“I have never seen anyone with such strength. Have you magical blood?”
I shake my head. My entire body shaking. Feeling faint I continue to blink as lights and colours shroud my vision.
“Cris?” The siren asks, her voice concerned as it echoes around me.
Everything goes black...
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Reality is a cocktail of blurred lines and static. Three concerned faces hover above mine.
The first, beautiful beyond comprehension. I might have thought I was dead, again, if I didn't know her true nature. The second has a scraggly blonde beard and bright blue eyes, and the third... Well, the third makes my heart race, my blood returning to my face.
“There ya go her cheeks are scarlet once more!” The Captain’s voice rumbles.
Riley steps out of my line of vision before I can see if his expression changes. I try to lift myself up on to my elbows but Auristella pushes her palm gently into my chest. Without arguing I let my head rest back down on the ground. It is hard and cold beneath me, but I am tired both mentally and physically, and my nose is being overpowered by the nauseating metallic scent of blood.
“I am afraid your wounds overwhelmed you, my dear. I sewed you up as best I could, but scarring should not be an issue as the Captain has assured me of a potion, he has in his position which will restore you to your true self.”
She is so serious. Imagine that, a siren who is worried about leaving marks on my body. Caiseal will freak.
The thought has my world clearing. My left side tingles reminding me of trips to the dentist where my mouth was left numb and useless.
My arms, which I know have been butchered by Venette, feel normal but tight. I'm not sure how I feel about the Captain's potions. Yes, one had saved my life, but in the process, it had taken away part of my identity. Gone are my freckles and scars. The only reminder of my past life is the faint puckering above my hip from my cousin’s betrayal.
“We can carry ye back to the ship if ye canneh walk lass.”
I shake my head.
“That’s okay.”
Sitting up, my back peeling from the sticky brown vinyl of an ancient aeroplane seat I try not to hiss as my wounds sting. Any sign of weakness will have them suffocating me in no time.
“If ye sure lass. Riley and I have some looting ta do. We’ll be back in a jiff.”
I nod, watching them as they leave. I can’t wait to get off of this island and have a shower. I am too scared to even lick my dry lips in case they taste the way I smell. Instead, I swallow.
Auristella seats herself beside me.
“Your wounds were severe. You lost a copious amount of blood and I cannot fathom how you managed to fight as you did in such a condition.”
Her eyes shine with interest. I look her up and down and want to scream. I feel like crap. I probably look like crap and here she is back in her elegant white dress looking as crisp as the moment I met her in the jungle.
I let out a sigh and rub at my forehead.
“I don’t know what’s going on. I got mad and I pushed my palms into the sand. There was some pain but it wasn’t sore... I can’t explain it but afterwards, I was strong and I could do things I never imagined doing...”
Auristella looks impressed. “I have heard many a tale of humans with the ability to converse with the Erthe. You are summoning her power. It does not mean that you are magical, but you are a vessel. There are not many of you to my knowledge, and from what you have told me I believe this is why you were saved. You are a heroine Cris, you have been chosen by the Erthe goddess herself.”
Well, that is something Caiseal hadn’t taught me, and in a way, it explains a lot, but does that mean that Jesse is the same, wherever he is? And are there others who have been saved from the bombs all over the world? I have so many questions with no one to give me the answers I need.
I decide to change the subject.
“Riley didn’t see, did he?”
I know I am being silly but being a vessel makes me feel like a freak. I’d hurt my friend and I’d killed someone, granted she was a monstrous lizard who had been trying to kill me, but without that power, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did.
“I don’t think so my dear, but I was otherwise engaged.”
Of Course! She’d been battling her arch nemesis and winning. I smile at her.
I hope you feel better after enacting vengeance. I’d also like to thank you for everything you did for me today.”
She returns my smile. “But you have done so much more for me than anyone in over a century. I am indebted to you my dear.”
Waving my hand, I place the soles of my boots on the floor.
“Forget it. If I’m going to embrace my superheroine powers, I shouldn’t expect any remuneration.”
“But that is where you are mistaken, dear. Every Hero’s livelihood is based on the debts of others owed to him.”
I frown at her wondering if she has found a few comics washed up on the shore, and then I remember, the locket...
Grabbing the chain from my belt I hand it to the siren. The gold chain coils and slides in the centre of her palm.
“I think this belonged to Theodore.”
The siren draws in a breath as she removes the photograph. Her eyes turn glassy as she carefully folds and tucks the photo into the bosom of her dress. She places the compass back in my hand, curling my fingers beneath her own. “This is the greatest gift you can give me Cris. I believe you will need a compass for your journey ahead, please keep this one. It is only a fragment of what I owe you.”
“I couldn’t. It belonged to Theodore you should have it.”
I try to uncurl my fingers but her grip is much tighter than my own, the detailed metal of the compass impressing into my skin.
“Please keep it.”
A shadow blocks the little light we have from the retreating sun. We are in one of the gorgon’s huts, only this one is empty save for the seat I rest on.
Riley stands in the doorway his interest clearly peeked. “Are you two having a moment? Because if you two are planning on getting together, you should know that I’ve called dibs on Cris.”
