.

  His smirk shifted to confusion when he eyed me. “Who’re you?”

  “My name is Odette. I need to talk to Captain Josiah.”

  He rubbed his plump finger over his bushy eyebrow. “What’re ye needing him for?”

  “It’s not your business.”

  He grinned, but one side of his face didn’t move. “Well then, I’m afraid I can’t help.” He pushed off the railing and turned.

  I took a step. “I need to speak with him about joining his crew temporarily and about a possible bounty.”

  Slowly, the man turned back. “Bounty? What kind?”

  “Something more precious than anything he could ever get from a raid or plunder.” I stood my ground, watching the man intensely. I didn’t know if this was the best idea. The captain already had a reputation, but I didn’t want to waste time waiting for another crew to prep their ship over the next week.

  He ran his tongue over his teeth. “A’right. Come up.” He motioned for me to climb the gangplank.

  I pinched my shoulders to my neck for a few seconds, drew a deep breath, and straightened my spine as I relaxed before walking up the gangplank and onto the deck.

  The man was now lounging on a barrel, opening a small burlap sack. “Tell me about the voyage and my payment.”