by Jewel Adams
She took one final look at the stranger in the mirror with a determined glare. “It’s not real, no matter what my eyes see. I’m not back in 1725. It’s impossible!”
Corin started toward the door, stopping dead when she remembered Rogan’s order to the other man.
Unsure what to do, she paced the room until stopping in front of the open window. “Oh Corin, you shouldn’t…” The small roof line gentled the distance to the ground beneath the window. To the side, she spied a trellis. “Please be a sturdy one.”
Gathering up the circus of material, Corin carefully backed out of the window as she warily reached with her toes to touch the roof. Holding onto the window, she eased down and took hold of the slate shingles to help edge herself to the corner. She scooted back until her feet hung over the roof. Wiggling back until her waist was at the edge, her feet frantically tried to locate the trellis. Corin didn’t realize she was holding her breath until it rushed out when her feet made contact. Every rung down earned another breathless thank you that it held her weight.
She caught her breath at the bottom and didn’t have time for a case of nerves. Her unfaltering belief that this Rogan wouldn’t be too pleased by her achievement sent her moving hastily toward the lively streets.
Halting before she stepped into the crowd on the torch-lit street, Corin took in the unsavory individuals the night let loose. Earlier she only glimpsed a few of the men that could have stepped off Blackbeard’s ship. Now they dominated the town!
Looking back from where she escaped, Corin felt herself being drawn back to the safety it afforded and the man that extended it. But his words about the search party frightened her more. Whether they searched by land or water, they would never miss finding the Raven. The schooner represented the only sanity left to her—she couldn’t let it be lost.
She only needed to gain the edge of town, then flee into the woods. Corin stepped bravely out of the protective shadows. Thankfully, the docks gave her the bearings she needed.
Ignoring the crude remarks and paling stares that wanted to do more than mentally undress her, Corin kept her sight forward and tried to crush the fears reigning unchecked inside her. She saw the five burly men coming toward her. Corin decided she’d better avoid them and moved out into the street to cross to the other boardwalk.
The large arrogant man she nearly bumped into suddenly became a very real and closer threat than the ones she just tried to escape. Keeping her eyes averted, she moved to the left to step around him. When he blocked her way, Corin turned to flee the menace, but he moved faster and took hold of her arm.
“Well, well, what surprises the night has given me.”
Corin forced her scream back down her throat when she met the man’s cold piercing eyes. Closing her own proved a mistake that let him draw her closer. She almost gagged over the foul breath fanning her face.
“And who might the lovely be sneaking off to meet?”
Opening her eyes, she glared up at him, furious at the way he raked those evil eyes over her. “Let me go this instant!”
“The lady has spirit. I like taming the wild ones.”
Corin reached deep, past the fear, for the training she held within her reach. Before she could gorge the creeps’ eyes out, a roaring growl came out of nowhere and sent her flying out of the man’s clasp. Reeling against the building, Corin backed away from the raging men.
A bear of a man attacked the brute holding her. His great barrel arms were clenched about the goon in a fierce hold that lifted him off the ground. A commotion beyond the fighting men caught her attention. Two men were moving in against the giant from behind. One pulled out a large deadly looking knife. Yanking up her skirts, Corin moved with a speed that stunned the men. Racing up, she placed her well-aimed kick. Both feet contacted the first man’s open jaw before she curled into a neat ball and rolled away with the force.
The other man, seeing his friend rolling and groaning on the ground, turned to her with a vicious curse. His angry stance would not let her use her feet against him, Corin rose quickly and faced him as he charged. Just as he reached for her, she turned, catching his outstretched forearm and tripping him, she flipped the enraged man over onto his back. Before he could gather himself up from the impact, she delivered a stunning blow to his windpipe, rendering him unconscious.
Like the animals she feared would follow, Corin crouched low in readiness. The gathering crowd of men stepped away from her as she backed out of their circle. Only once did her attention drift long enough to ensure the unknown friend was all right. The man lying at his feet said he no longer needed her help. The angry shouts that earned the giant’s call sent Corin’s heart into her throat. “Rogan!”
She realized the giant must have been her guard and having no desire to face the rage she heard breaking through the crowd, Corin deftly gathered up her skirts and took off running down the street toward the tree line.
Bursting into the underbrush, she kept heading towards the shoreline, unfastening the buttons as she ran. The lovely dress and petticoats were catching on every branch and briar she raced past, slowing her flight. “God, he’ll kill me for this if he catches me!”
In answer, she heard violent thrashing behind her and knew it could only be one man. Practically ripping the garments away, kicking free of the yards of silk, she burst forward, carried by the fear her pursuer instilled.
Once on the beach, Corin ran across the sand to the water’s edge. Turning, she ran in the ankle-deep curls of gentle waves as she raced to the rocks. She could never outrun him. She scurried with an agile swiftness over the jetty and backed into the tree line. Finding a thick group of bushes that hid her stark white chemise, she knelt and waited, fighting not to breathe.
