Chapter one

The Zephyrus cut through wild waters toward its target. The captain shouted commands, contending with ambient noise. The cannons echoed as they fired, and the waves crashed against the ships. In front of the half-manned brigantine lay a similar ship. Lucky for the pirates, the ship they twinned had less firepower.

The civilian ship had not gone out into the ocean, ready for combat. It was only transporting a few important scholars and their books. With no visible marks to prove this information, the civilians ended up at the mercy of their enemies.

Both ships fought against the pull of the ocean and the glare of the afternoon sun. The dark brown wood of the Zephyrus tapped against the polished oak of its target. Close enough to let half a dozen men jump over. They had commands from their captain to search the ship for anything valuable, and as always, try to leave survivors. Isaac and Nathaniel went ahead, leaving the others on board to manage the chaos. The two men took long strides to the cabins and found only one that held anything besides supplies. It held boxes full of books next to its cot and one man.

"Whether they look like trash or treasure, I will not leave them." The man looked up as the two entered through the door. His face was unwavering at their appearance and brandished weapons.

"We don't want to hurt you if we can help it. Our captain prefers to spare lives. However, we will be looking through those boxes," Nathaniel told him.

As the first mate, he had the duty of carrying out missions, but he wasn't sure how it would pan out this time. "You can look and keep me alive. Take me with you, and the boxes too. I will not fight you, and I will ask the men to surrender," the man said, both pirates in front of him.

Hostages didn't usually volunteer.

Nathaniel held out his hand to keep Isaac still. He needed a moment to think. They didn't take hostages. They killed when they had to and spared when they could. They avoided prison and stayed out at sea when possible. He wasn't sure there was anything of immense value in those boxes. He had spied books at the top. The strange man that sat in front of him looked mature and solemn, a traveling scholar.

"What value do you or those boxes hold?" Nathaniel asked after consideration.

"Knowledge. With the greatest respect, I can think of nothing you need more," the man replied.

Nathaniel held up his hand again. Knowing Issac would react to the comment. He studied the fearless man in front of him. He could not place what was causing his pause about the scenario. He could think of plenty of arguments for following orders and normal protocol. Yet he resisted.

"I make no promise about what our captain will do back on our ship. You and your boxes will come with us and anything else we view as valuable. My men will get you across the gap," Nathaniel spoke with finality.

He glanced at Isaac, making eye contact to pull rank. He would face wasn't in the mood for two lectures.

"I offer one piece of advice," he paused at the door. "Keep your mouth shut when you meet her."

Chapter Two

The dark water of the ocean lay still underneath Eleanor's boat. It was a calm night, cool and quiet. The air moved enough to feel on her skin but not enough to fill the sails. Nor did it create waves across the deep unknown waters. Bright and full, the yellow moon sat overhead in the sky. It shone long beams of light onto the glassy surface that swam out past the horizon. The reflected image was only disturbed by the bottom of the Zephyrus floating towards that cratered surface.

Eleanor and her small crew, 20 men outside herself, were at sea but hunt-less. They weren't seeking trouble, nor were they seeking land. They were all content with floating for a night or two and celebrating their continued success.

As if on cue with her thoughts, the quiet of the night was broken by drunken laughter coming from below the deck. Rum, or swill, her nefarious family were happy to be drinking and loud. Their voices carried up through the dark, sea-stained wood, bouncing out onto the water.

She closed her eyes, picturing the dice games and the teasing punches. They had earned a joyful night after so many restless and tense days on the unrelenting ocean. They risked their lives for her, and she would not silence them now.

She walked away from the helm, confident that it didn't matter which direction the ocean steered them. Unsure that she wanted to join the chaos down below, the captain meandered toward the edge. Hands firm on the cool wood, she let her thoughts wander away from her responsibilities and upcoming adventures.

The worry of today shifted to the burden of the past, then again to the treasures of the future. Often her thoughts intertwined when she didn't focus or force them down a path.

They all had homelands once. They all pined for one again in the foggy future if they didn't get executed for their crimes first. Eleanor and all her men knew they had earned that. They tried to spare lives, but they lived as pirates and made no apologies for it.

The men had gotten quiet for a moment, leaving the deck silent again. It didn't last long, but Eleanor heard a sound coming from the darkness during the lull. It was a sweet and sorrowful sound, music and voice-like. It was watery yet clear at the same time, disappearing as the men began to laugh and rustle once more.

Unsure where the noise had come from, she squinted out in front of her, scanning the horizon. She saw nothing and moved across the deck to the opposite edge. She lifted her hand above her brow, hoping it may somehow help her see further. As if the moon cast glares. It was nothing but sky and water on this side as well. It was a beautiful sky, full of stars and wonder, but it held nothing to accompany what had graced her ears.

As she began to shrug it off, a thump rang out from behind her, causing her to jump. A hand landed on the hilt before her body went in a full circle. Catching her breath to yell at a crew member, her eyes landed on the source.

It was neither a member of her crew nor an enemy from a stealthy ship. It was a woman, atop a tail.

"What are you?" Eleanor whispered as she fumbled on her feet and stared, eyes wide.

