Mistress of the Damned

“Sure, you would have. You know, a simple thank you would have sufficed.”

I nodded. “Don’t hold your breath.”

Xagon chuckled as he looked over at the Hirpy. “It’s pretty obvious you have been feeding the creature. Tsk Tsk, Flipp. That behavior will not end in the way you think it will.”

I furrowed my brow, confused as he turned and left the room, leaving me behind with the Hirpy. I sighed. It had been a long night and I had no desire to return to my hammock. I would never feel safe to sleep there again.

“What was that all about?” Jesye asked, his voice still raspy.

“I almost died.”

Jesye gasped. “Is it because you helped me? I told you not to,” he whimpered.

“It wasn’t about you. There are weird things happening on the ship, and they think that I had something to do with it. I was attacked and almost thrown overboard.”

“What weird things?”

I looked over at him. “Maybe it’s best that you don’t know.”

“Why? Do you think I had something to do with it?”

I paused, not wanting to admit that I had my suspicions. “Are you hungry?”

“I’m fine. The Siren is right, you are going to get yourself in trouble if you continue helping me. There’s nothing you can do to save me. I would probably be better off if I starved.”

“His name is Xagon, and he’s a little weird.”

“Weird, how? He seems like a normal Siren to me.”

“No, he’s not. He’s not like any Siren that I’ve ever come into contact with.”

“I’ll take your word for it. Flipp, you need to stop worrying about me, and start worrying about getting yourself off the ship alive.”

I turned to him and felt a chill go up my spine at his words. No truer words had been spoken, but I didn’t want to admit that I wasn’t going to make it off the ship alive. The whole purpose of getting on the ship was to get away from the mob bosses on the Demon Isle. To get away from certain death, and all I managed to find was certain death on the boat. I had paid the Sirens to keep me safe, and I didn’t even think that Xagon could do that. Unless he planned on sleeping beside my bed and following me around all day. I would never be safe until I got off the boat.

“Please, Flipp,” Jesye whispered. “Survive this.”