Hello! So I am new to wattpad, and though I've been writing fanfics and things for years, I haven't actually been on here yet... Anyways, this was originally a fanfic (AU) but I decided to post this version, so the characters are not mine (except Lily) and I do not own the rights to stuff... Anyways, I hope you enjoy this! Rant over, read on!
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Chapter One: Visions of the Sea
The ropes were rubbing Nerissa's skin raw.
Honestly, that should have been the very least of her concerns, but if she moved even in the slightest, something burned against her. The fresh, salty sea air didn't help by stinging her as the net lifted her from the ocean. The morning sundared to shine down on her misfortune, and though she was still wet, she could sense herself drying as soon as she was completely beyond the waves. The very air felt like it was singeing her.
The net was slowly lifting, spitting seawater. The fish trapped within its bounds squirmed, eager and desperate to find a way back to the water. Nerissa felt this frantic need as well, but she had no such chance for escape. She knew without a doubt that she had been caught by pirates. She was trapped and very exposed; somewhere in the confusion of getting captured, the wrap covering her upper body had slipped off, leaving her completely naked. She tried to cover herself as best as she could, anxiously wondering how in all the seas she was supposed to get out, when voice shot out like cannons overhead. The net's incline halted abruptly, jarring her. She hung in the air, heart racing. A rope dropped down beside her.
Startlingly fast, a man slid down the rope. Nerissa worried for a fraction of a moment that he would slip right off, into the hungry ocean, but he stopped just in the nick of time. He turned his attention to the catch, pulling away a good amount of rope and staring. He started with the realization that they had caught a human girl who had been drifting somewhere in the treacherous waves and got in the way of the fishing net-why were pirates fishing anyways? Lack of ships to pillage? Competition?
The man before her looked enough like a pirate. He was built lean and muscular, with tousled raven hair, but he was still rather young. He seemed to be a seafaring man, as he was so at ease with the deadly waters directly below him. Though he was not filthy, his clothes were ragged. He wore a jacket-for even though the weather was warming, the air out at sea was always chiller-that even looked as if it had been slashed in the coattails. The pirate was gawking at her just as much; their shocked expressions were like mirrors.
A shout from above rained down. "Everything alright down there?"
"We may have a few problems," the man called up. He glanced back and forth from the deck high above to Nerissa in the net. Hesitantly, he told her, "Stay here," and began climbing back up the rope, slower this time.
Nerissa had plenty of time to register what was going on, yet no way to react. She was absolutely stuck.
After a few minutes of hearing bickering voices on the deck, a rope ladder unfurled and rolled down the side of the ship. The raven-haired pirate returned, clambering down easily, lithe as a feline. Not wasting any time, the man drew a dagger from his belt. Any coherent thoughts Nerissa had been having were consumed by the alarming fact that the pirate was armed.
He reached out and, with one hand, slashed the net open. Fish spilled out, but Nerissa was secure as ever. She yearned to dive back into the ocean with them. Unfortunately for her, the pirate was between her and the sweet, shimmering salvation of the sea.
The pirate was swift and completely sure of himself. Without a word, he sheathed his weapon, tugged off his coat, gave her the garment through the gap in the net, and averted his eyes. All of this while making sure he was still clinging to the rope ladder.
Nerissa gratefully wrapped the coat around herself. Now she was unsure of the pirate's motives; he seemed to be helping her, but she was not naturally trusting. Nevertheless, she decided that he was not trying to harm her. At the moment.
Once she was covered, he turned back to her and said, "Now how in the hell did you get out here? We're in the middle of the bloody sea." She wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't seem to be looking for an answer anyways. Instead, he hooked his feet in the ropes and held out his hands to her. She hesitated, staring at them as if his touch alone was toxic. "Come on, then," he urged her. Finally, she reached forth and grasped his hands. They were warm, calloused, and careful. He transferred her hands to the rough rope of the ladder and asked, "Can you climb, girl?"
Nerissa felt her face flush. She couldn't have been much younger than him. She nodded; she was strong, that was certain, but she'd never climbed a rope before. She hesitated, glancing down one final time at the sea. She couldn't just dive back down, however much she wanted to. She would have to face her fate.
She swung herself onto the rope from the net, shaky and dependent on the pirate catching her. He laughed when the ladder swayed from the impact of her leap, but it was only making her stomach turn.
