A Pirated Heart

Her Secrets and Magic

“Tell me something, Bella,” Kaden had attempted to sneak up on Arabella but her green eyes had turned toward him before he had gotten close enough.

“If you have time to question me, Lockes, you have time to order the anchor be lowered when we reach port,” Arabella remarked before Kaden could ask his infuriatingly frequent questions. Kaden glared at her.

“I know how to do my job, woman,” he growled as Arabella quirked an eyebrow. She met his angered gaze with one of boredom before she turned to head toward the deck. Kaden watched her as he opened his mouth to issue the order she had so easily thrown in his face. However before the words could be shouted, the ship rocked violently as a dull thud resounded from the hull.  Arabella tensed instantly as her eyes swept the sea around the ship. Her eyes widened as she sensed them. She glanced over her shoulder and found most of the crew stunned by the impact and Kaden’s eyes pinned directly on her. She immediately cursed his interest in her before she ran to side of the ship. She looked toward the captain again and found him engaged in an argument with Jarrus, who was blocking her from Kaden’s view.

“Then what was it?” She heard Kaden shout as she gripped the edge and swung herself over. She barely felt the impact as she broke the surface of the water.  She only had a split second before something grabbed her leg and dragged her beneath the waves. Arabella didn’t fight; at least not until she was far enough from the ship that she wouldn’t bring attention to herself or the creatures. Arabella felt her lungs burn for oxygen, but she ignored it. It wouldn’t kill her.  Once Calypso’s Fall was a black dot on the ocean’s surface, Arabella turned and caught the creature by their hair. A terrifying screech echoed through the water as the creature opened its mouth revealing sharp, serrated teeth.  It turned and faced Arabella.

On the surface it was called a mermaid. Sailors called them sirens. Neither seemed appropriate monikers. What floated in front of Arabella was a grotesque creature that was half battle torn shark and half emaciated human; the hair Arabella had torn out was green and surrounding the mermaid like a moldy halo. Its eyes, equipped to deal with the darkness of the ocean, were pale and sunken in behind its sharp cheeks.  Sharpened bones pierced the skin along its wrists and down its spine. While it didn’t look strong, Arabella knew they had the strength of twenty human men and she had yet to see anything to match their speed. The mermaid screeched again before cutting across the distance that separated it from Arabella. She barely had time to retrieve the dagger from her boot before the mermaid rammed into her and dug its claws into her back. She ignored the pain as she tightened her grip on the dagger and shoved into the mermaid’s thick flesh. It took all of her strength to slide the metal through muscles and bone until it reached the organ she had been aiming for: the heart.  The mermaid screeched again as it began to writhe around Arabella until it simply went still and sunk. Arabella pulled the dagger from the mermaid’s corpse and slid it back into her boot before she started her ascent back toward the surface.  The other mermaids eyed her with malice as she passed them but they made no move to challenge her. No doubt they had never met a human who could survive under the water for so long and still manage to kill one of their own. 

Kaden searched for her. The ship had stopped rocking and the thuds had been silenced, but Arabella was nowhere in sight. He briefly wondered if she had fallen overboard and drowned, but something told him that was not what happened. And then, there she was, heaving herself over the side of the ship, soaking wet. Jarrus met her with a thick blanket which he wrapped around her shoulders. Kaden glared at Arabella when her eyes met his and he stomped across the deck to confront the woman about what had happened to her.

“Whales chasing something,” she explained to Jarrus who questioned what she had seen in the water. Kaden gripped her arm in his hand and dragged her away from Jarrus and the rest of the crew that had gathered around to learn what had attacked the ship. No one stood up for her as she was led off the deck.

“Let me go, Lockes,” Arabella growled as Kaden shook his head firmly and tightened his grip. He didn’t stop until they were in his cabin and the door was locked behind them. He tossed Arabella toward the only soft surface in the room: his bed.  

“What the hell is…”

“Where were you?”

“What?” Arabella’s eyes widened as she stared at Kaden’s enraged form.

“Where were you?”

“I fell over the edge, Lockes. That’s all,” Arabella lied easily as she started to climb to her feet.

“Fell over the edge? Bella, you talk as if you just scuffed your boot!”

“I didn’t die so I don’t understand why you are being so…”

“Why don’t you care about your life?” Kaden growled as he slammed his fist against the closed door. Arabella’s eyes widened as she stared at him in surprise.

“Why do you?” She growled in response as she felt the anger rise in her gut. Kaden turned to her swiftly and pinned his glare onto Arabella’s wet form.

“I am your captain you will answer me, Cartridge,” Kaden’s words reverberated through his chest as Arabella stood to her feet, letting the blanket slide down from her shoulders. She narrowed her eyes on Kaden’s massive body before she watched his eyes widen. She frowned until she looked down and cursed. Her shirt was slowly turning red.

“Are you bleeding?”

“It’s a scratch. Now let me out, Lockes,” Arabella could feel the stunned anger humming from Kaden’s heart. She frowned. She had never been able to feel emotions from others before.  Briefly distracted by her thoughts, Arabella didn’t see Kaden’s hand reach for her arm until he had it wrapped in his grip.  He turned her around so her back faced him.

All the air rushed from Kaden’s lungs as he saw the wounds that stretched across Arabella’s body. Barnacles and coral were stuck into the flesh. Blood oozed from ragged tears that ran the entire length of her back. If he didn’t know any better, he would swear they almost looked like claw marks.

“You’re hurt,” he mumbled as he hesitantly reached out to touch the injuries. The skin was red and raw and he could feel the heat in the air where his fingers lingered.

“It’s nothing,” Arabella growled. She went to turn away but Kaden held her in place with his hands gripping her shoulders. She winced but he didn’t notice it. His eyes were pinned on her back.

“Does it hurt?”

“Of course it hurts, but it’s nothing,” Arabella hissed as Kaden ran a finger down a particularly angry gash.

“We need Jarrus. Now. You’ll bleed to death if we don’t close the wound,” Kaden remarked softly as Arabella scoffed.

“It won’t kill me,” she blurted out before she instantly slammed her hand across her mouth and internally cursed herself. Kaden’s grip on her shoulders tightened and Arabella couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her lips.

“I’m going to go get Jarrus. You are going to stay here and not move. That’s an order,” Kaden snarled lowly as his anger hummed through Arabella again. Her frown deepened as he left her alone and locked the door behind himself.

***

“Ya did what, boy?” Jarrus asked as he turned to face Kaden.

“Locked her in my quarters.  She’s hurt, Jarrus. I mean really hurt and I think she’s in shock,” Kaden explained as Jarrus stared at him.

“And you’re sure about the wounds. Claw marks?”

“Yes.”