Sighing, I grab onto the railing with one hand and her elbow with the other. The moment we touch, a shock rushes through me. She feels like she’s made of pure ice. I drop her elbow the second she is no longer in danger of falling, but it isn’t fast enough. Helena turns and glares at me, pure venom filling her pink eyes.
This makes things so much more difficult. We will have to coddle her every step of the way.
I sneer, stepping back from this female who has upended my entire life. She’s a princess. She’s probably used to having everything handed to her on a silver platter. She’ll just have to get used to a different life on my ship. I can’t spare any crew members to cater to her every need.
She still hasn’t said a word. That whole situation is becoming increasingly irritating by the second. On one hand, it makes my job easier. On the other hand, a mute woman is very high on my “thou shall not kill” list, right under children and right before puppies and kittens.
At the top of the list is “thou shall not get thyself killed by the Ice Mer King.”
Dammit.
A conundrum if I ever encountered one.
“Madeline,” I bark, extending a hand toward her. “Come with me.”
She stares at me, and I cringe. Her eyes are unnervingly pink, and they convey her thinly veiled contempt for me. For all humans, no doubt. Finfolk are notorious for their hatred of humans.
Clenching her jaw, Helena pushes off the railing. She ignores my hand and begins to walk away. I watch, brows raised, as she makes it three steps before her bare feet lose purchase, and she careens toward me.
I curse, putting out my hands to grab her. The moment I touch her skin, I grind my teeth. She’s so cold, it feels like being pelted with ice water.
“Can’t even walk by yourself,” I mutter, shaking my head as I lead her below deck. “What in the gods’ name did I do to deserve this kind of hellish torture?”
She doesn’t answer, just rolls her eyes.
I lead her down the hull, past my crew’s inquisitive gazes. They remain silent. They know better than to ask questions.
Ten minutes and two more near-falls later, we stand before a small private room below deck. I won’t let her sleep in the same room as the men. The small space has a built-in bunk against one wall and a wooden desk with a chair beside it. I shove her inside.
“Here,” I say gruffly. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll have someone bring you some food shortly. Don’t go wandering around the ship without me. It’s a dangerous place for a female.”
She glares at me but doesn’t say a word. She just... watches me. It’s unsettling, to say the least.
“Goodbye, Princess,” I snap before slamming the door in her face.
This is going to be the longest journey of my life.
Wobble Like A Jellyfish
HELENA
The door slams shut, and the loud sound reverberates through my clenched jaw. I take several deep breaths as I look around, trying to calm myself. There isn’t much to see. This ship is boring.
The inside of this room is painted white with one navy-blue stripe running through the middle of it. It doesn’t look like I imagined ships of old to be, but considering I spent my life underwater, I don’t have much experience in the matter.
I hug my arms around myself as the same debilitating fear closes all around me. It isn't claustrophobia. That I could handle. This is different. It’s the fear of being alone again. I’ve been alone for so long.
In those early days, I tried to talk to my best friend, Elva. Unfortunately, all my efforts had proven fruitless. Loneliness is one thing, but having friends only to have them taken away is another level of pain. Being alone after knowing the joy of friendship is like having something dangled before you, only to have it pulled away at the last moment.
The horrors of life are exponentially worse if youknowthings aren’t meant to be this way. If youknow,there’s a better world out there.
When I get to my Uncle Aidoneus, things will get better. I have to believe that. My uncle is every bit as fierce as my father but has much more capacity to be reasonable. Well, at least, that is what I have heard. It’s a bit hard to believe, to be honest.
Daddy Assface never invited either of my uncles over for dinner or Solstice parties.
A small desk with a drawer is on my left. I wobble over, very unsteady on my new legs, and plop down. When I open the drawer, I find a small writing pad and a pen. My face lights up.
This is perfect!