by Sarah Olson
When the pirate guarding my door opened it, I found Emily standing in the doorway, folded clothing stacked in her arms. I had never been more relieved to see her.
"Be quick," the pirate growled.
"Of course," Emily said as he closed the door and locked it behind her. "Aria," she said, my name a sigh of relief as she assessed me quickly and saw I was unharmed.
"I’m all right," I said, though I felt everything but.
She set the clothes on the edge of the bed. "I brought you fresh undergarments and a dress," she said.
"Thank you," I replied. "Why you though?"
Emily gave me a wicked smile. "They won’t let Richard or Rebecca near this place and I seem to be the only one that can charm my way in."
Somehow, I managed to laugh.
Emily gestured to the clothes. "They should fit you."
I looked at the folded gray dress. "I suppose it will be more comfortable to travel in than this gown."
Emily stepped closer to me. "They plan to leave tomorrow," she whispered.
I gulped.
"But you won’t be leaving with them," she continued.
"What do you mean?"
Emily glanced at the door. "They’re going to get you out—tonight."
My eyes widened. "How?"
"Ethelyn and Stephen have it planned out, but that is all I know. I would have brought you a dagger or something, but they checked the clothes before I came in."
Of course, Ethelyn was making a plan to save me. But what kind of risk would such a feat put everyone else in—put the town in?
"I have a dagger," I said. The pirates never checked me for one, so I had it hidden in the room.
"Good," Emily whispered. "Keep it close."
"And where’s Roy?" I asked.
"They still have him locked up," Emily replied. "But I do believe he’s unharmed." She turned her back to me. After a moment she said, "Thank you, Aria"
The words seemed so foreign coming from her that it took me a moment to realize I wasn't imagining it. When I didn't respond, Emily went to add something, but the door opened before she could continue.
"That's long enough," the pirate barked.
Emily backed away to the door, a genuine smile on her face. She curtsied before following the pirate out.
I looked at the folded clothing and brought my thoughts to the night ahead. My friends had a plan to free me that could very well cost them their lives—I needed to be ready. I closed the curtains and began to strip off the ruined gown. The innkeeper had refilled a washbasin for me that morning and had left a bar of soap. Once I was out of my soiled undergarments, I washed up the best I could. I had already scrubbed off the remaining face paint, but there was nothing I could do for the tangled mess of hair on my head. I tied it back the best I could. The clean undergarments felt heavenly against my skin and the dress fit well enough.
While the thought of getting away from the pirates was appealing, I worried what it would mean for islanders. The captain wouldn’t leave empty-handed, and I didn’t want to find myself in a place where my rescue meant others would be forced to take my place. I hoped that whatever was being planned took that into account. Ethelyn would see her duty to protect me which I hoped didn’t include leaving everyone else to suffer.
The minutes ticked by slowly as I paced the room, the dagger in my hand. The pirates in the tavern below grew quieter as the night wore on, some probably heading to their rooms for the night while others sought comfort at the brothel I had seen at the edge of the village.
Just as I began to fear the worst, I heard a thud outside the door. My heart pounded loudly in my chest as I listened to the rattling of the doorknob and the sudden silence in the tavern. I gripped the dagger hard in my hand as the lock clicked and the door swung open.
"Milady—" Ethelyn began.
I dropped the dagger and pulled her into a hug before she could continue. I felt her arms hesitantly wrap around me as I had never shown her such affection.
"You came for me," I said. "I was beginning to worry that they’d stopped you." I let her go and took a step back.
Ethelyn’s hair was tied back, and she wore a form-fitting black dress with a row of daggers sheathed in a leather wrap strapped around her middle. A sword hung at her side.
"Of course I came for you," she said, her eyes fierce in the dim light. "You are my princess, and it is my duty."
I smiled at her as she knelt down and picked up the dagger I’d dropped. "Hold on to that," she said. "Though I hope not, you may need it."
I took the dagger, the golden hilt glinting in the candlelight.
