---Orion's POV---

"Swimming lessons?" Cain verified, arching a brow as he leaned back in his seat. I nodded, eyes trained on the map where he had been busy calculating our route.

Pushing his seat back, he gave me his full attention with a slight smirk. "You are asking me permission... to give the crew... on a pirate ship... swimming lessons."

I scratched the back of my neck nervously, fills flaring in annoyance. "Well, when you put it like that."

Cain chuckled slightly, kicking his legs up with a smirk. "While I trust a select few of the crew with my life, you've seen first-hand how easy it is to be betrayed..."

Nodding, I knew exactly what Cain was referring to. After all, I did save him from becoming shark bait. Cain chuckled, tapping his knuckles on the table as he eyed me with amusement.

"Pirates that know how to swim usually take that secret with them to the grave." Cain explained slowly, eyes flicking towards the doorway, "If word got out to the crew that one of their own could swim, they'd most likely keelhaul the bastard before he could squeak."

I blinked in surprise, arms falling down. "Why? Is it just because of what you told me? How the crew can jump ship if they knew how to swim?"

Cain's gaze was warm and gentle as it flitted over my body. A chuckle escaping his lips. "Just? While I trust most of my men on this ship to do as told, there are many things that can influence their behavior."

"If a pirate knows how to swim, what stops them from slitting the captain's throat in the middle of the night and steal everyone's belongings?" Cain tapped his knuckles on the map spread out over the table, "What stops them from swimming to shore and betraying the existence of their pirate brethren?"

I... didn't think of that...

Cain smiled gently as he scribbled down some calculations, marking a spot on the map. "I know you have little to no experience with the true nature of pirates, especially since you've only seen us..."

His dark eyes flitted up, showing the chilling truth of his words, "Most pirates are vile men. They take what they want and give nothing back. Gold, jewelry, riches... women, children." He sneered, shaking his head.

"I've known a captain who was smuggling slaves once. When his crew spotted one of the local guard ships approaching, he found it no better than to discard his shipment so there wouldn't be evidence to be used against him."

Cain clicked his tongue against his teeth, scowling out the window. The hatred burned brightly within his gaze. "He had them all chained together and attached them to several chain cannonballs before tossing them overboard without a care."

My eyes widened as Cain didn't need to explain what happened. The weight of the cannon balls would've dragged the first person overboard and the rest would follow soon.

To die due to suffocation or worse, to still be conscious and be crushed by the pressure of the dark abyss below...

I shivered at the idea, rubbing over my arms as Cain continued, "He bragged about it in a tavern later on. How he managed to avoid detection but lost a shipment of twenty children and sixty capable men and women, all because the royal guard needed to check in on his vessel."

Cain placed a gentle hand on my arm, crouching down to look me in the eye. "There are men among pirates that are nothing more than devils in human skin. Morality is below them and the only thing they want is fortune, in whatever shape or form."

The silence in the room after his explanation was heavy, only interrupted with the chatter on the deck and the sloshing of waves outside.

I had heard stories over the years, warning that the locals would whisper to stay clear of pirates. But all the stories I had heard, I had taken with a grain of salt.

Because it was within human nature to expand upon a tale, to blow it out of proportions in order to impress others. Where the story teller would add details and make up parts as they went, simply to hear praises and whispers of awe.

Part of me had known pirates were bad but still believed many of their stories were blown out of proportion. And for some pirates, like Cain's crew apparently, that seemed to be the truth.

For others, the stories were actually downplayed. Horrific tales and recounts that people couldn't believe, didn't want to believe.

Because they didn't want to be faced with the reality that, in a world of make-belief fairytales and creatures, they were the worst monsters.

A knock sounded on the door before Elijah poked his head inside, grinning slightly and giving a little wave in greeting. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything... fun." He teased, eyes flitting between us, "But Archer wanted me to let you know that we have a few tag-alongs."

