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Chapter Fifty-Seven

Author: Mandi Martin
last update Last Updated: 2024-03-23 18:50:54

Lloyd gazed over the open water, closing his eyes as the salt stung them, blown in from the soft waves that caressed the lonely shore.

"Just tell me what you need, and I'll do it," he smiled at Nathaniel tiredly, rubbing the back of his neck. The etching of a deep scar still lay there, concealed by his hair. It wasn't the first time he'd nearly lost his life. But that was a story for another day; he just wanted the man to know he wasn't ignorant of violence.

Nathaniel reached out, his finger ghosting the red mark and sending tingles through Lloyd's body.

"I can always take what comes at me," he whispered, turning to kiss the man's hand. "And I have the marks to prove it."

Nathaniel gave a sad smile and withdrew his hand with a shake of his head.

"I have plenty of stories for all my scars. Each of 'em fairly gruesome..." He remembered all of them. They weren't events one could forget. "They ain't important." He turned away abruptly. "Come to my room whenever you're ready, and I'll sho
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  • Dark Water   Chapter Seventy Three

    Thomas shook as he entered the cabin. A mocking voice followed him, forcing unwanted images into his mind. They played like a flip show before him, making his head ache.'He hates rats, animals and humans! Remember how he burned Allen's tongue out? Remember the keel hauling when Morris revealed something to the King's Navy?'The screams shattered his nerves, rebounding in his skull. He saw the blood, flowing in torrents from the lacerated skin, torn to shreds by the barnacles on the hull.He heard the muffled agony when the burning dagger sawed through the pink flesh, severing Allen's tongue from his mouth.Later, a gull took it, dropping it in disgust into the still sea.Blood stained the water, adding the soul of a ruby to what looked like melted sapphire.Allen had lived. Morris had languished, dying in a seizure two days later. And his eyes...they stared with such hate towards the sky, but the anger hadn't been directed at God.Not anymore. It was meant for a man who thought he r

  • Dark Water   Chapter Seventy-Two

    The sea always seemed more sinister when the waves barely moved. No breeze was permeating the air, and an oppressive humidity engulfed the ship.Thomas felt beads of sweat tickling his forehead, trickling down his cheeks and making his collar uncomfortably damp.He set his mop aside, pulling for the umpteenth time at the pesky material. Some of the older men discarded their ragged shirts, wandering about with leathery, scarred skin and faded tattoos on display for all to see. Thomas, despite his paler skin being free from marks save for a small scar across his back, refused to do that. It just seemed unseemly. Besides, he knew they'd taunt him.Robinson, a middle-aged, balding man with breasts like a woman, would be the worst. The man was an utter slob and made no effort to curb his bad habits, using that zeal to point out everything that was 'wrong' or different about others.Right now, he was snoring in the shade, drool gathering on his cracked lips and a discarded bottle rolling

  • Dark Water   Chapter Seventy-One

    The crew might have despised the dawn. Their hearts resented the bloody pink stain that wept through the blackness and stifled the stars. The ruby sheen of the sun was a curse, drawing the freedom of the moon away from them.For one woman, alone on a distant shore, it was a blessing.Her haggard form was a stark contrast to the youth in her eyes, but in those depths was a knowledge that all respected.Especially Nathaniel and Lloyd.She sensed a disturbance, however far away it was. She had sent part of her soul with Nathaniel, and the spirit that dwelt in the amulet reflected an aura to her.'They are in trouble. The discontent is rising, and soon it will hit them like a Leviathan from the depths. The dead are restless, especially those who have been recently wronged.' She rocked on her bare heels, unable to feel the sharp shingle that bore into her feet. 'I have to help, even though I swore it was up to him. His heart has changed since then, and that warmth is why my resolve has mel

  • Dark Water   Chapter Seventy

    Abraham was one of the only men on board who could read with some eloquence. His Bible was worn out from his constant perusal, and the old prayer book he'd once had was in pieces.That night, what was required was not his reading skills but his openness to the darker forces of human nature. "I was thinking," he said when the handful of men had assembled, perching like ungainly beasts on their bunks or sitting stiffly on the floor. "I think we need to ask someone who's done this before. I've read enough in the Bible to distrust demons."The soft candlelight illuminated the severity in his eyes, the long lines seeming to be etched deeper beneath them, and looked like ragged tracks dug into the dark circles."Blake's still here. We just need to see him. His errors will be the key to our success.""How'd know it's him?" One of the men frowned uneasily. "I've seen a few things around 'ere that ain't been what they seem. And we've tried before.""We chance it. And I ain't thinking of doing

  • Dark Water   Chapter Sixty-Nine

    Lloyd lost himself in Nathaniel's arms for several hours and learned that intimacy didn't have to be physical to kindle pleasure.Just lying in his embrace, feeling the strength and subdued fondness that flowed from him was as thrilling as their flesh becoming as one.And it gave them a chance to talk. For a while, Lloyd avoided the topic of the curse and Nathaniel's past, focusing on putting the world to rights and complaining about the mundane life he'd left behind.Nathaniel listened patiently, regardless of whether it interested him or not. He mentioned that he wasn't enamoured with the modern world and that his own time may not have been better; it seemed easier without the constant bother of what people called progress."I don't understand the need for all these gadgets," he said bluntly. "It seems the art of writing has vanished with many other skills. You'll regret it one day. Human skills are meant to last; these metal things ain't. And when they fail, you'll be at a loss."

  • Dark Water   Chapter Sixty-Eight

    The power of the demon is harnessed to my very soul. I feel it is gnawing on whatever purity resided there. With each passing day, the shadows spread, but the gleam of gold keeps them at bay. I know of hidden treasure beyond the wildest dreams of other men; all the spoils are within my grasp.The crew has been silent, but I see their greed and desire grow. Their blood is intertwined with mine, and my victory is theirs.Yet, behind this, I sense some are not happy. Their souls were pledged without consent, but the riches were too tempting to refuse. They will reap the benefits, and whatever blood must flow will do so in rivers. We were bound for Hell regardless of this bargain, but the path there will be paved with gold. They should be grateful. If not, their blood can run in rivers. Whatever power the demon has, I shall match. Have I not caused the King's Navy to tremble and villages to quake as though the earth itself shifts beneath their feet?With such might behind me, I will rule

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