Chapter Text
Agatha’s fingers skimmed across the wooden railing, her boots sounding against the deck in the quiet night air. A bottle swung by its neck between her fingers and she lifted it to her lips to take another swig of the honey coloured liquid inside. The rest of the ship was asleep. The creak of ropes and wood, and the wash of the waves were her only companions. As she reached the bow, Agatha leaned her arms against the rail, the bottle dangling precariously over the sea while she stared out. The way the moonlight danced across the water was mesmerizing. The sound started low in her throat, the humming of a tune she thought she'd forgotten, and soon after the words her father had taught her came too.
“Her blackened heart, it does despair
For death does circle in the air.
The love she gives, she lays it bare,
But fate will take, it does not spare.
When last they go, unto the dark,
With death's embrace, the final lark.”
Agatha let out a heavy breath before pushing herself from the rail. As she turned to continue her lap of the ship, a soft voice sounded from below.
“That song was very sad.”
Agatha froze, sure that she imagined it. The only way a voice would come from there was if there was someone in the water, but that was impossible. Doing her due diligence, she turned back and leaned over the railing. The water lapped against the hull, the moonlight sparkling on its surface, but there was nobody there. Nobody had gone overboard. She looked at the bottle in her hand and shook her head. Maybe she'd had enough to drink then.
“But you have a beautiful voice.”
Agatha jumped, the bottle falling from her hands and clattering onto the deck before rolling away, slowly spilling its contents.
Below, nestled amongst the waves, was a face. The most beautiful face Agatha had ever seen, illuminated by the moonlight. Big brown eyes stared up at her as the woman in the water bit her lip shyly.
“Are you- do… do you need help?” Agatha felt like she couldn't breathe. Clearly she was hallucinating.
“No. Do you?” The woman’s voice was melodic, harmonizing with the water and the wind.
“I… I don't know. I think I had too much to drink.”
“Oh.” The woman grinned and laughed to herself. “I don't think you have.”
“Clearly I have, or I wouldn't be seeing gorgeous women in the water.”
“No? Is that not a normal occurrence?” The woman tilted her head. “Huh, I must be special then.”
She was teasing her, the light shining in her eyes as she smirked up at her.
“If you're real, I'll throw a line down and you can prove it up here.” Agatha began looking around her for a coil of rope. There had to be something nearby.
“I'm afraid that's not really an option.” Her voice sounded sad, causing Agatha to look back over the rail.
“Why not?”
The woman bit her lip again, contemplating something before ducking under the water. Agatha lurched forward, worried that she was gone, watching the spot she had disappeared. A gasp escaped her lips as the woman reemerged at speed. She leapt from the water, her body arcing through the moonlight before submerging again with barely a splash. No human being could leap from the water like that, but she was no human being. The most magnificent tail took up the lower half of her body, propelling her through the water as she broke through the surface.
Agatha had heard some of the men speak of these creatures. Most thought they were a myth, a tale told to scare green sailors. Beautiful women luring men to their deaths, drowning them for all eternity.
“Are… are you here to kill me?” Agatha’s voice was hushed, unable to believe that could be true.
The woman looked up at her with sadness before shaking her head. “No.
“Then why…” Agatha didn't really know what she was asking. Why was she here? Why did she show herself?
“I wanted to see if your beauty matched your voice.”
“Oh.”
“It does by the way.”
The woman looked shy again, idly moving her hands through the water. Agatha felt the heat rush to her face and scrunched her nose at the compliment. “Do you have a name?”
“Do you have a name?” The woman scoffed, crossing her arms.
“Oh sorry, I didn’t -” Agatha was embarrassed by how that sounded and attempted to start again. “I only meant to ask you your name, I'm sorry if it sounded-”
“Rio.”
Rio. Agatha mouthed the name with barely a whisper, liking the way it felt upon her lips.
“Will you return the favour?” Rio’s voice was quiet, her eyes staring up at her.
“Harkn-” Agatha paused, considering for a moment. “Agatha.”
“Agatha.” Her name sounded like a melody in Rio’s voice. She never wanted to stop hearing it.
“Is this your ship, Agatha?”
“Oh, God no. I'm just a boatswain.”
“What's that?”
“It's a glorified crew title, I suspect to appease the memory of my father.”
“Don't they say it's bad luck to have a woman on board a ship?”
“They do. It must be true because anytime someone says that to me, they get a fist square in the jaw.”
Rio’s laugh was bright and musical, pride bursting in Agatha’s chest that she could coax such a sound from her.
“You're funny, Agatha.”
God, say my name again. Agatha caught herself leaning farther over the railing, wishing she could be closer.
“Am I?”
Rio nodded, colour rising to her cheeks. “And very beautiful.”
“Rio I-” A sound came from further down the ship as someone else moved onto the deck.
“Harkness?” The voice of her quartermaster was low but carried over the quiet early morning air.
With a hurried whisper, she turned back to Rio. “Go! Before you're seen!”
“Agatha, wait! Here.” She pulled her arm back and threw something through the air, glistening in the moonlight. Agatha managed to catch it but when she looked back over the railing, Rio was gone.
“Harkness?” Agatha turned towards the voice, hiding her hands behind her back.
“Aye, sir?”
He kicked the now empty bottle that she had dropped and it skittered across the deck, splashing in the spilled liquid.
“You're relieved of your watch. Clean up this damned mess and go to bed.”
“Aye, sir.”
The quartermaster left to take up his post in his usual spot near the helm and Agatha let out a breath of relief. She checked once more, but Rio was nowhere to be seen. Looking down at her closed fist, she unfurled her fingers to find a circular iridescent shell pressed into her palm.