Falling For The First Mate

Chapter 18

Though the sky was clear without a single cloud, the sea was restless. Chopping, churning and spitting droplets of water like upside-down rainfall, the waves launched themselves at the sides of the ship, rocking it like a bath toy. Perhaps it was the atmosphere, or maybe those troubling tides that forced Evanora to seek out Shen’s company, but honestly she couldn’t be sure.

For a part of her hadn’t condoned the thought of sleep nor rest after the way she had left Kade in the first mate’s cabin, and this was what weighed most heavily on her mind.

Traversing the angled deck, she attempted to listen for a tone of familiarity amongst the cries of orders and the labouring heaves of the men. Failing at this, she swept her eyes around her, dizzied from the slow undulations of the sea. For the first time since boarding the ship, she felt a twist of nausea bully her stomach.

Just then, she caught a glimpse of a silhouette settled on the figurehead of the Maelstrom, legs dangling over the wood-crafted bones of the hand as whoever it was lounged in the skeleton’s grip.

Shen.

“Shen!” Evanora called out, tripping towards the front of the ship. “Is that you up there?”

It was indeed, for immediately he leapt to his feet and swung from his perch, landing beside her with the agility and grace of a trained performer.

“Hey” he grinned, breathless.

“Hi” Evanora replied.

He seemed to have tanned since the last time they spoke, if that was even possible. His deep olive skin had darkened in colour and his hair had grown to shoulder-length and shaggy. He now looked less like the flawless dark creature he had once been and more like a windswept pirate, rugged and handsome.

Evanora opened her mouth to speak, but Shen already knew the reason she sought his company. The transition to human form had not cost him any of his talents.

“You managed to make things officially awkward with Hero-Boy in there, and now you’re lonely and want my advice.” he stated matter-of-factly.

Evanora reddened in embarrassment.

“How many of my secrets do you know?”

“Enough to keep me amused.” Shen responded with a smirk. “Now, part of you wants to make things right between yourself and the First Mate, and part of you just wants to forget him for a while, am I right?”

Evanora shook her head in disbelief. Having an ally who possessed superhuman abilities like mood reading was definitely going to take some getting used to.

“You know you’re right, Shen. So how do you do it?”

“Ah, well- that is for me to know and you never to find out.” Shen chuckled. “And as for right now, I propose that we get you dressed up like the taunting seductress Kade will go crazy for- how about that?”

Evanora wasn’t sure. Her idea of getting ‘dressed up’ was reluctantly squeezing into a dress for church at Christmas and Easter each year, and that was torture enough. The things were hard to breathe in, scratchy to the skin, and made you bulge in all the wrong places, in her humble opinion.

“Aw, come on, Nora. It’ll be fun.” Shen waggled his eyebrows.

His eyes were comical, boyish; enough to warm her heart even though the use of Terrian’s nickname induced a surge of loss. Already tasting her surrender, Shen’s grin broadened and he grabbed for her hand.

“Fine,” she sighed, downcast.

“Oh, for the love of all things evil, smile! I’m hardly forcing you to walk the bloody plank.”