Chapter 411: Drama
Chapter 411:
Daphne
I twist my wrist. It is slightly soreand stiff, the he muscles ache in a way that reminds me of nothing else.
But I do not regret a thing.
Not at all.
I have left Lorelei still asleep in the cabin. She is curled beneath the blankets, her dark hair spread across the pillow, her lips slightly parted. The egg pulses beside her, tucked into its nest of blankets and shells.
I walk out onto the deck.
The morning sun is bright,almost blinding after the darkness of the cabin. The sky is pale blue, streaked with clouds. The water is calm, rippling gently against the hull.
I lean against the railing and stare out at the horizon, enjoying the morning breeze and the warmth of the sun on my face, when I notice movement from the corner of my eye.
Behind a stack of barrels and crates, half-hidden from view, are Marina and Nancy.
They are pressed close together. Marina’s hand is on Nancy’s waist. Nancy’s hand is on Marina’s cheek. Their faces are inches apart.
When did that happen?
I watch for a moment longer. Nancy laughs at something Marina says. Marina kisses her forehead.
Well. Good for them.
I look away.
Nearby, a crew member catches my eye. He flinches. Avoids my gaze. Scuttles off to another part of the ship.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
I hope we reach land soon. I want to dump the prince and his men on the shore and sail away.
I should probably settle near the coast. A house by the sea. Close enough to the water for Lorelei, close enough to land for me.
But no. That would expose her.
Maybe an island.
I could buy an island, with I have I can certainly afford one.A small one. Remote. Hidden.
Somewhere no one would find us.
Hmmmnn. Decisions, decisions.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up.
I look around.
The water is still calm. The sky is still clear. The crew is still moving about their tasks.
Then—
The water explodes.
A giant kraken rises from the depths. Its shadow engulfs the ship, plunging the deck into darkness. The sun vanishes behind its massive form.
The crew freezes. Someone drops a coil of rope. It lands on the deck with a dull thud.
Its tentacles are massive way longer than the ship, thicker than the main mast, darker than the deepest trench.
They curl around the ship, surrounding us, holding us. Not squeezing. Not attacking. Just... waiting.
The water churns. Waves slap against the wood. The ship groans beneath the pressure.
I look down.
In the water, illuminated by the pale light filtering through the kraken’s shadow, I see an old man. He is muscular despite his age, broad-shouldered and thick-chested.
His beard is long and braided, streaked with gray. His hair is dark, tied back from his face.
He holds a ...trident.
I take it this is the king of the merfolk.
He does not look pleased.
The crew begins to gather their weapons—cutlasses drawn, pistols raised, harpoons aimed at the kraken’s massive eyes.
"Stand down," I command.
They hesitate.
"Now."
The weapons lower. Slowly. Reluctantly.
Are they trying to get us killed? Well I won’t die.But most of them will. The kraken could crush this ship like an eggshell.
"Drop a boat," I say. "I am going down."
No one moves.
"Do I look like I am joking?Drop. The. Boat."
The crew moves.
Ropes are untied. Pulleys creak. A small boat is lowered over the side, splashing into the water below.
I climb over the railing and jump into the boat. It shakes slightly beneath my weight, rocking back and forth before settling.
I row toward the king.
He does not move. Does not speak. Does not even blink, just staring at me with dead eyes.
The kraken’s tentacles shift in the water around me, massive and dark, close enough to touch. I do not flinch.
I stop the boat a few lengths away.
The boat rocks beneath me, but I keep my balance.
"Greetings, Your Highness," I call out.
To no surprise, he does not respond.
"Bring out my daughter," he says.
"Daughter?" I tap my chin. "You have my daughter."
His eyes narrow.
"You have my daughter."
[Host. Stop antagonizing the king of the merfolk.]
Fine. How boring.
I raise my hands in surrender.
"Then I am not the one you are looking for." I say.
He stares at me. His grip tightens on the trident. The kraken’s tentacles shift in the water around us, close enough to touch.
"I came down here because of my ship," I continue. "I did not want anything to happen to it."
"You risked your life for wood?"
I shrug.
"It is very nice wood."
He does not laugh.
Tough crowd.
"My daughter is on your ship," he says.
"She might be on the ship, but not because of me." I pause. "Did you know your other daughter has been spending quite a bit of time with a human prince?"
His jaw tightens.
"Bring me my daughter."
"You will not do anything to my ship, right?" I ask.
The king glares at me.
I wait.
He does not answer.
I take that as a probably not.
I begrudgingly turn the boat around and row back toward The Bunny. The oars dip into the water, slow and steady. The kraken’s tentacles part before me, creating a narrow path through the churning waters.
I can feel his eyes on me every stroke of the way.
I reach the ship. I climb the rope ladder, hand over hand, boots finding the rungs. The crew helps me over the railing.
I land on the deck.
I make eye contact with one of the prince’s men—a young soldier with wide eyes and a trembling hand on his sword.
"Tell your prince his father-in-law is here," I say.
The soldier blinks.
"Now."
He scrambles below deck.
I walk to my throne. I sit. I lean back. I cross my legs.
I wish I had snacks to munch on for this drama.