by G. Bailey
I quickly whack him on the back of his head with the heavy book, and he slides off the chair landing in a heap on the floor. I drop the book, feeling more than a little guilt as sickness slides up my throat.
Never turn your back on a woman. I read that in a book somewhere, and it’s apparently true. Men really underestimate us, and pirates are no exception to that rule.
“I would say sorry, but you’re a pirate. I’m sure you have done worse,” I say as I feel his pockets and pull out a key. I slide it into the door and pop my head into the corridor. The sound of water splashing against the boat and the distant noise of someone snoring can be heard. After a second of waiting, I pull the door closed behind me and lock it. Just in case.
The corridor is dark, with only two candles in wall sconces on the wall. There are boxes lining the corridor, perfect to hide behind as I make my way to the stairs at the end.
All these years of being hidden makes me great at being invisible, but there is no need. All the doors are shut that I pass, and there is no one around. I make it to the stairs and quickly run up them, hating every creak my feet make. At the top of the stairs are two flat doors, so I push one of them open and pop my head out, finding that I’m lucky as no one is around. I pull myself out of the door, shocked at how light it is, and shut it quietly behind me. When I turn around, it’s to see I’m in the middle of the ship. Three big sails fill the skies, one is black with a white skull in the middle, the typical sign for pirates here. The wind is strong and blows cold, wet air into my face as the ship rocks against the waves. I can see the outline of the big wheel that steers the ship. The ship is made of shiny-looking dark wood, and I admit to myself that the ship is cleaner than I thought a pirate ship would be. The mast in the middle has little handles all around it, and ropes tied around them. There are ropes everywhere as I look around. How can anyone know what they do? There are two boats on one side of the ship, perfect for me to take one and escape. I don’t know anything about ships, only little bits from books, but it’s nothing like what I read. The books can’t make you feel the gentle movement of the ship, the salty breeze, or the sound of the wind hitting the sails.
I stop, looking around, when I hear a clap and a laugh behind me.
I spin to see a male shadow leaning against the wooden wall where the captain’s room must be. The man’s laugh fills the night as he steps into the moonlight. He is tall, wearing a black pirate hat, and his hair is as black as the night, long and wavy as it falls to his chest. He has a blue feather braided into his hair on one side, and it moves in the wind. The pirate is wearing all black, with a long, black sword hanging from his belt. I narrow my eyes at his dark ones as he opens his arms and smirks.
“A nice night for a stroll,” he says, his voice deep and seductive. I finally understand what the people wrote about in my books when they say a man’s voice is seductive. His voice makes me want to walk to him, if it wasn’t for the sarcasm I can pick up in his words.
I simply smile as I move my eyes away from him to the small boat hanging off the side of the boat. If I can get there and–
“Don’t think about it,” the man warns, his voice full of humour, and I snap my eyes to his.
“Try to stop me then.” I laugh when his eyes widen, in shock or humour, I don’t know. I quickly make a run for it. I don’t even get close to the boat when I’m tackled to the deck. The man turns at the last second, so I land on him, his arms holding me tightly against him. I do the only thing Miss Drone told me to do to win in a fight against a man. I lift my knee and slam it up in between his legs. The man groans and yet doesn’t let go as he rolls me over and pins me down on the cold, damp deck of the ship. The wind picks up strands of his hair, as bits of water splash against us from the harsh sea.
“You are a brave little bird, aren’t you?” his deep tone says next to my ear.
The pirate has no idea.
“Get the hell off of me,” I spit out and struggle to move as he laughs.
“Women don’t usually say that when they are under me, little bird,” he says. I look up at him in disgust, which only seems to make him laugh more.
“They must be dumb as well as blind then,” I grit out when he pushes his hard body into mine. I try to ignore how he feels so warm, and I feel that draw to him, like I did with Chaz.
“I’m going to like you,” he says with a chuckle as he watches me.
“Hunter, the girl knocked Chaz out and has esca–” a man says and stops a few steps away from us.
“What in the seas are you doing on top of her?” the other man says, but I don’t take my eyes off Hunter as he replies.
“Do you need a lesson in women, Jacob?” Hunter replies, keeping his body on top of me as he laughs, his dark blue eyes still watching mine the whole time.
“Apparently you do, Hunter, get off her,” Jacob says, and Hunter does slowly, keeping his eyes on me. I push myself to my feet and take a step back. I glance over at this Jacob man; my first thought is that he is clearly another pirate. Jacob has light-brown hair which is slightly curly and slightly out of control. He has a full beard that looks soft, and he has a black pirate hat on, which has a white strip around it.
“Hear us out first. I didn’t jump into the Green Sea after you to watch you kill yourself now, Cassandra,” Jacob says, and I close my eyes, trying to reason with myself. I can’t run, and I can’t swim away from here. His warm, blue eyes watch me closely. I’m guessing that Chaz told Jacob my name.
I open my eyes just in time to see a big wave splash against the side of the boat and wonder if jumping without a boat is a good idea.
Would the Sea God save me?