When he tore through the trees, dragging the torn remnants of her dress with him, Corin froze in terror. Panic seized her and she looked for a way to escape. The coming search party rekindled her determination. Raven must be saved. Her gaze froze as the moon caught Rogan’s furious stance, outlining him in a golden display of bulging muscles. She bit her lip to stop its quiver as she watched him follow her tracks to the water’s edge. Corin could feel the fury vibrating across the distance as he scanned the shadowy water.
She almost screamed when, in his rage, he threw the dress into the water.
~ * ~
Even after Rogan finally left the beach, Corin stayed hidden, fearing he was only waiting for her to move. The moon was skipping across the starlit night sky, telling her there was little time to reach the Raven and get her moved to safety.
Taking a chance, Corin moved back out into the open. Hearing nothing, she quickly moved over the rocks and onto the next beach. Racing across the sand, she didn’t look back until she reached the next obstacle.
Finding he hadn’t followed, the disappointment she felt confused her. She shook off the feeling and tried to eliminate him from her memory, along with all the other unsettling sights she faced in just one day.
~ * ~
The water felt refreshing on her heated skin as she swam out to the Raven. Stepping onto the quiet deck, she stood knowing she couldn’t give into the aching exhaustion. Her muscles were vibrating under the strain. Her eyes darted across the deck to the horizon. Already the sky was lighting.
Using both hands and all her remaining strength, she hauled in the anchor line. Hurrying, she went and raised the mainsail to its capacity, knowing she needed the speed it afforded to reach the reefed cove.
The sun was just peeking over the water when she steered the Raven out to the open sea. Corin started to race along the shoreline watching for the cliff. When it came into view, the sun shined on it, turning the sheer rock face a brilliant orange that became a beacon and guided her to the mouth of the reef. Dropping the sail to half mast, Corin held her breath as she pointed the bow toward the breaking waves. The small crevice between the reef and the land mass didn’t look as open as she’d thought from her perch on land.
Too late to turn her about,
Corin bit down on her lip as the Raven cut through the pass. Seconds turned to years before the schooner cleared the threatening passage. Continuing into the deep cove, she cut the sail and prayed the inertia would take them into the inlet and not ground her against the narrow end. She refused to think how she would manage to back it out again. She hoped the Raven would forgive her for putting them in such a perilous position. When the bow entered the inlet, Corin released the anchor, hoping it could stop them soon enough. The trees folded about them like a cocoon. Corin’s nervous gaze watched the mast become one with the trees as they slowly came to a lazy stop.
She surveyed her accomplishment and clapped her hands over the results. The cove, sheltered by the reef, allowed only an easy current to lap against the hull.
The exhaustion she fought folded in on her in weighted hits. The shade of the trees proved too inviting. Corin stretched out on the deck and gave up the battle, allowing the unexplainable dangers and one formidable man carry her into a troubled sleep.
~ * ~
“I swear, I saw the mast veer landward past the cliff, Captain.”
Rogan didn’t doubt his first mate’s words. Terry possessed the eyes of a hawk and the instincts to match. “We’ll make another sweep of the cove.”
Whipping the massive wheel about, Rogan brought the Tempest full circle.
“Lower the main sails; we’ll coast in for a closer look.”
“That reef’s got a wide berth, Captain.”
Not as dangerous as one illusive wench! The beauty hadn’t left his thoughts for a moment.
Rogan rocked over the simmering rage that finding her dress instilled. It didn’t equal the fierce anger of disbelief Dan delivered over what the minx had done to Billings’ cutthroats. Dan wasn’t one to exaggerate and, if Rogan didn’t know him as well as he knew himself, he would swear the man had been sipping the rum.
Believing that slip of a girl could overtake two muscled brutes just wasn’t acceptable. That she’d taken off to escape him infuriated Rogan beyond his iron control. The fact she succeeded didn’t help his pride much.
Rogan wanted to discover what she was running from and was determined he would. He held no thoughts that she might have perished in the water. After everything he’d learned about her, he’d be a fool not to take her trick for what it was.
Eventually, she’d show herself again, and he would wait until she did.
This search proved as futile as he’d suspected. The woman wasn’t about to show herself until she was ready. For some reason, he didn’t expect the governor’s search party to discover any more wreckage than they failed to find. It seemed the lady wasn’t incapable of lying. If she did drift to Charlotte Amalie, so would some evidence of the ship or bodies of the crew.
The large knuckles grew tense. Rogan cursed the strange woman who seemed to have embedded herself under his thick skin.
The memory of Brian’s laughing smile stole away the enchantress’ haunting eyes. Closing his own, Rogan fought back the painful childhood memories of his only brother. “I will get him, Brian, I swear.”
Rogan’s harsh vow passed through his clenched teeth, angry because he let this woman steer him away from where he should be, something he’d not allow to happen in nearly two years.
Building a reputation as the notorious pirate, Dragon had not been an easy accomplishment. Not when the real man was anything but a thieving renegade. Ensuring he obtained an invite into the inner circle of the powerful Black Council, Rogan became one of the very men he loathed. Only gaining an invitation to the Black Council would get him close to the man he sought.
Black Diamond’s identity was only known to the trusted inner council, and Rogan was slowly opening the doors to become one of them.