"I'll go up first," the pirate explained. "Be careful following after." He began climbing, agile as an ape but still shaking the rope. Still, since it was a ladder, Nerissa hardly had any trouble heaving herself up after him. Her hands were scorched by the time they reached the deck of the ship, but she had made it to the top. The pirate jumped aboard, then reached down and yanked Nerissa up.
The ship was fine, sturdy, and large. She saw no signs of a jolly roger, but all suspicions were certainly not erased. Crewmen bustled about, not noticing her quite yet, but a new pirate with calculating grey eyes had been glowering at the raven pirate. Once he spotted Nerissa, he reeled with shock.
The raven pirate scratched his head sheepishly. "So it seems we caught a girl."
The new man crossed his arms. His bright red hair was tied back in a tail, and his expression had turned decidedly grumpy. "You let the fish go, did you?"
"I didn't have much of a choice."
The red pirate groaned and tugged another of the crew aside. "You. Fetch the captain. We have a real headache on our hands." He didn't seem to mind that Nerissa, the headache in question, was right before him, and turned to her, unperturbed. "So what happened, eh? You got lost out here, miss?" His voice was full of doubt, but she saw in his eyes that he was truly astonished by her. How, if not for getting lost, had she managed to end up in the middle of the ocean? How, if she got lost, did she manage to get out there in the first place?
Nerissa couldn't find her voice. This man was so sharp and callous. She could only imagine what the captain would be like. The words on her tongue dried up like salt water in the searing sun. She had no time to speak them before they were gone. The wooden ground swayed, unsteady beneath her.
The red pirate sighed in exasperation when the silence stretched out too long. "I have absolutely no doubts that this will only continue to get stranger."
A door opened, and a very tall man stepped onto the deck. Nerissa felt herself shrink back. This was undoubtedly the captain. He was unusually young, with spiking black hair untamed even by his hat, and his eyes were blazing. He was striking, yet dangerous. Though she spotted quite a few mates older than him on the ship, he clearly held the highest authority and great respect.
He walked over, his strides wide, and blinked at the raven pirate. "Well. Made a new friend, have we?"
"Captain." The raven pirate gulped. "We caught this girl in the fishing net. I brought her up, but I had to let the fish go."
The captain nodded. "Better that than the other way around. Lucky thing we found her, or she'd really be sleeping with the fishes." He chuckled at his own joke. The red pirate rolled his eyes, as if this happened all too often. He offered Nerissa a smile. She stared back, appalled at how good-natured he was. "So, what's your story, lass?" he asked inevitably. "How'd you get all the way out here?"
Nerissa held her silence. It had worked thus far. Plus, she figured that even if she could pipe up, she would not know what to say. The captain raised an eyebrow at her. "No? Alright. Well, it looks as though you'll be stuck aboard until we port again; then you'll have to collect your bearings. Don't worry, for if we keep moving steadily, we'll dock again quite soon. You're quite lucky, considering we just finished a raid."
The captain turned and barked, "Raise the anchors! Let's get this ship moving!" His command was firm, but not harsh. He seemed to be shouting at no one in particular, and yet men still followed orders. Nerissa supposed as far as vicious pirate ships went, she could have done worse.
The ship began moving. Nerissa could hear the clank as the anchors were raised, and the sound of the vessel slicing across the sea, no longer held back. The uncertain terrain beneath Nerissa unbalanced her, and she wobbled where she stood. She managed to pitch forward, so that she would not take a hard fall back into the water, but suddenly even that seemed preferable to being on the swaying ship. The raven pirate clutched her and steadied her before she could stumble even more.
"Whoa, there," he exclaimed with a grin, "someone's not yet got her sea legs."
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" the red pirate asked, practically emitting disdain.
"I think this is a fine twist in our stories, yes," the raven pirate countered. "Loosen up, Declan. Life's not all coins and strategy and perfect plots. It sends some surprises as well."
Nerissa could hardly pay attention to what they were saying. Nausea rolled over her like a wave. She barely heard the raven pirate remark, "Lassie, you don't look too well," before she fell forward again, this time plunging into darkness.
***
When Nerissa woke next, she felt dizzy and sick as ever. Trying to lift her head only made it worse, so she sunk back into the pillow she laid on and opened her eyes. She was in a room below deck, resting on a bed, probably in a room meant for a crew member. The furnishing was slight and simple. A new pirate with matching golden hair and eyes was wringing out a cloth over a pail of water. He brightened when he saw her awake and set the cool cloth on her forehead.
