“Oh, well, that does present a problem, doesn’t it?”
He moaned inwardly. “Yes.”
“Where is she?” I asked.
“She died many years ago.”
I stifled a looked of confusion. “Hold on,” I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around his words. “Gus, you’re not married if your wife… passed away.”
“I know that,” he defended, “I’m not a fool. I just,” he paused to rake his fingers through his beard, “I’m afraid to be with another woman. That it’s somehow disrespectful?”
With a sigh, I turned to my friend and took him by the shoulders, forcing him to look into my determined eyes. “Did you love your wife?” He nodded. “Did she love you?” Another slow nod. “Then she’d want you to be happy, Gus. She’d want you to move on. Make a life for yourself.” I let him go and returned to my stance of gazing out over the open deck. “I know it’s what I would want for Henry if anything ever happened to me.”
“Christ, God help us all if that ever happens,” he kidded.
I smiled but had no reply. We stood in our own silence for a few minutes, both casually leaning against the railing in front of us. The distant sounds from below carried through the misty wind and tickled my ears. I hoped I didn’t pry too much, or push him further from the idea.
Finally, he muttered, “I do care for Charlotte.”
My head tipped to the side. “Well, I certainly hope so. Because she’s crazy about you.”
At last, I caught the glimpse of a curve at the corner of his mouth.
“She’s a remarkable woman,” Gus added.
I smiled. “Look, there’s a saying where I come from. Carpe Diam. It means to seize the day,” I told him. “Don’t worry about yesterday. Don’t stress about tomorrow. Just live. Do what makes you happy.”
“Aye, Lassie!” Finn suddenly bellowed up at me from the deck below. My eyes followed him up the stairs. “I need to talk to ye about this here map.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Gus said and then gave me a half smile before sprinting down the stairs.
I turned my attention to a frantic Finn. “What is it? Is something wrong?”
He hovered over me and unfolded the delicate parchment that was the map. “When I first saw this, it took me a second, but I ken where to go. Then I got to thinkin’. How do I ken where to go? I’d never been this far off the regular route ‘cross the Atlantic.”
He’d lost me.
Finn’s big green eyes bulged with excitement. “I’d never been to the Siren Isles. They be nothin’ more than a myth among sailors. A place never found. T’was a myth I’d heard many times growin’ up a wee lad.”
“Finn, my God, just tell me what the issue is,” I said, unable to stand it.
“The Isles have never been found ‘cause they’re hidden by the rìoghachd de uilebheistean.”
My brain fizzed at the foreign words on his tongue and I blinked rapidly to process them.
Finn rolled his eyes and let out an impatient and raspy sigh. “The Realm of Monsters.”
“Oh, that,” I said.
The Scot’s brow lifted high. “Oh, that?” he mocked. “Ye mean, ye ken?”
“Well, no. Not really,” I replied. “Benjamin said something about it, but I was so anxious to get back to you guys that I never gave it a second thought.”
“Benjamin?” Finn pointed to the map. “What did he say? Anythin’ that can help us?”
“Help us?” I shook my head in disbelief. “Why would we need help? Is this place so bad?”
His nostrils flared as he sucked in a deep breath and folded the paper before slipping it back into his pocket. “If the legends be true, we’re ‘bout to enter a world of trouble.”
I swallowed hard. “What kind of trouble?”
“It’s nae called the Realm of Monsters for nothin’,” he began. “The sirens alone be enough to worry ‘bout. And if ye possess one of their hearts…”
He was starting to worry me. “Well, wouldn’t that benefit us? I’m returning it.”
“Perhaps.” His hands slapped helplessly at his sides. “Perhaps nae. We’ve no way of knowing what’s ahead of us. Giants. Kelpies.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Vengeful sirens.”
“Crap.” I blew out an exasperated breath and cast my gaze to the horizon. What have I done?
