“He’s not joining my crew. He’s only here while we search for the hellkins that stole our jolly boat.”
The mermaid straightened, her notched tail flipping up and down. “Hellkins?”
“Yes,” Bonnie said. “Have you seen them?”
The entire crew seemed to hold their breath and lean forward as they waited for the creature to respond.
Arabella didn’t answer for several beats, and Cali was certain she was doing it for dramatic effect. Finally, she nodded. “We have.” Then she slumped back down. “But none of those men were my love either. His face might be hazier and hazier in my mind, but I know his skin was not red.”
Bonnie cut her gaze to Cali, who’d forgotten to take a breath, then back to Arabella. “Can you tell me where you saw them?”
The mermaid tossed her mane of lilac hair back and forth. “It was at least a day ago, but I can’t remember exactly where.”
Cali instantly doubted the truth of this, especially since the creature wouldn’t look at Bonnie.
Bonnie must have thought the same because she hissed out a breath. “Would it help jog your memory if I told you that my pantheri friend has traveled all over the Known Lands? If anyone has heard tell of your love, it would be her.”
Arabella’s gaze instantly found Cali. “A pantheri! And one with black-and-gray stripes.” Her eyes widened, as if she was delighted to see Cali or as if she already knew her. “Is this true, pantheri?”
Cali swallowed, hoping Bonnie wasn’t offering her up in service to a deranged sea creature. The way the mermaid studied her was unsettling, and her fingers twitched with the urge to grab her bow, but she forced a smile. “It’s true that I’ve been all across the Known Lands and met many men.”
Arabella straightened her arms, lifting her torso high above the railing. “And did you encounter any lamenting for a beautiful sea princess?”
Before she could answer, Bonnie held up a hand to stop her. “First, a deal.”
The mermaid groaned, reminding Cali of a petulant child being denied a sweet. “Fine. You want to know where to find these hellkins?”
“I do.” Bonnie held Cali’s gaze, her brows lifting. “And in exchange, my friend will tell you if she’s heard anything about a man with a lost love.”
Cali nodded, but then she stepped closer to the mermaid. “I know what it’s like to search for something you’ve lost for so long you barely remember why you’re searching. You help the captain, and I vow to add your lost love to my own search when I return to land.”
Arabella met her gaze, the heat fading to something softer and sadder. “I just want to know why he never returned.”
Cali understood the need to know—even if the answer wasn’t what you wanted—more than she cared to admit. “Then I will do my best to find out for you.” She touched a paw over her heart, thinking of what she would give to know the truth about her missing siblings. “I promise.”
“I accept your deal.” The mermaid dipped her head, then squared her shoulders and flipped her hair. “The hellkins were headed for Claw Island, but they couldn’t control the jolly boat.” A smile teased her lips. “When we found them, they were wrestling with the oars and being spun in circles. They looked fairly battered. That’s one fierce little boat you’ve got.”
Laughter floated up from the mermaids below and joined the hopeful hum of the ship.
“After I determined none of them were my love, we guided them toward land.”
“What land?” Bonnie asked, her voice strung tight.
Arabella’s smile was terrifying as she flipped backwards and splashed into the sea. Cali rushed to the side of the ship with Bonnie and watched the mermaid resurface.
“Claw Island, of course,” Arabella called, her malicious smile widening. “I couldn’t deny our siren sisters their fun, now could I?”
Then she dove beneath the waves, and the other mermaids followed her, tails flashing before they sliced through the water and vanished.
Bonnie curled her hands around the ship’s rail and glowered at the roiling sea. “Hells cursed mermaids.”
Twenty
“At least weknow where to find the hellkins,” Cali said as she followed Bonnie up the stairs to the quarterdeck.
Bonnie muttered more curses as she stomped, shooting a dark look over her shoulder. “Yes, but who knows if they, or Jolli, will be in one piece?”
“The sirens?”
