Waylin nodded.
“What is your name?” asked Sydin.
“I am Waylin.”
“You shine with experience, and I feel only goodness coming from your heart. Am I wrong to say this?”
“No, Sydin. I like to think of myself as a man of the sea.”
Sydin’s presence was powerful and commanding. The other Mer looked at him with respect and devotion. “You are all men of the sea. Not foul thieves and murderous warriors.”
I stood up and nudged Grant to do the same. “Anu-yah, Sydin,” I said.
“Anu-yah, Jacob. You have learned our customary greeting, I see.”
“Sydin, when last we spoke, we agreed to devise a plan. I would like to move this meeting in that direction, if I may be so bold.”
“Of course.” Sydin raised his voice loud enough for the entire group to hear. “We know of your feud with the pirates of the Obsidian. We know that they search for you with cruel intentions. Your presence here places us in danger as well. We must work together in this matter. Join forces, as your people say. We will repair your ship so that you may continue to elude your enemy. It will be stronger and faster; ready for war, should it come to that. After your departure, we will be safe once more. For our services, we must ask you to do something for us, something that has never been done before.”
“And that is?” asked Grant.
“Help us relocate our cache of gold and silver. If the Obsidian finds this island, the men who sail her will raid it and plunder all that we’ve accumulated. This island is home to the largest store of man’s precious metals. Gold and silver are the only metals that can be forged with cerulean ore. From this comes azumetalla, a metal critical to our survival.
“Once your ship is repaired and afloat, take our gold and jewels aboard. Sail northwest into the Gulf. You will find many deep grottos and caverns along the shores. Find one suitable to hide our cache. Do this and swear to keep its location a secret and you will all be rewarded. Now, what say you to my offer?”
Bart stood up. “At the risk of sounding disrespectful, why are you being so trusting? You seem to have no reservations about filling our cargo hold with your gold.”
“I must do what is best for the welfare of my tribe. My personal reservations, if any, must never cloud my judgment. By coming here unarmed, you have proven to me that you are worthy of my trust. You are good seafarers, unlike the lawless pirate clans that sail abroad. Do you understand?”
“I do,” answered Bart.
I turned to address the crew. “You’ve heard the offer made by the lord of the Mer. An ‘aye’ if you agree to the conditions, a ‘nay’ if you do not.”
A bellow of ‘aye’ filled the air. The Mer slipped from their thrones and swam to the edge of the pool to speak with the crewmates. Pearl joined Grant once more, and Waylin and Bart shook hands with Sydin.
Cora came to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Things will be just fine now, Jacob,” she said in my ear. “The Merlords will fix your pretty ship in no time at all.”
Her embrace was strong and wet. Her hair was cold and smelled of sea salt.
She pulled away and giggled. “It seems I have got you all wet. I am sorry.”
I had often dreamt of what it would feel like to hold a Mermaiden in my arms. At last I knew.
Chapter 43
Betrayed
The lord of the Mer pointed a dripping finger at Owen. “You there. Come closer, please. Do not be afraid.”
Owen came to the edge of the pool. “I am not afraid of you. In fact, I’ve waited many long years to see you.”
Sydin drifted closer to Owen, who took a small step back.
“I have spent my life learning all I could about Merfolk,” said Owen. “I traveled to distant lands and learned every yarn and shanty there is. I was regarded as a madman for this.”
“Belief is something that many give up early in life,” said Sydin.
“Not me, Merlord. I believe that even the Merfolk can lie.”
Sydin looked confused.
“Ah. No retort, I see. You claim to be a peaceful race, yet your society prospers from gold that is not yours. You are thieves! The strong Mer tear apart ships and the cunning ones wield the bows and whalebone arrows. You kill seamen for sailing in waters that you claim to own. No one owns the sea. No one!”
“Owen, you have gone too far!” I yelled. I needed to silence him. “I thought you would be honored to be here among the Mer, that you wanted to know of their truths. Finding this island has been your passion. What is wrong with you?”
“As I’ve said before, many things.”
“What changed your heart?”
“I keep several hearts. When one sours, I go to the next.”
