The Black Moon's Curse (The Stellara Trilogy Book 1)

by Alicia Restucci

  When she didn’t answer him straight away, he gave her a rough shake. “Do you understand, Ember?”

  Shakenly, she nodded. “Yes. I understand.”

  Her voice wasn’t any louder than a whisper, but he’d heard her.

  Hesitating a moment, his eyes studying her as if he didn’t believe her, he finally sighed before turning so his back was to her. His shoulders were tense, he was nervous and she honestly didn’t blame him. She was petrified, not for herself but for the pirates who were risking their lives for her. She never thought that’d be a thought running through her head.

  Reid held his hands over his mouth and let out a different whistle than before. Her body tensed, wondering what he was doing. Her eyes flickered to the guards who were beating on Tomas. She didn’t miss the way Tomas’s head lifted, his eyes searching the surrounding area for something, or rather, someone. He knew Reid was close.

  And just like that, all hell broke loose.

  Tomas was fighting back as he rammed his shoulder into the guard on his left before giving the guard on his right a hard kick to the gut. Reid took that as his cue, unsheathing his sword he charged forward towards his friend.

  Ember stood frozen for a moment as she watched the fight. Reid tossed a dagger from his boot to an unarmed Tomas, turning as he blocked one of the guards just as they tried to attack him from behind. Steel swords clashed. It was a sound she knew would alert more guards. They didn’t have much time before they’d be outnumbered by them.

  Ember saw the signal then. A quick wave of Reid’s hand as he motioned for her to get going. As if her body decided then to unfreeze, she pushed herself off the wall and made a run for the docks. Her breathing was heavy. Her legs were screaming to stop running, but she pushed herself to keep moving.

  She was almost there when she felt something solid collide with her body, knocking her to the hard dirt ground beneath her. It felt as if the wind was knocked out of her as she gasped for breath. Her body screamed in pain from the impact of hitting the ground. A shock of pain went up her arm as she tried to sit up.

  A groan left her throat as a hand gripped her shoulder and turned her down onto the flat of her back. The night sky twinkled above her before an unfamiliar face blocked it. From the uniform, she knew it was a royal guard, but she couldn’t put a name to the face.“You’ve caused the King a lot of trouble, Miss Lethorne. It’s time you stopped this nonsense before someone’s hurt.” The guard snarled as he leaned up away from her body.

  A scream escaped her lips when the blood splattered across her dress, splashes of it hitting her face. Her eyes closed as the warm liquid hit her face, drops of it getting into her mouth. She almost gagged on the taste as her eyes opened again. The guard above her knelt beside her, a pained expression on his face as he looked at the newly formed hole in his chest.

  A flash of the image of Malia in her last moments took place of the guard. Her friend was choking on her own blood as she struggled to breathe. Soon her maid’s image vanished and the man was back, gasping for a breath he couldn’t seem to capture. A wheeze of air whispered out of him before he dropped to the ground beside her. He was dead as soon as he hit the ground.

  Her body shook as she sat up on her elbows, her eyes staring widely at the dead body lying beside her. Her eyes darted left as a new hand appeared, a familiar face now hovering over her. “I believe you’ve got a ship to get to, miss.” Tomas said, teasing as he nodded to his offered hand.

  Tomas chucked at his own joke, clearly finding himself hilarious, but she knew he was trying to get her focus on him and not the body beside her. Ember lifted her shaking hand, latching onto his outstretched one tightly. With a strong tug, he’d lifted her onto her feet with no strain. “What about Reid?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder for any sign of him.

  As if her question summoned him, Reid rushed by them, shouting to get a move on, as he made a run for the ship. Before her feeling of surprise could repress, Tomas shoved her on ahead of him. It was a clear ‘Get moving’ motion. She picked up her skirts and started after Reid. She tried to ignore the sound of guards shouting behind them or the pain shooting up her body as she pushed herself forward.

  They were getting close, she realized as she saw Reid turn the corner. He was shouting now, telling the crew to get ready for company.

