Serpent: Book II of the Asterian Trilogy

by Sarah Olson

  Chapter 35

  Aria

  T HE HOURS OF THE NIGHT ticked by painfully slow as Vivien and I huddled together in the dark cave. We jumped at every sound whether it was the rustling of leaves in the wind or the call of a bird. We were far from the village, so we could hear nothing. My heart seemed to pound louder and quicker with each passing minute. Questions filled my mind, and it was difficult not to ponder on them.

  Did Roy find Regina? Was he safe? Was Ethelyn? Would anyone that escaped come to check on us? I tried to think of Roy and that short time we’d only just spent in the cove—of the fact that I was engaged again and that I loved him—but the thoughts only made me fear more for his safety.

  As the hours passed, the cave began to lighten with the coming day. Vivien had finally fallen asleep, leaving me to watch the gray light that crept in around us. I moved as slowly as I could in an attempt not to wake her as I laid her on the mattress. When I was certain she was still asleep, I stood and crept around to the entrance of the cave.

  The gray light of the morning filtered lazily through the thick canopy of trees that provided us sanctuary. Birds flitted across the highest branches, singing their welcome to the sun. The ground was damp with the early morning dew.

  Would anyone come to get us?

  I sighed and looked down at the now ruined gown I was wearing. Cleaning out the sand was one thing, but not the streaks of green that had been left from our flight into the forest. The white skirt was tattered with at least six inches of dirt rising from the hem. I could only imagine how I looked—hair a tangled mess, smudged face paint and scrapes up and down my arms from the trees and bushes I had blindly plowed through.

  The sharp snap of a branch rang through the air, sending some of the birds into flight. I sucked in a breath and slipped back into the cave, hoping I hadn’t been seen. Footsteps could be heard through the trees, the sound of a few people moving through the dense forest. I strained my hearing for voices, hoping I could figure out who it was before they got closer.

  Nothing—just the crunch of leaves in the underbrush as they moved through.

  My heart hammered in my chest as the sounds grew louder. I pulled up my skirt and slid the dagger Roy had given me from its scabbard that I had strapped to my thigh. I hadn’t wanted to pull it out while Vivien was awake to keep from scaring her more than she already was. Since the wreck, I kept it on me whenever I stepped out of Richard’s house.

  The cool handle gave me little comfort as I heard the footsteps approach the mouth of the cave and stop. I gripped it tightly, trying to remember the skills I’d learned as a child. I would not let them take Vivien.

  "Aria?" It was a woman’s voice in a hushed whisper. "Vivien?"

  "Perhaps they aren’t in there." The voice belonged to a young woman.

  "Shh, Alice," the woman shushed.

  I stepped out from the shadows to find Emily with her daughters Alice and Jane. I’d only met them briefly when we had visited their manor.

  "Thank the stars you made it!" Emily exclaimed, her happiness to see me slightly unnerving. "And Vivien?"

  "She’s asleep inside," I replied, gesturing behind me.

  Relief flooded Emily’s face. "We tried to get up here during the night, but had to hide," she said in a rush. "Things have calmed down now, but the pirates have taken the village and aren’t letting anyone leave. Your friend Ethelyn distracted some long enough for the girls and me to escape."

  "Is she all right?" I demanded.

  "I think so," Emily answered. "All she did was talk to them so they would look the other way. They didn’t know we’d been hiding."

  "Your other friend is safe too," Alice chimed in. She was only a couple of years younger than I with stark red hair like her father’s and freckles littered across a face that resembled her mother’s.

  "Roy?" I asked, hopefully.

  She nodded. "I saw him with some of the others, but as my mother said, no one can leave the village. The pirates will kill them if they do!"

  I swallowed hard. I needed to find a way to help them, and that wasn’t going to happen as long as I stayed in the cave.

  "Girls, go inside with Vivien," Emily said. "I need to talk with Aria."

  Jane followed her older sister inside, her blonde hair picking up the morning rays of the sun.