8
Cassandra
“Why did you save me?” I ask Jacob, pulling my gaze away from the water. He and Hunter watch me carefully, all their muscles strained and tight, just like their stern faces. Like they expect me to jump off the ship and swim away. I can’t say I’m not thinking of doing just that, because I’m not sure why they want me alive. I’ve heard stories of men that keep women, and I have no desire to be any part of their plans.
“Simple. I would never let someone die that I had the power to save,” Jacob says, his voice soft and slightly kind. I look him over. His long, black coat stops around his knees, and the wind is blowing it harshly away from him. He is very good-looking for a pirate.
“Well, thank you, but I need to be going,” I say and take a step towards the edge of the ship. The salty sea breeze fills my senses, and the night is lit up by the thousands of stars in the skies. It’s a strange thing to see the stars from a different point of view. I look around the sea, but I can’t see anything near, no islands to swim to. I have no idea which sea we are in or how far we are from any land.
“We have an offer,” another man says, walking out of the captain’s rooms. I watch as he comes into the light. The man is the spitting image of Hunter, so they must be twins. He has a purple feather braided in his long, black hair instead of Hunter’s blue one. This man has his tied back by a bandana around his head, but it’s shorter than Hunter’s. He seems more commanding, but kinder, than his twin. Hunter seems to like scaring people, and I know that from the small amount of time we spoke together.
“What kind of offer?” I ask him. The others are still as I take another step back, but their eyes watch. I meet Hunter’s eyes, and he smiles. A smile which tells me he finds me amusing.
“We are travelling to Fiaten, and we could take you with us. We offer places to people who need help. We will offer you food and safe travel,” Jacob says, as the other man moves to stand next to him.
“Safe?” I laugh, and the other man narrows his eyes.
“I promise you that you will not be harmed,” the man says, his light-blue eyes watching me closely, and I have to hold in the slight fear I feel in front of them all. They are intimidating, standing close to each other and completely still as they watch me. Based on the way they interact, I have no doubt that they are friends.
Who I am.
“My brother will not harm you,” the man says, his voice holding no argument.
“I make no promises, Ryland,” Hunter says, his words slow and dark.
“Shut it, Hunter,” Ryland snaps back, and they both stare at each other. My eyes meet Jacob’s as I take another step back. My feet are now hitting the side of the boat.
“Even if I stay here, I’m a changed one. Anyone who sees me will try to kill me. I need to go somewhere off the charts, and that’s not going to happen if you drop me off at a random port,” I say, and three pairs of attractive eyes turn to stare at me.
“There is a place that is safe for your kind, and I will take you,” Ryland tells me. I have the feeling he runs most of the ship; he has that boss-like attitude. I don’t believe for a second there is a place safe for me. If there was, my father would have taken me there. Changed ones are never safe.
“I don’t believe you,”
“There is nowhere else you can go, nowhere that is safe. We have had changed ones on board before and taken them to Fiaten. They will help you in the mountains,” Ryland tells me.
“Why would they help changed ones? Why would they help me?” I ask.
“They can teach you, help you learn about who you are and what you can do. Don’t you want to learn what it means to be a changed one?” Jacob says softly, and I hesitate a little. I don’t know anything about who I am, and if they are right, I may find a way to keep myself safe. They might even know how I can get these powers they spoke of.
“What do you want in exchange for taking me there?” I ask, crossing my arms.
“Nothing,” Ryland says.
“I can’t and won’t believe that. No one does something for nothing in this world,” I say and turn around. I climb on to the side of the boat, holding the rope and look down at the sea. The waves look huge and frightening. A part of me accepts that I will die in these waters if I jump, and another part of me wants to stay on the ship to live.
“Then jump, little bird. See if you can fly,” Hunter says, and I simply smile as I look over my shoulder at him.
“I’m taking the boat,” I tell them, and Hunter laughs. Ryland just crosses his arms in annoyance, and Jacob looks up at the sky.
“Without saying hello to me?” a deep voice I recognise says to the left of me, where I can’t see him. I turn sharply to face him as his sea-blue eyes smile up at me. The guy called Dante, who was at the party, moves to stand in front of me, looking far more like a pirate than he did when we met.
“You’re a . . .,” I get out, and he places his hands over my legs, locking me in place and stopping me from moving.
“A pirate, pretty girl, and you are not going anywhere.”
9
Cassandra
“You can’t lock me in here forever, you crazy, arrogant pirates!” I yell as I kick the door that the said pirates have locked after leaving me in here. Dante pulled me off the side of the boat, and I kicked him in between the legs in anger. I can’t admit that it didn’t feel great when he fell to the floor in shock. But then, Hunter threw me over his large shoulder and threw me in here. I glance around the room; it’s the room I woke up in, but Chaz isn’t here.
What are the chances of Dante being a pirate? The first guy I met other than my father, and he is a pirate?
The first man I have ever found attractive. I can’t even say he is the last man I’ve found attractive; all the pirates are good-looking. When I think about it, I know that it’s really unfair that I will need to become like my father and kill at least one of them to be able to escape. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill one of them, to make sure they don’t hurt me. I’m thinking that Hunter is the one I need to get rid of, because he is the most dangerous one. Only it’s not me, I wouldn’t know how to kill one of them and not have it haunt me. I just can’t think how I’m going to get out of this any other way, and I just need to come up with a plan. I glance around the room, spotting that all the books on the desk are gone. There is nothing other than a chair that I could use to protect myself. Well truthfully, there is a pillow, but that is not going to be useful to me.
