"Fire!" Lowen screamed.

"Brim reach right!" Jacob commanded.

We were in the midst of a chase once again. This had been the third time in a week. Beckforth's Naval Ship kept finding our location. This was the closest encounter yet. For a long time, Beckforth's Northeastern was catching up beside us and only about sixty yards to our left. Gunshots were being fired back and forth. Five of the navy sailors were able to board Labyrinth so Gondro, Neville, Paco, and I helped to keep them off. The sailor that I was fighting with was the last to be overthrown off Labyrinth and that was because for a short moment, Jacob left the wheel to back me up.

"Are you alright?" he asked and quickly gave me a quick check.

"I am fine," I answered immediately. "You should go back to the wheel, Captain." I took out my pistol and started firing at Northeastern.

Lowen climbed up the crow's nest and aimed. Then, it was all over. He hit Northeastern's captain so for a short while his crew got distracted. We used that distraction as leverage and in no time they were out of sight. I sighed in relief.

The sea was peaceful after that. Gondro applied remedies to our cuts, wounds, and bruises and immediately they were gone just like always. I had been asking him how he was able to concoct remedies as effective and miraculous as these but he just smiled and told me it was a secret.

"I can cure any disease as long as we are at sea. But, I cannot bring back the breath of life that was taken away," he said simply with a smile.

"Captain, we have to go back on course," I heard Thaddaeus speak.

"I understand. But at the same time, we are entering uncharted waters. This could be dangerous," Thaddaeus insisted.

"True. But, where is your sense of adventure?" Jacob replied with a smirk.

Thaddaeus crossed his arms. "It is behind my common sense," Thaddaeus answered back.

I furrowed my brows. I found it odd. Thaddaeus was the most loyal to Jacob but here he was. This was the first time he contradicted the captain. It was so unlike him.

"Calm down, Thaddaeus," Lowen said.

"Man over board! There's a lady in the sea!!!" Elgo cried out from the crow's nest.

All the men in the ship except for Gondro looked. Sandlot quickly dove into the sea while Thom and Zaki threw a large rope to assist him with the rescue. When they ascended from the waters and into the ship, everyone gathered around the woman. For some reason, they were mesmerized with her.

I could not help but satisfy my curiosity so I took my steps toward them but Gondro quickly stopped me and gently dragged me away. I looked at him with eyes filled with concern and questions.

"What is going on?" I demanded.

Gondro put his finger on his lips to signal me to be quiet as we hid behind some of the sails. "Observe, Miss Darling," he said.

I did what he told me and lo! I was blown away by what I saw. The lady that they rescued slowly transformed before my very eyes. I had always thought that they were myths… unreal. But, right before my very eyes, the woman's features slowly changed into a mermaid. Her skin began to be covered with glistening silver scales that glowed even more as it caught the sunlight. Her ashen colored waves covered her upper body.

She was a beautiful sight to behold! Her cherry colored lips formed a smirk. In her silver eyes, I saw plain mischief. Her lips slowly began to move as if she was whispering something. Then, chaos began.

"I told you, this is uncharted waters. Nothing but danger here!" Thaddaeus shoved and yelled at Jacob.

Jacob closed his eyes and shook his head. He was trying to fight back whatever was going on but the mermaid's lips moved again and Jacob was lost. He retaliated and punched Thaddaeus back.

"How dare you talk back to me?! Are you going to start a mutiny?" Jacob thundered.

Paco tried to mediate but Lowen intercepted him and pointed a gun at him. The mermaid looked at them curiously, her sly grin not leaving her enchanting face. Paco tried to disarm Lowen and then they wrestled.

Before we knew it, everyone had something to say. Everyone was screaming, kicking, punching, pouncing, wrestling, and hurting each other. Just because the mermaid's lips moved. The mermaid giggled and then we heard an ethereal song.

Gondro's eyes widened in fear. "No, no, no…." he said and came out of hiding. He tried to mediate and intervened but it was too late. The pirates stopped fighting. They were in a daze.

I stepped out of my hiding place. "What just happened?" I asked Gondro.

Gondro looked at me worriedly. "Get back in hiding Miss Darling before she sees you!" he warned.

But it was too late. The mermaid saw me already and narrowed her eyes. She hissed and moved her lips again. Then, I felt a sword on my neck. I turned to the owner. It was Jacob. The mermaid smirked again.

"What are you doing?" I asked Jacob.

He did not respond. He just looked at me with an emotionless expression. Gondro immediately pushed him to the left. Jacob's sword dropped. Then, Gondro dragged me away. We tried to run as fast as we could but it was too easy for us to be surrounded.

I asked again though I know it was obvious. "What just happened?" I drew my sword and pistol at the same time. I do not want to clash swords with my crew mates but they were clearly not in their right minds.

"It was the curse of the mermaid's whisper followed by the mermaid song," Gondro responded.

"You are not making any sense. What?"

"Mermaid's whisper caused them to fight each other. It was the first attempt to control the mind," Gondro quickly explained as he prepared to fight as well. I remembered the mermaid moved her lips not long ago. "The mermaid song was the mind link. As you can see, they are now in her control… or I should say THEIR control."

"What? You meant there's more?"

"They do not travel by themselves," he explained further.

Lowen and the other gunners began to move. I shot my pistol by the ground they were stepping on as a warning. That made them stop. I had so many questions but I do not know if they would be answered in time. So I asked fast.

"Why aren't you affected? Why did the mermaid hissed at me? How do we stop this? Are they going to kill us?"

"I have merfolk blood. My mother was a mermaid. I'm immune to their curses," he began. I gaped. I should be surprised but there was no time for being shocked. We might die any second now! We are against two marksmen, gunners who possessed underhanded tactics, and more!

"The mermaid hissed at you because your presence was unexpected. Their curses do not work on women. As for your last two questions, I am uncertain," he said and took something from his pocket. "Keep them busy," he said and ran to the direction of the mermaid, ignoring my protests.

Keep them busy?! How could I keep them busy?! I looked at them all and furrowed my brows. Then I gave them a reluctant smile. "It's me, fellows," I said desperately. I do not know what to do nor what to say. Of course, it did not work! They did not recognize me!

They were all stepping forward to my direction. "Gondro!!!" I called as I stepped back. "I don't think I can fight them all!"

Then, they attacked. I screamed and shielded my face imagining how I would die in the hands of the people I trusted, but all of a sudden they stopped. I blinked. Gondro quickly took hold of me and together we leapt off the ship and into the waters.

When Gondro made contact with the saltwater, his being began to mutate. His neck began to grow gills and his skin turned to scales. I wanted to gasp but I couldn't in fear of losing air. He gave me a faint smile and held my waist.

"I'm so sorry but please hold your breath. I'll get us to land as fast as I can," he said and tightened his hold on me.

I nodded because unlike him, I could not speak underwater. Then, he moved! And then just like that, we were on land. He swam too fast!!! It was just like the speed of light. As we stepped on dry ground, Gondro's body slowly changed back to his usual self. He was panting and laid down on the sand.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Transformation requires too much of my energy because I am only half merfolk. Give me a minute to regain myself," he said as he took deep breaths.

I sat down and watched as Gondro's scales and gills began to vanish a little at a time. When he was completely back to his old self, he took something from his pocket. It looked like a twig but he explained that it was a kind of dried seaweed. He tied it around my wrist like a bracelet.

"That will hide your smell from them," he explained.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Gulf of sirens. Labyrinth will be docking here soon. We have to hide," he said and held out his hands to help me stand up.

After I was on my feet, I followed him. I still have so many questions that he needs to answer. But right now, the priority was to get out of sight.