Page 7 of Of Song and Darkness
“He sails the Caribbean Sea, or so my pets say.” An enormous eel eased its way from the shadows, and she lovingly stroked her long nails down its body. A tremor rippled down my scales as its beady eyes watched me.
I started easing my way out of the cave before the situation became grimmer. “The Caribbean Sea is massive. How will I find him?” I stopped at the entrance of the cave, peering back at her.
“Don’t worry, dear. If you enter his territory, he will find you and most likely kill you before you even have a chance to speak.”
Her wicked laughter lingered in the currents as I rushed from the cave. Fear clung to my every movement just thinking about facing Blackheart Kai, the terror of the seas. Yet, driven by the urgency to protect my kingdom, I ventured into the unknown waters, even though my determination flickered like a luminous jellyfish about to burn out.
The man before me squirmed in his seat as I narrowed my gaze on the worn leather bag with coins.
“You insult me if you believe I will hunt down a leviathan for that amount of coin,” I scoffed, sliding that bag back toward him.
Everyone in the dimly lit tavern seemed to hold their breath as my words hung in the air. The clanking of tankards stopped and the distant chatter fell into a hushed murmur, all attention now focused on the uneasy exchange between the man and me.
He nervously licked his lips, realizing that my services didn’t come cheap. “Please, it’s all I have. No ship has been able to get to Andros without that damned monster attacking it. It’s costing me and several men our livelihoods.” He slammed the tankard of ale down on the table, sloshing the golden liquid over the edges.
I pushed away from the table, the chair legs scraping across the shabby wooden floor. “Tell your sob story to someone who cares. My price is double that.”
The man stood abruptly, gripping the bag between whitened knuckles, and my hand instinctively went to the hilt of my sword. He quickly realized his error and slowly sat back down. “I’ll be able to pay you the rest once I can get my merchant ship to Andros.” His hands shook as he desperately pushed the satchel back toward me.
A fight broke out in the corner of the tavern. Hoots and hollers followed shortly after as my attention was pulled from the pitiful man before me. Two men were brawling in the center of a makeshift circle of onlookers. I watched in fascination for a few seconds, only to realize it was one of my crew members, Flynt. Sprays of stale-smelling alcohol sprinkled across my face as the surrounding men became increasingly unruly while they cheered on the fight.
I glanced back at the man sitting at my table, who had gone stark white with fear. His clothing was a patchwork of tattered garments stitched together, but he was clean and seemed well-fed. Based on his meager attire, I had my doubts about getting the rest of my money. His trembling hands clutched the frayed satchel. Despite the weariness in his clothes, a glint of resilience lingered in his eyes, a spark that refused to be extinguished by the shadows of his circumstances.
Snatching the bag from the table, I shoved it into my coat pocket. “Be gone with you,” I said, stepping toward the fight.
“Does that mean you are taking the job?” His voice trembled as I turned back around.
I met his gaze with steely determination. “I expect the rest of my money the next time I am in port.”
“How will I know when you have re-returned?” he stuttered.
“You’ll know,” I replied cryptically, turning my attention back to the brawl.
The instant the fistfight turned deadly, blood drummed in my ears. I pressed closer to the show as the man who was losing to Flynt pulled out a dagger. He dove for Flynt to rip him from stem to stern. His hand came crashing down, but I caught his arm in midair.
As I squeezed his wrist without mercy, the man holding the knife yelped in pain, went down on his knees, and dropped the blade he had clutched between his whitened knuckles.
The dim light flickered over the tense faces of the onlookers, their eyes shifting between me and the man on his knees. The man struggled against my grip, his eyes widening with a mixture of surprise and fear. Caught off guard, Flynt took a step back, his gaze darting between the dagger and the unexpected interference.
I stared down at the miscreant before me. “We may be pirates, but we do uphold some decorum in our fights, and it appears to me that you tried to win by cheating.” A sudden hush enveloped the tavern, a collective gasp lingering in the air as I held the assailant’s wrist in a viselike grip.
“Please,” the man begged as I further twisted his wrist. The snapping of bones and the man’s cries rang in my ears.
“Have some decency. Don’t beg. Die like a man.” I struck out at the man and slit his throat with my cutlass. His body fell and struck the floor with a loud thud. “Clean up this mess,” I thundered and retreated back into the shadows.
Two men rushed forward and dragged the body outside while everyone else continued on as if a man had not just been slain before their eyes. Once back at my table, I noticed a spindly woman attempting to press her way through the dispersing crowd.
I usually wouldn’t pay anyone like her any attention, but something about her sparked my curiosity. The haggard woman navigated through the remaining men with an air of determination. Her worn clothes suggested a life of hardship, but something about the unusual glow of her otherwise wrinkly skin held my attention.
As she reached my table, she cast a sneaky glance around before leaning in, her voice barely above a whisper. “I wish to parlay with your captain,” she said plainly. “I have a proposition for him.”
My eyes rose to meet hers over the tankard of ale at my lips. With a quick jerk of my head, I motioned for her to be removed from my sight. I had no patience for any more begging or pleading this night.
“Wait!” she called as one of my men tried to shove her toward the door. “At least hear my proposition. You won’t be sorry!” she screamed as she hopelessly leaned all her meager body weight against a man who was double her size.
With a frustrated huff, I sat my cup back on the wobbly table. “Very well, Cael. Let her pass.”
She rushed forward and plopped down in the chair across from me. My eyebrow shot up at her audacity.