by S Lawrence
In minutes, David returns with a long sleeved one piece outfit that will fit me snuggly when buttoned up. I raise a brow at it, and Wilder laughs.
“You’ll see.” He holds it out, and I slide from under Liam so I can stand and take it.
He points to a beautifully painted folding screen, and I walk behind it and change. The stretchy cloth leaves little to the imagination, but I step out. His breath catches when he sees me. I feel powerful and yet shy about the effect I seem to have on all of them.
It is a heady feeling, one that I could get addicted to.
He steps right in front of me, pulling a long, thin knife from a sheath on his belt. I tense but remain still. Kneeling, he reaches and curves his other hand around my thigh. I watch as he makes a cut and inserts the knife through the hole, slicing through the fabric like it is nothing. He repeats the action on the other leg and then stands, doing the same thing to the arms, taking them off at the shoulders.
“There, that should do it.” He straightens and looks at his handy work, lingering over the curves of my body hugged by it. I run my hands over the soft fabric, and he follows them. “You will need to wear your shirt and pants over them. We will go ashore alone.”
He sounds almost angry, and I look down to hide my smile. “Of course, but also Liam. It’ll be good for him to be able to run around.” I run my hand over my best friend’s fur. “I don’t know how this life will work for him.”
“We’ll find a way to make it work for both of you.” He watches me closely, checking my face for my belief in his words as I move around behind the screen to get my clothes.
I leave the makeshift swim outfit on, pull the pants and shirt back on, and then slip my feet back into my shoes. When I step back out from behind the screen, he is waiting, his calmness back in place. I continue my exploration of the room, taking in the bright colors and the vast amount of not only books but trinkets. Glass bottles of different colors and figurines take up almost every flat surface.
I pick up and then return the ones that catch my eye or my imagination. He lets me, sometimes grinning at my selection. It is apparent that he likes that certain ones, those that I assume are important to him, draw me more than others.
Finally, I stop before a silver statue about a foot high. She is polished and gleaming in the sun in her place of importance, the center of the stained glass window at the center of the wall. She is standing with her hands stretched high and in them, she holds a beautiful green stone. The light glints on it, and a rainbow appears and then disappears when the ship rocks. The artist took immense care with the details of her face, hair, and dress.
He draws near, his hands clasped behind his back as he bends down and stares lovingly at her.
“I found her, long ago, in the city we washed up in. New Orleans. That was what it had been called.” He turns his head and looks at me, waiting to tell me something he thinks is very important. “I think parts had been saved, or all of it really, but certain areas seem more protected, even now.”
His voice is low, and the reverence in it sends chills skating over my skin.
“Why would it be protected?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was, or is, important to someone.” He shakes his head as his eyes turn back to the woman.
Is.
I look back at the woman, trying to make sense of it all.
“She was in a home just outside the main part of the city. The house was shaded by a huge tree, and the inside was empty, except for her and a book.”
That is weird and intriguing. “What was the book about?”
He smiles turning his face to the side so he could look up at me. “Would you like to see it?”
Umm, yes. I nod and watch as his fingers travel over the base of the stand she is sitting on until I hear a quiet snick. A drawer opens, and inside is a beautiful leather-bound book. Symbols are cut into the leather, making intricate designs. My fingers itch to trace them, and I look at him as he nods. Reaching in, I wrap my fingers around it and pull it free. Gently opening the cover, I see the most beautiful drawing just below the title.
The Real Story of the Old Gods.
The real story? I look at the bottom of the title page, no author. The picture was done by hand, drawn and then painted with gold and silver leafing. Some people would kill for it for that leafing alone, but others would kill for the subject. Hundreds of years and people are still angry about what they think happened, and of course, over time, the truth of the storms or battles has been lost.
It’s smart to have hidden it. I look up from it and over at the man who has moved away and sat on an overstuffed chair. His eyes are once again looking at the small statue.
“I hid it even from my brothers,” he murmurs. “I’m not sure why I’m showing it to you.” His gaze never leaves the statue.
I know then that he is thinking maybe it was all part of the plan. Part of the story. I wonder if maybe whoever left me the box left him the book. The chest. Shit. I left it. My head whips to the windows, and I try to make out Fallon’s ship.
“He will keep it safe.” Wilder nods in reassurance when I look back at him.
How could I have forgotten it? Maybe I already trust Fallon. I mean, really trust him. “You’re right. I know he will.”
“Of course, just like you will keep my secret.”
I stare at him. A test. He’s testing me. I wonder what the consequences are of failure. Not that I would tell anyone, but still, it is a big secret to keep. He stands before I can respond.
“I need to do some things on deck. Why don’t you stay and read it? You know where to put it if you get finished or want to join me.” He strides out on silent feet.
How does he do that in his boots, not make a sound? I drop the thought and look back down at the book in my hand then make my way over to the chair he had vacated. It is still warm from his heat and smells like sunlight and spice. The thought makes me grin. Sunlight and spice, indeed. I open the book once again and start reading. I get lost in the stories and the art on each page. Someone, an artist, took great care in making this book. I know after just a few pages that it is one of a kind, a masterpiece and a bit of a love story to the gods it’s about.