My heart skips at his words. Returning the compass back to my satchel I try to act cool and roll my eyes.
“Are we ready to leave this infernal island?” I ask.
Chuckling he steps from the door frame and waves his arm out.
“Be on your way madam. The Captain is outside with our loot.”
He doesn’t need to tell me twice. Outside the Captain is surrounded by six large sacks. I can’t tell what material they are made of in the dimming light but it looks a little like hessian. I decide not to ask what they'd found because I am sure a gorgon’s head is squished inside one of those bags.
“Before we go...” I cough to clear my throat. “There’s something I promised the brothers and Jamie I would do first.”
Quickly I explain about the worries they had expressed. They are in agreement that we have to be certain James is no longer alive. With Auristella’s guidance, we are able to find the location of his, ‘statue,’ within a fifteen-minute jungle trek. He is frozen in a moment of bravery and terror on a large outcrop of rock that hangs off a sheer cliff face. Turquoise waves smashing into the boundary of the island below us. I am awed and bewildered.
“How on earth did you guys get all the way over here?” I ask voicing my thoughts.
The siren coughs softly.
“Oh,” I reply.
The Captain turns his hand out patting her on the shoulder tentatively. “No hard feelings Siren.”
His words don’t seem to help as she hangs her head and apologizes. “I’m so terribly sorry for what I have done.”
“Listen, we forgive you! We just want to get off this hell island and get moving again. No hard feelings,” Riley says as he extends his hand to her.
Her aura of gloom remains as she returns his gesture.
I turn my attention bac
k to James. He stands pointing his finger out as if he is in mid chastise. I can almost imagine the speech flowing from his lips and it leaves me with the desire to laugh, but the circumstances are just too tragic. I drop my hand to his shoulder and whisper, “you were an odd guy with the best intentions James and I’m sorry we had to lose you, especially this way.”
Riley stands behind me with a greying rock. I reach to take it from him when the Captain grabs hold of his own.
“Allow me.” He states.
My heart constricts as our crew mate breaks into pieces. Riley wraps his arm around my shoulders his lips caressing my forehead as he whispers, “It’s alright Cris we killed all the bad guys.”
I grab hold of his hand and we follow Auristella back to the beach. There is no sign of us ever having been on the island save for the single rowboat the crew had left for our return.
I plunge into the surf, my side aching as I step into the boat. Seated uncomfortably, I wonder, would Gus forgive me for knocking him out?
CHAPTER TWENTY
I am munching a slice of toast slathered in crunchy peanut butter when a ruckus above deck thumps its way through the floorboards.
Dropping what is left of my toast on my plate I lock eyes with Auristella, who sits across the long table, ‘painting,’ her nails.
I finish chewing in a rush, gulping my breakfast down as she asks, “Have we arrived do you think?” She places the brush back in the bottle of polish aptly named, ‘mother of pearl’ and tightens the lid.
I try not to raise my brows in the direction of her hands as I wipe toast crumbs from my fingers and onto my almost white blue jeans.
“We might have.” I move so that I can lean across the table in front of her. “If you’re going to paint your fingers as well as your nails you might as well just dip them in the bottle.” Straightening I put my plate on the counter beside the sink.
No food is ever wasted on the ship. One of the guys will pop into the kitchen and grab my leftovers. My eyes roam up to the wooden ceiling as drunken butterflies collide with each other in my belly. The scraping, stomping and yelling coming from above means only one thing... We have arrived and I am finally going to meet the sea witch no one can shut up about.
Auristella makes whooshing sounds behind me. I turn my chin to peer at her over my shoulder and giggle. Her pink tongue sticks out the bottom corner of her mouth as she dips each of her fingers into the pot of nail varnish.
I’d brought the bottle in France and it is now practically empty as it drips from her fingertips on to the raw timber of the table top. She blows violently on one finger before dipping the next.
“Auri!” I try to yell, erupting into more giggles instead. “I didn’t mean that literally!”
Her brows push together as she closes the cap, the pearlescent nude polish wiping against the gold lid as she does. “And how was I to know? I am unfamiliar with your sarcasm.” She stands, her hands splayed out in front of her as she makes to get at the paper towel dispenser behind me.
I tap her wrist away and pull the paper out for her. “Spending time with Riley must surely have prepared you well enough.”
She wipes vigorously at her skin with the thin paper. It tears and sticks to the sticky polish. The bits that do come off clean leaving pale stains on her fingers and palms.
“I have not been privy to much of his sarcasm as the two of you are always... How does one describe it nowadays? Sucking face...”
My cheeks burn. She isn't wrong. Riley is a great kisser... “Maybe you should wash it off?” I ask indicating to her hands.
She shakes her head. “Fine, let’s go see what all the noise is about then.”
We walk along the passage towards the twirling stairs. Auristella can’t get her clawed feet into the legs of any pants, or trousers as she calls them, so she’s taken to wearing longs skirts with corsets or tucked in t-shirts and chunky belts. She looks pretty cool today in one of my grey band shirts and a pale pink chiffon skirt that had been too long for me.
She’d plaited her hair to the side and, curious about my makeup she’d experimented with eyeliner and lip-gloss which somehow makes her even more striking. As we climb the stairs her clawed feet tap loudly on each wooden step.