That bastard Billings was the closest he’d come to gaining an introduction, thanks to the governor and old friend, John Kent. John was the only man besides Dan and Terry who knew his true identity and Rogan’s purpose for being there.
He really needed to talk to John about the reward. Thirty gold pieces were hardly prestigious enough for the Black Council. An old family friend, John held more concern about someone seeking the Dragon for the reward than about Rogan’s motives.
Tonight, he would finalize the plans with Billings over the raid that would ensure his introduction. He knew perfectly well the council sent Billings to seek him out for their own purposes.
Rogan’s sharp gaze turned cold over the prospect. Dragon never raided with another present. Rogan tried, unsuccessfully, to avoid their test. Every raid he made to build his reputation was accomplished without bloodshed or actual booty. The threatened captains were more than willing to glorify the plunder and foul deeds of the dreaded Dragon in exchange for their oath of secrecy over the truth. To ensure they held their vow, Rogan always made sure they knew he could change his mind the next time.
Being put to the council’s test to raid a British merchant with Billings along, his previous success wouldn’t be allowed to continue. Somehow Rogan must waylay Billings. It would be hard to control his anger in front of the man after the way he accosted Miss McCloud. Dan couldn’t go with him tonight after what he’d done to Billings because of her. Antagonizing Billings wouldn’t get Rogan what he wanted.
“Whatever it takes, Brian, I will find your murderer.”
Chapter Four
Hiding in plain sight
Corin woke by mid-day and occupied all her energies and thoughts on fixing the sail and how to back the Raven out of the inlet. Exploring their hideout, she found there were at least fifteen, maybe twenty, feet of leeway on both sides of the schooner.
She stopped only five feet in from the end… all she had to do was let the Raven float back into the lagoon, with a gentle push, of course.
In order not to damage the Raven against the rocks, Corin tied out all the deck cushions on the cliff side. She inflated the life rafts and hung them over the sides as well. They would act as leveling guides as she backed out.
Taking a dragline, Corin used the large steel clips to secure the rope about a big rubber tree. The other she brought about the front of the bow and then up onto the cliff side. Using a large boulder as a brace, she could pull the rope until it slowly began to back out. It would mean swinging out and letting the Raven drift. To keep her from going too far before she could board and drop anchor, Corin secured another line to the sturdiest tree near the inlet’s mouth. She prayed it would hold long enough for her to swim out and gain the deck. Otherwise, the Raven could ram the cliff or drift against the reef… either possibility would leave her stranded.
Feeling as confident as she could, Corin wasn’t in a rush to test her theory. Without a crew, she would never be able to handle the Raven alone on the open sea. One storm and they would be lost. After the last storm, she didn’t think her luck at not meeting another would hold very good odds.
When satisfied with her plan for the Raven, nothing could stop the breathtaking rush of the events of yesterday.
“Maybe it’s some lost civilization—or my own nightmare.”
Only, Corin knew he wasn’t a dream. Good or bad, the man named Rogan was larger than life. And the warnings told her he could be a larger threat than the possibility that she’d somehow gone back in time!
The only way Corin could prove the latter was to get away from there and hopefully reach New Orleans. She realized any other port would give her the answers she sought, but she’d feel better just being back on home ground. It proved a hard admission for Corin. So was admitting that sitting here hidden wouldn’t give her any answers. Before she went back to Charlotte Amalie, Corin needed to be sure no one recognized her.
She spent the next hours working on her disguise.
After saying a hushed apology to Captain Max, she moved into his quarters. “I am the captain now.” Her words made her gasp. “If this is…” she couldn’t say it, “then the Raven is mine by default. There is no one else to claim her.”
Corin sank down on the b
unk over the enormity of it all. “It’s true, you would be mine.” Her dark brows creased with a new, more troublesome, thought. “How will I keep you?”
Corin recalled enough history to know that women held no rights. Just the thought of a woman owning a schooner would be ludicrous to these people. “A nineteenth-century schooner!” her groan filled the cabin.
Rogan’s handsome face and moonlit eyes materialized before her. She based all her conviction against his image. “They’d take you from me.” The admission became a hard truth of her situation.
She picked up the knit cap she planned to use to hide her hair. Corin felt it would become a constant part of her wardrobe. In the heat, it would be unbearable. But the scarves she found in the captain’s belongings only emphasized her feminine features. A hat could easily be knocked off, exposing her long black hair. A passing thought of cutting it off was dismissed. She stubbornly told herself she had become far too attached to it.
She put on one of the captain’s large shirts. The full material hid her breasts if she didn’t move. The moment she reached or turned, the full, graceful mounds pressed out in open display.
Corin pulled out one of the scarves and wrapped it around her chest. It was uncomfortable, but it concealed her well enough to get by. She managed to find a pair of pants; hers were all cut too close around her backside and showed the curved differences between a man and woman.
She started to feel a little better getting dressed up. She stood before the small mirror and surveyed her appearance. The only problem was her face; it was a dead giveaway. Her search through the various cupboards finally turned up some shoe polish. Lips held tight, she spread the grimy wax around her face.