won’t trick them, Ladarius. Do you even know who Keelhaul is?”
“No,” he shrugged. “But I don’t care. Being human so I can be with you is worth any danger I put myself in.”
“But you cannot be with me if you are dead!”
“Oh, I will not die, Grace. I will surely fool them and gain their trust. Then when the time is right I will steal Melody back. I’m sure it will save the crew many deaths from a fight.”
“But ye be the furthest from a pirate I’ve ever seen,” John pointed out.
“Then you all shall train me. I will live among you and observe your habits.”
We were all quiet, the only exception being the sound of my father sucking his teeth next to me while he weighed the heavy decision. Our eyes were all on him, waiting for his answer. “Aye,” he finally spoke, “ye can try yer pearl on the surface of the Cursed Doubloon. If it grants yer wish then ye will go on account as a full-blooded pirate, livin’ on board The Fog Chaser with me and me crew. If ye prove to be a liar and don’t get me Melody then ye’ll be marooned, left about on an island with no tail to be getting’ ya back to yer previous life. Do we have an accord?”
“Father, no, that’s not—”
“We have an accord,” Ladarius agreed.
I looked down at him in disbelief. “What are you agreeing to? Being marooned on an island for the rest of your life?”
“Do you not have faith that I will follow through on my word?”
“No, that’s, that’s not what I was—”
“Will you stay with me?”
The crew chuckled around me. “What, what do you mean?” I asked, confused by his question.
“If something shall happen to where your father sees fit to maroon me on an island, will you stay with me there?”
My father slammed his hand down on the railing. “Me daughter won’t be stayin’ on an island with the likes of ye!”
“Yes!” I yelled down at him. “Yes, I will stay with you on the island.”
“What?” my father said, snapping his head over to me. “Have ye lost yer mind?”
“Well you’ve given me no choice. I love him, and I will follow him wherever he goes.”
“That be insane!”
“Well you would know how insane looks, wouldn’t you father?”
He glared at me as if I were an enemy. For a moment I felt afraid. “Aye aye, Gracie,” he said, his voice softer than I expected it to be. “If that be yer wish then I have no choice but to let ye have it.” He turned his attention back to Ladarius. “Swim away, fish. Get yer pearl to place upon me Cursed Doubloon.”
Ladarius didn’t say a word as he flipped around and went under water. We had no idea how long it would take him to return.
Five: Human
I stayed at the stern the majority of the night, waiting for Ladarius to pop back out of the water. Surely it was going to be a task getting the pearl tears from his brother. I hoped he could do it. What a wonderful thing it would be for him to be human. I was falling in love with him but kept my heart partially closed because he was a merman. Now, if his wish were to be granted, I could truly give my heart to him.
His plan did bother me, though. Apparently Keelhaul was a pirate not to be messed with, and I was worried for Ladarius’s safety. A part of me wished he would fail at getting Melody so he wouldn’t be on Keelhaul’s radar and he could be marooned with me to an island. It wouldn’t be so bad, living solely with the love of my life. I would do anything for him.
Before my eyes closed with heaviness I heard movement in the water. I peered down through the darkness, trying to see if it was him. Fog was surrounding the ship, as it usually was, so seeing him would most likely be next to impossible.
“Grace, are you there?” I heard him whisper.
“Yes,” I perked up. “I can’t see you through this blasted fog. I was worried you weren’t going to come back tonight.”
“I was worried about that as well; I didn’t know how easy it was going to be
“No,” he shrugged. “But I don’t care. Being human so I can be with you is worth any danger I put myself in.”
“But you cannot be with me if you are dead!”
“Oh, I will not die, Grace. I will surely fool them and gain their trust. Then when the time is right I will steal Melody back. I’m sure it will save the crew many deaths from a fight.”
“But ye be the furthest from a pirate I’ve ever seen,” John pointed out.
“Then you all shall train me. I will live among you and observe your habits.”
We were all quiet, the only exception being the sound of my father sucking his teeth next to me while he weighed the heavy decision. Our eyes were all on him, waiting for his answer. “Aye,” he finally spoke, “ye can try yer pearl on the surface of the Cursed Doubloon. If it grants yer wish then ye will go on account as a full-blooded pirate, livin’ on board The Fog Chaser with me and me crew. If ye prove to be a liar and don’t get me Melody then ye’ll be marooned, left about on an island with no tail to be getting’ ya back to yer previous life. Do we have an accord?”
“Father, no, that’s not—”
“We have an accord,” Ladarius agreed.
I looked down at him in disbelief. “What are you agreeing to? Being marooned on an island for the rest of your life?”
“Do you not have faith that I will follow through on my word?”
“No, that’s, that’s not what I was—”
“Will you stay with me?”
The crew chuckled around me. “What, what do you mean?” I asked, confused by his question.
“If something shall happen to where your father sees fit to maroon me on an island, will you stay with me there?”
My father slammed his hand down on the railing. “Me daughter won’t be stayin’ on an island with the likes of ye!”
“Yes!” I yelled down at him. “Yes, I will stay with you on the island.”
“What?” my father said, snapping his head over to me. “Have ye lost yer mind?”
“Well you’ve given me no choice. I love him, and I will follow him wherever he goes.”
“That be insane!”
“Well you would know how insane looks, wouldn’t you father?”
He glared at me as if I were an enemy. For a moment I felt afraid. “Aye aye, Gracie,” he said, his voice softer than I expected it to be. “If that be yer wish then I have no choice but to let ye have it.” He turned his attention back to Ladarius. “Swim away, fish. Get yer pearl to place upon me Cursed Doubloon.”
Ladarius didn’t say a word as he flipped around and went under water. We had no idea how long it would take him to return.
Five: Human
I stayed at the stern the majority of the night, waiting for Ladarius to pop back out of the water. Surely it was going to be a task getting the pearl tears from his brother. I hoped he could do it. What a wonderful thing it would be for him to be human. I was falling in love with him but kept my heart partially closed because he was a merman. Now, if his wish were to be granted, I could truly give my heart to him.
His plan did bother me, though. Apparently Keelhaul was a pirate not to be messed with, and I was worried for Ladarius’s safety. A part of me wished he would fail at getting Melody so he wouldn’t be on Keelhaul’s radar and he could be marooned with me to an island. It wouldn’t be so bad, living solely with the love of my life. I would do anything for him.
Before my eyes closed with heaviness I heard movement in the water. I peered down through the darkness, trying to see if it was him. Fog was surrounding the ship, as it usually was, so seeing him would most likely be next to impossible.
“Grace, are you there?” I heard him whisper.
“Yes,” I perked up. “I can’t see you through this blasted fog. I was worried you weren’t going to come back tonight.”
“I was worried about that as well; I didn’t know how easy it was going to be
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