As I walked I alternated between staring out at the ocean and the looming form of the reefed ship, and watching the edge of the island’s thick jungle. Coconut palms dotted the beach line and wild ferns blanketed the floor for as far in as I could see. The canopy was a sea of deep greens, and hanging vines, dotted with the occasional taller tree which shot out of the leafy expanse and towered over everything else. In the distance I could hear all manner of animal life. The gentle trill of song birds, the screech of vibrantly coloured parrots and the chattering of small monkeys.
Though I never saw anything directly, every now and then, from the corner of my eye, I caught glimpses of something larger slinking through the undergrowth. Something with long dark hair and teeth that glinted in the light. Every time I tried to get a better look, whatever it was vanished into the thickness of the tress.
“You!” snarled an unfamiliar voice, pulling my attention away from the jungle.
One of the human members of the crew was standing a few feet away. His skin was tanned from his time out at sea and his mop of sandy hair hung into his eyes. One shoulder was heavily bandaged and he was glaring daggers at me.
“You,” he repeated, as he approached. “Woman.”
“Yes?” I stammered nervously.
Being human, he wasn’t the tallest of the crew by a long shot, but the few inches he had on me was more than intimidating enough.
“You’re responsible for this,” he snarled at me, his fists clenched. “If you hadn’t been here, they would still be alive.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused and afraid.
“That!” he snapped gesturing unthinkingly at the ship with his bad arm, then winced and grabbed his shoulder.
“Are you alright?”
“Don’t waste your fake sympathy on me,” he spat. “I can see straight through your black-cat lies!”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“You’re the reason the ship was attacked! It’s your fault we lost good men to the sea!”
“How could I possibly—” I tried to protest, but he was already talking over me.
“You should have never been on our ship to begin with,” he said, taking a threatening step forward.
“What’s going on here?”
Once again it seemed, the black-haired minotaur had come to my rescue.
“It’s her,” the sandy-haired man said, pointing the finger of his good arm at me. “She’s the one responsible for the ship.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said the minotaur. “How is she supposed to control a water serpent?”
“She’s the black cat!”
The bull immediately scoffed and waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “Serpents are the dangers you face in the eastern ocean. If you can’t handle that, you’re on the wrong ship.”
“But the black cat—”
“Enough,” said the bull, in a dangerous tone that indicated the conversation was over.
The man backed up, looking shocked, his gaze flicking between me and his crew mate. His brows slowly furrowed in suspicion, before he backed away further and ran off.
“Are you alright?” the bull asked me once we were alone.
“I’m fine,” I replied. “I’ll admit he gave me a bit of a fright, but he didn’t hurt me.”
“Good.”
“What did he mean when he said I was the black cat?”
The minotaur rolled his eyes. “It’s an old Urusi superstition,” he said. “He’s just buying into the captain’s old stories.”
“But what does it mean?”
“A black cat, on a ship, is another name for a stowaway,” said the bull. “Someone who’s on a ship without permission can bring bad luck and attract monsters with their smell. Supposedly.”
“But I’m not a stowaway,” I said frowning. “My employer is paying you to have me here.”
“You’re a woman.”
“Oh and my breasts just attract sea monsters, do they?”
“Something like that,” he said with a laugh. “It’s because you didn’t get the captain’s permission to be on board. Not officially. He knew we’d taken on passengers of course, but he didn’t know who they were.”
“Right and how are stowaways supposed to doom a ship exactly?” I asked. “One would think if you’d snuck onto a ship you’d want to go wherever it’s going, not see it sunk.”
“The black cat is a wily one,” said the bull with a grin.
I let myself smile in return. He’d been so intimidating to me on the ship, but it seemed like the man could be a little charming if he wanted to be. I looked him up and down. For a non-human he wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes. Broad shoulders, strong arms, those eyes.
The sun was starting to sink towards the horizon behind him, the blue sky slowly fading to the same deep orange shade as his eyes.
“You know,” I said slowly, looking up at him through my lashes. “That’s the second time you’ve saved me now.”
“I suppose it is,” he said.
I felt like I should reward him somehow, though I had nothing of value to give. Nothing other than myself. He’d already shown interest on that front.
Making a decision, I stepped forward. Looking up into his eyes I placed a hand on his hip. Maybe it was the thrill of the near death experience at sea, but I felt daring.
The bull’s eyes widened in surprise at my boldness, but I just gave him a shy smile.
“Perhaps I should think about repaying what I owe.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
I’d never kissed a minotaur before, or any non-human for that matter. He was so much taller than me I had to stand up on my tiptoes in order to properly reach his face. His lips were large against mine, but surprisingly soft, considering all the time he probably spent outside under the hot sun and harsh sea spray. I briefly amused myself with the idea that he might use lip balm, though somehow I doubted that was the case. Maybe it was just a minotaur thing.
After a moment, he raised a hand to frame my face and my eyes slipped closed. This was actually rather nice. Maybe it was a result of what Risk had said but I’d almost expected him to just grab me at the first suggestion of interest and ravish my mouth.