“Dinnae worry, Captain,” my friend told me. “I just wanted to tell ye. We should be prepared. Ready the ship for anythin’. Be armed, as well. Just in case.” He must have seen the worry on my face because his tone suddenly shifted. “Aye, dinnae fret. I’m sure it’ll all be fine. I bet the heart will be on our side. Ye can use it as a bargain.”
I tried to smile, to make it reach my eyes. But my mind was racing with worry and second guesses.
“I’ll leave ye be,” he said. “Got a few things to tend to.”
A quick nod was all I could muster and then he headed toward the stairs. I should have asked Benjamin more questions. Should have better prepared my crew for the journey. And the task ahead. Perhaps I wouldn’t have insisted on taking on the responsibility of breaking the damn curse. I chewed at my bottom lip, lost in thought. Then, I realized. No, I would have still done it. Benjamin had become my friend, and I had the ability to save him. Whatever waited for us at the Siren Isles, we’d handle it.
“Finn?” I called to him. He came to a halt halfway down the stairs and glanced up at me.
“Aye, Captain?”
“Ready the cannons, too.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Giants, you say?” Henry mused as he attempted to hide his devilish grin.
We sat together on the mess deck. Supper had just ended, and the crew had dispersed back to the ship. But we remained, savoring the meal and enjoying the chance to be near one another. I regretted the time I spent avoiding him. Wished I could go back and change it. But, all I could do now was live for the day and relish every single moment I got to spend with my pirate king.
“Don’t make fun!” I told him and scooped one of the last bits of Sheppard’s pie into my mouth. “Finn seemed concerned. We should be prepared for anything.”
Henry scooted closer on the bench seat and rubbed his hands on my thighs. “I’m not worried. We’ll face it together.”
He leaned in and kissed me. I wanted to crawl into his lap right then and there. In fact, I’d barely been able to keep my hands off the man since we set sail. Maybe it was my pregnancy hormones, but I wasn’t sure. Not that I was complaining. It felt like I had the old Henry back. The man he was before Kelly’s Island. He still tossed and turned at night, fighting his demons as he slept. But the anger had fled from his body and those black eyes were alive again. On some level, Henry was working his way through what happened, and I just sat back and admired his strength to overcome it.
“Besides,” he added. “The ocean seems to favor you. That may play to our side.”
I felt my forehead wrinkle. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The sirens, the Realm of Monsters.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “They’re all connected by the sea. And you seem to have a strange sway over it. Demanding wishes and using it to travel the threads of time. If you ask me, I’d wager you’d fit right in.”
I laughed and pushed at his chest. “Are you calling me a monster?”
Henry leaned even closer. His thumb caressing the sensitive skin of my cheek as his eyes looked at me admiringly. “The farthest thing from it, Time Traveller.”
I caught my reflection in his glistening gaze and hardly recognized myself. It’s amazing how much a person can change in such a short amount of time. I’d become wiser, stronger, and found my place in the world. How lost I’d been before all of this. Before our paths crossed so many months ago. I was becoming the person I always needed to be. But more importantly, the person Henry needed me to be. He was my heart and I his soul. Together, we felt complete.
Suddenly, a hand slammed down on the table and ripped me from the trance he had
captured me in. I looked up to find Lottie leaning over us. Her soft blonde hair usually tucked back in a neat bun, had fallen loose and curled around her face in a disheveled manner.
“What did you say to Augustus?”
“What?” I shook my head. “Nothing. I mean, not anything bad.”
Henry cleared his throat and removed his legs from the under the table, swinging them around so he could stand. “I’ll leave you two ladies to talk,” he announced and bent down to place a kiss at the side of my mouth. “I shall see you later.”
I held on as his fingers slid from mine and he bound for the exit. Lottie quickly took his place next to me.
“What happened,” I asked my friend.
Her cheeks flushed crimson. “He,” she glanced around and lowered her voice, “he’s different today.”
“Different how?”
“More affectionate,” she started. I stifled a snort at the thought of Gus being affectionate. “More forward. He just came into the kitchen, took me in his arms and asked if I would spend the night in his quarters.”