"Don't fret," he started at Nerissa's feverish expression, "this ship may seem dreadful, but no harm shall come to you here. This is the closest we have to a sickbay, and I'm closest we have to a medic. The sickness will pass, lassie." He smiled reassuringly. His features were soft. Against her better judgment and in her ill state, Nerissa found herself trusting him, just a little.
Nerissa felt fabric against her skin and looked down to find she was wearing a simple, white cotton nightdress. She loathed the idea of anyone seeing her indecent body, but there was nothing to be done about it now.
The flaxen pirate caught her gaze. "That dress belongs to the captain's wife," he explained. "Women aren't permitted on board this ship, as is tradition, so it's a lucky thing we had that." He began to say something else, but Nerissa could no longer focus. She didn't even have a clear thought before she spiraled back into unconsciousness.
***
It took days for Nerissa to regain her health and become used to the dreadful rocking of the ship, but she didn't know how many. All she knew was that it was the flaxen pirate who kept returning, and no one else. Not anyone frightening or with ill intent. Not even the raven pirate who saved her.
When she was finally able to sit, stand, and even walk around without trouble, she felt like she was ready to take on the world. The flaxen pirate was just as pleased. Having soon discovered that Crystal wasn't going to start speaking anytime soon, he brought any scraps of parchment he could scavenge and a stray quill from the navigator's office. Nerissa wanted to use as much of it as possible, not wasting any space, and decided to speak simply, lest she confuse someone. Not all were as privileged as she to have learned grammar so well.
She took up the quill. There were so many questions she had about the ship, but the first thing she wrote was just one word: Names?
The flaxen pirate gazed at this in mild surprise. "Names? As in, names of the men aboard?" Nerissa nodded. "Oh. I completely forgot to tell you! My name is Rylee. I shan't rattle off everyone's name, because I hardly think you'll remember, but the captain's name is Maxon, should you ever need to speak with him."
Unable to help her curiosity, Nerissa wrote, Who is the man who saved me?
"Oh, I believe that was Jonas. At least, he was the one who carried you in here."
Jonas. Just by hearing the name, Nerissa knew it was the right one. Somehow it fit him; the careless appearance, the confident air, the amber eyes.
"What's your name?" Rylee asked. "If you don't mind my asking."
Nerissa, she wrote carefully.
"How lovely," Rylee said, flashing a smile. "Well, why don't we walk about the ship? I can't stay with you for too long, regrettably, but I can see about finding you a tour guide."
The thought of encountering pirates again made Nerissa's stomach bubble with nerves, but the fresh air upon the deck was marvelous. It filled her lungs and lifted her spirits immediately. She hadn't realised how much she had missed the salty sea air.
The early-morning sun was beaming bright as she and Rylee emerged. The men of the crew were busy at work, running the ship. They tugged on sails and hauled barrels, and did plenty of things Nerissa couldn't keep track of nor understand. She found that the red pirate-Declan, was his name?-wasn't there, but her bright-eyed saviour dropped the ropes he carried into another man's arms when he spotted her, and rushed right over.
"Why, you're looking better!" he grinned at her and turned to Rylee. "Is she feeling well?"
"I hope so," Rylee replied, smiling. The two of them seemed quite familiar with one another.
Nerissa, on the other hand, was not nearly as comfortable. Now that her mind was not clouded by panic or seasickness, she could see the mischievous glint in Jonas's eyes. And, well, he had seen her when she was so exposed, and he was a pirate. Now at least she was wearing proper clothing-another dress belonging to the captain's wife. She should have known better than to hope for her saviour to be someone kind and dashing.
"She doesn't seem fond of conversation, though," Rylee added good-naturedly.
"Is she mute?" Jonas asked bluntly. Nerissa felt herself bristle.
"She hears fine, but she doesn't speak," Rylee explained quickly, careful not to further offend Nerissa. "So instead, I've had her write. Her name is Nerissa." He hesitated before he asked, "Actually, would you mind showing her the ship? I've got some things I have to take care of, and she still doesn't know her way around, and if she's to be here until we next port, she'll need to know where to go..."