After a long moment, he pulled away, his amber eyes glinting. I could feel my face getting hot.
“Maybe we should take this somewhere more private?”
I hesitated, frowning slightly. A kiss was one thing, but—
“I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to,” he said firmly, clearly reading the concern on my face. “I just figured you probably didn’t want to be on display.”
I felt my blush deepening. I’d been so lost in the kiss, I hadn’t been paying attention to what was going on around us, but now I could feel eyes on us. We weren’t exactly being discrete standing in the middle of the beach, in full view of the campsite.
I nodded, and he took my hand in his. He led me through the campsite, passed a sea of mismatched tents and stopped in front of a medium sized one, with square canvas walls and a peaked roof.
It was quite big on the inside and several bed rolls were stacked in the corner along with some random bags. It looked like the tent was being used for general storage more than anything else.
Away from prying eyes, he leaned down and kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as much as I could. Maybe it was his lack of shirt but he felt so warm against me. It was nice.
One of his hands was in my hair, threading gently through the still damp locks, while the other had started to slide down my back. It was heading teasingly towards my hips when the tent flap was violently wrenched open.
We broke apart immediately, and I reflexively stepped away from the bull as Risk appeared at the entrance, his eyes flashing angrily.
The mercenary glared between us, face reddening in anger. “Get your hands off her!”
The minotau
r raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Now calm down—”
“Don’t you tell me what to do, you stupid fucking cow!” Risk snarled. “I should have blown your worthless brains out on the ship when I had the chance!”
His hand twitched over the holster on his hip and I jumped between them and rushed to explain. Considering what had happened between us on the ship, it mustn’t have been a good look to walk in on.
“It’s fine!” I assured. “He wasn’t forcing me.”
“You want this? With that thing?” Risk’s face contorted with disgust. “Didn’t think you were the kind to lift your skirt for an animal.”
“Otherkin aren’t animals,” growled the bull, understandably offended.
“Same difference,” spat Risk. “If it looks like an animal and behaves like one, well what do you expect to be called?”
I gaped at him, almost lost for words. “It was just a kiss,” I said slowly.
“Oh, so you’ll just make-out with anyone then?” he accused. “Even if they’re not human? Though an upper-class girl like you would have some fucking standards.”
What was he talking about? When had I given him the impression that I was some kind of otherkin Xenophile? And how, I thought hotly, would it be any of his business anyway? The expression on his face didn’t suggest he was interested in a civilised discussion about it though.
“There’s no need to be jealous,” said the bull lightly. “Just because you weren’t able to get her first—”
Risk looked like he was going to explode as he rounded on the minotaur again. “I wouldn’t—”
“—fuck me if I was the last sheila on Alvis,” I interrupted testily. “Yes you made that abundantly clear when we met.”
“Well then,” said the bull with a shrug. “There shouldn’t be a problem.”
“I didn’t ask your opinion, cow!” snarled Risk, pointing a finger at him. “And you!” His finger snapped sideways to me. “You’re coming with me.”
“I am not,” I said angrily, folding my arms across my chest in defiance.
“I’m your—”
“You’re my bodyguard, not my boss,” I stressed angrily. “Something I’m not in need of at the moment, thank you.”
How dare he? Yes, he was here as my security and guide, but that did not mean he was my chaperone. I was a grown woman, thank you very much, and I was in no mood to put up with his prejudices.
“I think you can call that a dismissal,” said the minotaur.
Risk’s eyes flashed furiously, and he looked like he was ready to argue further, before he suddenly turned and stormed out.
The second he was gone I let out a shaky sigh. “I am so sorry about him. I had no idea he was so…” I couldn’t even put it into words, but the minotaur waved away my concerns.
“You’re not responsible for someone else’s words,” he said firmly.
That might be the case, but it still made my gut twist. People were entitled to their own thoughts and opinions, but I was supposed to be an ambassador. What would people think of us, of humans, if that was the picture we were painting?
“Look, my kind doesn’t have the best reputation on a good day,” said the minotaur slowly. “I’m used to that kind of thing.”
“You shouldn’t have to be.”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but I can deal. Won’t ask you what’s up with him, it’s not my business, but it sounds like there’s a lot of anger under there. Some men are still just boys pretending, you know? They need a bit longer than others to grow up.”
“Oh and I suppose you’re a real man then, hmm?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
The bull laughed again. “I try.”
I sighed again feeling a headache coming on.
“Tell you what,” said the minotaur suddenly. He went to the stack of bedrolls in the corner, grabbed two, and laid them out a respectful distance from each other. “You’ve had a big day, and so have I for that matter.”
I was exhausted and at that moment, nothing sounded nicer or more comfortable than that little bedroll on the tent’s sandy floor. I’d briefly glimpsed the dusky sky as Risk had left, and the inside of the tent was starting to darken. I wanted to sleep. And yet.
“Are you sure? I mean, this tent is—”
He shook his head, cutting me off before I could even fully voice my objection.
“It’s my tent,” he assured. “That, and some storage while we finish setting up. You won’t have to worry about anyone bothering you while you’re here, including me. I mean, unless you’ve got other plans? You’re welcome to bunk with the rest of the crew in the main tent if you like.”