It talks of their powers and a world far away they came from, most searching for peace but a few looking to rule. A few that craved nothing but war and more power. It tells of the other worlds they created to separate themselves from us. How they left us alone until one joined a group, or rather, built a group of men and women, that wanted to steal the power from the others. It doesn’t talk of the end. The last picture is of a group standing beneath a giant old oak tree, just like the one Wilder described.
I stand and slide it back into the hiding place, pushing the drawer in until I hear it click. I rub a fingertip over the woman and the green stone. Then I turn toward the door, but he is standing there watching.
“It’s amazing.”
“You read fast, just as I thought you might.” He smiles before stepping out into the sunlight.
I realize the ship has stopped. It’s been longer than I thought. “The tree.”
He nods. “I think so too.”
“He, I say he because it sounds like a he to me, saved that city.”
He nods at my words. “I think he saved it for them, the ones beneath the tree.”
“I wish I could see it.”
“You can. We can take you there.” I smile at him. “Ready for your first trip into the water?”
No. Yes. Both. “Yeah, let’s go.”
He leads the way to the rail. There is a small boat hanging by ropes, just waiting to lower us down. I swallow hard. I can do this. Liam bumps against my leg, forever my support. He bounds up and over the rail, settling in on the floor of the boat, watching me, waiting for me. I can’t let him down so I climb up and jump down. I shove any fear I have down, hiding it behind a bright smile as Wilder joins us.
He nods at the two crew members waiting, holding tightly onto the rop
es, and they begin to let it slide through their hands slowly. In no time, we are settled in the water, rocking gently. Wilder picks up the handles of the oars and begins to row, taking us to the shore.
Looking around, I see rocks form an almost complete circle shielding the cove from the waves and the rest of the ocean. He steers us through the tiny opening, the rocks on each side scraping the hull of the boat. It only takes moments before he runs the boat up on the sandy shore. A beach of black sand. I’ve never seen anything like it. He helps me out, and Liam jumps out and races away. I want to call him back, but he needs to run and hunt.
Liam is a very good hunter and often brings back meat. He could earn his keep today. I turn away from the trees shielding the beach from the island and watch Wilder as he pulls a bag and blankets from the boat. I hadn’t noticed it before.
“Okay, how about we get in the water and then we will eat a late lunch.” He sits them down and then holds his hand out.
I glance out at the ship, kick off my shoes, and then begin to pull my clothes off.
Chapter 26
WILDER
Her bravery is breathtaking. I watch as she kicks off everything but the swimsuit thing we crafted for the day. She stands at the edge of the water, staring down at it as it creeps ever closer to her toes. Her muscles are locked tight.
Help her, you idiot.
I shake my head and force myself forward, standing at the water’s edge at her side. She looks over at me and grins as her eyes travel over my body. Shit. I still have my boots and clothes on.
I laugh at myself as I step back and start to pull them all off. I lay everything in a pile, continuing to remove layers until I stand behind her in nothing but my underwear. We pirates aren’t known to swim in suits. She still stares out at the water, and I walk by her, striding into the thing that terrifies her. Stopping when I’m knee deep, I turn around and face her, holding out my hand.
Reyna stares at me, her bright green eyes caressing over places that haven’t been touched by a woman in a very long time.
“Reyna.”
She jerks her eyes up to my face when I say her name and finally sees my hand held out to her.
“Trust me?”
I watch as she takes a deep breath then reaches out. She lets me draw her forward one step. Her right foot lowers and is covered by the water, and I gasp as the water reacts.
She looks up at me, an unasked question on her face. She hadn’t noticed or maybe she did but having never been in the water, she thinks it is normal. It is not. Do I answer her and scare her, or lie? I hate to lie but I want to see if it is more than one random reaction.
“Sorry, stepped on a rock.”
Her face, well, like I said, I’m a horrible liar, but she lets me pull her out another step. The water has the same reaction, and my heart pounds.
“How do you feel?” I watch her face. “Are you alright?”
She nods once before taking another step. I release her hand and let her continue. I follow at her side until the cold water laps against my thigh. She shivers.
“I’m going to take the plunge, get it over with. I’ll be right back.”
She nods but steps forward again as I dive forward. Under the water, I can feel the power flowing out from her. It ebbs and flows, just like waves. I let my head break through the top of the water and stand. I’m just a few feet from her, and she grins at me.
“Can you teach me that? To swim under the water.” Her face is filled with trepidation and a hint of excitement.
“Sure, but let’s start with the very basic dog paddle.” As if on cue, her beast of a hound bounds into the water from nowhere. In seconds, she is soaked. Holy shit, the material is basically see-through. I blink, staring before forcing my face to turn away.
“Wilder?” I barely hear her over the barking of the hound from Hell.
