Heart of the Kraken (Tales from Darjee) (13 page)

Nancy glanced up at him, the smile dropped away and a curious look flashed behind his eyes. "You don't agree with your captain?"

Fenton swallowed and glanced at Reis. His captain wore a scowl, but the words were undeterred and refused to stay put in his gut. "She has a mind and feelings. I do not believe we should traffic in fellow creatures."

Reis laughed and waved a dismissive arm at his first mate. "The mermaid's sweet words have rotted his brain and perhaps he found a better use for its evil tongue. Soon, he'll be waving a placard demanding equal rights for fish."

Fenton frowned and moved to stand in front of the man who controlled his life. The more time he spent with Ailin, the more resolve he found hidden inside himself. "If you think me so feeble, why do you let me continue to care for her?"

The cold black eyes lacked warmth as his teeth pulled back in the shark's laughing smile. "Far easier to watch one man I know has been turned, than to rotate her guard and suspect half my crew. Tell me, Fenton, who amongst my men do you think would assist in your escape plan?"

His nostrils flared as his breath raced through his chest. Reis knew and had said nothing. Perhaps this was simply another of his cruel games, letting him think there was hope when Reis had already decided the ending.

"Relax boy, I know she has her hands wrapped around your organ, no wonder your thinking is compromised, lack of blood flow." He laughed at his own joke.

Nancy coughed and Fenton's gaze flew to the older man. He gave a tiny shake of his head as though he suspected the younger man longed to take the captain by the throat and end things his way.

He took a step backward and then turned to survey the bookshelves. The lure of the printed word calmed the kraken that seemed to stir and move over his skin. The tentacles gripped his arms tighter. The ebb and flow of conversation continued behind him as he ran a finger over gold etched spines.

"It will take a day or two for the message to be relayed and for the Lady Alise to response," Nancy said.

Reis grunted. "We have some minor repairs to do and we need to restock. We can wait."

"Good, and I would like to meet your mermaid."

Reis' laughter was shorter this time, his patience wearing thin. "I have no intention to publicly display my treasure."

Fenton turned, but the benign smile never budged from Nancy's face. "Then I'm sure you'll be fine sailing straight up the Darjee channel to Regulators main base to negotiate your own exchange."

Reis swore under his breath. "Why? What interest do you have in the fish?"

Nancy's hands returned to the end of his pony tail, wrapping the white strands around a finger. "Need I remind you that Lusions harbour is teeming with reprobates with no conscience? And they gossip like fishwives. Even now, they are all eyeing the Razor's Edge and figuring out how to slip on board and meet this rare creature. Far better to display her for all to see and satisfy their curiosity. Besides, I have seen mermaids from afar but have never had the privilege of conversing with one."

"Daft old fool," Reis muttered under his voice, low enough that Fenton heard but beyond the reach of much older ears. "We'll bring her to the end of the pier this afternoon, 4pm."

Fenton's feet removed to budge and his spine stiffened at the thought of so many pirates ogling Ailin. "I'll not have her exposed to everyone. We cannot fight off the entire island if they try to take her."

Nancy regarded him with the thoughtful look. Then he nodded. "I will ensure your mermaid's safety. I have ways of casting a shield around her."

"If you give you word she will be safe." A new strength surged through his body and reinforced his bones with every word he said to protect Ailin.

Nancy's smile broadened. "You have my word, lad."

Reis laughed and walked to the door. "Told you the fish had its hand wrapped around his member. His only thought is of it."

"One other thing, Fenton," Nancy called as he was about the leave the strangely tranquil room and step back onto the roiling earth.

He turned and arched one eyebrow, waiting.

"A siren's sway over man only works on landwalkers, not those connected with the sea. Think on it." Then he waved his hand and shooed him from the room.

They stepped back into the wave of noise of the main bar. Fenton swallowed bile as the ground undulated to a beat only he could sense. Reis slapped his shoulder and pointed to a vacant table to one side. He liked a hearty meal in his stomach before he moved upstairs and to stretching out flat on his back.

A new group flowed in through the open doors, all clad in identical uniforms of dark brown with a deep purple stripe. Their captain wore extra detailing on his shoulders and a swag of purple tassels.

"Regulators," Reis said and hocked into a handy spittoon.

Lawmen and pirate alike rubbed shoulders in the Fancy Garter. While they might be enemies on the ocean, once docked on Lusions they had to pretend to the barest minimum of civility. Which for pirates and Regulators meant trying not to shoot any of the bar staff when personal differences inevitably erupted. Nancy had a strict no bloodshed policy and his automatons and mechanical creatures ensured compliance.

The Regulator captain blocked their path to the dinner table. "Reis," the man drawled.

"Shame." The two men squared off.

The captain of the Regulators was blessed with ample good looks. He possessed a square chin with a deep cleft and high cheek bones any woman would envy. Eyes the blue of a cloudless summer's day were edged in thick black lashes. Dark blond hair with just a smidge of wave was tied back in a neat queue. His form was tall with wide shoulders and narrow hips. Men loathed him on sight for his story book appeal and his handsome face screamed for a broken nose to mar the perfectness. Women took a little longer to reach the conclusion that he was better admired from afar. Once they finished swooning at his feet they soon realised the exquisite form housed a complete arse. Noble birth and good looks crafted an arrogant, self-centred, righteous man. Then as a result of his own rigidity, he fell afoul of the wrong woman in society and found himself banished as Captain Shame of the airship Imprudent.

"You will hand over the mermaid you stole." Captain Shame's hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Six of his men guarded his back.

Reis threw back his head and laughed. "Did all the Lusions whores turn you down that you're so desperate to grab my fish? And you haven't even bought dinner before trying to bend me over the table."