  Emily gestured for me to follow her a little way away from the entrance. Her usual beautiful self had taken on a new persona of exhaustion mixed with fear and worry. Dark circles ran under eyes, her golden hair in a tangled bun and her skin unusually pale.

  "What?" I asked when we stopped.

  "They have Regina," she said, her shoulders slumping as if the words had been a burden.

  My heart nearly stopped. "What do you mean have?" I demanded. "As in she’s with the other villagers?"

  Emily shook her head. "They have her as a hostage and their captain decided she will be the one he takes with her since we couldn’t pay him what we owe."

  I took a step back, the full meaning of her words hitting me.

  "Because of the festival, we didn’t see the ships coming," Emily continued.

  "Ships?" I gasped.

  She nodded. The confident woman I’d met was completely gone now.

  "There are two of them. They always land on Sunrise Isle, so Rupert usually takes care of the payment, except we didn’t have enough this time. We always leave it for them in a cave near the shore where it’s guarded day and night, so when they come, they can grab their payment easily."

  "Then they stay for a few days in the village," I said.

  "Yes. They came in at some point when just about everyone had gone to Blue Isle for the festival and found that we didn’t have enough to pay them. The captain was furious, so he sent the men to attack the village on Blue Isle and demand his payment from Richard. Regina was with Richard when they caught him, and when he couldn’t pay, they took Regina." Tears began streaming down her cheeks, and Emily buried her face in her hands. "I don’t know what we’re going to do!" she cried, sobs wracking her body.

  "What will they do to Regina?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

  "They will take her to hurt Richard. They usually just take others they can sell off as slaves somewhere, but the last time we couldn’t pay was three years ago—they’ve never done anything like this!"

  Regina sold as a slave. The thought made my blood run cold.

  "The captain said that he needed to teach Richard a lesson on loyalty so he would take one of his daughters as punishment," Emily sobbed.

  I watched her carefully, my mind forming a plan. Emily looked at me when I remained silent. "One of his daughters?" I asked, quietly.

  Her reddening eyes widened. "Aria—no—you can’t," she stammered.

  "I have to," I muttered. "I won’t let them take Regina, because if they do, I don’t think anyone will ever see her again. I, on the other hand, am worth a lot more—enough to pay off your debts and more."

  "Aria—"

  I put a hand up, stopping her. "Stay with Vivien and your daughters," I said. "I’m going to the village."

  For a moment, I thought Emily would argue, but instead, she nodded glumly. "Good luck," she whispered.

  I gave her a grim look and walked past her into the lightening forest. Another would have probably tried harder to stop me, but I’d known Emily wouldn’t. Why would she when I could save her niece? To her, I was still the daughter of the woman who had taken everything from her. I saw her disdain for me at the manor, and I doubted that would ever change. It didn’t matter though because I wasn’t doing this for her—I was doing this for Regina. Sweet, innocent Regina whom I would protect the same way I would Juliette.

  The path was easier to follow now that the sun was rising. I held the gown’s skirt up in one hand while the other clutched my dagger. I moved as fast as I could through the dense forest, eager to carry out my plan before I thought better of it.

  As I neared the village, the smell of the smoldering remains o
f the buildings the pirates had burned filled my nostrils. I shuddered remembering the screams.

  I slowed my pace as I saw the break in the trees ahead of me. Crouching, in case someone was roaming the forest, I pulled the skirt up and slid the dagger back into place. I couldn’t enter the village visibly armed. I took a deep breath and continued toward the tree line, my pulse quickening with each step. When I broke through the trees, I quickly took in the village just below me. Smoke rose lazily from the blackened remains closest to the shore. Men’s laughter floated up from what I assumed were the taverns scattered throughout the village.

  "You!" a man shouted. I turned to find a pirate with a raised bow; the arrow pointed at my heart.

  I raised my hands slowly and looked him in the eye. "I have come to see your captain," I said, relieved when my voice didn’t quake with the fear that ran down my spine.

