Cassandra's Pirate (The Atlantis Series)

by Candace Smith

  He was preparing to ask her about her past when Pascal knocked on the door and burst in. Even the feather in his hat looked flustered. “Vincent, do we have a cellphone in our supplies?” He smoothed his hands down his tunic. “She refuses to even tell me her name, until I get her a ‘damn cellphone’.”

  “Her name is Adelaide,” Cass replied. “Tell Addie I don’t think you have cellphones here.”

  “Oh god, she’s going to throw something again.” Pascal ran back to his cabin.

  Cass looked up, and in the light of the lantern the tall man was staring down at her with one eyebrow raised. “I guess we’ve got things to discuss.”

  They talked until dawn about the two worlds. Vincent assured her there was no way he knew of to return her back home, and he kept pressing for details about the mermaids. Cass kept questioning the truth that he was a pirate. “I guess by your Realm standards, I’m a Five and Addie’s a First Realm Royal.”

  “Pain in the ass, you mean.” Vincent had heard the woman’s demanding voice throughout the night.

  “Addie’s rich and runs a huge company. At least, where we come from.”

  “Are you her handmaiden?”

  “Her what?”

  “Handmaiden. Do you look after her?”

  “No one looks after Addie. We look after ourselves.”

  “Not in Aquadea, you don’t. Romagis and Espedene are both going to be after you.”

  “Oh, I see. And why would I want to leave these luxurious surroundings for a real city where they might be able to help me get home?”

  “You’ll be whored out in Romagis or joined with a Royal in Espedene, and with no choice in the matter. Still think you can look after yourself?”

  “Take me someplace else.”

  “There is no place else. Everything is fucking sinking, and we’ve been sailing for years looking for a larger island. We haven’t found anything as big as this, other than the Realm and Exile Island.”

  “Sinking?”

  Vincent had not meant to tell her that. Chances were she was not going to be as agreeable as his crew to just sail in the schooner forever. “Actually, the sea is rising. It should stop soon.”

  Cass stared at him a moment and burst out laughing. “Bullshit. That’s how you found us, wasn’t it? You were searching for another island.”

  “The facts are the same. You aren’t safe anyplace else.”

  “Other than with a rogue pirate, who, according to you, has the only other two groups preparing to lynch you?” Cass smiled. “Yes, I feel much safer here.” Actually, I do feel safe with him. She considered his brusque, strong physique and the intense flash of his dark eyes that slipped to amusement. Both expressions made her wet, and she was well aware of her attraction to the man. Somehow, being this ‘rogue pirate’ suited him. She drifted to sleep imagining his body stretched out beside her, and sighed when his lips brushed her forehead.

  Cass woke to voices outside and sunlight streaming in the window. “She’s not happy, Vincent. She’s demanding I take her to Espedene to see the Royals.”

  “She doesn’t know what’s going on or where she’s at,” Vincent replied.

  “Adelaide doesn’t care. She’s ignored everything I’ve tried to tell her.”

  Cass recognized the voice of the man searching for a cellphone. She rose and drank some water before going outside. Vincent eyes swept the length of her body, and he gripped her arms and pushed her back inside the small cabin. “What are you up to, my beauty? Distracting my crew is not the best course.”

  “What? I was going to see Addie and try to explain to her a little bit about what was going on.”

  “Cass, you can’t be running around a group of randy pirates naked.”

  “I’m not naked.” She looked down at her bathing suit. “Well, not quite.”

  Vincent dug through his wardrobe, for once wishing he had something comparable to Pascal’s finery. He found his softest shirt, which was also the most worn. “We’ll be getting you proper dresses as soon as it can be arranged.”

  Cass slipped the shirt over her head. It fell midway down her thighs and she rolled up the cuffs. “This is fine. I don’t think I’d like the restrictions a dress would leave me.”

  “Aye, a Fiver if ever there was one. No bone corsets for those lovelies.” Vincent had a fleeting memory of running his hands down the thin material of the dresses, feeling nothing but soft luscious curves underneath.

  “Did you just insult me?” Cass watched his smile disappear beneath his whiskers.

  “Not at all, Cass-lass. I’m a Fiver myself.”

  Cass arched an eyebrow, but there was humor in her eyes. “You did just insult me.”

  Vincent sighed and shook his head. “Not by me own remembrances. None of them fine Royal Ladies could hold a stick to the women in Fivertown.”

  “Can you show me where Addie is?”

  “Follow me, Cass-lass. Perhaps you can talk some sense into her.”

  “Not much of this makes sense to me,” Cass admitted.

  “But your survival instincts are better. You know you can’t be demanding, when you don’t know the situation.”

  Cass followed him outside and saw the crew watching his door, obviously waiting for another glimpse of their Captain’s ‘naked’ woman. The shirt did not deter them much, as their eyes dropped to stare at her long tanned legs. “Thanks for the shirt,” she said quietly.