There was a splash in the pool. Brine, the young Mer with the brown hair, swam toward Sydin. “Amu la ee’rah,” he said excitedly. “Nay’yoo, es nay’yoo!”
The other Mer heard his words and looked over, alarmed.
“What is he saying?” I asked.
Sydin calmed his son. “He says there is a ship in the distance.”
Brine tried his English out of respect for us. “I have saw one boat. Three armed boat that swim far away.”
“Three arms?” asked Bart.
“He means masts,” replied Grant. “It must be the barque.” He turned to Brine. “Is it sailing in our direction?”
“Yes.”
“And on schedule, as always,” said Owen. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a pistol. Hammock stepped beside him, as did Miley and Smirks, who also drew pistols. Owen aimed the barrel at Sydin.
“Lower the pistols,” Waylin commanded.
“Ach! Yours is the last voice I want to hear,” said Owen.
“What is happening here?” demanded Grant. “You owe us an explanation.”
“Agreed,” Owen said. “I am bound by article to inform you of what is to come.”
“Whose articles?” Grant demanded.
“Jean L’Ollon’s!” Owen broke into a fit of laughter. “You think you’re cunning enough to outwit the greatest pirate captain that ever lived? Nay. Let me fill you in on the details, Lords of Rosewing.
“When I arrived in Grenada, I searched for you. During my silent searching, I met up with some of L’Ollon’s men at the Cod Fish Tavern. They told me that you, Jacob, stabbed Jean L’Ollon with his own sword and watched him sink to the bottom of the sea. You killed him. At least…you thought you did.
“You left the blade in him. If you had pulled it out, he would have died. His men tended to his wounds. Fools!”
I lunged for him, but Waylin’s tight grip on my arm stayed me. “No,” he said in a hiss. “They’ll open fire. Control yourself.”
“Aye, Jacob! Wanting a fight, I see,” said Owen. “There’ll be time enough. You’ll see.”
Cora spoke up in a voice calm and sweet. “Please. Do not succumb to such wickedness. I do not believe you are a bad man in your heart. Lower your weapon and we can help you. You are still welcome to be our ally. You must know that Jacob and Grant care about you and have valued your friendship. Look within yourself and find the truth. What is true wealth?” She swam closer to Owen, her purple eyes pleading with him.
“The Keeper of Peace. Your totem should be ignorance! Aye!” Owen turned the barrel of the pistol on her.
“No! Cora!” I yelled. I leapt forward and reached for Owen, shoving his arm as he squeezed the trigger. The explosion was deafening. A terrible yellow flash erupted and black smoke puffed around us. Cora screamed. I heard the ping of a ricocheting round followed by a splash in the water.
I fell to the ground. Owen threw the spent weapon aside and scurried away. Hammock, Miley. and Smirks covered Owen’s escape and turned their pistols on us. I rolled over and saw Lord Sydin holding young Brine in his arms. Blood covered the Merchild’s chest. Sydin’s long black hair fell over the youth. I could hear Brine wheezing and Sydin whispering in their language.
I wanted to r
un after Owen, but his cohorts protected him. I remembered seeing this all before, only it was James Shanley who cradled his dying son. Blood stained the water of the Sacred Lagoon.
“The gold, Mer!” Owen hollered, running out of the courtyard, toward the beach. “Retrieve your gold and pile it on the shore or Captain L’Ollon and the Obsidian will bring more death to this island.” Hammock, Miley, and Smirks followed, keeping their pistols on us as they left.
“Go with them, all of you!” Sydin commanded, the young Mer still in his arms. “I said go! You violated the agreement and are no longer welcome here. You are all enemies now.”
“Sydin, we must not let him get away with this,” I said. “Help us fight them.”
“Leave us! I do not care about your fate. Fight your battle. Kill each other as men have done for thousands of years.” He turned to the others. “Cora, Pearl, Manta, Driften…we go now. Leave these vile humans to their bloody fate.”
Manta growled and pounded the water. He dove away, his dark green fin crested and splashed. Pearl looked at Grant and waved farewell.
“Pearl. Wait!” Grant called to her.
Slowly, she sank into the water.
