The Cursed Doubloon (3 page)

“Not in the least.”

“Good. Because I’ve only had one. We were young and foolish and I regret it.”

 “Why do you regret it?”

“Because I didn’t love him. I feel like I threw away a precious gem that I can never get back.”

“You mean your virginity?”

“Yes.”

“You can get it back,” he said softly. “You will have it again when you are with the person you love.”

“I hope you’re right,” I sighed.

“Well, as for me my entitlements have gotten quite boring and don’t fulfill me the way they used to. And then I saw you . . .”

“And you grew curious of me?”

“Yes.”

I smiled once more, flattered by his interest. “When was the first time you saw me?” I asked.

 “A few months back. You were standing on the port side of the ship in a coral-colored dress that flowed in the breeze, and your hair fell in loose curls around your chest. I watched you stare out at the sea and pat your face with your hand. Then you pulled all of your curls to one side of your neck and began heaving over the side of the ship. I have been captivated by you ever since.”

“Oh dear, how terribly embarrassing!”

“No, please don’t be embarrassed. You are an angel even when you are sick.”

“Well that isn’t my idea of a good first impression.”

“Well you’re making up for it now.”

“I hope so,” I smiled. “I had a really hard time when I first joined my father’s crew. It took me a while to find my sea legs.”

“Your sea legs? Do humans have different forms of legs?”

“No, no,” I chuckled. “It’s an expression that means adjusting your balance to the motion of the ship. I wasn’t used to being thrown around so much. I’ve gotten a lot better but I still get sick in a rough storm. I got sick in the storm you sailed us through earlier tonight.”

“Yes, I know.”

“My goodness, you know just about everything, don’t you?”

“I try to. You leave me very curious.”

“You do the same to me, Ladarius.”

Happiness warmed his face. “Do you have any more questions for me?”

“Hmm,” I pondered aloud. “How old are you?”

“I have been alive to see the great grey whales wander past twenty-five times on their journey.”

“So you are twenty-five years old?”

“Yes.”

“Well we don’t differ too much in age then.”

“No, we don’t.”

Our conversation was interrupted by the sounds of the drunken crew leaving the tavern. “Oh no, I better be going. I have to get back to land and get dressed before they see me.”

“Will you come back tomorrow? I must see you again, Grace.”

“I don’t know if we will be here tomorrow. My father never has a plan; we go where the wind takes us.”

“Then I shall follow you, just as I’ve already been.”

I lifted my hand to the warmth of his cheek. “Then I shall meet you tomorrow night, wherever we may be.”

He smiled as I sunk back into the ocean and kicked off of the rock toward shore. When I felt the sand beneath my feet I trudged out of the water, grabbing up my dress and underclothes and pulling them back on over my wet skin. I looked back at the rock to see that Ladarius was already gone, hidden somewhere in the blackness of the sea.

I couldn’t sleep that night, and it wasn’t because of the belligerent pirates that surrounded me. It was because of Ladarius. He was spectacular, and he left me captivated. Everything about him was marvelous, from the fin on his head to the end of his smooth tail.

Over the next month Ladarius followed our ship wherever we went. When we docked I would meet him somewhere at night, hiding out from the eyes of my father and his crew. At times it was hard and I couldn’t get away, so I would go to the stern of the ship and pretend to be sick. The men would stay away, leaving us time to chat as much as we could before anyone grew suspicious.

One of the nights when I was able to get away we planned to meet on a small hidden beach that was beyond a wall of rocks. I waited until the coast was clear and then left the ship, quietly wading into the water. When I swam around to our meeting place I spotted Ladarius lying on his side on top of the sand with his tail still submerged in the calm water. He looked glorious as always.

“You sure made me swim a ways for this one,” I said when I pulled myself out of the water. “It’s hard treading water in a dress.”

“You don’t have to wear one,” he smiled.

“I’m not that kind of woman, Ladarius. You know that.” I sat down next to him and nudged his arm. “I feel one hundred pounds heavier in this soaked fabric.”

“Well you look one hundred pounds lighter in it.”

“What? Is that supposed to be a compliment of sorts?”

“It was supposed to be but it sounds as if it came off wrong.”

“It did,” I laughed. “But I’ll forgive you this once.”

He laughed and nudged me back. “What’s your father up to this evening?”

“Indulging himself in the local tavern’s rum. He’ll be loaded to the gunwalls by morning.”

“That’s okay with me.”

“And why is that, exactly?”

“Because it affords you the time to get away and see me.”

“That it does,” I smiled. “And what have you been up to today?”