The sky is a myriad of colours appearing as I imagine the northern lights to look. The sun hangs low in the sky blazing orange. The effect has it looking as if it is made of desert sand trapped in a glass frame. The golden beach is splattered imperfectly with massive palm trees. It is paradise.
I stand with my back towards the crew. Many of them are above deck rushing back and forth. It looks like chaos spurred on by the Captains orders, but I know from my time on board that it is organized, and it works.
I allow their noise to wash over me and seep into a light buzz as I devour the island. The natural beauty only accounts for a small portion of my fascination. The beach extends a few meters from the aquamarine surf ending abruptly beside a wall of stone covered in a flourishing creeper and tufts of moss. The stone boundary is part of a mountain which boasts a domed villa on its summit.
Leaning forward so that my now healed stomach (thanks to a tiny bit of potion the Captain had stored,) rests against the smooth varnished wood of the ship. I can just make out a stone pathway leading to an archway nesting like a secret in a crevice.
The butterflies in my stomach re-awaken. The island is something out of a role-playing fantasy game, and even though it doesn’t share in the dreaminess and false perfection of the gorgons’ island it is better off for it.
The ship pitches to the side forcing me to tilt back and return my weight to my heels. There is a monstrous creak followed by the crashing of wood and metal on sand. The ramp is lowered.
I grab my stomach and search the crowd for Auristella. She stands a little way off, her eyes glued to the ocean behind us as it ripples gently beneath Quinlin. I grab her hand and squeeze.
“Ready?”
She flexes her chin slightly forward. “I can never be certain of where I will find myself. The last time I set my foot upon a beach I was stranded for over a century.”
I grab her hand, interlacing our fingers together. “I won’t let that happen.”
As soon as we step off the ship I am overcome by vertigo. My body still feels as if it is rocking and my ears feel as if they are filled with water. I shake my head smacking my right ear as I do. Auristella on the other hand doesn’t seem fazed at all. The siren has her chin up as she eyeballs the beach, flecks of her platinum white hair wafting up in the wind. She reminds me of a horse.
I yelp jumping forwards as tanned fingers wrap around my hips. Twisting I giggle as Riley embraces me in a kiss. Pulling away I whack his shoulder with the palm of my hand.
“You gave me a fright! Have you never heard the expression never surprise a girl who just got off a ship?”
Riley’s brows lift. “No, I’ve never heard that expression. Auristella, have you?”
The siren glares at him.
He shrugs. “Guess it’s just me then.”
Pouting I pull him closer. “Well, you’ve heard it now.”
Staring into my eyes he whispers. “I missed you. You might not realize it but sleeping in the kitchens is even more infuriating than having you yell at me to pick up my stuff. It just isn’t the same.”
“I’m sure it isn’t!” I laugh thinking of how the crew paraded in at all hours, hungry, grouchy or drunk.
“Just the other night I could have sworn Jerome was sleepwalking. He opened the fridge, stared into it for a moon and then left. Without closing the bloody door!”
“Do you suppose your hammock being right beside the fridge was done on purpose?”
It's no secret that ever since the Captain became aware of our relationship he hasn’t approved. Riley and I have discussed it but not in much detail since the discussion always ends in an argument. I would never say it to Riley but I get a vibe from the Captain that he doesn’t like him. I am curious to know why but I am t
oo scared to ask.
Riley’s expression is stony. “Who knows?”
He turns his eyes down to his boots. They are russet brown military boots I’d persuaded him to buy from some mad expensive boutique store in France during our shopping trip.
He is wearing them over beige chinos, dirty from the work he did on the ship and a red button-up plaid shirt. It is strange that he looks more like a modern teenager than I do in a black high-low skirt and brocade underbust.
“Are you ready to meet the hag?”
I flinch. I hate it when the crew use their pirate slang. It always sounds so chauvinistic.
Beckoning to the stone archway I reply, “I think I’m more excited to see her island, no one mentioned how interesting it was.” Now that I am closer, I can just make out that the stone pathway is filled with cracks sprouting moss and wildflowers.
Riley shrugs his eyes flicking to the archway. “I guess you could call it interesting.”
I purse my lips as my hands move to rest on my hips. “And what would your idea of interesting be then?”
I know from his smile that I have been tricked. Pushing my hands away he replaces them with his own. My hands are momentarily limp at my sides as his lips meet mine. Each time we kiss it feels like the first time. My drunk butterflies knock each other out in their frenzy.
Auristella coughs loudly behind me, and I almost choke as I step back pulling my corset down and straightening my skirt.
“In my day they would classify you as ruffians. Kissing is to be enjoyed in private and not in the company of others.”
I almost snort. She is the epitome of Jezebel when she says things like that.
“We will keep that in mind. Just don’t resort to hitting us on the head or anything.”
Her eyes sparkle and her lips part in amusement. “I just might...”
I groan. I really hope she doesn’t. The crew has only just stopped yelling and throwing stuff at us when they see our public displays of affection.
“Solange is a mad hag, but she’s good at what she does,” Riley says carrying on our conversation.
Time Torn Page 17
