Was I out of my mind? My parents never raised me to strike someone –unless you would count the times they did it to me. It was most unladylike of me. Yet, what else could I have done? I had not even been able to talk to him, or set myself free, for Verdi had held my quite tightly. I had not had a lot of time to contemplate my next action.

I did not contemplate anything when I spoke to him after I hit him. Although the kiss itself had been rather nice, I was very shocked. Like any noblewoman, I had been sheltered from men. As I looked at Verdi, I suddenly realised something else, and was taken by an intense fury.

Verdi touched his face, which had become very red on one side. It would surely become a bruise, but at the moment, I did not care.

“How dare you abduct me and then just kiss me in this manner? Do you have no manners whatsoever? You say you will help me, but I can see now that you require a price. And I will be damned if I’ll ever be willing to pay it to a scoundrel like you!”

Heavens, I had never known I could actually get that angry. Perhaps I was not only angry, but hurt as well. What if I had trusted him after this, and had not been willing to play this game with him? I would probably be at a loss for what to do. Now, I had prevented dependence on him, and I could walk away with pride intact, whether that would mean my death or not. Perhaps Asni would still help me, somehow. We had grown somewhat closer over time.

I was very startled indeed when the vendor’s angry brows suddenly lifted a bit, and his mouth twisted in the most wicked grin.

“You are smarter than you let on, and I quite like that. Very well, we will see how you will do on the island. I think you will certainly come crawling back to me.”

I frowned, not entirely convinced at his change of demeanour.

“You quite like to play villain, don’t you. As for my crawling back, I would not count on it. Now let me through!”

“Spoken like a true noblewoman. However, Bone Island is not a place for noblewomen. But you will find out soon enough how much I like to play the villain.”

He granted me passage to my room, throwing me a mocking hand kiss as I walked past him. Still not in a ladylike mood, it was hard not to stick out my tongue at him. Later, while lying in my bed, not as distracted by Verdi’s proximity, I realised I still hadn’t asked Verdi about his tattoo, and I was unsure if I would ever find the opportunity again.

The next morning, I was awoken roughly. Because there was no light coming from my window, I knew it had to be very early in the morning. It frightened me that I was unable to see very well who had awoken me at such an hour, until I heard a familiar voice.

“What did you do!”

“Asni, why are you here. I want to sleep, please leave.”

“As if I don’t want to sleep! And you had better be kind to me, for I just granted you a large favour.”

“What favour?” I asked as I sat up from the bed.

Asni sat down next to me, and I lighted the oil lamp on the bedside table.

“I do not know what happened. I do know that you always tolerate my whims, and that you do not have a very bad temper, so he probably deserved it. But you ought to be careful! He is the leader of lures.”

“Did I get in trouble?”

“You almost did! Verdi was trying to get you back to the hold. All the while trying to hide the monstrous bruise on his face.”

I tried not to grin when I saw her horrendous look.

“Did it look like it hurt?”

“Definitely! But that is not the point,” she said , vexed at my lack of attention on the matter at hand.

“I told captain Lionel and him that you were an irreplaceable servant, and that I would be quite sorry to see you leave, and they bought it –at least Lionel did. I cannot see why, for you are in fact useless when it comes to serving.”

“Thank you.”

“Do not be so sarcastic-”

“I did not mean it like that, thank you for helping me, Asni. You probably saved my life, or at least a portion of it.”

To my surprise, she embraced me. I quickly returned it, not used to the comfort of friendly consolation.

“I do not want you to get into trouble. I like Melissa, but she is not so dumb as you are, nor as spirited. At least you are not afraid to speak up. Apparently not even when it can kill you.”

“I never knew I could speak up. But it is, ironically, as if I have truly come to my senses since I have been taken captive by Verdi.”

Asni grinned.

“Then why did you hit him? You hoped I would have forgotten about it, didn’t you?”

I sighed. No one was able to deceive this girl. So I told her about everything, even the kiss, and about my vexation at not having asked him about the tattoo.

“I hope you will not be angry with me. I heard from Aro that he talked to you?”

I nodded.

“I have had my reasons for not telling you before. I was in doubt of Verdi’s feelings towards you, which are now clear as day. I know that he must be fascinated by you.”

She sighed, and massaged her temples.

“I also know that it will not make a difference. For, you see, Verdi is bound to my mother.”

I gasped, doubting whether all of this was not just another part of my dream.

“Bound to your mother?”

She sighed again.

“Not that she is married to him, but there are men who make promises to sirens, and those are binding. If he will abandon my mother, he will die.”

“But what about your-”

“He is as good as dead.”

She shook her head, because she knew I was about to apologise.

“It does not matter anymore. What matters is that Verdi knew that he could not break his promises, so he cunningly tried to take what he could get from you.”

I asked her how she knew this.

“It is not the first time, but he has never before tried to help others as much as he wanted to help you. So I thought perhaps you were different. Perhaps he wanted to just selflessly help you. Even if he did admire you, he wouldn’t necessarily try to take what he could get from you. I now realise the error in my judgement.”

I smiled at her, I had never expected such compassion from her, and I now blamed myself for not noticing Asni’s kindness, and Verdi’s cruelty.

“Now I really hope that it hurts,” I said angrily.

Asni was about to reply to me, when the ship started to shake violently, and we fell off the bed.

“What is happening?” I cried , terrified as I held on to the nightstand, which also started to shift.

Asni, who was trying to climb onto the bed again, answered: “We have reached the cliffs! They are very dangerous, and no boat except this one can sail through them.”

“It doesn’t quite seem that way,” I said, also trying to get on the bed again, but failing.

The first light came through my window, and in the distance I saw a lot of very sharp rocks, but when the ship came closer, I started to hear a song I knew far too well, for it was the very reason I was on this ship.

“My mother is happy I am coming home,” said Asni.