Born Magic (Chronicles of the Marked Book 1)

by S Lawrence

  Her other hand raises and her fingers slide over my jaw. “Tell me a story, Wilder.”

  So, I do. I tell her one of the many fairy tales I’ve read from books I’ve found around the world, talking and talking until I run out of breath, run out of words. The sun has moved far across the sky, and we are just about out of time when I hear a noise behind us and turn to look.

  Her beast has returned, dragging a huge carcass with him. Frowning, I try to figure out exactly how he’s doing it. The carcass is two or maybe three times his size, and yet he is dragging it like it’s nothing.

  I’m beginning to think she isn’t the only one that is different and special. It only takes him minutes to reach us. It’s a moose. The damn dog has literally killed and brought his mistress three hundred pounds of meat. He drops it at her side and sits panting, tongue hanging out and blood dripping from his muzzle. He is a grizzly sight, but she wraps her arms around him, hugging him tight, and I can hear her whispering ‘thank you’ to him.

  “Come on, good boy. Let’s get you cleaned up.” She stands and heads back to the water’s edge, looking out at the sharks. She stops and looks back at the blood covering the dog, frowning. “Stay, Liam.”

  Boldly, she steps into the water, and once again, a ripple moves outward from her. So do the sharks. They move away from the shallows. She watches them, eyebrows drawn low for a few minutes, and when she is sure they aren’t coming closer, she motions the dog to her side.

  Fuck.

  If she can do this with no knowledge, when she actually comes into whatever power she’s destined for, it will be something amazing. I stay silent, staring at the carcass as she washes him clean. My first mate should be watching so I drag the red flag I had tucked into the bag in case of trouble and wave it once in the air, signaling for him to send another boat with a few of the men in it.

  She is finished and back beside me, the dog lying in the sun drying off, when they make their way in through the opening to the cove. It is easy to recognize the moment they see all the sharks.

  When they jump out in the shallow water, each has one eye on the water behind them as they drag the boat onto the sand. They look at me, and I jerk my head to the side. Charlie, the oldest member to come ashore, frowns, looking between the moose and the dog; the younger two stand with their mouths hanging open.

  “Should be plenty of meat to split between the crews and save some for the mighty hunter.” I reach out and pat Liam on his huge head.

  “Yes, sir. We’ll be to butchering it as soon as you head out.” He nods.

  “Why wait?” Reyna sits up straighter, eyes narrowing. Standing when he doesn’t immediately answer, she crosses to the moose and draws a knife I hadn’t seen from her belt and begins to cut through the tough hide of the animal. “We can’t let it spoil in the heat. Liam worked hard for this.”

  They all snap into action at her words, unwilling to disappoint her. I shake my head. Fallon was right -- she will be ruling them all without even trying. They will do anything to make her happy.

  That amount of power should terrify us, but instead, we will walk the plank with a grin on our faces.

  Chapter 27

  REYNA

  I cover my terror with boldness but inside, I’m screaming.

  What am I?

  Wilder thinks I didn’t notice the water moving or the sharks swimming out when I silently asked for them not to hurt Liam. Who can do that? Who can direct animals? I think back through my life; I’ve never been able to before.

  What is happening to me?

  I feel my emotions threatening to overwhelm me and so I focus on the knife in my hand. I’ve helped dad butcher many animals over the years, animals we raised and animals Liam brought to us. I don’t even have to think about it; my hands know what to do.

  “Reyna.” I don’t look at him. “Reyna. Why don’t you clean off your hands, and you, Liam, and I will go back to the ship?”

  “Yes, Miss, we have this. No need for you to get dirty.” The youngest looking one smiles shyly up at me, and I nod.

  Straightening, I turn and walk to the water’s edge again, squatting down and washing the blood from my hands and the knife before putting it back in the sheath built into my belt. My fingers run over the smoothness of the leather. It was a gift from a friend many years ago.

  I wish I could see her one more time, but she was in the village when they came. Can it be that it was only a few nights ago? My entire life has changed in just a few cycles of the sun.

