Page 8 of Of Song and Darkness
“I have a job for you—” she started, but I immediately cut her off.
“I don’t take jobs from sea witches.” I waited to see if she would confirm or deny my suspicion.
Her eyes gleamed with a mixture of mischief and frustration. “How could you possibly know that I am a sea witch?” She glanced down at her tattered clothes as if to ensure her disguise was still in place.
I regarded her with skepticism, surprised that she so readily admitted to me what she was. My fingers drummed rhythmically on the table as I attempted to control my anger. The reputation of sea witches was rife with deceit and treachery, their motives often as murky as the depths they hailed from. But a flicker of curiosity danced within me, urging me to hear her out. “I haven’t survived this long by being naive. I know more about your world than you could possibly imagine.” An evil smirk pulled on my lips, and she sat back in the chair, completely flabbergasted.
“I’ll pay you well,” she insisted.
“I don’t want your money.” I motioned for Cael to step forward to throw her out.
“Wait! I don’t offer money!” With swift hands, she reached into a bag made of seaweed and pulled out a glowing orb filled halfway with sparkling sea water.
My eyes latched onto her offering, and I held up my hand, stopping Cael. “You offer me a trinket?” I growled.
“This is no trinket. Take a closer look, pirate.” She shoved the magical bubble before me, and I peered closer. A victorious smile brushed her lips when my eyes widened with wonder. She knew she had ensnared my attention.
“The Wraith.” She supplied the answer to the question burning on the tip of my tongue. “They say the hull was carved from the bones of the leviathan, making it impenetrable to Dark Water.” She ran her fingers lovingly along the smooth surface of the bubble, as if caressing a cherished relic.
“Dark Water is a myth,” I scoffed, attempting to quell the unease that crept into my thoughts.
A wicked smile twisted the corners of her lips. “Oh, it’s real, and it’s coming.”
I leaned back into my chair and crossed my arms over my chest as she continued.
“Think about it. You will be the only human capable of sailing the Seven Seas once Dark Water takes over.” She let a cackle slip from her lips and placed her hand over her mouth to stop it. “Think of the power. If you do this little job for me, I will release the Wraith from my enchanted bubble, restore it to scale, and it will be yours.”
Something akin to excitement drummed in my veins as I leaned forward. “What’s the job?”
“Nothing a grand hunter like you couldn’t handle in his sleep. I just want you to kill a siren,” she said as innocently as possible.
“That’s it? Just kill a siren, and you will give me this legendary ship? I’m not buying it,” I answered while sipping my ale. If she thought to pull one over on me, she had another thing coming.
“Fine, she may be the Princess of Aquarius…”
I set my tankard back on the table.
“And I want you to take her to Medusa…”
For a moment, shock rippled through me, a jolt that I tried to conceal. My eyes widened before I could regain control, and I took a steadying breath, attempting to cloak my surprise with a mask of indifference.
“And I believe she is the only being who could steal Medusa’s locket. I want you to take her to Medusa, let her get the locket, steal the locket from her, kill her, and then bring the locket to me.” She smiled as if she hadn't just requested that my crew and I accept a suicide mission.
I threw my head back and laughed. The rich rumble echoed throughout the tavern, drawing prying eyes in our direction. I reached across the table, picked up the bubble, and held it closer to my face. I marveled at the stunning ship gliding over the entrapped waves within the iridescent sphere.
“An illusion.” I chuckled, skepticism lingering in my eyes. “You’ll need more than pretty tricks to sway me.”
The sea witch’s expression remained composed, though a glint of frustration flickered in her eyes. “Appearances can be deceiving, but the power of this ship is very real. Take the offer or leave it, but time is not on your side.”
The noise in the tavern gradually subsided, leaving a charged atmosphere in its wake. I leaned back in my chair, the tankard of ale now forgotten. I was known for my brash decisions and could not deny that her offer was more than tempting, no matter how outlandish the job seemed.
“You have a deal, witch,” I said, placing the bubble on the table before her. She collected it and shoved it back in her bag. “But I warn you…if you even think to double-cross me, I will hunt you down, decapitate you, and hang your head on the bow of my ship for all to see.” I held out my hand, intending for her to shake it.
The sea witch studied my outstretched hand for a moment, her calculating gaze meeting mine. After a tense pause, she extended her hand, a sly smile playing on her lips.
“Deal,” she replied, the echo of our pact settling in the air like a deep-sea current.
As our hands clasped in a shaky alliance, the atmosphere in the tavern shifted. Having witnessed the exchange, the onlookers returned to their drinks and conversations, oblivious to the agreement unfolding between us.