Falling For The First Mate

Chapter 16

Shen heaved himself up onto the deck, muscled arms flexing as they supported his weight in its entirety. Exhausted from his steadfast clinging to the ship for the past two nights, he allowed himself to flop to the floor, lying in a pool of rapidly evaporating water.

The change from water to vapour, he thought, was similar to the change from shadow creature to human. The appearance and defining features change, but the essence remains the same.

When he was finally able to steady his breathing, he eased his aching limbs into a sitting position and glanced around the deck. He wondered why nobody had yet questioned his appearance on board. The members of the crew seemed to be oblivious, in a zombie-like state of going through the motions.

It was probably the outcome of the failed mutiny. Shen knew all about it, had watched it all unfold like a motion picture before his eyes. He had waited with a growling stomach as Captain Silvestre singlehandedly took down an entire group of ruthless crewmates, and then he had winced with the rest of them as Kade Skyler took the blame upon himself and accepted the penalty.

Even though it had cost him the meal that he had so eagerly awaited, even Shen had to admire the First Mate’s bravery. Who would have guessed that there would ever be heroism among pirates? Certainly not him, that was for sure.

And speaking of certainty, his theory about Evanora being the downfall of the Maelstrom was now cemented in his mind.  She would trail disaster and destruction, though it was purely coincidental and by no means purposeful. And if she could shake the ship like this from a simple idea, to have her on his side would be like taking possession of a hurricane.

Glancing around for her, Shen’s eyes landed on where she stood begging a middle-aged, pudgy woman for something and gesturing between herself and one of the main cabins. He shook his head as he predicted what she was doing, watching as the fat woman wobbled off and closed the door behind her. She was pleading for a chance to see Kade Skyler- and being denied, by the looks of it. As she had for the past day and two nights since the lashes had been taken.

Evanora found no refuge in the crew; they all shunned her like the bad omen they considered her to be. She stood alone, weeping silently, like a raincloud out of place in a crystal clear sky.

Shen, you are the master of perfect timing, he thought with a satisfied smirk. You couldn't have picked a better moment. Sometimes, you even surprise yourself.

The smirk still drawn on his face like a permanent mask, he cleared his throat and began to sing, watching for the reaction he knew his words would have.

The subtle flexibility of his voice carried over the wind and the waves, reaching Evanora in a matter of seconds. Immediately, her head snapped up and her eyes brimmed with tears as she rushed to the side of the ship, scouring the water for any sign of him there.

Slowly lifting himself to his feet, he crept up behind her. She was calling down into the water, almost dying for him to appear once again.

“Shen? Are you out there?”

“I’m behind you, Evanora.” he chuckled, laying a hand loosely on her shoulder.

She gasped and spun around, turning to face him with a mixture of emotions on her face. Shen could taste them all, even in his human form: relief, guilt, sadness, fear…it was almost enough to satiate his hunger. He forced himself not to lick his lips.

“You’re…you’re…” she stuttered.

“Human, yes. I’m sure loverboy Kade wasted no time in describing to you how much of a monster I am, but my human form is actually pretty impressive, don’t you think?”