DARLING | Nikolai Lantsov

Chapter 13 - Mermaids

--- Nikolai's POV ---

He sat in the crow's nest, staring out at the distance. Leaning his elbow on his knee as his fingers played with the gold chain of his compass. Nikolai's back to the flagpole. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath.

He caught to glint of her golden hair from above and watched as she sat next to Henrik. He was holding that chicken of hers. Apparently, he had become rather attached to it. It was about time he had a girlfriend, maybe this would be good practice. He smiled to himself, that made him feel a little better. Henrik and Mara were both laughing after a few moments, and Nikolai looked away. The sun hitting his back and warming him under his coat.

So many people thought he was just a devilishly handsome pirate, who took women on the trip of their lives, then dumped them right back on the land he had grabbed them from 2 weeks later. He had done that once or twice but that was ages ago. But it sank deep into his heart, the truth. He wasn't just any privateer. And he hated that this was just play pretend, until he was ready for what he was raised for.

Mara made him feel different, she hadn't been emersed in the gossip of it all. His hands could feel the faint whisper of the memory of her smooth skin. He glanced at her again, he had to remain in control. Nikolai clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists. Saints it was going to kill him not to tell her. He sat like that for a while. Lecturing himself into a stupor.

After what felt like ages, he sensed movement ahead of him and flinched towards the knife in his boot instinctively. Sighing with relief and putting it back.

"Why are you hiding away up here?" Mara asked, climbing up the rope ladder. She had a soft smile on her lips. He smiled back, taking her hand to help her up. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing your pretty head should worry about." Nikolai said, tilting his head and giving her that award winning crooked grin.

"Fine keep your secrets." She laughed. Giving me a soft push to the shoulder. She took his breath away, his eyes gleaming and skin glowing under the soft sky. He silently cursed the saints for giving him this glorious woman and then hitting him with an existential crisis all in the same week.

They sat there for a moment watching as the sun began to set. The deck was buzzing with excitement as all of the men hurried to finish their tasks before it fell dark.

"Is something happening that I don't know about?" Mara asked, raising her eyebrow and leaning over the edge. Curiously clearly in her eyes as she watched the men's excitement from above.

"Oh yeah." He laughed. "Tonight, is Nuit de reddition, Night of surrender. I nearly forgot." He finished before he rested his forearm on his knee, looking down at the small pocket watch in his hand.

"Surrender of what?" She asked.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

---Mara's POV---

- Later that evening -

The starlight gleamed against the deck. It had been scrubbed until I could practically see her face in it. All of the men had disappeared below deck as soon as the sun had slipped behind the horizon. All but one. Nikolai stood beside her, his hands on the wheel. Making small corrections to our route.

"You can't even tell me a little bit of what is happening?" She smiled, softly pushing her weight into him. Without looking my way, he chuckled and just shook his head. She gazed at his face as he looked over the sea ahead of them.

"Do you need to go below deck too?" She asked, trying to pry it out of him. "I noticed that even Dogan is down there."

"Nope. And you're going to have to try harder than that, if you want to get anything out of me darling." He answered, sending a wink her way before continuing his work. His hands stead and sure as he guided them over the waves.

"Do I need to go down there?" She asked, confused and completely dumbfounded. Nikolai looked at her and laughed out loud, throwing his head back as he roared with great humor. As if he had just headed the funniest thing in the world.

"You look so cute when you're confused." He smiled. "You face scrunches up like you've smelt something foul."

"So that's a, no?" She laughed.

"This night is for my men. I like to think I am a good captain." He smirked. "It will merely be entertainment for us. Now, hurry back up to the crow's nest, I'll be there in a moment."

- Time skip -

Nikolai sat beside her, leaning his arms on the railing of the nest. She looked at him with fascination as all of the men emerged from below deck, all in their best clothes. Faces shaven. Hair combed.

"Your men have all been replaced with boys Captain." Mara laughed. Nikolai chuckled, shaking his head as he looked over his crew. Henrik looked up at them and waved, he had the largest grin she'd ever seen.

"This is Henrik's first Nuit de reddition." Nikolai whispered to her.

She watched as all of the men flocked to the edges of the Hummingbird, looking into the water from all sides. Mara's eyes grew large when she saw small blue and purple lights begin to glitter in the water. They swirled and circled the boat slowly. Becoming brighter as they approached the surface. She looked to Nikolai in amazement.

The men whooped and hollered as the twinkling increased. The men reached downward, their bellies resting on the rails with their arms outstretched. Were they going to dive in?

Then she saw them. Sparkling figures rose out of the water into the arms of the crewmates. They were mermaids. Their skin gleaming under the moon, and they were beyond beautiful. Shining every kind of purple and blue there was. Their hair was slicked back, and they smiled brightly at the men before lightly grabbing their faces and leaning in. And all simultaneously, pulling the man in their arms into a deep kiss.

Nikolai slowly grabbed her hand. And Mara slowly turned back to him, memorized and reluctant to look away. He smiled at her, leaning closer.

"Don't you want to go down there?" She asked. Even she wouldn't have blamed him if he said yes. It seemed too magical to be real. He put his pointer finger under her chin and raised her face to his.

"Not at all." He said softly, before pressing a warm kiss on her lips.