Cain's eyes instantly flashed to me as I hissed lowly, a shiver running up my spine. "I thought your mark would prevent any of your kin of pursuing Orion any further?" Cain growled out as he pushed away from the table.

Elijah sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorway. "It they are smart, they would head the warning, yes. But clearly, some of them wish to challenge my claim on Orion." The merman scoffed, "Not that it matters much, seeing how you bit me."

"How many?"

The merman wiggled three fingers in the air, grinning slightly. "Two males and a female. And I think I know at least one of them."

Cain scoffed at that, muttering something under his breath before he stomped out the room, with us close in his trail. Elijah nearly seemed to skip on his feet, seemingly eager to deal with these merfolk.

Meanwhile, my instincts were screaming at me, wondering why the hell I was sitting around here and waiting to become a snack to these creatures.

"How exactly do you know them?" Cain asked after barking orders to his men. Elijah hummed, eyes on the water, undoubtedly trying to lock onto the merfolk beneath.

"I think the female was of the pod I was traveling with and one of the males is of my birth pod." He sucked his teeth with a look of disgust. "I wouldn't be surprised they'd be here for either of us."

Cain paused at that as I slowly turned to Elijah. "Why... would they be after you? You're one of them, aren't you?" I asked hesitantly. I had no recollection of any information that Merfolk preyed onto one another.

Elijah scoffed, eyes tracking movement beneath the surface that I followed, seeing a flicker of a tail before it was gone. "I'm not a pure merman. My mother was unfortunate enough to be a siren that was captured by the pod."

A chill rushed over my body as I felt sick to the core. Elijah didn't need to say anymore, as I could imagine what he meant.

Someone of the mer pod had managed to capture her alive. Turned her into his prized possession, an unwilling concubine. A fate that I wouldn't wish onto anyone, as it was a fate she'd never escape.

If she ever did manage to break away, I wouldn't be surprised if her pursuit would end up into an impromptu hunt. And she would wish she'd never been born the second they caught up to her.

I hadn't heard of any hybrids between our species before but it wouldn't be surprising. Elijah snorted and added "Merfolk breed for strength, to better the species. Any merman within their right mind, would pounce on the opportunity of capturing a female Siren."

"And that's what happened to your mother." I murmured softly, observing the man as he had a distant look in his eyes.

"Indeed. I'm the best of two worlds." He said with a naughty smirk, shrugging a shoulder. "The raw power and stealth of the merfolk, the natural allure of Sirens... though I'm an absolutely horrible singer."

I snorted while Cain barked with laughter, even a cough that muffled his own amusement came from Archer where he was steering the ship.

"Explains why you complained about your form, back on the beach." Cain commented, giving Elijah a pointed look as the merman wiggled his toes with a smirk.

"I mean, I've learned that this form does have some... very satisfying benefits." Elijah said, eyes smoldering as they landed on Archer, who chuckled and shook his head.

A merman that could transform, that could take on a humanoid form capable of getting on land. I shivered at the implications if that ability landed in the wrong hands.

The merfolk would be able to go on shore, no matter how brief, and raid the coastal towns. They would steal into the towns in the middle of the night and devour the helpless humans while they laid in their beds.

Elijah gave me a nod, as if sensing my thoughts. "Mer-hybrids are rare for a reason. Opposing pods do not necessarily like the idea of others growing stronger. Having abilities they don't have..."

He nodded towards the water. "The female undoubtedly wants me to breed. To make stronger offspring." He sneered in disgust, "She was already following me in the hunting pod, probably drawn into the natural allure I was born with."

The waves sloshed against the hull, several of the crew jumping at the sound. Nervousness clung to the air, the stench of fear starting to emanate from the crew.

"The male I know, well, he always looked down on me. A purist at heart. Why mingle the bloodlines of Mers with creatures they eat?" Elijah snorted, cracking his neck and I watched his throat gills flare out in a suppressed hiss.

His eyes flashed, a hint of scales glimmering in the sunlight as his temper overwhelmed him for just a moment before his jaw ticked, shoulders tensing and then relaxing once more.