To Nerissa's utter dismay, Jonas agreed and Rylee skittered off. As she passed, a young boy popped out from below deck and tried to help the crewmen with their work. They humoured him by giving him small tasks. Nerissa was struck not only by the fact that a child was on this pirate ship, but also because he looked a lot like Jonas with his tousled black hair and bright, golden eyes. She was going to inquire after him, but Jonas had already begun leading her around. He showed her the way to the scullery, the quarters, the offices, and even the lower level of storage. All the while, she badgered him with questions on her papers.
Why are you pirates fishing? she scribbled out at one point when she saw some nets in need of repair lying around below deck.
"Pirates!" Jonas boomed. "Pirates pillage and attack other ships. No, lassie, we may be smugglers and thieves, but we aren't no pirates. Captain's got a strict code of honour here on this ship. We've all seen some bad things in our days, and we'd like to keep that trouble away from our jobs."
That meant she definitely had to reevaluate her thoughts about the ship, but it made sense that they weren't pirates; after all, they'd been quite nice to her. Still, why do you fish? she asked.
"Well, fishing is a good market. It's our cover story. As far as port guards know, we are fishermen. Little do they
know we've been stealing and smuggling for years. And anyways, we have a few good customers; we sell the fish that we do catch cheap. Our best buyer is a bloke called Jonathan who runs a restaurant with his wife, Calla, in a city called Nox. Maybe once we're docked we could take you there, assuming you don't take flight immediately. Then again, you don't seem to be one willing to share your own identity, much less take an eatery recommendation from one who you thought was a pirate."
Instead of answering, Nerissa scrawled out, You're strange. I would have thought that if a man found a naked woman in his net, he would take advantage of her vulnerability rather than cover her up in his coat. This was a test, cloaked behind her own curiosity. Why were the men of this ship being so kind to her?
"And you should keep those thoughts," Jonas advised her. "All seafaring men are cruel in some way or another, and especially with women." Their tour had already looped around, and they'd returned to the deck.
Even your captain? Nerissa wrote. She couldn't imagine him being cruel to a butterfly.
Jonas grunted. "Especially the captain. He stole away my own sister, poor girl."
Nerissa's eyebrows shot up in surprise. You have a sister?
"Aye." He pointed to the little boy running about, his tiny look-alike. "That's the captain's son, Liam. He's a real pain in the arse, but he's my nephew and he lightens the mood around here."
Nerissa nodded, not mentioning that she had thought Liam was his son.
And what about you? Are you a bad man?
She expected a grin and a witty response, but his expression darkened. "Yes. I am."
But within a moment he was back to himself, as if that flicker of gloom had never even happened. "And that's exactly why you shouldn't be so easily trusting, even with pretty faces like my own." She rolled her eyes, but couldn't shake the image of his expression.
He dropped the subject and called over to the little boy. "Liam! Get over here, you scallywag!"
The little boy scampered over, eager to please his uncle, it seemed. Nerissa figured he got his fiery heart from hanging around on such a ship. It seemed like a rotten childhood to her, but Liam's bright smile told otherwise.
"This is Nerissa," Jonas said. "She doesn't talk much, but we're to be nice to her until we dock next, so no mischief."
Liam nodded, firmly and seriously. "Mama says to always be polite to a lady."
Jonas ruffled his hair. "Ah, Liam, you'll probably grow to be a greater man than all of us." He winked at Nerissa.
***
It didn't take long for Nerissa to become accustomed to the way things worked on the ship; when meals were served, when she should help out, when she should sleep and rise. She helped Rylee when the men stepped on stray nails or tripped over crates or fell from great heights and became injured. She spotted the captain many more times, since he and Rylee talked an awful lot. She even braved the navigation office and discovered that the redheaded pirate, Declan, was not nearly as mean as he looked. He was just critical, that was all, which made him a very good navigator (and Nerissa found he had a soft spot for young ladies with big eyes, ever since he married a dotty girl called Talya.)
On her first nights up and around, she searched for ways to get past the men who still sailed even when the moon was out. All she had to do was sneak round them to get to the sea. Then, she could escape. Each night, she grew closer to finding a good time and place to initiate her plan, but each night, she hesitated just a bit more. She was becoming fond of sailing. Was it really too awful to stay until they docked? Then she could leave and never think of this ship or anyone on it again. She could head back to her home and disappear. She could tell everyone about this strange tale, and she wouldn't get in trouble, for it would all be over by then. She would sing again, and laugh with her friends...