  “Your most welcome, me Cass-lass. You can pay the debt later.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Vincent merely chuckled. He liked this spirited woman. She was smart and sassy. Of course, the voluptuous soft body and lovely face were not to be overlooked. “Here you go. Good luck to you.” Vincent watched her straighten and take a deep breath. He realized his Cass-lass felt lower class to the woman inside.

  “Addie?” Cass saw her sitting at the desk, dressed in an oversized silk shirt and soft looking pants that billowed around her legs. Her hair shined in its usual ponytail, and even in the strange outfit she managed to look sophisticated and classy. There was also a visible sign of relief washing over her controlled features.

  “Cass. What the hell is going on here?”

  “Some kind of time-warp, I think.”

  “They’re really pirates?”

  “I think so. The thing is, they seem like our best bet until we get our bearings.”

  “Mr. Dupree suggested there is civilized Royalty on one of the continents.”

  “They’re islands, Addie. This whole planet is sinking under the sea, and only a few places are left above water. The two biggest places don’t sound promising. One is an exile island for criminals, and the other will force us into some kind of bonded relationship. They aren’t going to listen to women talking crazy shit about another world.”

  Addie tapped her nails on the surface of the desk. They were shorter than her usual French-tipped style, and Cass realized she had managed to file off the damage from the excursion down the cavernous rapids. This little detail made her realize Addie truly refused to cope with the thought of staying with the pirates. “Shit.” She collapsed onto the cot. “Look, can we give it some time with them? You might be able to figure out how this place works.”

  “For how long?”

  The nervous clicking of her nails was irritating. “A few weeks, maybe. Or until we see for ourselves what these places are like.”

  “And you think these criminals are going to let us off this little island? I’m surprised we haven’t been raped.”

  “Vincent won’t let his men near us.”

  “Ah. Vincent, is it? I see.”

  “Oh god, Addie. It isn’t like that.”

  “You’ve got yourself a Captain, and I have a… I don’t know what the hell Pascal is.”

  “He’s former First Realm Royalty. He should be able to tell you better than anyone what they’re like.”

  “Well, his sense of style is certainly an improvement over the men I’ve seen through the win
dow. And he did have the decency to have a tub brought in and filled so I could bathe.”

  Shit. Cass could almost hear Addie ordering people around like she was used to doing. “We agree to wait a while?”

  “As long as the Captain is not going to force us to stay on this island. We won’t learn anything stuck on this sandbar.”

  Cass rose and left in search of Vincent. The search was easy. From the small courtyard outside, she could see the entire small island and the waters surrounding them. Vincent was on what was left of the sinking dock, walking to his pirate ship.

  The vessel was a miniature of what she expected, with two small sails and maybe twenty-five feet in length. She had no way of knowing that by Aquadean standards it was a prized schooner. Of course, he also called this small island with its ramshackle shacks, a fortress.

  A man with an eye patch walked up to her. He wiped his hand on his pants and held it out to greet her. “I’m Tommy Chadwick, miss. But, my friends call me Mudeye.”

  “How do you do, Mr. Chadwick?”

  “Tommy or Mudeye would be fine, miss. No ‘mister’ about me.”

  Cass smiled. “I’m Cass, Tommy.” She looked him over. “Are you a Fiver? Is that how you met Vincent?”

  Mudeye laughed. “We’re all Fivers, miss. Except for Pascal, and he wishes he was.” He thought for a moment. “And my sister. She’s a Second Realm Lady, now.”

  “How can you be a Fiver and she’s Second Realm?”

  “They don’t have enough women left in the Royal stations, so they tend to bribe our Fivertown girls into better living situations.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  Mudeye shook his head. “No, Miss Cass. Life in Fifth Realm is a tough one. Sandra’s better off masquerading as a Lady.” He looked down the low hill to where the woman had been studying. “Let me walk you down the path to the beach.” He held her hand to help her over rough spots. “Did you have any luck smooth talking your friend?”

  “Addie’s used to running a big company. She’s a little lost not being in charge.”

  “Ladies aren’t in charge of anything in Aquadea,” Mudeye informed her. “Captain said you came from the other side.” He thumbed his forehead. “Is that true?”

  “The other side?”

  “My mum said my ancestors came here that way.” Mudeye shrugged. “Naturally, I thought it was another fanciful story to keep my attention when I was young, but she insisted it was true. I know several others who hold stock in the story. They’re all Fivers, but I don’t really know any Royals well enough to know what they believe. Sandra says the Royals say they are the original people, born here. But, the first ones had to come from someplace, I figure.” Mudeye gripped her hand. “Big step, miss.”

  Cass bounced onto the soft sand. “Thanks, Tommy.” Vincent turned at the sound of her voice, and the sheen of sweat washing across his golden tanned muscles caught her breath.

  Vincent had the men putting the ship to rights as soon as they docked at the fortress. For some reason, it seemed important to impress the woman. He splashed down the dock and hoisted her into his arms. “I’ll give you a proper tour of my ship.” Damn, she felt good against him.

