When Whitley winds up on the top of a pirate hit-list thanks to her con-artist father, she must hide her identity and board another pirate ship, trusting in one shape-shifting pirate named Bluff to help her escape. Too bad you can never, ever, trust...
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The pain reverberates from my chest, into my back and down to my legs. Every breath is heavy and labored. But I don't want to let go. Not for myself, but for Whitley.
I don't know how she's still here, how she could be a siren, but still love me. Still remember. But she is, and I don't care if I only have an hour with her before my own blade sucks the life out of me, I'll fight for every minute I have.
The little boat rocks in the dark water, as I lay between Whitley's legs, her chest against my back and arms wrapped around me. I lay my head back and try not to hate myself. That won't help anything.
"I'm so sorry." I say again, because I don't know what else to say. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't stabbed myself in the heart. Maybe that was the thing that pull Whitley's soul back into her body. Or maybe not. Maybe she would have stopped my mother, and came to me regardless. I don't know.
Maybe I saved her.
Maybe I ruined everything.
Either way, what's done is done and my blood keeps seeping out of me and there is no one around to help us.
A webbed hand slaps onto the side of the dingy and Whitley gasps as a siren lifts her head slowly to meet us. Whitley holds up the sword she grabbed last minute, "Leave us alone." She says with a shaky voice.
"No, sister," the she says with a softer voice than I've heard from a siren. "We want to help."
"You're the ones that did this," Whitley spits at them. "All of it."
"I don't know about that," the siren says, looking uncomfortably over her shoulder. "but we don't want him to die. We can help him if you let us bring him below—"
"NO," Whitley hisses and I wince as the inhuman sound of it. Though another part of me loves that she's still protecting me from them. "Neither of us will be going into the water. No matter what."
I swallow and wince.
"Right?" she asks me suddenly uncertain.
"Yes," I gasp out. "Don't go with them, please." I force out between uncomfortable breaths.
The siren bites her lip with her fangs. I'm almost surprised when it doesn't pierce her skin. "Then well help bring your boat to a human port. You can get aid there, yes?"
Whitley pauses for a moment. "You could do that?"
My stomach sinks.
"Yesss," the siren says.
"Bluff?" Whitley asks me with such a soft voice that I close my eyes and take in the beautiful sound, letting it fill me.
"I don't trust sirens. Ever. But the alternative..."
Whitley nods. "Okay," she whispers to the siren who nods somberly and then sinks below.
"They could pretty easily capsize this boat if they wanted," I tell her.
"But why wouldn't they have done it already?"
I don't respond to that. I've never understood sirens so I won't pretend to now. I just know they aren't to be trusted.
A moment later several sirens surface and without a word begin pushing the little boat until it's speeding through the water at a speed that shocks me. The bow of the boat pull up over the waves, carving through effortlessly.
Even with the surprising speed I'm unsure how long it'll take to get to a doctor. I take in long breaths and sink deeper into Whitley's touch.
"Tell me something." I ask her. "Distract me."
She bites her lip and pulls her lips up to my ear and tells me our story. The moment she met me. The first time she wished I would kiss her. The first time I did, how she knew, before I even touched her, that I wasn't Jeb. How she was so lost in me, that she was shocked when she opened her eyes and saw I was still in Jeb's body. How she planned to run away because she couldn't stay in that prison, not after what she'd experienced on that ship with me.
I close my eyes as she continues, listening to her voice. Whitley. Listening to all the moments that brought us here, and realizing how worth it this all was.
My whole life destroyed. And I would do it all over again. Just to be with her.
***No long list for the wattys :( I'm disappointed as I feel this story is good enough but wattpad disagrees. sadly. Only a few more chapters to wrap this story up. Thanks for sticking with me :)***