Her thoughts turned Brucie, and how much she missed her. When would she find her way back home? Brucie had always wanted her to go on an adventure, but did she ever expect Nerissa to be entangled in something like this?
But Brucie would probably just ogle at the pretty sailor-boys, only liking them more for their thievery. She would toy with them and explore this funny ship. She would poke around in the storage crates and pester all the members of the crew.
And then Brucie would kill them.
A knock on the door saved Nerissa from her circling thoughts. She opened it to Rylee, who bustled right into the room Nerissa was using as her chamber, having found more clothes from the captain's wife somewhere down in storage. It was helpful that the wife had dresses stored on board, but not everything fit Nerissa. The captain's wife must have been an awfully small lady, which would make her and tall Maxon such an interesting pair. When she thought about it, Jonas was fairly large as well. Just tall enough that Nerissa had to look up a little to look into those eyes of his-not that she really looked at his eyes a lot, in fact, she spent a good amount of time not looking at them...
Oh, if only Brucie were around now. She'd have a grand laugh when she discovered how worked up Nerissa was getting over a funny, grinning man like Jonas.
"Is something wrong, Nerissa?" Rylee asked, snapping her from her thoughts. "Your expression looks a bit...lost. You've seemed happier these past few days, more content or at least resigned to your fate, but now..." He trailed off. "Well, is there something you want to talk about?"
For just a split second, Nerissa considered grabbing a blank piece of parchment and telling Rylee everything. If there was one person she trusted on this ship, it was Rylee. But instead, she just took a scrap and wrote, I shouldn't say anything. It will change how you think of me.
"I'll trade you, then. A secret for a secret?" Before Nerissa could answer, Rylee removed his cap-er, well, her cap-to reveal a long, golden blonde ponytail. Nerissa suddenly understood why his-her-features were so soft, why she was so darn short, and why her voice was so high and sweet, like bells. Rylee hadn't really seemed too different from the rest of the men, other than her stature, but now that Nerissa saw one piece of her femininity, the whole image shattered.
"The other men don't know," Rylee said, a bit sadly. "After all, I'm hardly strong enough to hold my own on these rough seas as a man, but if they found out I was a woman, I wouldn't stand a chance. I would be treated differently, and I probably couldn't keep my job. I've only ever heard of a few women sailing with men, and I'm not anything like them. I've just been dying to tell you, though, almost since we first fished you up."
Does the captain know? Nerissa wrote, shocked.
Rylee raised her eyebrows. "I should hope so, since he married me." She lifted her hand, where Nerissa had never noticed she wore a golden wedding band.
You're his wife?
Rylee nodded. "Yes. Maxon's wife, Liam's mother, Jonas's sister. I brave these seas for them. I don't want to be left behind. Besides, I don't mind sailing, and the men could use someone to keep them in line and patch them up when they bruise themselves acting foolish." Almost as if on cue, a clatter broke out above. Rylee glanced at Nerissa worriedly. "And perhaps they'll need that help right now." She tucked her hair back into her cap with surprising speed and hopped to her feet.
Nerissa followed her to the deck to find it in something in a state of chaos. Nerissa found herself at Jonas's side instantly, as if pulled there by a magnet. He seemed hardly to have a problem with this.
Maxon emerged from below in a flurry. "What in all the seas is going on?"
"Captain!" called a man from the crow's nest. "There's a ship in sight!"
Maxon was moving about, barking orders at the men instantly. "Can you see the flag?" He shouted up at the man in the crow's nest, all business.
"Yes...it's Theo's."
Maxon let loose a string of very colourful words, a few which Nerissa did not even recognise they were so foul. She looked to Jonas, not even bothering to voice-or rather, write-her question.
Frustrated, Jonas let out a huffing breath. "Theo is one of the worst pirates out there. He's not a putrid swine, but rather a ruthless man. He and Maxon grew up together, and when they both took to the seas, they disagreed. They'd grown up rough. I knew them back then, too. They wanted to be heroes from stories-to take from the rich and give to the poor. But Theo agreed with pirates. He would attack other ships, rather than just plucking things from them. The two argued, and, well, we have trouble with them whenever they get close. Theo's men are always itching for a fight, lusting for blood. Even his beast of a sister."