"Come on," Ethelyn said, slipping out of the room.
I followed her, trying not to look at the dead pirate as we stepped over him and rushed down the hall to the staircase.
The tavern was utterly silent as we descended the stairs. Stephen waited at the bottom, sword out and on high alert.
I glanced around the room to find the few pirates that had still been in the tavern sprawled across the dirty wooden floor. "Are they all dead?" I asked, warily.
Stephen nodded. "We need to get out of here quickly, though, just in case some of the others have survived."
"Are you telling me all the pirates are dead?" I gasped.
"Hopefully," Ethelyn replied. "Richard had weapons stashed in the forest, so we were able to arm villagers and the surviving sailors."
"Ethelyn convinced the girls in the brothel to take care of the men there, but there are still many more to worry about if the villagers didn’t finish the job," Stephen added.
"Where’s Roy?" I asked, worriedly.
"Some of the sailors were supposed to break him out while we got you," Ethelyn replied. "We’ll give you all the details later, but for now, we need to go." Her expression was serious and full of concentration.
"Aria," Stephen said to me, "we’ll have to make a run for it as soon as we walk out of here. If the captain is still alive, he’ll come looking for you first."
"Stick to the shadows, and if either of us gets held up, you run for the cave," Ethelyn finished. "Someone will come find you when everything is safe."
I gulped, both fear and excitement coursing through me.
"On three," Stephen said, looking at me then Ethelyn. He placed his hand on the doorknob, "One, two—"
The door burst open, flinging Stephen back. I stumbled into the table behind me as the pirate captain and some of his men stomped into the tavern.
☐☐☐☐
The captain's eyes were lit with fury—the blood splattered across his shirt still wet. He held his sword in front of him as his men spread out into the room.
I backed up, panic seizing my chest as Stephen jumped up from the ground and stood with Ethelyn in front of me, swords at the ready.
"Your little stunt has cost me some good men tonight," the captain growled. "The islanders will suffer greatly for this when I return."
"Who says you’ll be leaving," Stephen retorted.
"The fact that my men outnumber you," the captain laughed, an insidious sound that made my skin crawl. His gaze fell on me. "And the princess will be coming with me."
The pirates were closing in around us.
"Over my dead body," Ethelyn snarled.
"That’s the idea," the captain said. "And just so you all know, I was going to return her safely to the king and queen, granted they pay me, except these circumstances have changed my mind. I’m thinking that I could make a lot more if I sell her to the highest bidder."
I watched the pirates nearing us. Including the captain, I counted eight.
"Aria, run!" Ethelyn yelled as she charged two of the pirates in front of her.
I stumbled toward the back of the tavern, aiming for the back door as the clash of swords split the air. One of the pirates cut off my path, and I dove behind the counter as he grabbed for me. I bolted the length of the counter, coming around the corner when another blocked my way. He swiped for me as I raised the d
agger and buried it through his arm and into the wooden counter with a scream.
The pirate yowled in pain, and I let the hilt go and made a run for the door. I hadn’t noticed the arrival of Roy and Seif but saw them helping Stephen and Ethelyn fend the pirates off. Two were already dead, and the one I stabbed was still attached to the counter leaving us evenly matched. Ethelyn’s sword flashed with expert speed as she backed the captain into the corner. Roy yelled something in my direction, but it was masked by the clashing swords and the sound of my own heart beating in my ears.
I glanced at the man by the counter as he pried the dagger out of the wood and his arm. He was still distracted by the pain; that would give me enough time to run for the door.
Stephen drove the pirate he was fighting away from the door, making a gap for me to run.
To run. Not help my friends, but to run as they risked their lives for me.
"Aria, go!" Stephen yelled.
I took a hesitant step forward, scanning the room for a way I could help. Ethelyn was to my left, swords locked with the captain. The door was in between them and Stephen. Roy and Seif were moving towards the back of the room, swords whizzing through the air.
"Now!" Stephen repeated.