  She tried not to look back. Instead she focused on praying that she wouldn’t trip over her own two feet. She knew Tomas was behind her, ready to drag her if that happened. It didn’t slip her mind that he probably ran faster than she did, or that he was purposely staying behind her in case she fell too far behind.

  As if she’d jinxed herself, her feet skid against the wood of the dock as she rounded the corner. A gasp left her lungs as she felt her feet suddenly slid further and her body went tumbling to the side.

  Ember fell onto her side, a cry of pain slipping out as she hit the uneven wood of the docks. Her newly healed skin on her hands ripped open as she tried to brace herself and keep her head from smacking against the ground.

  She felt disoriented and hurt. Her dress was too heavy, her legs were aching, and her head was pounding something fierce.

  “No time for rest, princess. Let’s go,” Tomas said as he appeared beside her, grabbing onto her arm as he started to haul her back up to her feet.

  A thunderous boom met her ears, her eyes widening in confusion as she looked behind them, trying to absorb what had happened. A guard had stopped just yards away from them, a smoking gun in his hands.

  A wheezing breath caught her attention as she returned it to Tomas.

  His gray eyes looked confused, pain filling them by the second as he looked down at himself. Again, Malia’s haunting face flashed in place of the pirate in front of her. Her eyes lowered as she noticed the blood seeping through his shirt.

  A sob laced gasp left her throat and she caught him as he fell to his knees. Her hand went to his chest as an attempt to stop the bleeding. Blood poured through her finger, her pressure doing nothing to help. Her eyes were frantic as they flickered between his wound and his face. His blood was warm against her hands It felt too hot to be normal, but she tried her best to ignore it and focus on him instead.

  “No, no, no! Tomas, please, no, We’re almost there. Please, don’t close your eyes.” She cried, pleading with the pirate in her arms.

  Ember tried to stand with him leaning against her. They stumbled, his weight getting heavier by the second, but the Obsidian was finally in sight. She could hear the thunderous sound of feet getting closer, but she tried to ignore it. Just a few more yards and Tomas would be safe. They could help him, keep him alive. He couldn’t die because of her.

  “Help! Someone, help!” She cried, her voice cracking.

  She prayed they heard her.

  Another shot went off, startling her. She felt something scrape her arm, causing her to scream out as they tumbled to the ground. She could have sworn she saw a light illuminate from her body, but it was gone before she could process what she had seen. Ember tried to pull them back up, but her arm was filled with the utmost of pain and Tomas couldn’t hold his weight any longer. They crashed to the ground together, a sob breaking through her lips.

  Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she held Tomas’s head in her lap. “It’s going to be alright, Tomas. The ship’s right over there. Keep your eyes open, please.”

  Tomas’s only reply was wheezing as he struggled to breathe. She could tell he was fighting to keep his eyes open. “Ana?” He managed to wheeze out, his eyes turning toward the direction of the ship.

  She sobbed, wishing there was more she could do. Her arm felt as if it was burning, her skin growing warmer as it seemed to glow, but she bit her tongue. Tomas was hurt worse than she was. Reaching up, she took his hand in hers. “She’s safe, Tomas. Ana’s safe and she’s waiting for us on the ship. She’s coming with the others to help you, but you need to hold on though until she gets here. Okay? Just hold on.” She said, squeezing his hand as she tried
to control her sobs.

  He looked at peace upon hearing Ana was close and that she was safe.

  Her eyes darted to his wound and her breathing hitched when she realized the blood flow had slowed, as if his body was running out of it. He was dying, and there was no one here who could save him. “You’re not alone, Tomas. You’re not. I promise.” She cried, her fingers squeezing around his.

  She knew he was slipping away as his eyes glazed over, his stare shifting to look past her. Another sob released, her sadness pouring from her as her body shook. His mouth gasped, as if he wanted to say something, but he wasn’t strong enough. She cried as she watched him take one last inhale before his body went completely still. His grip on her hand released, his head falling back in her arms. “Someone, please, please help us!” She screamed, pleading for someone, anyone, to just help her.