“Sorry… I... ummm, the clothes.” I stammer, trying to make some sense while my brain is completely fried. The image of her perfect breasts is burned into my retinas, and I couldn’t care less. I glance at her then away again as she stares down her body.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry. I…” The water splashes and she sucks in a quick breath. “Okay, you can turn around.” I do as she says and see she is up to her neck in the water, legs tucked up as she bobs. The beast is paddling around her, wary eyes on me.
He senses both our distress. “It’s okay, Liam,” I say calmly as I move toward her, holding out my hands both as a sign of friendship to him and for her to grab to steady herself. “Reyna, I’m the one that’s sorry. I didn’t think. I had no idea.”
She smiles. “It’s fine. I mean, embarrassing, but fine.”
I decide the best way forward is to try to ignore the outline of her body hiding just beneath the water and try my very best to focus on the lesson. Her dark hair is floating out from her shoulders.
“So, anyway, basically do what your buddy here is doing.” I point to the dog still circling around us. “I’ll help hold your body steady while you get adjusted to holding yourself up and moving your arms.”
She nods while staring at Liam, memorizing his motions. The dog woofs at her, and she smiles, reaching for his collar while releasing my hand. She lifts her feet and lets him pull her through the water slowly. Her body floats out behind her, and I can see the plump curve of her butt cheeks. Focus.
“I think I could really grow to like this,” she calls out, a radiant look on her face. “Okay, here I go. Keep close, Liam.” He stays right at her side, slowing his legs to keep pace as she begins to drag her curved hands through the water.
She is a natural. I’m frozen in place as I watch her go from doggy paddle to smooth strokes with no instruction. I’m just about to compliment her when she suddenly sinks below the surface. Not dives, just floats down beneath the glassy reflection of the sky. Disappearing.
I count slowly waiting for her to surface. The dog is still swimming smoothly moving out further. One minute. Two minutes. I dive, panic completely taking control. Opening my eyes to the burning salt water, I search for her and then I see her.
She is mythical.
Trying to calm my pounding heart, I point to the surface, and she nods. I reach it first and realize the dog had been swimming over her, still staying close and protecting her. What the hell?
“Are you sure you’ve never been in the water?” I ask as soon as her head clears.
She nods. “I just… I don’t know.” She looks at me, and I can see the concern creep into her eyes. “That’s not how people learn, is it?”
“No.” I swim to her and take her shoulders in my hands as I tread in the water. “Not many swimmers can stay under for that long. Was it getting difficult to hold your breath when I pointed?”
She slowly shakes her head. Again, what the hell is going on? I’m just about to continue with my questions when I feel a ripple of whatever it is coming from her roll over me and keep going out toward the sea.
“Why don’t we swim in and eat something?”
She nods and, before I can say anything else, dives beneath the waves that have started to grow as we spoke and swims away. I only know her path because Liam is following once more.
She is the one. I believed before but now I’m positive. I need to speak to the others.
Just as I reach the place where I could stand, and she is striding out of the water and making her way to the picnic I set out, something bumps my leg and I look down.
A small shark is circling me even as I start to move forward. Strange. I’ve never seen any anywhere near this cove. Looking back over my shoulder, my eyes widen. Fins. At least ten are cutting through the water, heading straight for me, and most are much bigger than the juvenile that is still moving around me. I start to jog and finally get shallow enough that I don’t have to worry about them.
Reyna is standing at the water’s edge looking out as I reach the beach and stop at her side. My breath is puffing in and out of my lungs.
“Is that a bun
ch of sharks?” Her eyes are narrowed as she counts.
“Yes. I’ve never seen any here before.” I don’t tell her what I’m thinking, that her distress somehow called them. That the ripples I keep seeing around her in the water is magic of some kind.
I don’t say she is the queen to rule us all.
Instead, I lead her to the blanket and start to pull food from the bag, setting it out so she can pick the things she wants. I try to draw her attention away from the sharks circling in the cove. The longer she watches them the more anxiety is vibrating through her.
“So, did you really like it?” I scoop some food into the bowl in my hand then pick up a spoon.
She looks over at me. “The swimming?” I nod. “Oh yes, very much, but I’m getting the feeling that it didn’t all go as it should have. As you thought it would.”
“It was different, for certain,” I admit but keep a smile on my face, not wanting to worry her more.
“It has something to do with the story or prophecy, whatever you want to call it, doesn’t it?”
Sighing, I chew the mouthful of food I just shoved in, taking my time as I try to figure out what to tell her when I don’t really know myself.
Swallowing, I make a decision. “I think so but I think we should talk to the others, maybe figure out how to open the box. We need more information.”
She nods and then jerks her head toward the water. “And them?”
“That I don't know.” This time, I lie much more convincingly. To protect her from what we don’t understand. “Let’s eat and then we can swim more or we can head back to the ship.”
Liam bounds away toward the trees, and she smiles as his nose drops to the ground.
“He smells something.”
I look back and watch as he spins and then races into the trees.
“He will earn his keep while we sit here and try to ignore the very strange things happening today.”
I hate how sad she sounds but I’m not sure how to help her. Reaching out, I slide my hand down her arm until I can thread my fingers through her hand. She tightens hers around mine almost instantly, and her face turns to mine.