My eyes widened at the news. Something I’d said earlier must have gotten through. Now I hoped I didn’t pry too far. “Is that… are you okay with that?”
She chewed at her lip, much the same way I do when contemplating anything. “Yes, it’s what I wanted. I just…” Lottie shifted uncomfortably in her spot.
“What? What’s the problem then?”
She shrugged. “It’s so sudden. I had expected–” Her cheeks flushed even redder. “I’ve not yet–” Her widened eyes willed me to finish the sentence for her and I suddenly realized.
Lottie was a virgin.
I smiled knowingly. “If you’re ready, then you’ll be fine. You’ve got nothing to be nervous about. Just listen to your gut and follow your heart. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s the way it works.”
“Cheesy?”
“Oh, um,” I tried to think of a way to explain the euphemism. “Something that sounds ridiculous but happens to be true.”
She smiled and seemed to relax. “You really have a strange way with the English language in the future, don’t you?
I chortled and took my last bite of Sheppard’s pie. The idea of teenage slang and silly stuff like emoticons came to mind. “You have no idea.”
“Take heed of what I told you before,” she warned again. “Watch your tongue once we reach England. It’s a different world there. People aren’t as forgiving or understanding. There are those who’d light a match to anything that smelled off.”
“I’ll keep a low profile, promise,” I said and pretended to cross my heart with the tip of my finger. “I’ll just be glad when this is all over. But we may be stuck there longer than we want to be.”
“Why’s that?” she asked.
My hand rubbed across my pregnant belly. “The baby,” I told her. “Who knows how long it will take to find Maria? And then sailing back over the Atlantic either painfully pregnant or with an infant in my arms isn’t the best idea. Henry thinks we should settle for a while until the baby is strong enough to travel like that.”
She hummed in agreement. “Well, he’s not wrong. Look what’s happened on this journey. I can’t imagine throwing a baby into the mix.”
I shuddered at the thought. If I’d had the child in my arms when I went overboard… I shook the image from my mind and forced a smile. “I would understand if you didn’t want to stay, though. If you wanted to catch a ride back to Newfoundland.”
Lottie appeared offended. I had to stop underestimating her loyal friendship. “The Queen is my home now. I go where she goes.” Her hand stretched across the space between us and slide over mine. “And I have a feeling you will need my help.”
“I won’t argue against you there,” I told her. Finding Maria and Eric was bound to be a hard task. It wouldn’t hurt to have a knife-wielding badass by my side.
Lottie made us some warm tea and we sat together for a while. Talking. Sharing. Enjoying one another’s company. I told her all about The Black Soul. About the insane captain, their curse, and how Pleeman had saved my life. I also told her a bit about Benjamin, leaving out the part about him wanting to keep me. We’d gotten past that, after all.
I’d never really had a close girlfriend in my life. During my teenage years, when close friendships usually formed, I’d been too busy dealing with my dad and counting down the days until I could leave. The last thing I wanted back then was something to tie me to Rocky Harbour. Sweet Aunt Mary was hard enough to leave behind.
But now, it felt like something I needed in my life. Lottie’s loyalty to me as both her captain and her friend was endearing, and I cherished it. I imagined my kids running through the grass, playing and giggling happily. They would long for the days when Aunt Lottie and Uncle Gus came to visit. All I ever wanted since I was a little girl was someone to love. A person to share my adventure with. I always thought it would be a handsome man, but never expected that dream would expand to include a friend. A sister, of sorts.
“Do you think you’ll ever settle?” I asked her as I sipped my tea. “Maybe have some kids?”
Her faced paled. “No, I’m not exactly the mothering kind,” she replied honestly. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ll adore your children. Happily. I cannot wait to hold them and spoil them silly.”
We both laughed at the idea.
“But, my heart belongs to the sea,” she added. “It’s where I was born. It’s where I shall die. I live for the adventure.”
“I think Gus would be happy with that life,” I suggested.