  "Where did you come from?" he demanded. He was Asterian; there was no doubt. He was young, perhaps a few years older than I, with stubble covering his cheeks and long light brown hair knotted at the base of his neck.

  "I was in the forest," I replied as calmly as I could.

  "Alone?" he asked.

  I nodded.

  He glanced at the trees behind me then lowered his bow when he was satisfied I was indeed alone. "Let’s go," he commanded, gesturing the bow toward the village.

  I slowly turned and began walking, the pirate following close behind. From the corner of my eye, I saw that he was still watching the trees as we moved closer to the first building.

  "What have you got here, Mark?" an older man asked as he and another pirate stepped out from behind the building, blocking our path.

  "Found this one coming out of the forest," the pirate named Mark replied. "Says she wants to see the captain."

  "That so?" the older man sneered. His brutish face was scarred, his long, untied gray streaked hair an oily mess. "And what would a pretty thing like you want to see the captain about?"

  I kept my face a mask of calm. "It is my business," I replied. "And I can assure you that if you do not allow me to see him, he will be most displeased."

  "What, are you some whore of his he likes to visit?" the pirate beside the older one teased. Unlike the other two, he was Malanese with dark skin, his thick black hair dangling around his face in dozens of small braids.

  "Do I look like a whore?" I snapped. Frankly, I hadn’t a clue what I looked like, but if they thought I was nothing more than a harlot, I would not be seeing the captain.

  The Malanese pirate blinked back in surprise at my sudden ferocity.

  "Just take her to the captain," Mark said.

  The older pirate pursed his lips, crinkling the scar on his cheek. "Very well, but I’m putting the blame on you if this turns out to be a waste of his time," he sneered at the young pirate behind me. "Get back to your post and don’t let any of these damned villagers slip out. We already lost that blonde bitch and her daughters."

  "Yes, sir," Mark replied.

  "And you, come this way," he continued, roughly grabbing my arm and shoving me forward.

  I stumbled in the dirt but pulled myself upright before he could touch me again. A memory of Hashim surfaced for a moment, but I grasped it and shoved it away—no distractions.

  The Malanese pirate led the way through the village as the other brought up the rear. I scanned the shops and homes as we passed, searching for a familiar face. Though it was still early, some of the villagers were out while others I assumed were peering through the cracks in their shutters. We didn’t have to go far before we were standing in front of the town hall. The Malanese pirate gestured to one of the pirates guarding the door to open it.

  Boisterous laughter escaped the building as we entered the ballroom that had been full of joyous celebration only the night before. I took the room in quickly. Tables had been dragged into the center of the room where a few pirates sat sprawled out while enjoying the leftover feast. The laughter I heard was coming from one pirate that was seated at the centermost table. Regina sat beside him, her tear-stained face rising to look at me as we entered the room. The pirate’s attention was on a small group of people that stood before him surrounded by other pirates and didn’t even glance my way as we walked in.

  "I’m begging you, Captain," Richard said. He was standing in front of the group which I now saw consisted of Rebecca, Roy, Ethelyn and Stephen. Rupert was nowhere to be seen, nor were Lucas or Francis, but I was relieved to see the others safe. They appeared tattered but unharmed.

  "While your offer is most amusing, I’m not sure how that would pay your debts the way this little angel will," the pirate captain said, stroking Regina’s hair.

  Regina whimpered, a sound that filled me with rage, destroying any lingering thoughts I had about changing my mind.

  "Please," Rebecca cried. She took a step forward, and one of the pirates yanked her back. "She’s just a child!"

  The pirate captain nodded. He had long gray hair that fell around his shoulders with a scraggly beard to match. I took him to be at least ten years older than Richard, but it was difficult to tell, for his skin had seen too much sun. He too was of Asterian descent, but it looked like he’d spent his entire life on the ocean.

  "You see," he continued, "child or not, she can fetch a pretty price—perhaps more if she were a bit older, but that doesn’t concern me. You failed to keep your end of the bargain and pay me, so I think it’s only fair that I take your daughter."

