A Pirated Heart

His Plunder and the Merchant Ship

Kaden studied the merchant vessel through his telescope. It was manned by about fifteen or so men and none of them appeared to be armed. It was an easy mark.

"No cannons," Kaden remarked as Arabella nodded.

"And who are you sending aboard?" Arabella questioned as she eyed the vessel without a telescope.

"Just a few men. You. Me. Damien. Ashik. Pike. Walker. Bennett." Kaden listed off the names easily. Arabella frowned at the mention of her brother.

"Damien?"

"He needs to prove his worth aboard my ship." Kaden replied as he turned to frown at Arabella. She folded her arms across her chest and met his gaze with one of annoyance.

"And he hasn't already done that?"

"It's an easy raid, Bella. Nothin' will harm that precious brother of yours. Besides you and the Leviathan will be there to protect him." Kaden answered in a condescending tone. He was still angry at Arabella. If it weren't for her, he would be a normal, ruthless pirate. Instead, he was surrounded by magic and myths. He waited for Arabella to snap back at him. She simply turned and walked away. Kaden stood there stunned.

Arabella never walked away from a fight with him.

What the hell was her game?

Arabella decided to ignore Kaden's misdirected anger. The feelings that were spilling over into her were difficult to understand and kept changing frequently. Standing next to him was becoming nigh impossible.

What had gone down in Lauricia coupled with Sortega and Warrick was beginning to make Kaden unstable. She could understand it. He didn't have years and years to come to grip with the otherworldly.

"Bells," Jarrus's voice earned Arabella's attention as she stopped just shy of the mast.

"Jarrus, I don't have time to talk. I need to get the crew together and prep my pistols," Arabella remarked as she turned to face the older man. Jarrus sighed. Arabella, unlike Damien and Kaden, had taken his news the easiest. He supposed that without her heart it was relatively simple for Arabella to take the information for its face value. He was her grandfather. For her, there were no complicated feelings. It was a blessing and a curse, Jarrus thought to himself.

"Don't take what Lockes says to heart, girl," Jarrus voiced as Arabella scoffed.

"That's quite easy since I don't have one," she retorted sharply. Her temper flared but she was quick to tamper it. She didn't need to lose control like she had on the Navy frigate and in Lauricia. Arabella focused on the emptiness in her chest instead of the rage building in her belly. She turned and left Jarrus alone as she headed for her room. Jarrus looked up to the helm and met Kaden's annoyed gaze.

"What?" He yelled up to the captain but Kaden didn't answer him. All the younger man did was snarl and stomp out of his sight. Jarrus shook his head. He needed to get Arabella and Kaden to stop their feud or something very bad could happen.

***

Katarina glared at the men aboard the ship. They were an unimpressive bunch and nothing compared the image the mermaid's description had invoked in her imagination. She sighed at the thought of the provocative fantasy that drifted across her mind. She was so wrapped in her daydrem that she didn't notice the merchant and his crew scurrying about the ship in fear, searching for weapons. At least she was until one brutish man pushed Katarina out of the way and muttered that she was a "useless chit."

"What's going on?" she asked aloud, hoping one of the men passing by would answer her. The youngest aboard the ship, a lad no older than 15, stopped and frowned at her before he opened his mouth.