  “We’ll help you, Lady Lethorne. Help you return home to your father, that is.” A gravelly voice said from behind.

  She didn’t register who it was until she was being yanked away from Tomas’s still warm body. Her eyes widened in panic as she was lifted from the ground. “No! No, II can’t leave him. I promised. II promised he wouldn’t be alone.” She cried, pulling against the hold the guard had around her waist.

  “Let go of me!” She screamed, struggling with all her might.

  She felt like a caged animal trying to get free. With blood covering her dress, her hair wild as the screams of protest left her mouth, she was sure that was exactly how she must have looked to them. All that mattered was that she didn't leave Tomas. The fact that she barely knew him meant nothing. He died to protecting her. That made him a hero in her mind.

  The click of a gun caught her attention. “I believe the lady wants to be released.”

  Her head snapped up at the voice, relief filling her as she saw Nikolas standing there with his gun aimed at the guard holding her. Her gaze shifted behind him to spot Ana, Ari, and a few other pirates standing in unison. She wasn’t sure how they’d beat them to the ship, but it didn’t matter. She didn't care if they had flown there on birds. All she cared about was that they were here and they looked ready for a fight.

  “This is none of your concern, pirate. No one else has to die tonight. Just let us take Lady Emberlyn with no struggle and we’ll leave you with your lives and dignity intact.” His eyes drifted to Tomas’s still body. “Or what’s left of them anyway.”

  Nikolas’s eyes never moved from her. “Now where’s the fun in that?”

  Ember studied him, trying to see how he could possibly win this. His head tilted, his eyes flickering to the ground as if he was trying to tell her something. When he repeated the signal, she knew he was.

  Her entire body was shaking, but she gave a barely noticeable nod of understanding to the pirate captain.

  Without warning, she pushed herself forward with all the strength she had left. Before the guard could yank her back, a shot went off and they went crashing down to the wood below them.

  Her ears rang as she struggled to lift her upper body. She was trapped under the weight of the now dead man who’d been holding her. Her eyes drifted to Tomas, relief filling her as she noticed Reid and another crew member lifting his body up and bringing him back to the ship. A few pirates rushed by her, a battle cry erupting as they held their swords high. She watched as they attacked the handful of guards that were on either side of her.

  “Ember, hey! Hey, focus on me.” A distant voice said as they knelt before her.

  Her eyes darted in front of her, meeting the worried eyes of the captain. His hand lifted, cupping her face. “Are you hurt?” He asked, his eyes searching for any wounds on her. From the amount of blood covering her though, it was hard to tell what belonged to someone else and what belonged to her.

  “M-my arm,” She said, her voice no louder than a whisper.

  His eyes shifted to her arm briefly before he nodded. He reached forward and shoved the guard’s body off her. Once she was free, he slipped one arm under her shoulders and the other under her knees. “Hold onto me. Quickly,” He said, his eyes scanning the fight going on around them.

  She nodded without complaint as she wrapped her uninjured arm around his neck. He lifted her up with a grunt. Ember felt new tears roll down her cheeks as she hid her face in the crook of his neck. His scent welcomed her, bringing her comfort as he adjusted her. “Back to the ship!” He ordered, motioning for the others to head back.

  As he carried her back to the ship, her eyes wondered back to the carnage they were leaving behind. So many guards now lay dead, and it was all her fault. They were just following orders to bring her home.

  Then there was Tomas.

  His death weighed heavily on her heart just like Malia’s did. The young maid still haunted her even when she was awake. Neither deserved the death they’d been given. She made the decision right then and there, that no one else would die to protect her. She couldn’t be the sobbing little princess hiding in Nikolas’ arms again while others fought with their lives to protect her. Next time, and she knew there would be a next time before this was over, she would protect herself and her friends.

  That was a promise.

  Chapter 12

  Within the hour they were far away from Owl’s head. The crew was quiet as they sailed across the open water. Nikolas had brought her up to his captain’s cabin with Ana in tow. He’d set her down on the table across the room. “She was hit in the arm. It’s just a flesh wound, but I’d rather she not get an infection.” He said, his voice quiet as he talked to Ana.

