Hold Me Down

Rebecca never wanted to get on the damned ship in the first place.

In 1543, women were bad luck on a working ship. So bad, in fact, that any women found on a ship might be cast overboard. Rebecca Parr's older brother doesn't care. When Francis Parr hears trading in Greece is THE most profitable business from a shady man in a tavern, he packs up his sister and their few belongings. He sells everything else and buys thousands of pounds of sugar to sell. He hires a merchant ship, and within a month, leaves England.

There's just one problem. Rebecca, a 19 year old woman, will never be allowed on the vessel.

Francis convinces his sister to hide in the dark recesses of the hold, with the sugar that's supposed to be their savior. The sailors would never find her, and if they did, they wouldn't be so backwards as to cast her overboard, would they?

They would.

Rebecca sinks beneath the waves, but before the ship leaves his sister behind, Francis catches a glimpse of a dark tail splashing among the waves. In the wind, a silent song lingers, just for him.

"She'll be back."