Vampyre and Pirate Captain. Lyria Blackwood was many things but she never expected to become the salvation of the sea.
Due to the blood running through her immortal veins, she may be the only one to break the curse plaguing her seas. Forming an unl...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Safely back in her boat, Lyria waited until The Flying Dutchman sank beneath the waves before signalling for her crew to pick her up. Forcing her face back into neutrality, Lyria smiled at her family as she walked through them - pretending as if she had been the one to benefit from that conversation. Hands shaking, she pressed her forehead against the wood of her cabin door once she was safely inside it.
"You can not fall apart. You can not fall apart." She whispered to herself. "You don't have time."
Panic washed over her as the reality of the bargain began to settle in. She had ten days and no clue where to start, what to do, or what the curse was even doing to the sea. Looking back at the conversation she'd had with the reaper of the sea, Lyria realised she had been an absolute idiot. She hadn't asked questions, she hadn't tried to barter on the terms of her deal; she had just accepted the first thing thrown her way and left.
Idiot, she banged her head against the door.
"Somehow, I don't think that's going to help." A deep voice that made her stomach flutter came from the direction of her bed.
How had she not noticed his presence the moment she came aboard her ship? Turning, the scent of him washed over her and she felt a sharp pang of hunger as the smell of his blood hit her harder than before.
Seeing him sat upon her bedsheets, looking at ease, filled Lyria with a longing that she had not felt since the 1200s when she was human and wished for a husband who would treat her as an equal. Lucien not only treated her like an equal, but treated her as if she was far more ferocious than any man. Watching as he made himself at home, she realised that she longed for a life with him. And, she was beginning to think these feelings had sprouted long before the blood bond existed.
"May I be of some assistance to you, Lucien?" Lyria asked, ignoring the fact that he had just witnessed her talking to herself, and instead began tidying up her cabin.
Despite her short tone, she was immensely relieved that he was here so that she would not be left alone with her thoughts.
"Actually, yes, I think you can."
"Oh?"
"As you know, James spends rather some time aboard The Mermaid's Revenge-."
"No, you are not allowed to murder him because he has taken a shine to your sister."
A deep rumble of laughter had Lyria's legs turning to jelly, and she decided that Lucien's laugh was her new favourite sound. Even though her heart was still filled with fear, she couldn't help the smile that slid onto her face once she realised that she was the reason for Lucien's amusement.
"As appealing as that sounds, it is not what I was going to say." Lucien stood from the bed and walked over to the smaller Captain until he was almost flush against her, even if her back was still turned. "I was hoping you could educate me on Blood Bonding."