She did not consider herself easily spooked. She was a woman in a time when women were dainty. But dainty women did not run a ship with a crew of infamous and dangerous pirates. She took pride in her ability to think clearly in stressful situations. She could stare down a cannon and bark orders. She steered her ship through thunderstorms and whirlpools to land on islands of hope and gold.

Yet the creature in front of her had stopped her heart cold and leaped her stomach into her throat. Eleanor felt the color drain from her face, feeling a bit out of her own body.

"Darling, are you okay?" The creature asked Eleanor in a concerned tone.

The captain didn't buy it for a second, especially as her eyes watched the split tongue shoot in and out of the mouth that spoke. It darted between full pink lips, grazing a set of sharp teeth on its way back in.

"No…what," Eleanor said as she tried to get her breathing back to normal.

She was certain that she had to be dreaming.

Perhaps she had walked to her cabin down below and fallen asleep with a belly full of fish and rum. Maybe a booze-filled sleep and a raucous group of men had led to nightmares.

Only a nightmare could produce the head and body of a voracious woman, joined at the hip bone to the tail of a fish. A sparkling and fanged mermaid curled upon the deck.

The mermaid let out a soft laugh, her pink lips curling upwards on her cheeks. Her brown hair spilled around her face, falling onto her ample chest, shining in the full moon with shades of pink and purple. Colors of a fantasy sea. Her curves and tail were spotted with barnacles and seashells. The spaces between sparkled as her chest heaved, her laughter growing heartier.

"You are one of a kind, Eleanor. I am so glad I picked you. You may call me Isabelle. And please, take a breath. You are in no danger tonight." A smile played at her lips, treading the line between feminine and ferocious.

For a reason she couldn't put her finger on, the moment gave Eleanor some prowess back. She caught her breath, and both her gut and heart settled back down to where they should have been. The organs had no place in her throat to begin with. Her mind was starting to clear, despite the circumstances.

"Isabelle. Real or dream, I will protect this ship. You will harm no men aboard, nor will we reveal any of our secrets. Despite what you look like, we have fought mightier enemies, I am sure." her hand remained settled on the sword aside her hip.

"I am no dream, but I may be an omen. Real through scale and flesh and bone. Your loyalty is what makes you so appealing, Eleanor." Sharp fangs danced on the mermaid's bottom lip.

"I want nothing of the men below," Isabelle continued. "But if you fight me, and they join you, I will not think twice about slaying them on sight. They gave me one this year. One body, one turn, one human. I am royal blood in my home, and they decree I shall have one soul to bring back with me. You should feel honored I have chosen you."

Eleanor hesitated again. Her mind could not tell the difference between the nightmare and any grains of truth, but she was unwilling to budge. She didn't care much whether she was awake or asleep. It was frivolous for her to waste time deciding where the consequences would appear.

"I will not go with you, monster of the sea," she finally managed to speak.

The words came out loud and clear, portraying power she didn't feel.

"Ahh, sweet Eleanor. You are a tough one. Even in the face of the impossible, you stand firm. You don't waste time trying to understand me or asking me questions. So much wonder in your eyes, yet so little wonderment at what's in front of you. I will be back in 24 hours. Make your peace with the humans and their world."

Before she could respond, the captain watched the mermaid splash back overboard. The only proof of the strange and rattling conversation was a pool of water on the deck.

It looked green in the light of the moon.

Eleanor stood at the helm, eyes on the water in front of her. It was a place of routine and comfort. Despite feeling at home in her spot, she knew she should have been at rest. The night wouldn't last much longer.

"Elle! Captain!"

A deep voice came from behind her. She could name any man on her crew without turning around. That was if she had the power to speak or the ability to tear her eyes away from the mysterious ocean. It held secrets she had only imagined and then some she never had.

"Elle!"

The words came again, much closer to her this time. Her focus stayed glued on the horizon.

"Go to sleep. Sleep off the barrels of joy, and then come find me. I should be here, at the wheel," she commanded. She knew now that it was not a nightmare. She had to be awake and would need to talk to her men about what happened. She had already cleaned up the water the creature had left behind. She now needed to deal with the looming threat.

She had always known that men weren't inclined to follow women. And even more rare was the pirate and pirate captain, who was a woman to boot. Her position of power was unheard of outside of the Zephyrus. Eleanor believed that it lent to their success. They always had an element of surprise.

Yet, she had found them to be loyal, trusting, and hard working. They kept the boat going, kept small vessels fearful, and kept her moving forward.

Surprise and loyalty. She supposed as she thought it over that this was the recipe she had found. These were the things that had brought her and her men to this point.

"Have you slept yourself?" the gruff voice came again, threatening to come closer.

She didn't want Nathaniel to see her. She wanted them to see the still and confident captain that led them on their path to glory.

Not a bundle of tired nerves.

"I gave you an order, Nathaniel. Go," Eleanor barked.

She took a breath as she heard heavy footsteps retreat away from her. The men would pass out soon. Some would be passed out already. They had all been drunk, and she needed them to get sober. She would speed it up if it were possible.

This is why they did not usually celebrate. They needed clear heads.

She needed a clear head.