“Well,” he sighed in thought, “I heard my brother’s been looking for me.”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

He shook his head. “I doubt it. My father is most likely concerned that I’ve been roaming around too long.”

“Oh. Well, I hope it’s not because of me. I don’t want to be the cause of any family issues.”

“Believe me, you’re not. Our issues came about long before you did.”

“That’s sad that you have issues in your family.”

“Yes, but you feel my pain, unfortunately.”

I nodded and looked down at the length of my dress that was sucked to my legs. “I need to find some other attire to meet you in. These dresses will not do.”

“Why don’t you steal some of the crew’s clothing?”

“Ugh,” I moaned. “How disgusting! All they do is sweat in them all day and they never wash them. Although I
do
take pity on a choice few and will launder
some
of their clothes. But most of the men are quite smelly and I won’t touch anything that belongs to them.”

“That
is
disgusting,” he laughed. “How can you stand to live among those pirates? Especially as a woman?”

“It can be quite tasking.”

“I’m sure it is. Aren’t you worried they might take advantage of you? They must be starved of a woman’s touch from being at sea for so many days on end.”

“Yes, they can be dirty at times. But they’ve been spending a lot of time with the town prostitutes, so that keeps them occupied. And they know to leave me alone. If you bother the Captain’s daughter he would surely cut your head off and hang it from the bowsprit as his trophy.”

“That would be quite a sight. One I have seen, actually.”

“So have I. Bloody murderous pirates.”

“That’s one of the things they do best.”

“Yes, I know it all too well.”

He leaned back on his elbows and looked out at the sea. “Your father hasn’t pillaged any ships recently,” he pointed out.

“I know. He doesn’t like to plunder other vessels with me on board, and I’ve been on board a lot lately. And he’s been spending his loot wisely, actually. Well, besides all the rum, of course.”

“I’m glad he chooses to refrain when you’re on the ship. It worried me sick when that cog came upon you a couple of weeks ago. I thought a war was going to break out with you amongst the crew.”

“Ha, yes I know. Luckily it was my father’s old companion Jack Timber paying him a visit. It would have been very bad if it were someone different.”

“I agree.”

A chuckle escaped him. “Oh, those pirates.”

“What?” I copied his mood.

“Just thinking about them with those dirty prostitutes. How could any man do that?”

“Oh really?” I said, pulling my head back with surprise. “This talk coming from you, the male wench of the seas?”

He gathered some water in his palm and splashed it across my legs. “Whatever do you mean? I am no male wench. Just because I have had my fair share of mermaids, doesn’t mean I am even close to a prostitute. For one, I never took them for any money . . .”

“That’s because they all threw themselves at you. You didn’t
have
to pay, you dirty merman, you.”

His head dropped back with a laugh. “Well that’s over and done with anyway. I am a new man.”

“A new merman?”

“Sure, whatever you want to call me. I’m new.”

“Okay then.”

He shook his head in disgust. “Ugh, you humans and
your
barbaric mating,” he said under his breath.

“Barbaric mating did you say? What’s so barbaric about humans doing what God intended them to do, huh?”

“I’ve heard plenty of you humans, growling and banging around.”

“Ha!” I laughed. “You must be taking your example from a pirate.”

“No, I’ve heard many human men behave in the same way.”

 “What do you do, spy on everyone?”

He smiled and laid back on the sand with his hands behind his head. “Yes, I do. It’s the only way I’m going to learn.”

“Well, you’re wrong, I can tell you that. And I bet Merfolk are much more barbaric when they mate, fins and tails splashing around everywhere . . .”

He looked over at me, his expression intrigued. “Is that really what you think?”

“Well how else am I supposed to know? I can’t spy on you all like you do to us.”

“Would you like me to enlighten you?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay,” he said, raising back up and propping himself on his side. “I make love in the same way that I sing.”

“You mean loud and incessant?”

His face fell into a frown. “Oh stop that.You fancy my singing.”

“Awe,” I laughed. “Don’t hang the jib. I was only joking.”

“Hang the jib? Who’s the pirate now?”

“Arrr, not I, says me,” I graveled with a laugh, giving the best impersonation of my father that I could muster.

“This is a very serious subject,” he laughed back. “Now, how do you
really
think I sing?”

I drew in a deep breath and met his gaze. “Hhm, well, seductive, for one.”

“Oh I am very seductive.”

My face flushed with the heat of my embarrassment. I was thankful it was dark out.

“Well, go on,” he urged me.

“Okay then. Your singing is also romantic, enchanting, and beautiful.”

“Yes, yes, and yes.”

“Smooth.”

