COMPLETED
Nereida has always been shackled to her royal duties as princess of Triteria, and when her kingdom becomes involved in a series of mysterious vanishings and deaths she begins to seek answers. Rebels soon shatter her world, and she finds he...
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Governor Bancroft took my hand in his and lifted it to his mouth. A devilish smile crept across his face, and my skin crawled into itself. As the hand left mine, his light blue eyes slowly left mine, but not before I viewed the intentions he tried to mask. Fear set in, and I couldn't help but swallow hard at our predicament.
"Stop! Don't touch her!" Sam's voice exploded with rage. He watched in fury, but the governor paid him no heed. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on me, a smug smile on his face. Mr. Randall casually walked over to Sam, then delivered a decisive blow to his stomach with the butt of his long gun. Sam doubled over in pain. My eyes widened as I observed the scene, struggling to restrain myself from going to Sam's side to offer comfort.
I knew it would not go well if I attempted.
"How did you find us?" I spat menacingly. Governor Bancroft released my hand and stepped back, a self-satisfied scoff escaping his lips.
"My dear, rest assured, nothing escapes notice in my ocean," he began, his tone dripping with arrogance. "The good Captain Shelley failed to comprehend that whenever you leave a trail behind, you leave yourself quite vulnerable. Bring her forth."
The men separated, revealing a struggling figure. As they entered the light, I saw who the figure was: Lady Isheba. Her face bore faintly purplish marks and a cut on her upper lip. Her gaze lowered, unable to meet our eyes, yet her face conveyed the suppressed hatred she longed to voice. Chains bound her hands together; she was their prisoner. Seeing her in such a state filled me with shock and sorrow; she had already lost Monsieur Lamoy and was now held against her will. The weight of guilt was crushing—she should never have been entangled in all this.
"Isheba," I whispered, and she lifted her gaze to meet mine.
"You didn't think you were the only mystical creature, did you? Your Isheba here is quite a skilled witch—"
"I'm no witch!" Isheba's voice rang out, her struggles against her captors proving futile.
"Whatever title you prefer is of little concern, witch. You will answer for your transgressions. Yet, I must admit, you've proven to be a valuable asset in helping me obtain what I desire. You see, captain, once I located your 'sorceress,' we quickly learned of your destination. With our vastly superior ships, intercepting you was an easy task. And, as fate would have it, we chanced upon two of your former crewmen on our way here, who so happened to be carrying these," Governor Bancroft taunted, gesturing for another man to step forward. Cradled in his arms were the stone tablets. At that moment, if my heart could sink any lower, it would have plummeted out of my chest entirely.
"Now, not only do I possess your mermaid, but I also have you, Captain Shelley, and your ship once more within my grasp," Governor Bancroft concluded, deriving pleasure from each word of his elaborate account of our capture.
"Wait for a blimey minute, damn it! That weren't par' of the agreement. You promised you'd dispose of Shelley, and the ship would be mine!" Morgan's interruption reverberated through the tense air. Governor Bancroft swiftly pivoted on his heel, his gaze dripping with disgust as he looked down upon Morgan.
