A Pirate's Dream by Marie Hall Page B

friend today.”
    Her grin was huge and full of excitement. Jerking, Nimue glanced over her shoulder to make sure Maiven hadn’t heard that.
    “Ari, you know you’re not supposed to be sneaking to the above.”
    “Pshaw, legger. Pshaw.” She shook her head. “It is perfectly safe, and they are my friends. They give me such lovely baubles.”
    Fishing an object out of the pouch at her hip, she cooed and lovingly fluttered her fingers along the pronged comb. It was lovely—a white marbled creation with images of stags and roses etched upon it.
    “See?” She tipped it forward. “Isn’t it just lovely?”
    Nimue covered the girl’s hand. “Yes, it is, Ari. But you shouldn’t wave it about. You know how the others would feel if they knew you are sneaking out of the gates.”
    She had no idea how the mermaid escaped being noticed by Brutus and Sirius, the beasts guarding the entrance separating the above from the under. But somehow, the wily mermaid always managed to get past them, only to return later with her little treasures from the above.
    “Who are these friends?” she asked, always curious as to who would be giving away such valuables. Maybe it was because of her dealings with pirates, but Nimue suspected the maid couldn’t just be getting something for nothing.
    “Friends,” Ari said, enraptured all over again by the hair comb.
    Nimue had learned a while ago that it was useless to try to get Ariana to talk when she didn’t want to. So instead, Nimue held out her hand.
    “Would you like me to show you how to use that properly?”
    Blinking, Ari looked between Nimue and her prize. “You know how to use this?”
    “Yes. It is a comb for a woman’s hair. Give me.”
    Looking skittish, but trusting all the same, Ariana handed it over.
    “Now turn around,” Nimue commanded. The moment Ari did, Nimue slid the comb from the root down to the tips of her friend’s silky hair.
    Ariana let out a muffled yelp then giggled. “That tickles.”
    Smiling, shaking her head, Nimue continued to brush down Ariana’s hair until she’d gotten rid of each snarl.
    “There,” she said, just as she heard the girls inside groan and beg for just ‘one more.’ “Perfect. Look in a mirror, and you’ll see what I’m saying is true.”
    “A mirror?” Ariana asked as she took the comb from Nimue.
    She frowned. “You don’t know what a mirror is?”
    Ariana shook her head quickly as she tucked the comb back into her pouch.
    Nimue had no doubt that the maiden knew what it was, or at one point must have known, but maybe it was a result of the knock to the head that she no longer remembered.
    “It is a looking glass. Very smooth and shines. You can see your reflection in it.”
    “Like a puddle?” she asked excitedly.
    “Kind of. But better. More clear. Maybe if I can get my hands on one, I’ll bring it to you next time I come.”
    “I would like that.” Ariana clapped her hands.
    Maiven came out, looking frazzled and exhausted as she held a platter above her heads. “Calm down, the lot of you, or there will be no more cookies for the sharks.”
    “Argh!” One little girl curled her fingers and growled, thrashing her head from side to side and causing her bright-orange curls to swirl about dangerously. “I am Brutus!”
    That name caused all the other girls to squeal, including Ariana, who got up and swam away from the menacing shark girl. Several laughs and mock bites later, the tiny creatures finally settled back down, thanks to Maiven’s timely intervention.
    “Who wants cookies!” Was all she’d had to say, and back they came, settling in a semi-circle around Nimue’s feet, munching happily on their bright-green kelp and coral cookies.
    Suddenly, one of the girls, a dark-haired blue-tailed one, leaned over to the orange-haired girl and whispered something in her ear, which caused the girl to titter, lean over and whisper into the next girl’s ear, like a daisy chain. Soon enough, they were all