This time, Nerissa had to scrawl out, There's a woman on that ship? She didn't think that a woman was ever openly a pirate. It was just too dangerous.
"Yes. Fire's a real brute, though. Don't let her pretty eyes fool you, or it'll bite you in the back. Literally. She's got quite the fangs." His expression darkened. "But though Maxon still feuds with his old enemy, some of the men aboard our ship believe there are greater threats out there. There are certain men plotting certain things, and though we don't yet know what's going on, I'm sure it just means a storm is brewing."
Maxon was preparing his men for the oncoming threat when he whirled around to look at his wife. "Rylee, I think you should go below deck. We'll need you safe for when the men are injured."
The other members of the crew probably would have found this perfectly rational, even not knowing that she was a woman, but few actually had a chance to listen. Nerissa, on the other hand, couldn't help but eavesdrop.
Rylee had stiffened. "Each time something of this sort happens, that's what you say. You think that I can't defend myself just because I'm-just because I'm not as strong as you!" Just because I'm a woman, was what she meant.
"I'm saying this because I'm trying to protect you," Maxon countered. Nerissa couldn't see Liam anywhere, and figured he was already hidden away, likely just as angry at missing out on the fight. Maxon glanced around to see if anyone was watching, and stepped just a bit closer to Rylee. "Please," he said, softer this time, "just do this for me."
Nerissa would have liked to defend Rylee, but Maxon had a point. Rylee was an easy target, and he didn't want her getting hurt. Plus, if he and Theo had known each other for so long, there was a chance that Theo knew about Rylee and would use her to get to Maxon. So, she nodded and trouped back below deck.
Faster than she thought any ship could go, Theo's ship pulled up against theirs. Jonas had drifted from her side and was watching as the imposing vessel cut through the twilit waves towards their ship. The dusk had turned the sky into a heavy purple, but Nerissa saw still something flicker beneath the waves, and her heart nearly stopped. Hoping beyond hope that it was just a trick of the light, she moved closer to the edge of the ship to get a better view. Her stomach sank to her feet when she saw the flash of scales again, that distinguished, defensive twirling beneath the surface that could only mean one thing.
Theo's ship was protected.
Nerissa cursed all the seas and wondered who could be so impossibly foolish as to protect his ship. She took back the thought, though, when she wondered how she looked, standing on Maxon's craft as they hastily prepared for battle.
She had to sort things out before they took a turn for the worse.
Carefully, she slipped from view and circled around the deck to the back of the ship, where she could not be seen. Then, without faltering, she dove straight into the inky sea.
Spiraling away quickly, it was all she could do to not be hit by either ship beneath the water. With Theo's drawing so near, she would have to be fast and strategic about her movements. Under the water, in her own element and feeling more balanced than she had for the past week, she circled around Theo's massive boat until she could see something pale flitting about.
Nerissa darted towards it, relishing the feeling of the cool water against her skin. The dress felt foreign against her in the water, but it didn't do too much to slow her movements. She cut easily through the ocean. Whoever was guarding the ship was trying to evade her, moving farther from both boats. They had a nasty surprise coming, though, when Nerissa shot through the water like a bullet and grabbed onto their pale flesh, tugging them to the surface.
She heard a gasp, and when she opened her eyes, she saw light hair and shifting eyes that she knew at once. "Lady!" the girl shrieked in horror. Nerissa didn't know who was more distressed; her or the girl.
"Get away, fast," Nerissa ordered. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm sorting this out." She didn't want the girl to be in any sort of trouble, but they had both gotten themselves into particularly sticky situations.
Not waiting to see where the girl went, Nerissa headed back to Maxon's boat. So the girl was only guarding the ship, fine. But Nerissa had to stop the feud between the two ships before it turned nasty, so that she could just get a grip and understand what was going on.
She had just neared the back of the ship again, where she took her dive, when the ropes came around her again. She felt that same panic, the same terror and longing to be free that it took her a few moments to look up to the top of the ship. The back of the vessel was empty-she didn't know who started it, or what words ignited it, but a battle had indeed broken out between the two ships and everyone was too busy fighting it to be back there-except for one man, who was hauling her up in a fishing net.
Jonas.
By the time she was pulled to the top of the ship, she could feel legs again, feel her voice sliding from her throat, but it was too late. Jonas had already seen her for the monster that she was.