  Ana looked drained emotionally. She’d lost a family member tonight and Ember was the reason why. Ember didn’t blame her if she wished for her to get an infection and die. Tomas had called for Ana in his last seconds of life. Were they intimate or just close friends? She didn’t know, and she doubted Ana would tell her. From the haunted look behind her eyes, she knew the answer to her own question. Ana loved Tomas and she didn’t get to say goodbye to him. Now Nikolas was asking her to help the person who’d gotten him killed. It wasn’t fair.

  “She doesn’t have to-” Ana’s eyes darted to her, anger flaring in them. “It’s fine. I’ll get the supplies.”

  Ember’s g aze followed her sadly. She wished there was some kind of apology that would make any of this okay, but she knew there wasn’t. There was nothing she could say to lessen the pain Ana felt in her heart. She couldn’t give her Tomas back, nor could she give her that last goodbye between them.

  Ana quietly left the cabin without another glance at either her or Nikolas.

  Nikolas was quiet as he stared at the door she’d left through.

  Finally, after a long moment, he decided to speak. “Tonight shouldn’t have ended in tragedy. We should have had a better escape plan in place in case things went south. I made a bad call. I got cocky and Tomas paid the price for that arrogance. They should be angry with me, especially her.”

  Her gaze lifted, studying him for a moment. She could see the struggle going on behind his eyes, the conflict, and anger swirling around in the waves crashing behind the sea green color. He blamed himself when he should be blaming her. Tomas had died saving her. “You’re their captain. They won’t hateyou. At least not to your face. I’m the outsider. They can openly hate me. I wouldn’t blame them if they did. He called for her, um, just before he died. I told him she was safe. I wanted to give him some peace before he, um, he” She couldn’t finish as her gaze dropped to her hands on her lap.

  “Don’t tell her that. It’ll just make it hurt worse.” Nikolas said, speaking as if he knew what he was talking about because of experience on the matter.

  Ember barely heard him as she studied her hands. A dark red stained them. Blood, both her own and Tomas’s, she realized. If she closed her eyes, she could still hear the wheezing of his breath as he struggled to get air into his lungs. He fought so hard to keep his eyes open. In the end, she couldn’t get him back to his family. He died in the arms of a stranger just yar
ds away from his home.

  Hot tears threatened to fall and she hated herself at that moment.

  She was so sick of crying.

  The groan of bedsprings broke the silence that had fallen over them. She didn’t even flinch at the noise, her eyes not moving from her hands. Your fault. This is your fault. All your fault. The words rang through her head. She knew they were as true as she knew her name was Emberlyn Lethorne.

  A pair of larger, calloused, hands covered her smaller blood-stained ones. Her eyes lifted barely to meet his. His eyes reminded her of the ocean. Wild, unforgiving, mischievous, and beautiful. Right now, they just looked sad and broken. “Something terrible happened tonight, and it was not your fault alone. We both played a part, as did Tomas. He was a brave, wild, and loyal soul, and I loved that about him. He knew the risks of this life and he chose them anyway. Do not make his death wasted by blaming yourself and curling up into a shell of yourself. You’re stronger than that.” He said softly, his eyes studying her as if looking for a sign she was listening.

  “You don’t know anything about me.” Was all she replied.

  He reached up, brushing a wild curl that had fallen out of her face. “I’m learning.”

  Before she could say anything, the door opened without warning. Nikolas startled, clearing his throat as he all but jumped away from her. Ember shifted her gaze to the doorway to see Ana had returned with a small kit.

  The blonde was paused in the doorway, her eyes watching her captain suspiciously before she sighed and came inside. The pain she saw flash across Ana’s face didn’t go unnoticed by Ember. She no doubt was thinking of Tomas. “Ari and Patch are making progress with the prisoner; in case you were wondering. Though, from the looks of it, you seem pretty preoccupied in here with another task.”

  Her words were sharp, dripping with venom and anger.