Dive into the enchanting depths of Ocean's Temptation, where Princess Nereida, shackled to her royal duties in the mystical kingdom of Triteria, seeks to solve the crisis of mysterious vanishings and deaths. But when rebels shatter her world, she fi...
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My captor stood leaning against the door, smiling wickedly, watching the scene while my eyes, wide with bewilderment, released the parchment from my hands. I looked away and returned to my original spot, taking a seat without saying a word. He chuckled slightly as he walked over to the table and sank into the larger chair on the opposite side. He picked up the jar in front of me and filled a bronze-looking bowl with the brown liquid. He watched me, and I, intrigued by his actions, watched back.
"Would you like some whiskey?" he asked, but I didn't respond. Instead, I just stared at the floor, lowering my head. "No? Maybe some water instead. I'll wager you're thirsty."
He filled the second bowl with water and pushed it toward me. I looked at it, unsure of what to do or whether I should trust it. Unfortunately, he was right—I was desperately in need of it. As a human, I couldn't consume water the way I had been able to as a mer, and I didn't realize how much of it I would need to keep up with the ever-present heat. I cupped the bowl in both of my hands and brought it up to my mouth. After quickly smelling it, I took a sip and then eagerly drank the water.
"Easy there, love. There's plenty more where that came from," he laughed and took a sip of his cup. He then took out an object, and soon the red, yellow, and orange lights I had seen on the day of the explosion were in his hand. He brought it near the white stick, and the light remained there. It was so beautiful, so luminous, and inviting.
It tempted me to reach out and touch it.
"Don't. You'll burn yourself if you touch it. It's called fire, and it's used to light the rooms," he said casually as if he could read my mind.
Fire...
I could see him more clearly now. The curls that had once been wet and clung to his forehead were now dry. They fell slightly into his blue eyes. He was young, quite young to be a captain, and when he smiled, little indents formed on his cheeks, making him look even more childish. But the darkness hidden in those eyes revealed his true intentions. His black shirt was open, revealing a bit of chest hair, and around his neck, he wore a gold necklace with a circular object of some sort.
He continued to gaze at me for a few more moments and then abruptly stood up from the table. The sound of the black objects that concealed his feet against the floor gave off a loud sound with each step. He grabbed a couple of round objects and then walked back over to the table. As he placed them down in front of me, I noticed he had a few silver and gold rings on his fingers. He then sat down again, and took a long drink from the bowl, while removing the top from the object. On the platter, lay colorful items of various sizes and textures.
"You must be hungry. Eat! I have some meat coming, but these are the finest fruits you've ever tasted," he raved and grabbed one of them. He took a bite from the 'fruit,' I watched as the juice slid down his mouth. I crossed my arms and turned to the side, refusing to be swayed by fancy fare. He laughed.