I had to go. There was nothing I could do—
Ethelyn screamed in pain, and I turned to find her crumpled against the wall, her hand covered in blood as she held onto a wound in her side.
The captain struck again, knocking the sword from her other hand. I yanked a sword up from a dead pirate and charged him. My head was spinning, and all I felt was anger. I wouldn’t let him hurt Ethelyn.
The captain lifted his sword high, and I swung mine, blocking it as he tried to bring it down on Ethelyn. The force of the blow vibrated through my arm, throwing me backwards.
I heard the others yelling as they realized what happened, but their shouts seemed distant. I felt my every fiber of being focus in on the captain strutting towards me; a devilish smile stretched across his face. He lifted his sword again and charged. I deflected the blow, but my grip loosened. It was almost as if he noticed for he followed through with another knocking the sword from my hands.
He stood between me and the door.
"You are a brave, pretty thing, aren’t you," he jeered. "I’d hoped I’d be able to take you alive, but now it seems I should just kill you. You’re more trouble than it’s worth." He pulled his sword back in a swift motion, aiming it at my stomach.
"Aria!" I saw Roy from the corner of my eye finish off his opponent and begin running towards me; panic etched across his face.
The captain shoved his sword forward just as a figure careened into me and buried a dagger in the side of his neck.
"No!" It was a cry of sheer horror and pain from Stephen.
I felt the world slow as I took in Ethelyn face to face with the captain. Her hand still on the dagger, she had pierced through his throat—the tip of his sword protruding from her back.
The captain staggered back, pulling his sword out of Ethelyn and fell to the ground, his eyes wide and unseeing.
Ethelyn turned slowly and looked at me, her beautiful face pale, yet her eyes filled with relief.
Shock left me in a daze. This had to be a dream—another nightmare. There had been no rescue. I was sleeping.
I found the strength to move as her knees buckled and I caught her.
"Ethelyn," I screamed as I laid her down. I pressed my hands against the wound, hot blood coating them in seconds.
This wasn’t a dream. Ethelyn was dying.
"Stay with me," I ordered, a lump forming in my throat.
"It—it’s okay," Ethelyn stammered.
Stephen dropped beside me, taking Ethelyn’s face in his hands. "You’re going to be fine," he said, his voice hoarse.
The color was leaking from her cheeks, her eyes strangely bright. "No," she whispered. "This is . . . it for me. And it’s okay . . . be—because Aria is safe."
"Don’t say that!" I cried. "I won’t let you leave like this. We still have to go home—to Asteria. Our journey isn’t over!"
Ethelyn smiled. "You will . . . I will . . . not. It was an . . . honor serving you . . . Mi—Milady."
I kept my hands pressed on her stomach. "You can’t give up Ethelyn!"
Ethelyn shifted her gaze to Stephen. "This is why I—" she began to cough; a horrible guttural sound. The realization that she was dying struck me like a punch to the gut. A stream of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. "This is why I told you . . . we would never work." Her voice was hardly a whisper now.
Stephen stroked her cheek. "And I told you I’d never stop trying."
Ethelyn coughed again and smiled. "And that is why . . . why I love . . . you."
Stephen sniffed, and I glanced at him to find tears sliding down his cheeks. He took her hand and kissed the palm. "I love you, Ethelyn, and I always will."
The blood from her mouth was a steady stream now. "Get Aria . . . back to Asteria," Ethelyn whispered. "Keep . . . her—" Ethelyn coughed again and became utterly still.
"Ethelyn," I whispered, a sob rising in my throat.
"No—no!" Stephen cried in anguish. He pulled her head into his lap as I pushed myself to my feet.
I stared down at Ethelyn’s lifeless body and then at my hands thick with blood—her blood. It felt like the room was spinning, echoing with Stephen’s cries of sorrow. I staggered back, and strong arms caught me. Sobs wracked my body as Roy held me against him.
Ethelyn was dead, and it was my fault.