Her soft, pale cheeks flushed yet again at the mention of the man. “Yes, well, we shall see. It’s a bit early to be making assumptions such as that.”
I thought about how quickly Henry and I had fallen in love. “Nah, I don’t think so. I believe that when it’s right… it’s right. Nothing else matters.”
Her eyes rolled and regarded me from the side. “Not everyone can be lucky enough to have a love such as yours and Henry’s, Dianna. What you two have is something otherworldly.”
Hearing someone else confirm my own feelings made the idea all the more real. Something did pull us together. Through time. Through everything. Our souls were connected, and nothing could break that tether. I remembered something then, something that the siren had told me when I wished to go back to Henry. Only one thing could break the laws of time and I smiled inwardly because it truly was the only word that could describe what Henry and I shared.
Fate.
***
The moon illuminated all the curves and cracks of my ship as I climbed the ladder to the upper deck. I stopped for a moment and leaned against the railing, admiring the dark emerald waters below and how the moonlight radiated like liquid silver on its surface. The sea was stunning when it was like that. Calm, soothing. Like a sleeping baby.
I took in a deep breath of fresh night air before I made my way over to my quarters and entered to find Henry sitting by the window reading. He glanced up from the book and his widened grin melted my heart. I shut the door behind me and sprinted to his open arms, nestling myself on his lap.
“Everything alright with Lottie?” he asked as his thumb rubbed at the back of my neck.
“Yeah, she’ll be fine,” I told him with a wink. “Girl stuff.”
I moaned happily as Henry’s face pressed against my throat and his lips dragged across my skin. I attempted to shift in his lap, to face him better, but my curved stomach made it difficult. I glanced down and feigned a frown.
“I’m really starting to show now,” I pointed out. “It’s like the baby had a growth spurt or something. You may get your wish after all.”
“What wish may that be?”
“Me in a dress,” I replied cheekily, “You know, like normal women? My pants will only fit for so much longer.”
Henry’s strong hands slid under my bottom and gripped it tightly as he stood with me securely in his arms. He elicited a deep, slow, and raspy moan an
d dipped his face to my bosom.
“Or you could just remain naked,” he suggested jokingly as he laid me on the bed. He crawled in next to me and hovered overtop. “That would surely solve the issue.”
I laughed and took his warm mouth, tracing my lips around his. “I love seeing you like this.”
“Like what?” he asked, pressing his forehead against mine.
“Happy.”
“I’m always happy with you,” he replied.
“I know, but… before. You were–” I didn’t want to spoil the moment but it needed to be said. “I thought I was losing you.”
Henry took my hand and placed a kiss in its palm before holding it to his cheek. “You’ll never lose me. I can say that with certainty now. I had told you I would open up. That I’d talk about what happened. But, in hindsight, I wasn’t ready to make that promise to you. For that, I’m truly sorry.” He shifted then, moving from atop of me to laying at my side. “But… I believe I’m ready now.”
“Really?” I asked and propped myself up on one arm.
“Watching you be taken away from me that night during the storm,” he paused to sigh, the memory clearly still a fresh wound, “It changed me. It shifted my perspective of what happened during my unfortunate time on Kelly’s Island. I felt a whole new depth of agony that evening, one I couldn’t even fathom existing until it happened. But when it did… it surpassed the pain I harbored. Nothing could ever come close again.” He chortled then. “As awful as it sounds, losing you in that storm somehow allowed me to break through the darkness.”
His words weighed heavy on my heart and I had no response.
But Henry quirked an eyebrow and grinned playfully. “With a little help from Gus, of course.”
I laughed then. “Yeah, he told me how he knocked some sense into you.”
His face turned a little grim. “The days were spent searching for you, but my nights were poisoned with nightmares of Maria. I couldn’t shake her from my mind. I was breaking. I could not handle it. So, I drank the last of the ship’s rum in an attempt to drown out her presence from my mind.”
The Blackened Soul Page 14