“Very.”

“My word, Ladarius . . .”

“What?” he chuckled. “You wanted to know what it’s like to make love to me.”

“To a merman in general,” I corrected him.

“Well that’s what I am.”

“Yes, but I’m sure they are not all like you.”

“You’re right about that one, love.”

I pulled my legs up and rested my cheek against my dress-covered knee. He was quiet, staring at me softly. “What?” I asked, desperately wanting to know what was on his mind.

“When I make love,” he began, “I move with the ocean’s current. When the sea is calm I move gently with its tide. When there is a storm I move zealously with its waves.”

“So what you’re telling me is that you let the ocean do all the work for you?”

“The sea is at peace at the moment,” he continued, ignoring my joke. “If I were to make love to you right now I would move slowly, taking my time exploring the curves of your perfect body. I would run my fingers through your hair and kiss down the length of your neck until I am met with your breasts . . .”

“Ladarius,” I laughed shyly, “that is quite a vivid account.”

“I wasn’t finished.”

“Well maybe you should be.”

“And why is that? Am I embarrassing you?”

“Why yes, quite frankly. And besides, you can only go so far with your story of the love making you would be able to do with me. We are of different species, remember?”

“Of course I remember; it pains me every day.”

“Yes, it pains me as well.” Our lips rose together with feeble smiles. We both knew that the reality was that we were falling in love with each other, two different species who could never even live in the same place, let alone experience the wonderment of making love.

Ladarius nudged my arm. “I’ve got a present for you.”

“A present? What’s the occasion?”

“I don’t need an occasion to do something nice for you.”

“But I didn’t get you anything.”

“That doesn’t matter.” He reached behind him with one hand and pulled it back over, holding an oyster shell in his fingers.

“Oh, a shell! I love shells!”

“It’s not just a shell. Open it.”

I took it from his grasp and carefully pulled the two pieces apart. Inside was a single rose-colored pearl. “Ladarius,” I gasped, “it’s, it’s absolutely breathtaking! Is it for me?”

“Of course it’s for you, silly. I cleaned it up a bit, took the oyster itself out of its shell. I wouldn’t want to hand something like that over to you.”

“Well,” I smiled, “I would have loved it anyway.” I leaned forward and planted a kiss on the shimmering skin of his cheek. He smelled of fresh ocean water and crisp sea air. The mixture was intoxicating.

I drew my mouth away but stayed close, locking my eyes together with his. His face was serious and his eyebrows knitted together while he searched my face, looking as if his mind was reeling with a thousand different thoughts. “May I kiss you, Grace?” he finally asked.

I didn’t answer, but instead moved in and closed the gap between our lips. He quickly took over, kissing me gently at first and then more deeply. My heart raced faster as he slid his fingers through my hair, just as he said he would do if he were to make love to me at that moment.

A glass bottle broke in the distance and startled us away from our kiss. “Bloody pirates,” I said, looking over in the direction of the sound.

With his hand still in the thick of my hair our eyes met once more. “How was that?” he breathed against my lips.

“It, it was amazing. You taste just like a man.”

“I am a man, Grace. I’m just a different kind than you’re used to.”

A splash broke out of the quiet water. “Ladarius!” Our heads shot over toward the deep voice to see a merman in the shallowness of the tide in front of us. “What is it that you are doing, exactly?” the merman demanded.

Ladarius took his hand away from my hair and motioned at the stranger with a sigh. “Grace, meet my brother, Callisto.”

Callisto was extravagant. He resembled Ladarius quite a bit in the face and body, both of them exceptionally muscular and dusted with shimmer. One of the exceptions to their similarities was Callisto’s hair: his was long and golden and was slicked down over his shoulders. He had a fin on his head as well, and was wearing a crown of what looked to be gold.

“Oh wow,” I perked up. “Your brother? It is so nice to meet you Callisto. I’ve heard so much about you. You are an extremely beautiful—”

“Father wants you home,” his deep voice interrupted me. “He wants to know what you’ve been up to. I’ve known the whole time but didn’t tell him to spare you his punishment. But that will change if you don’t stop interacting with this human at once.”

“I can assure you I cause you or your brother no harm,” I told him.

“It’s bad enough that this human has seen my face. She should consider herself fortunate.”

Callisto did not want to acknowledge me at all. But I knew it was only because mermen hated humans. Except for my Ladarius; he loved humans. Or, more rightly so, he loved me.

“I’m not coming home,” Ladarius told him. “You should know that by now.”

“Am I right in the fact that you gave this human a rose pearl?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Have you lost your mind?”