Chapter 37
T HE FLAMES OF THE FUNERAL PYRES licked the sky, their colors blending into the pink and orange of the sunset. The sounds of mourners and the crackling fires filled the air for the shore was lined with funeral pyres. Many had died during the pirates’ stay.
Ethelyn among them.
The heat caressed my face as I watched the smoke rise, wondering if her soul would travel on a new journey. Roy slid his arm around my waist as we stood in silence. I glanced at Stephen who stood alone, watching the flames. His face was dry of tears like mine. I had done my crying throughout the day and found that I had no more tears to shed.
Ethelyn’s fate had been my fault; I should’ve never let her come with me. I should’ve demanded that she stay behind. My journey was never intended to put others in harm’s way. It was meant to create an escape from my sorrow—a selfish decision, but not one I even dreamed would get anyone killed. The Enigma’s demise would have happened regardless, but Ethelyn wouldn’t have been on it if it were not for me. I should’ve just gone to Kings City as I originally planned . . . but then I would never have met Roy. There was so much guilt in the thought because that selfish part of me would have done it over again just so I could be with him—yet, if I had known it would lead to Ethelyn’s death, I would never have gone. But there was never any way to know because one couldn’t see the future. That knowledge did little to erase the guilt.
I don’t know how long we stood watching the solemn flames. As they grew dimmer with the night, I turned away, having enough of the sorrow and grief that was certain to haunt me forever.
I stopped by Stephen and placed a hand on his arm. He put his hand over mine but said nothing—there was nothing to say. After a silent moment, I slid my hand away and made my way up the shore with Roy. The smoke from the pyres had begun to lift, but my eyes still burned from watching the fires so long.
"So you are to leave in the morning?" Richard asked, catching up to us.
"Yes," Roy answered. It was the first time either of us had spoken since the fires were lit. "Aria thinks it would be best to return to Asteria as soon as possible."
Richard nodded. "I understand. I’ve had some men working with your sailors to make sure the ship’s in order for your departure."
"Thank you," I said, surprised my voice was not hoarse. "And you’ll keep the other ship?"
"Yes," Richard replied. "It’s good to know that we now have the ability to come and go from
the islands without relying on trade ships. I’m only sorry that our fortune came at such a terrible cost."
"Everything has a cost," I said, bitterly.
"We should probably head up to the house and get some things together before the journey tomorrow," Roy said, breaking the tension.
"Of course," Richard said, stepping out of our way. "I’ll meet you both up there in a bit."
I slid my arm through Roy’s, and the two of us began making our way up the street, every step putting space between us and the smoldering funeral pyres.
The door to my room creaked, and I looked up to see Regina slowly poking her head in.
"Can I come in?" she asked, meekly. "I wanted to see if I could help you pack."
I nodded.
Regina stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind her. "Are those some of my mother’s dresses?" she asked, looking at some of the folded clothing sitting on the bed.
"Yes," I replied. "I was just putting them in a bag."
Regina picked one up and carefully placed it in the open bag.
"I’m sorry about Ethelyn," she said, quietly.
"I am too," I said, a fresh wave of sorrow washing over me. "She was a good friend, and I trusted her with my life. I tried to save her, but I wasn’t strong enough." The words rang with a truth I couldn’t escape.
"You were strong enough to save me," Regina whispered, unable to meet my gaze. "You didn’t have to, but you did."
I sat down on the bed beside her and took her hand. "There was no way I would let them take you. After all, you are my sister."
Regina looked up at me with a small smile. "I will miss you."
I reached out and stroked her brown hair. "I know; I will miss you too."
Regina surprised me with a hug. I wrapped my arms around her and stayed silent for a few moments. "Perhaps one day you’ll be able to come visit me," I said, attempting to lighten the mood.
"You think so?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
"I’d say so," I replied. "I don’t know when, but I’m confident we will see each other again."
"Would I be able to see the castle?"
I nodded. "Of course; that is my home after all, and I know my sister Juliette would love to meet you."