Driften spoke to Cora. “Let us go, sister. You tried all you could.” Driften looked at me. “Goodbye, Jacob.” He took Cora’s hand and pulled her into the water. She tried to resist, but her brother’s grip was too strong. She cried and reached for me. I reached back but could not touch her pleading fingers. I watched her sink away.
Sydin cradled his son and went beneath the water’s surface. His black hair swirled in the water. We were all alone in the courtyard. I fell to my knees in the white sand and stared at the pool, willing Cora to come back.
Chapter 44
Friend Is Foe
Listen up, men,” ordered Grant. “We are doomed if we give up. I have a plan.”
“What is it?” Bart asked.
“We will let the pirates of the Obsidian come to us, and we will defend this island. We know the lay of this land, the enemy does not. We can take hidden positions throughout the isle and strike at them unseen. If we hurry, we can retrieve our swords. We will make Cerulean Isle a deadly place to enter. What say all of you?”
Konopo came forward. “I will fight for the Mer!” The Carib let out a tribal call, a proud cry from the heart.
The crew raised their fists and hollered their allegiance to a worthy captain. Grant lifted me to my feet. “It’s you and me, friend. Are you well enough?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Think of the things that fill your heart with happiness and fight for them. You are my brother. You are the only family I know. Today, I fight for you.”
“And I will fight for you.”
Grant ordered the waiting crew. “I want a team to make for the sloop and return with swords and daggers. Bring anything that can be used as a weapon. Konopo, Bart, Waylin, round up some men and ascertain the best defensive positions throughout the island.”
“Yes, Captain,” said Bart and Konopo in unison.
Grant turned to me. “Jacob, go after Owen. You are the only one who can stop him.”
~~~~~~
Owen and his men had eluded us through a narrow crystal passage that opened at the far end of the courtyard. I followed Owen’s tracks. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed off the sparkling walls and beams of cerulean stone.
The passage made a sharp turn. I waited behind the corner and listened ahead. Hearing nothing I crouched low and peered around the blue stone wall. A small beach surrounded by towering rock ledges opened before me, showing four sets of tracks in the sand. It looked as though one man broke to the right and followed the rock formations to the shore. Whoever went that way must have entered the water to get around the large stone structure, the goal being to get back to the main cove and commandeer one of our lifeboats. The man would have to be strong to accomplish this alone. I guessed the tracks belonged to Hammock.
The other tracks were erratic, trailing in circles and overlapping without reason. Owen was cunning, creating some kind of trap. I had no choice but to walk into it.
I stepped out from the confines of the passage to the middle of the beach. It wasn’t long before Smirks made himself known with a pistol shot. The sudden explosion made me crouch and cover. The round found its mark in the sand four feet in front of me.
“Greetings,” said Smirks. He loaded another round and came forward.
“Why have you turned on us, Smirks? What wrongs have we committed against you?”
“As Owen said, it all comes down to business in the end. A pocket full of loot from this island is enough to make a man rich. I’m simply earnin’ me keep, is all.”
“Smirks, listen to me. It’s not too late for you to rethink your choice. Help me stop Owen from aiding L’Ollon, and I will forgive your ignorance.”
“Do not insult me. I have spent more years on the sea than you could ever endure. I know a prosperous deal when I see one. This is me way out and me chance to be rich beyond measure. But before I can collect a single share, you must die.” Smirks aimed his barrel. Without hesitating, I rolled to the right and tossed a handful of sand into his face.
Still crouching, I swung my leg upward and delivered a powerful kick to his midsection. He doubled over. I pounced on him, and we fought for control of the pistol. He smashed his head against mine. I was dazed. He forced his weight on top of me. I held tightly to the pistol’s handle. He pulled hard to release the weapon from my grip. Instead of pulling back, I shoved the firearm forward, causing it to slam hard against his mouth.
There was a grotesque crunch as his front teeth broke to shards. Blood spilled from his mouth and pattered on my chest. Smirks fell off me, but I quickly positioned myself on top once more. He spat and choked on globs of blood. I struck his broken mouth and he let out a terrible howl. The pistol fell to the sand. We dove for it. He reached as desperately as I did. I saw his fingers close around the handle. I knew I had little time to react before his next shot. I saw my last opportunity to subdue him and took it.