  Wilder leaves everything and helps me into the boat before pushing it out. Liam jumps in at the last moment. I sit silently, looking out at the ship as he paddles. I don’t realize my hand is dangling over the side and in the water until he yells.

  “Reyna!”

  Looking down, I see a huge shark swimming right under my hand but I leave it there, paralyzed with fear but also wondering. It comes closer and lets its leather skin slide under my palm before swimming away to the open water.

  I raise my eyes to Wilder, and he is staring at me.

  “What’s happening?” I can hear it so I know he can. Fear.

  “I don’t know, but we will figure this out.”

  Somehow it makes me feel better. My nerves settle, at least a little. I nod but pull my hand up to my chest and scoot to the center of the seat. He rows quickly, and just as we draw near the ship, a massive creature rises out of the water before crashing back down. Water splashes all over us, and the wave it creates rocks us hard. My fingers grip the seat hard as Liam barks. His body stays leaning against me. Always my protector.

  “I’ve never seen a whale do that.” Wilder is shaking his head, all the while reaching for the ropes the crew has dropped down. He quickly and proficiently hooks them to the iron hooks attached to our little boat as I scan the water.

  “A whale.” I had never seen one before.

  As we are raised into the air, I feel brave and lean over the edge to look down. There, just below the surface, right where we had been, is the animal, rolled onto its side, one large eye watching me closely. I can hear it calling out.

  “Holy shit. It’s an entire pod.” I look over at Wilder, and he’s pointing at the water.

  Following his directions, I look and see maybe twenty more, and one by one, they join the first. Calling. Calling to me.

  “Reyna,” Wilder calls to me, and I slowly turn away from them and see a young man holding out his hand to help me onto the Sea Raider.

  I take it with one last glance back at the water. As soon as my feet hit the polished deck, I practically run to the captain’s quarters after a murmured ‘thank you.’ Slamming the door closed, I start to pace. The entire day is playing over and over in my head.

  Wilder opens the door then closes it behind him, leaning against it for a moment until I stop and look at him. Pushing away, he comes and stands in front of me. His hands cup my face, fingers threading into my hair behind my ears.

  “We will figure it out and we will not let anything happen to you.” A vow. One they have all taken.

  I stare into his dark eyes and try to calm myself. Who am I kidding? It’s too much, too fast, and I’m falling apart.

  Wrapping my arms around him, I lean against him, letting the heat from his skin soak into my cold body. He moves his hands from my face, letting his arms circle my shoulders. He just holds me, letting my wet clothes soak him. Finally, many minutes later, I push against him, gently forcing him to let me step back.

  “I’m sorry, I got you wet. Maybe we should change.”

  He nods and turns, walking to a chest in the corner of the room. He bends low and lifts the lid, pulling out fabric that shimmers in the afternoon sun shining through the windows. When he straightens, my eyes widen at the brilliant colors. He comes back to stand in front of me, holding out what I now understand are some dresses unlike those I’m used to. Long but with slits up the sides and covered with fine needle work. The threads used to make the designs are just as beautiful as the
fabrics themselves. I can tell they are from a time long ago or from a part of the world far from here.

  “I found them years ago when we traveled far to the east. I just couldn’t resist. The people there looked like me so…” He stops embarrassed but then continues. “I wanted something that maybe my mother might have worn.”

  Oh. The words break my heart and make me fall a little bit more for the quiet, soft-spoken man.

  “You should save them. I shouldn’t wear it.”

  “Who better to wear them than the woman we have chosen?” He squeezes my hands through the silky fabric, and I nod, unwilling to argue with him.

  He’s right. They have chosen, and so have I. Pushing my fear of the future away, and also my apprehension at the relationship I’m about to enter, I lay the beautiful blue-green fabric on the table at my side. My fingers wrap around the fabric of the shirt I’m wearing and pull it up over my head. I let it drop to the floor, then reach for the belt at my waist.

