Chapter 32: Maneater

Thane Drogos

The merchant vessel had surrendered. We easily overwhelmed their security team with minimal damage. These merchants knew what was best for them. My crew went to work gathering the cargo for transport.

Routine.

Easy.

Until the warbling of a siren song started emanating from the water. I reacted a split second before merchants started diving overboard. My crew fought not to join them in the salty grave.

"Safeties! Now!" I ordered, my voice cutting through the siren song haze. They blinked away the thrall temporarily. My crew always carried safeties in case of an attack. They were rare, but when a clan of sirens got their sights set on a ship, they would sink it.

Ravenous and violent.

With my voice, everyone had about a five-second window of clarity. Securing themselves to the main mast or support ballasts. Hold out until I could handle it. My mother left my side, immune to the song as I was.

But we left our ship defenseless. Fuck. My crew was trained