Siren's Kiss

40: A Single Madman

"Well, who is he?" Drake asked, waiting for his companions to identify the man bound to the ice chair.

The captive was hideous, with unusual skin covered in fish scales and dorsal fins jutting from his cheekbones. Drake, Vic, Griff, and Barny all tilted their heads, trying to determine what kind of creature they were looking at. Only Commander Rowan reacted, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"It's you..." he gasped, instantly capturing the group's attention. "I don't understand. What are you doing? You're the sorcerer?!"

"Indeed, he is..." Coraline said, appearing behind them after a brief reunion with her brother, who was following closely. Sage walked alongside them. "But you know that already, don't you, Commander?"

The hint of accusation was like poison, and suddenly the pirates drew their weapons. But it was the tip of Drake's cutlass that made him pause. Everyone knew they had been at each other's throats from the beginning of their journey. Only Ciel's goal and purpose kept their hatred in check.

Rowan's gaze traveled from the glistening blade of the cutlass to a pair of dark orbs that blazed with intensity. As the tension mounted, Ciel gently stepped beside Drake, placing a hand on his arm. "Let's be nice. If we're sent here together, we must learn to listen to each other."

Drake hesitated, but Ciel sensed his resolve weakening and gently pulled him away. The others followed, remaining highly alert. Rowan sighed deeply. As he looked into the princess's eyes, he saw something painful hidden within the depths. Perhaps he was merely a victim of her misplaced antagonism.

"Trust me, if I had known he was the sorcerer and that we were working together, I would've escaped the stalkers from the very beginning," he explained. To everyone's surprise, there was a certain grit in his voice, a slight tremble not from guilt, but from his tenacity in trying to win them over---even Captain Drake, whom he disliked and saw as a rival.

Sage was the first to sympathize. "I believe him," he said loudly, making Coraline's hardened expression soften slightly. "I don't think he has anything to do with whatever's happening here." This was an honest remark. In the short time he had known the commander, Sage could tell he was loyal to the cause of the Templar Knights. Rowan hated the pirates because his conviction was rooted in courage and discipline to maintain peace and order---values the pirates struggled to understand. For them, courage was only applied when it benefited their cause. It was understandable why a Templar Commander would loathe their kind, especially when Rowan had chosen the siren prince as a perfect mate to match his prestige and title. Imagine his disappointment upon discovering that the siren prince had chosen a pirate as his alpha---not just any pirate, but the most despicable one.

Drake smirked. "This here might come as a shock, but I believe 'im too," he said, making Hawk and Purity look at him. "The commander hates anythin' to do with magic. It be impossible fer 'im to ally 'imself with this... lot."

Hawk shot him a warning glare. "I'm right here."

"You're an exception, o' course. An' yer sorcerer family too. Where be they, by the way?"

Hawk pointed his thumb at the princess. "Ask her."

"I'll hand it over once we're done here. Shut your mouth if you don't have anything helpful to say," Coraline scowled, but Hawk only shrugged. Drake was baffled at the exchange, clearly oblivious that Hawk's shrunken ship was in the princess's hands.

Ciel decided to lead the group. Their debates were going nowhere, and this wasn't the time to raise suspicions. "What makes you accuse the commander earlier, Cora?" he asked his sister. "Is it because this person here is one of the Grandmasters of the First Order?"