  Fallon had been a gentleman, wanting to take our time. It had left me slightly frustrated. Let’s see if all my pirates are the same. I smile a little at my boldness. But it is my nature; once I make up my mind, I’m all in.

  God help us figure this all out.

  He watches me, not making a sound as I push the pants down over my hips. They join the shirt on the floor as I reach up and start to unbutton the makeshift swimsuit.

  His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, but he doesn’t look away. He knows, just like I did earlier, this is a test.

  “Fallon wants to take it slow. To let me get to know each of you. What do you think?” I ask as I undo another button.

  “I think it is wise but I also think I might not be as strong as my brother.” He tilts his head, his eyes glued to my face now.

  “He did kiss me.” I watch as he blinks slowly once then closes the distance between us.

  Unlike Fallon, who devours, Wilder conquers slowly. He kisses gently along my jaw while using his fingers to tilt my head to the side, opening up my neck. His kisses pepper over the sensitive skin there, and then I feel the smooth heat of his tongue run over the pulse pounding there.

  Teeth close over the tendon right at the curve, applying a heady amount of pressure. My hands fall away from my clothes, the buttons forgotten. Instead they travel over his chest, where his wet shirt is molded to the defined muscles.

  His other hand slides over the exposed skin at my shoulder, pushing the fabric down so that it hangs loose on my upper arm. His lips travel back up, kissing my cheek softly before moving to my lips that are slightly parted in anticipation.

  Still, he moves slowly, kissing and licking over me before entering. My hands slide up and over his shoulders before burying into his long raven hair. It is silky and thick, and I pull it gently, trying to get him to move faster, but he ignores the pressure and continues at his own pace.

  His hands roam over my body, sometimes on my now-heated flesh, others over the fabric. Where there is fabric, it makes me want to be free of it. Bare to him.

  Finally, we break apart and try to catch our breaths. “We should slow down if you plan to get to know us all before anything happens.”

  Is that my plan? Did I make a plan? I don’t seem to remember at the moment.

  “Is that what you want, Reyna?” His hands still at my waist.

  “Is it what you want?”

  “Fuck no.”

  The curse word coming from him makes me laugh, and the tension is broken.

  “Sorry.” His cheeks are a little pink.

  “I feel the same way.” I try to ease him. “If I’m honest, I don’t know what I want. Fallon’s idea to wait to get to know each of you makes sense, but my body wants to argue with the logic of it.”

  He nods and reaches for the dress, pressing it into my hands. “Why don’t you change? I’ll go try to find us some food and check on the progress of the men bringing the meat.”

  He leaves before I can say a word. I stand here staring at the door for a long time, but the sound of whistles spurs me into action. I throw off the rest of my clothes and let the silk of the dark blue dress slide over my head and down my body. It reminds me of his hands sliding over my skin.

  I run my hands over my hair and try to smooth it, then quickly braid it. Pulling it over my shoulder, I let it hang down. I try to imagine what I might look like. I feel different. Wilder doesn’t have a mirror, like Fallon, so I try to catch my reflection in the window. I’m still trying to see when the door opens and Wilder walks in smiling.

  “The others are almost here so I’m having Cook fix us all dinner.” I nod as I turn around. The look on his face says everything I need to know about how I look.

  He looks ravenous. Good because I’m starving.

  He comes across the room in a second and destroys my fresh braid, kissing me deeply and hard. This is a claiming, a marking of his territory, naming part of my heart as his. He steps back just as quickly, and I gasp, wanting more.

  “Let’s go out on the deck and wait for the others.” His hand slides down my arm and takes my hand, giving me no choice really, so I follow along as he draws me out to the rail. His crew watches us, me, closely. They are just as afraid as I am. I can see it in their eyes. Looking out, I see three of the other four ships. The Black Wolf is missing.

  “Where is Hagen?” Wilder leans against the rail, looking at me but not answering my question for a moment.

  “He will be here later. He had some business on the shore.” Closer and closer, the other ships draw as I watch, but movement catches my eye.