  Roy was trembling with anger; his fists clenched at his sides. I could only hope that he would be smart and not fight.

  "Then take me instead," I said, loudly enough to turn everyone in the room’s eyes to me. I refused to look at any of them, afraid it would undo my resolve and just kept my gaze on the captain.

  The captain raised his eyebrows. "And why would I do that when I just finished saying I’m taking the lord’s daughter? If you’re so eager to come as well, I’m sure I can accommodate both of you."

  The other pirates snickered.

  "No, you will leave Regina and take me instead," I stated, glancing at Regina to find her eyes were lit with hope.

  The captain stood and stalked towards me. "You’re one I haven’t seen before," he said, running his eyes over me. He threw a sidelong glance at one of the pirates that watched from the table beside us. "Can’t help but wonder what’s beneath that dress."

  I saw Roy take a step forward, his face red with fury, but I shot him a quick look telling him to stand down.

  The captain caught my look and turned to Roy. "Is this your woman, Surman?" he laughed. "I guess you should’ve kept her on a tighter leash since it seems she wants to leave with me."

  "I don’t want to leave with you," I snapped. "I am telling you that I will take Regina’s place."

  The captain cocked his head. "Why?"

  "Because I’m worth much more than that child."

  Curiosity flickered across his face and vanished. "I suppose you could fetch a better price." He looked over at Roy. "Though I’m not sure I would want to part with a woman like you," he teased.

  I met Roy’s eyes and the fire that blazed in them. A muscle twitched in his jaw, but he remained silent.

  "However," the captain continued, turning his attention to me again. "The point of taking Regina was to teach your lord here an important lesson, which I’m convinced he will only learn if I take his daughter."

  "Which is why he would still learn it if you took me instead," I said, seriously. "I am Richard’s daughter—his eldest daughter."

  The captain stroked his beard. "If that were true, that would make you—"

  "Princess Aria of Asteria," I finished for him. "And I can assure you that my mother would pay you quite handsomely for my safe return."

  There was no going back now.

  Chapter 36

  T HE CANDLE FLICKERED in the small room at the inn. The sound of pirates laughing in the tavern below drifted up through the rafters as I sat on the hard bed st
aring at the dancing flame.

  Chaos had erupted in the ballroom when I announced my identity, leading to Roy being restrained on the ground while Stephen held tightly onto Ethelyn before she did something foolish. As far as I knew, Roy was locked up somewhere, but Regina was back with her parents.

  It had taken little to convince the captain to take me instead after the reaction of my friends. He was taking no chances on losing me, so he had escorted me immediately to an inn where I was to be kept until the pirates decided they’d had enough fun at the Coral Isles.

  Now that I was alone, tears slid down my cheeks. I pulled my knees into my chest, the embroidered fabric scratchy against my skin as I worked to accept what was to come. I had convinced the captain that my parents would pay anything for my safe return and that if I were hurt in any way, they would stop at nothing to hunt him and his crew down. All of that was true, but I wondered if I could survive a two-week journey on a ship of pirates and remain unscathed. I shuddered at the thought.

  The room darkened as the sun slipped behind the horizon, ending a dreadful day. I sat on the bed for hours, seeing no one except for an innkeeper who delivered some food for lunch and dinner.

  I tried not to wonder what everyone was doing—where Roy was. The pain and horror on his face as the pirates took me away would haunt me forever since I was beginning to doubt I would ever see him again. Today should have been a happy one. We should’ve been announcing our engagement and celebrating—and yet, here I sat in a small room on a hard bed hating myself for leaving my family.

  I watched until the candle burnt out and then sat in the dark. When sleep did come, I was plagued by nightmares, waking to my body slick with sweat.

  Another day rolled by, followed by another. No one came to see me. No one came to bother me. The captain had told his men I was off limits and they’d listened. It wasn’t until the third night that someone came to my door other than the innkeeper.