  Cass realized he was proud of his schooner, so she did not tell him the excursion sailboat Addie rented to get them to the island was twice as big. She smiled while he explained his ship, and she stood in awe of the three small cannons. “How big are the Royal frigates?”

  “The Admiral’s is half again as long as my ship, but the rest are the same size or smaller. Don’t you worry, Cass-lass. Not many would dare take on a vessel the size of mine.”

  She ran her hand down the surface of a cannon. “What kind of metal is this?” Cass studied the railing and deck. The wood looked synthetic and like the grain had been carved into it. The pattern even repeated after a few feet.

  Vincent shrugged. “The Makers build these things. I guess whatever metal and wood they think up.”

  “Makers? You mean builders?”

  “Nope, the Royals call them Makers, but they’re really sorcerers. They provide the materials and build things for Royalty. The rest of us build stuff out of the junk they toss out.”

  “Let me guess. There’s a pecking order through the Realms for supplies, and Fifth Realm gets the scraps.”

  Vincent grinned and winked at her. “Makes us more inventive.” He took her hand and led her below deck, turning to watch her sculpted legs climb down the stairs.

  “Did these wizards build the mermaids?”

  “Yep. They noticed there weren’t so many girls being born, so they helped us out with that one.”

  They walked a few steps to his cabin. Cass vaguely remembered the room. Looking at it now, she realized it was barely larger than a closet. A small cot, desk and chair were all that could be crammed into the space. She stared at the bed and tried to figure out how Vincent could sleep in it comfortably… much less, holding her. A sprinkle of dampness wet her bikini bottoms with the thought.

  She sat down on the cot while he poured them each a brandy. He took the chair and their knees touched. “Vincent? Why don’t the sorcerers make more land?”

  “They’re too busy building things for King Ashton’s new palace. He was just crowned a year ago, and now the seas are rising so quickly, he’ll be lucky if he isn’t swimming through the halls. ’Course, Sandra’s guard told us most of the rooms are on the floor he added on top of the existing building.”

  It occurred to both of them at once. “I need to talk to Addie.”

  “Pascal. Where the hell is Pascal?”

  They slammed their drinks and dashed on deck. “You’re thinking what I am?”

  “Too damn blind to see it before, Cass-lass. Besides, it’s more Royal business. Get yourself to Pascal’s cabin and I’ll find him. I don’t much care to hear your friend’s screaming again if we try to move her.” Vincent helped her scamper up the path.

  Addie and Pascal listened quietly. Addie began an eye scathing ‘fuck you’ contest with Vincent, but he was so used to handling the Royal Ladies that he had no problem calming her down with flattery. Cass suspected her friend was fully aware of what the pirate was doing, but just the act of him acknowledging her status soothed her.

  “How come we didn’t notice this?” Pascal asked. He was in mild shock over the news.

  “Because we’ve been spending our time just trying to survive. First Realm Royals sure as hell weren’t going to let their secret out.” Vincent handed the brandy bottle around, and Pascal refilled Addie’s glass.

  Addie took scribbled notes during the discussion. Cass recognized the woman’s ‘work mode’. “I wonder if the Makers had something to do with the lack of girls being born.”

  “Still the normal amount in Fifth Realm,” Vincent shrugged.

  “Yes, but that’s furthest from where the new building takes place. And you told me you basically got their discarded trash.” Addie studied the timeline she was drawing. “When did the shift begin?”

  “About a year or two after the Makers arrived,” Pascal answered. He looked at Vincent’s surprise, and he knew Fifth Realm did not realize this until much later. “The Ladies tend to lie about their age. I doubt any of the few true Royals in the last generation are as young as I am.” He took a sip of brandy. “So, what do we do about this? People won’t listen to us. The Makers are like a religion to them. They provide everything, and the Royals will come after us if they think we discovered their secret.”

  Addie sat back, clicking the nails of one hand on the desk. “We offer these Makers a better deal.”

  “What? What the hell kind of better deal can we offer them?” Vincent spread his arms, indicating the minor wealth they had accumulated in a decade.

  “These Makers don’t want material things,” Addie decided. “Their playground is disappearing every time they suck resources to build. You said the seas rose faster when they began this mammoth project on the palace. Somehow, it’s tied together. They
build, and the waters rise.”

  Vincent looked at her. “So, what better deal can we offer them?”

  Addie smiled. “We can’t offer them anything. I can.”

  Cass saw Vincent’s jaw clench, but to his credit he remained silent. Cass wanted to slap the smug look off Addie’s face.

  “I can offer them a new place to build. A place with more resources than they can imagine. My world.” She looked at Cass’s shocked expression. “Oh for god sakes, think about it, Cass. Neither one of us deserves to drown in this sinking cesspool. The worst case scenario is we have to play them long enough to unseat the current Royalty and slow the building to necessities. The best case is, they know how to get us home.”