  I look down at the water and I see what has the crew so worried. We are surrounded by sea creatures -- whales, dolphins, sharks, and other things I don’t know the names of.

  “I’m scared,” I whisper, and his hand covers mine that is gripping the rail tight enough I’m sure I’m leaving marks in the wood.

  “Remember my promise,” he murmurs.

  I nod slowly but turn away from the water. The crew is moving around the deck, doing their jobs. One older man stops as he passes and lowers his head. “Goddess.”

  I frown, but he moves away before I can ask what he means. I do hear murmurs from the others, and they sound eerily similar to his word. I look to the left at Wilder. He shakes his head.

  I need to get the chest open.

  I need to find out exactly what I am.

  Chapter 28

  WILDER

  The crews are a superstitious lot, and the appearance of so many sea creatures have turned her into their patron saint. Or if the whispers are anything to go by, a Goddess.

  I think she may be a sea witch come to cast us all under her spell.

  Good or bad, her army of followers is growing.

  I watch as she keeps her gaze locked on the ships drawing up to our side. I don’t miss how often they stray to the Bloody Rose. I can’t blame her. After the strangeness of the day, I would long for the familiar, and Fallon is exactly that for her.

  Those bright green eyes also search the horizon for Hagen. That I understand also, for he exudes protection and strength. Her hand comes over mine, surprising me.

  “Thank you.” She turns those almost-glowing eyes to mine. “For today.”

  “I didn’t do anything, except maybe get you to exactly where you belong.” I shrug. “That and hand you more questions on a plate.”

  “I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else with me.”

  Her words shock me, and she sees it.

  “You are a calm port in this storm, Wilder.” She steps closer, and I circle her shoulders with my arm as she looks up at me. “I need that. I need calm and steady, just as much as I need anything else.”

  She smiles as she watches her words sink in. Had I been radiating my concern of not living up to the others? Maybe. If she needs a calm port, I will be it. Lowering my head slowly, giving her a chance to move away, I pause just before our lips touch.

  She closes the distance and kisses me. It is slow and deep. Ca
lm before a storm. In that moment, I know that our passion will burn deep, that I will spend hours loving her. I will be the arms she falls into when this is all too much. I will let her lose herself and just be when destiny threatens to overwhelm her.

  When we break apart, I glance around and see my crew smiling. They will happily welcome a queen on our ship, follow a sea witch, and worship a goddess.

  I believe we have found someone who is a little bit of all three.

  I can’t wait to see what she becomes.

  She looks at me as I begin to move away. “I’m going to give the crew their orders for the night.” Nodding, she glances towards the stairs that leads below deck. “You should go meet the cook and you could get Liam his payment for the meat.”

  The giant head of the beast rises from the deck, where he had been lying, watching everything.

  “He’s not hungry yet, but I will go below and make sure they put some aside for him, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course, I don’t. This is your home now, too.” I reach out, run my hands up her arms, and squeeze them gently before turning away, leaving her to find her own way on the ship and the crew. “You’ll hear the whispers when the others come aboard.”

  She nods but stays put as I walk away. I don’t miss her eyes roaming over the crew though. I know on Fallon’s ship, she has Colin, and I can tell she is looking for such an ally here as well. She’s smart; it’s alright to have an entire crew that will follow you, but you need at least one you trust more, one that will help you out of friendship, not just blind faith. I leave her to it, moving up the stairs to where my first mate is standing beside the wheel of the ship.

  He is watching her as closely as any of my crew as I approach him. Jack has been on the sea his entire life and has seen much more than most. He tears his gaze away when I finally reach out and touch one of the carved horse heads that make up the handles of the wheel. Jack himself had made them years ago when the old plain ones had needed to be replaced. It had taken him months to carve and make them smooth before he painted and stained them. He takes great pride in them. He’s currently working on a figurehead for the front of the ship. He had gotten the idea from one of my books with myths from long ago. It shows a drawing of what they called a Hippocampus, part horse part fish. Of course, it is much grander than the seahorses we’ve seen far south in the warmer waters.