I walk over to the small window in the room and lift myself up on my tip toes, so I can see out of it. The night sky is lit by thousands of bright stars, and they look brighter out here than they did from my house. I wonder what my father is thinking now. I don’t think he will look for me; my father may care somewhat for me, but his position on the council means a lot to him, too. No, I know I’m on my own now and the chances of seeing him ever again are low.
The turning of a key makes me jump, and I quickly run behind the door before it’s opened. I lift the surprisingly heavy chair and hold it over my shoulder as the door opens. I swing it down on the back of the man coming into the room, but he lifts one hand and catches the chair. The man, who I haven’t seen before, laughs. It’s a deep, throaty laugh that is nice to hear.
“Now, now, little fighter, that was rude,” the man says with a large grin. He has wavy, dark blond hair that’s split in the middle and tucked behind his ears. The man’s face is scarred on one side, with two deep gashes from his eyebrow down to his shaven chin. The red shirt and brown trousers he’s wearing are covered by a massive belt, which has four daggers clipped in. He has large, leather gloves that stop at his elbows. I can see that his arms are muscular even under his clothes. When I finally look up, his dark green eyes are watching me closely. This man is older than the others and me. I would place him around twenty-five, but his eyes look older.
“Well, you shouldn’t lock me up,” I say, and he laughs as he pulls on the chair. I fall with it and smack into his chest, stumbling over my feet. He drops the chair and wraps an arm around my waist. I shiver, not used to anyone touching me, especially not a man. I force myself not to focus on how hard his chest feels pressed against mine.
“You have lovely eyes, my little fighter," the man says, his tone dropping deeper as I look up at him. At this angle, I can see how very attractive he is.
"I'm not your little anything," I grit out, and he grins.
"Not yet," he says before letting me go. I'm too flustered to reply to him as I take a step back. I don’t know how to handle his comment, so I just decide to look away from him and forget it. I hate how drawn I am to these damn pirates.
They’re pirates, and I have enough problems to worry about. I shouldn’t be wasting my time thinking about them.
"Come on, and don’t bother running," the man says and walks out of the room, leaving the door open. I’m too taken back to move as I look at the door. Did he really just leave me here with the door open? My only thought is how quickly I could run back to the little boat and get the hell out of here.
"Cassandra," the man says outside the door, and I sigh knowing that it was too easy. I quickly run my hand over my messy hair, feeling all the tangles and knowing I must look a mess. I walk out of the room after deciding that there’s nothing to be done about it.
The man is leaning one shoulder against the wall of the corridor opposite the door when I come out. His gaze sweeps over my body as I stop in front of him.
"I forgot to say, I'm Zack," he says and moves off the wall. I watch as he walks down the corridor, not looking back once. My gaze drifts down the other direction of the corridor, to the stairs which I know lead above deck. I wonder if I can make it to stairs before Zack notices I'm gone. Why would he leave me alone in the corridor to choose?
No, it can't be that easy to escape.
I glance down to the way Zack has gone; there’s a door open and light shines out of it. The noise of pots and pans banging can be heard, as well as t
he normal sounds of the boat creaking, and the whistle of the wind over the sea.
I don't know what makes me turn down the corridor and towards the open door, but I don’t question it.
I can’t.
I slowly pop my head around the open doorway. I don't really want to go in, but I'm curious. The room is a kitchen, with many wooden countertops and a pot hanging over a small fire. The fire is built on sand, which is inside a large metal container. There are ten or so barrels around the room. There are also boxes of what look like food piled on the sides.
The pirates have a lot of food by the looks of it. The people in my town would kill for this stuff.
I glance over at the pirate, Zack. I don’t know what rattles me more, the fact that he isn’t waiting for me to come in the room or how good-looking he is. I thought pirates where meant to have black teeth, and the scars on their faces are meant to be scary. Zack’s just make him look more handsome. I move a little closer, so I can see that he’s cutting up a yellow fruit I have never seen. I watch as he peels the skin off and cuts up the soft cream-coloured centre.
"What is that?" I ask, my voice softer than I wanted it to be.
"They are called bananas. I'm making you a toasted banana sandwich. It's my favourite," Zack says and doesn't look back at me as I walk over.
"Where do they grow?" I ask him as I stop next to him. The only fruit we have ever had on Onaya was apples. The apple trees all died around five years ago when the rain didn’t come for seven months. The council decided they couldn’t waste the water on keeping the trees alive and started using sea water. All the trees died the morning after the water was poured on them. Everly told me that people believed the Sea God killed the trees in anger, because the council killed a baby that very morning. A changed one, a little boy. I wish the rumours were true, and the Sea God did decide to kill them all. Of course, the council still had apples. They had their own trees in their gardens, which they kept watered. My father had one, and I loved the apples there. I used to have one a week and give the rest to Everly. I really hope she and Miss Drone are doing okay on the island. I know losing her job would be difficult for them. They relied too much on the food my father gave them.