Page 39

“What about this Nerissa? The sea witch. What can you tell me about her? And the skeleton crew?”

I’m grateful she’s dropped the subject of mermaids since it bothered her so.

“Sea witches roam the seas the same as the mermaids do. I believe sea witches are the only known enemy to them. I suppose you could say they’re our enemy too. They’re a lot more duplicitous and monstrous than the normal witches you find on land.”

She tilts her head curiously. “And you’ve dealt with both types of witches?”

I nod. “Aye.” I lick the wine off my lips and debate whether to tell her more. She compels me even when she’s angry. Maybe even more so. “I was married to a witch.”

Her hand shakes and she nearly spills her wine. “You were married to a witch?”

“It was a long time ago.”

She lowers her goblet. “What happened?”

I take in a sharp breath through my nose, hardening myself for the response. “She died during childbirth. Even witches can’t save themselves sometimes. They’re just human in the end.”

Her fingers go to her mouth, pressing against her lips and she gasps softly. “I’m so sorry.”

“Yes. So am I. So was everyone. Venla was well-liked, despite what she was. She was a good witch. And she made a dauntless pirate.”

“And the child?” she asks quietly.

My heart twists in my chest and I try to smile over the pain. “She lived. Hilla. She was a beautiful little girl.”

“Oh.” Her eyes shift to a soft blue, a sad blue, no doubt picking up on the past tense.

“Yes,” I say, clearing the thickness from the back of my throat. “She died when she was eight. I raised her myself, well, with the help of the crew, much like we’ve done with Henry and Lucas. I did the best I could for her and she was such a happy child here despite never knowing her mother. But looking back, I know I shouldn’t have raised her on this ship, not with the world the way it is.”

“Was it the navy or…?”

“A sea witch,” I tell her, my tone taking on a razor edge. “A sea witch that controls a great beast.”

Her eyes widen slightly. “What beast?”

“The Kraken.”

She gasps in response.

“Before you ask, yes they are real too,” I tell her. “They are horribly real. And they killed my little girl before my eyes. Now all I want is my revenge.”

“On this Nerissa?” she asks, her voice rising. “Or on the Kraken?”

“As far as I know, Nerissa didn’t have anything to do with Hilla’s death and can’t control the Kraken. What she does control is a curse that she inflicts on sailors who sail too close to her islands. The skeleton crew are victims of her unfortunate curse. Humans turned into skeletons for eternity. The only way they can ever appear human again is by finding magic of their own…”

“Mermaid blood.”

“Exactly.” I have another sip of my wine. “So they hunt them too, even though the magic doesn’t last very long for them. They’re a mad lot, you see. You would be too if you’d been reduced to a walking corpse for the rest of your life.”

She thinks that over for a moment, then asks in a low voice, “So what witch does control the Kraken?”

“Her name is Edonia.”

The princess’s eyes go frightfully large then quickly back to normal, her face turning blank.

“You know her,” I surmise.

She gives her head a shake. “No. I don’t know any witches.”