I shook my head. “No it’s fine. I just didn’t want to intrude.”
“Oh don’t worry,” said the minotaur with a smile. “You could never do that.”
I couldn’t help the blush that returned to my cheeks. How did this man manage to make me feel so warm?
Chapter 7:
The Wreckage
Rays of moonslight filtered through a clear pool of water, reflecting off the sandy bottom where I lay, my red hair floating ethereally around me. Every now and then, a long shape would blot out the moons above and plunge me into darkness. Every time it passed over me, it would get larger, the shadow it cast darker and longer than the last. I watched it, transfixed by the way the moonslight played over its body, glinting as though the creature were studded with diamonds.
I raised a hand, my fingers just barely skimming a scaly belly. But before I could touch it the moons were stained a blood red in a seas of orange clouds. The water boiled around me, tossing me in a whirl of bubbles.
In the distance, a wolf howled.
I awoke to darkness around the tent, only barely aware of when I’d fallen asleep. I remembered laying down on the bedroll, pulling the thin blanket over me, and then, nothing. Night wind whistled through the island’s trees on the edge of the campsite, the sound of the ocean lapping the shore, which in the light of the sun had sounded relaxing and refreshing, was now cold and foreboding.
At first, I couldn’t figure out why I’d suddenly awoken, but then I realised I could hear something moving outside the tent, could hear it breathing in long, low pants.
I gasped and tried to roll over. I’d barely even twitched, before a hand clamped over my mouth. A panicked cry rose between my lips, muffled by the heavy palm.
“Be quiet,” the minotaur hissed, pressing me down into my bedroll. “There’s something out there that shouldn’t be.”
I froze, staring up at the inside of the tent. The panting breaths were growing closer, heavy steps making audible crunching sounds in the soft sand outside.
The slope of the roof distorted the shadow of a long muzzle lined with sharp teeth.
In my mind’s eye, they glinted in the moonslight, and I gasped into the bull’s hand. I wanted to tell him about what I had seen in the jungle during my walk, but he pressed his hand tighter to my mouth, determined to keep me quiet.
The shadow on the canvas was growing larger, the creature’s outline becoming more defined. Suddenly, its head snapped up, warm orange light flaring around us, with a series of fiery hisses.
“There it is!” roared a voice.
With a flick of a long tail, the creature bounded, clearing the tent in a single long leap. Its shadow vanished from the canvas, and I could hear it sprinting through the camp, its steps growing fainter by the second before fading away completely. Seconds later, a group of smaller shadows ran past the tent, torches and cutlasses visible in their hands as they gave chase.
“Stay here,” the bull hissed, before releasing me and leaving the tent.
I sat up, straining my ears to catch what was going on outside. What sounded like a dozen voices were all shouting over each other as the crew prowled around.
Finally, the booming voice of the captain cut through the commotion, though I could still only hear snippets.
“—saw it?”
“—the size of a cart hor
se—”
“—eyes like the fires of wrath—”
“—could take your arm off—”
“—crush your head, easy—”
“And where is it?”
“—fled from the fire—”
“—jumped three tents—”
“—into the jungle—”
“Casualties?”
“None, Captain.” I finally recognised the bull’s voice, rising with authority over the others. “The beast fled as soon we saw it.”
“Do you think there are more?”
“It’s possible,” said the bull. “Or it could be a rogue. Whatever it is, it’s big.”
“Hmm,” said the captain unhappily. “Well then, as long as we’re on this island we’ll set up a watch. I don’t want that thing, whatever it is, anywhere near my crew. Understand?”
“Aye, Captain,” said the bull, then started barking out orders for patrols and watch rotation.
I sighed and flopped back down on the bedroll, throwing an arm over my eyes. First, a sea monster, and now some kind of giant beast was stalking the island we’d crashed on. I was seriously starting to think the crew and I really were being plagued by some potentially-deadly bad luck.
When dawn broke, the minotaur returned to the tent to tell me that everything was safe. They’d not seen any more of the creature since it had escaped back into the jungle, but they were confident that if it was still around, it wouldn’t return to the camp during daylight.
“If it comes back again tonight,” the bull had said, “we’ll be ready for it.”
I had gone to look for Risk almost immediately afterwards. Apart from wanting to make sure he was alright, I figure after last night, there were a few things we needed to discuss. I went to the crew’s tent first to ask if anyone knew where the mercenary had kitted down, but no one could tell me. A place had been made for him, and for me as well, I discovered, when the camp was being erected, but no one who would have been sharing the tent with us could remember him coming in.
It turned out that he hadn’t come back during the night at all after storming away from the bull’s tent. He’d left the camp entirely to wander the long beach, eventually kipping under a palm after the sun had set. He’d wandered back into camp half-way through breakfast, having no idea of what had transpired in his absence. He’d look exhausted though, the circles under his eyes darker than they had been. I could only assume laying alone on a beach at night hadn’t exactly been the most restful of sleeps.
The Island of Wolves Page 7