Knotting my fingers deep into his greasy hair, I pulled back his head and slammed his face hard against the ground. I heard a muffled crack. He lay still as the white sand turned pink under his head. I took the pistol, now jammed with sand and blood. Useless. I checked his body for any other weapons. A small dagger was hidden in his belt. I concealed it in the side of my boot and scrambled across the sand, hurrying around the adjacent wall of stone.
I came into another pristine cove. The footprints of my enemies were scattered in every direction. The only place for them to go was into the mouth of a small cave that opened in the side of another stone wall, this one twice the height of the other one. I made for the cave and entered as quietly as possible.
The air was salty and moist, and I could smell their lingering body odor. I heard what sounded like the chiming of coins and the gentle clanking of metal. As I drew near, I heard fragments of their conversation.
“This is only a portion of what the island has to offer… Give it here, that’s mine… Aye, come on. We must hurry… Be comin’ back for the rest of it.” The sound of their hurried steps trailed off.
I pressed on after them, but stopped when I entered a round cavern filled with treasure. There were golden vases and silver carafes, piles of doubloons, and mounds of jewels everywhere. My feet crunched on shards of ruby and diamonds. There were trunks marked with crests of distant countries and burlap sacks of old tribal jewelry fashioned from lustrous gems and beads of polished jade. My eyes fell on a long golden rapier with a twisting hand guard and diamond-studded pommel. I picked it up and marveled at its perfect balance and near weightless feel. Satisfied with its deadly edge, I slid it into my belt and continued after Owen and Miley.
The passage was dim, but not dark enough to impede my pursuit. The damp corridor began to incline and spiral upward. Soon, daylight met me as I approached the exit. I listened for them before stepping out of the cave. Hearing no
thing, I stepped out onto a narrow path of smooth crystal. I was on the very top of the towering rock wall. The strange terrain stretched out and tapered to become a dangerous cliff.
Owen and Miley stood near the edge looking out at the sea. Beyond them, rising and falling over the radiant water, was the great and dreadful barque of Captain Jean L’Ollon. Its three foreboding masts scraped the sky, and its wide sails sent swaying shadows over the sea. The very sight of the unforgiving vessel after ten long years stirred my fears and forced my heart to remember the old grief. Once again, I felt the sorrows of abandonment smother my heart. I felt the sting of childhood helplessness and tasted the bitterness of rage. I must have gasped because Owen and Miley turned around.
Owen snorted and spat over the edge of the cliff. “It seems ole’ Smirks was no match for you, eh?” He stepped forward.
I drew my rapier.
“Nice blade you’ve got there. Took it from the Mer’s cache, didn’t you? You know, that sword probably came from a great pirate they killed. Aye! All of that gold down there, it is from men. The Merfolk are nothing but a band of hording scavengers.”
“No different from you or the rest of L’Ollon’s crew. Tell me, how did you orchestrate such treason?”
“I spent a great deal of time in Cod Fish Tavern and my identity became known,” Owen said. “Secrets spill from bottles, after all.” Owen’s lips curled into a dark smile; his stare was like that of a poisonous snake. “L’Ollon’s men reported the news of my existence to their captain and one night, someone handed me a letter from L’Ollon himself. He wrote that if I wanted to return to duty under his articles I would be paid a heavy stipend, a far better deal than Christoff ’s. I wrote back my acceptance of his offer and told him of the mission I was sent to accomplish. A second letter instructed me to continue with Christoff ’s plan and to convince you to sail for Cerulean Isle. After all, you have his chart, and he figured you’d use it. All he had to do was follow in our wake.”
Owen withdrew a long, curving cutlass. Its edge flashed in the sunlight. As sharp and as deadly as my rapier was, it was not an equal match against his wide blade. Mine was a piercing weapon. His was for slashing. One powerful stroke of his sword would break mine in two. I pushed aside the thought. Miley glared at me with his pistol ready.
Cerulean Isle Page 20