The barrel man was keeping a close eye on the surroundings, my own gills flaring to take in any fragment from a scent.

Even Elijah was focused, eyes narrowed and lips slightly parted as he inhaled deeply. His gills flared with each inhale before he grunted in annoyance and ripped his shirt off his body.

Archer raised a brow about to protest, most likely at the leers that were aimed Elijah's way. However, the protest never fell from his lips as multiple gill flaps opened up on Elijah's chest.

"You might wanna cover your ears." Elijah hissed, waiting only a short moment for the crew to drop whatever they had in their hands and plug their ears.

My own eyes widened in shock because I knew what was coming. Luckily I was able to cup my hands over my ears in time, because the three merfolk that had been attempting to sneak onto the ship definitely did not.

Elijah let out a piercing shrill scream that seemed to reverberate through the air. Even with our ears feebly protected, the sound was painful, bouncing around in my head to the point where it seemed as if my skull was going to split open.

A few gasped cries sounded before splashes announced the merfolk dropping down in the waters below. Elijah snorted, leaping off of the ship without a moment to spare.

The men ran to the wooden bannisters, watching as the water churned in one spot, darkening as a pool of blood tainted the surface.

Without thinking, I leapt after Elijah, worried that he'd have to deal with three merfolk on his own. While one on one would be absolutely disastrous for me, I was quite certain that I could at least be enough of a distraction that they would come after me.

I was however surprised to find one beheaded corpse already circling to the abyss, Elijah gaining on the disoriented female while the third male was hovering underneath the hull of the ship.

The unknown mer was in a daze, eyes unfocused and gills barely moving. That resonating scream was an ability that the Sirens had developed to deal with the predating Merfolk, to stun them long enough to give us a chance to flee.

And judging from the way a small cloud of blood spilled from the male's gills, a hybrid's screech did more than just stun.

A blur of motion zipped past me before Elijah's fangs sank into the male's throat, ripping it out with no remorse. A hint of fear sparked in the mer's eyes before they dulled, body stilling and starting its slow decent.

"Aw princess, were you worried about me?" Elijah drawled with an amused spark in his eye. I huffed and rolled my eyes, glancing around to make sure there were no others lying in ambush.

Elijah cocked a brow, humming slightly. "You aren't going to protest about my killing these mer?" He seemed genuinely curious, tail pumping lazily as we moved closer to the ship.

I shook my head slightly, eyes flitting around as I replied, "No. If you had let them go, they would've trailed behind us again or worse, alerted their pods back at home. It would've been easy for one of them to deliver a message while the other two trailed the ship."

Elijah nodded, surprised when a rope-ladder was already waiting for us to climb aboard. Cain and Archer were waiting, rifles ready in case we were being chased.

"Figured it was easier for you guys than having to crash-land on the deck every time you take a dip." Cain grinned, holding a hand out and pulling me halfway up while Elijah on the other hand, yanked Archer down to devour his mouth in a steaming kiss.

"You're incorrigible." Archer chuckled when he managed to tear away from the mer's hold, who simply snickered as he squeezed the excess water out of his hair.

"Big words for a pirate." Elijah said with a smirk, eyes flitting down as Archer murmured something under his breath, to which Elijah's eyes trailed pointedly down the man's pants, letting out a little hum of approval.

Cain cleared his throat pointedly before the pair could start of their usual teasing banter that was filled with numerous innuendos. Instead, he barked orders at the men to quickly raise all sails.

"We're going to head back ashore for now, lay low so those blasted fish lose our scent." Cain cursed, glancing at the sun behind us with a scowl, calculating how much daylight we had left.

I nodded, watching as Elijah plopped his ass down on the banister, keeping Archer company at the wheel while teasing the man relentlessly.

Stepping on land would be safer indeed, but where could we make port that allowed pirates on shore? My stomach quivered uneasily, as I only had a few ideas come to mind and none of them were interesting.