“Our stories are none of your concern. I certainly wouldn’t tell you the legends of my people because you aren’t one of my people.”
I blushed deeply. I felt like a fool for thinking that I might be connecting with Azil on some level. He didn’t see me as a friend, or anything near that. I was just a traveler on his boat, and he was just putting up with me.
“Whatever,” I said with a shrug.
I looked away from him then, so that he wouldn’t see just how much his comment bothered me.
“Here, take this.”
I took a deep breath before looking back at him. He was holding something in his hands. He held his hand out, and there was a piece of ginger in it.
“What’s that for?”
“Your stomach, Flipp. It will help you a great deal if you can chew on it.”
“You want me to chew on it?” I cringed.
He smiled. “Yes, trust me. It will make you feel so much better, and it will relieve any future nausea that you might feel. We can’t exactly have you smelling like puke all the time, now, can we?”
I took the ginger. “Is there anywhere that I can clean up? I feel pretty ridiculous right now.”
He nodded. He bent closer to me again and I could smell the musk of his skin. He was looking at the bump on my head.
“I think that you will be fine, but you should probably get some rest.”
He got up from the deck and I followed suit. We were going below deck.
“I thought you said that it was rougher below.”
“It is unless you are in the bunks. I should have put you there before, but I was teaching you a lesson. That was, of course, before you got hurt.”
He brought me into the area where all the bunks were stacked. There was a large hammock in the back.
“You can stay here. So, chew on your ginger and get some rest. You’ll be a lot safer here.”
“And where can I wash up?”
He stared at me a moment, and his eyes trailed from my face to my feet and then back up again, his eyes resting on my mouth. He turned around and went down to the kitchen. He was gone for a few minutes before he returned carrying a large basin. It was filled with water, and he set it at my feet. He had a towel over his shoulder, and he handed it to me. He also had a kimono of sorts that he handed to me.
“You can wash yourself in the basin as best you can. We don’t have a lot of access to clean water, unless you want to go swimming in the Bay.”
I shook my head.
“That’s what I thought,” he said with a chuckle. “You can peel off those smelly clothes and change into this. It probably suits you better than the leather,” he said with a wink.
I pursed my lips, waiting for him to leave, but he just stood there.
“Do you need some help?” he asked.
I guffawed. “Not likely. I think I can manage to do this on my own.”
“Well, if you change your mind,” he said with a wink.
I didn’t say anything, I just watched him turn and head down the narrow hallway and back up to the upper deck. I sighed deeply. I couldn’t help but wonder what I would do if Azil wanted to fuck me. Would I allow him to touch me, or would I fight him off?
I started undressing, keeping my eye out for anyone coming below deck. I washed myself off with the wet towel the best that I could, as quickly as possible. I didn’t want to be caught undressed with any of the Sirens around. I slipped into the silk Kimono and felt absolutely luxurious for maybe the very first time in my life. I never dressed that way, but it felt nice for the time being.
I felt more tired than I realized. I curled up in the hammock and the moment I got comfortable, my heavy eyelids closed.