Shame's pale eyes narrowed. "We assisted the stranded vessel Endeavour who had a strangely broken propeller. We know you stole the creature when you looted them. Under Darjee law, I will have it returned so I can deliver it to the Lady Alise myself."

Reis took another step closer so his nose nearly touched Shame's aquiline appendage and their breath mingled. "I suggest you become intimately acquainted with your own hand because even my fish wouldn't touch you. Now get out of my way." He shouldered past and ignored the roll of anger coming off the other man. There was little he could do and the enormous automaton bouncers were showing interest in the exchange.

The pirate captain took a booth to one side where the overhead lights didn't quite penetrate and cast a soothing glow.

Fenton ground his jaw. "I'm going to head back to the Edge and keep watch on Ailin."

Reis nodded and gestured to a nearby waitress. "Aye, you do that lad. And tell it to be extra polite to old Nancy when he has his chat. I'm going to satisfy my appetites, then I'll return."

Fenton turned to leave just as a voluptuous woman slipped into the booth and he knew exactly which appetites the captain would slake.

Chapter Thirteen

Nancy's words bounced around in Fenton's head. The mermaid's lure only worked on landwalkers. Except he was a landwalker, he breathed air through his mouth and nose into his lungs. He possessed two legs to stride across the deck. But another part of his brain whispered that he also carried the kraken etched on his skin. His life was irrevocably linked with the sea monster. He straddled both worlds – land and aquatic.

He went about his chores in town with ideas rattling around in his head. Back and forth, he argued with himself as his body went through the motions of stopping at the treasury to draw on his deposits to hold a little spending money and visiting the store to order fresh clothing and boots. His mind was so occupied, it overcame his usual land sickness and only a hint of nausea bubbled in his gut. Once he stepped over the doorway of the bookstore his brain took a break from trying to determine if he was a landwalker or not. His finger ran over the tomes as he sought a new volume to add to his small collection.

He settled on a poetry book with lines of achingly painful verse that conjured up lost worlds and sacrifices made for enduring love. There was one particular poem he wanted to read to Ailin. He tucked the red leather book into the front pocket of his vest and walked back to the pier. Rather than waiting for the others to return, he flicked a coin to two lads in a dinghy for the trip back to the Razor's Edge.

One of the lads had mechanical legs and Fenton kept his surprise to himself as the lad dropped over the stern. He draped his upper body over the side, a huge grin on his face.

"We'll have you back to your ship in no time, guv'nor," he said and began to kick. His ore-mancer fabricated limbs moved faster than a natural man could swim, his legs churned the water just below the surface as his friend took up the oars and steered their course.

True to their word, the boys made quick work of taking out to the ship and they soon nudged her side. Fenton grabbed the rope ladder and climbed up. From on deck, he waved to the two lads as they headed back through the anchored vessels. He found Yusuf sitting at the entrance to the hold, whittling with his savage knife. Tiny particles of wood scattered the deck around his position as he concentrated on the emerging duck. Ever since the big man pocketed the one on the research vessel he devoted his spare time to creating a family to accompany it. Ducks popped up all over the deck and below. There was even one staring at the occupant of the latrine from a tiny nest above the door frame.

"You and ducks, huh," Fenton muttered as he stepped past into the cool shade and then stood on the last stair and stared. Ailin lazed in the crate with the lid open. A shaft of sunlight came through the little porthole and played over her form. The swims with the kraken revived her body but a sense of lethargy still hung around her. His heart froze at the sight of her, so exotic and sensual. Was there a world in which she could be his?

She turned and smiled at him. "Ah, my fellow prisoner." A false levity in her words betrayed the warmth in her eyes.

He took the little poetry book from his jacket pocket. "I have another book for my collection, I will read you new poems tonight." He always tried to find some time during the day to read to Ailin, she listened with rapt attention and through the words of great poets he explored what lay in his heart. He tucked the book behind a netting shelf, safe from getting damp. First, there was a question he longed to ask.

"How does the siren's glamour work?"

She leaned on the side of the crate and fixed her deep gaze on him. "Mermaids see men. Not the shallow exteriors but the store of ideas and thoughts they hide deep inside. It allows us to project exactly what they most desire."

"Is that why your heart is so valuable?" He pulled the box over and sat next to her.

She turned her face, so her cheek rested on her arm. "Yes. The person who devours a mermaid's living heart takes on the ability to see a man's darkest fears or most ardent longings."

He let out a low whistle. "No wonder the Lady Alise has such a bounty on you, imagine what her twisted mind would conjure if she knew the fears men hide." Such a thought made him glad to live on the ocean and not within her grasp. He leaned a little closer. "Can you tell me why Yusuf is so obsessed with ducks?"

She smiled. "They represent what he wants most: family. Making and hiding ducks is a game he would play to entertain his child."

That made sense. "What about Dinger, what does he hide behind his crude demeanour?"

She frowned for a moment as she tried to place names to faces. "The short tubby one? He is easy, he thinks no woman will ever love him for who he is, that they are all shallow creatures who only see his exterior. Being loud and obnoxious is his way of trying not to care."

"And what about me? What do you see when you look at me?" He almost held his breath, did she see his secret?

She shook her head. "You confuse me. When I look at you, it is like peering into the darkest depths of the ocean. I see what I desire most, the water's embrace and the caress of the current over my skin."

Not the answer he expected and her words created more turmoil within him. "I have a small shred of good news. Reis has agreed to another outing off the ship." He reached in and lifted her in his arms. He held her close to his chest, he wished they could stay like this for the meeting so he could protect her from the other men.

"What's happening?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and her face nestled next to his.

He ignored the water soaking his shirt, it made the barrier between them lighter and less distinct. Her warmth pressed against him. "The man who rules the Isle of Illusions, Nancy, has asked to meet you."