“Quite. He loves her so much, he was willing to break a two hundred year old tradition. Haseki Sultan, as she is called in Istanbul, has become one of the most powerful women in the Ottoman Empire. But Mahidevran, another of his harem, has always been a bitter rival of Haseki. So much so she even beat Haseki Sultan once just to keep the peace between the women.”
“Wow.” Quinn had never understood the men in the mid East could have harems. It wasn’t that she was against it. She, herself, just didn’t know how anyone could handle more than one woman at a time. It was all she could do to be with one, and even then, she wasn’t terribly successful at it. “But he loves his wife.”
“Yes. Haseki is his chief advisor on matters of great important, which further angers Mahidevran. Fearing for the safety of her granddaughters, Haseki sent them to Italy under the protection of the Venetians, with whom the Sultan has an alliance.”
Quinn felt her heart begin to race. “And?”
“And they never made it to Venice. They managed to dock in Vieste, but two days later, Dragut and his men attacked the east coast of Italy, killing, maiming, and torturing everyone he caught.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he has lost his way. He is drunk with power.
“So you think the granddaughters are still there?”
Sayyida nodded. “I do. The last we heard, they are safe but cannot return without incurring his wrath. You can imagine how it will look if Dragut believes Suleiman sent his men to retrieve his granddaughters.”
“But you’re Moroccan. Why you?”
“Precisely because I’m Moroccan. I am often seen sailing around Italy. The Sultan does not want to alarm anyone or cast any suspicion upon himself. Dragut to…well…to be taken care of without his intervention. The Sultan needs to keep a comfortable distance between them.”
“Are you being handsomely paid for this endeavor?”
Sayyida grinned. “You have no idea.”
Quinn pushed her plate aside. “So let me make sure I am clear here. You wish to use the Edge and my crew to remove the granddaughters from Vieste while you do what? Kill Dragut?”
Sayyida lowered her voice. “Not even your men may know of my role in this plot, but yes. I must, however, make it appear an accident, or the Sultan will have no choice but to come after me and my crew as well.”
“Risky business.”
Sayyida flashed her a grin. “Isn’t it always? I can think of no one else I trust to assist me in such an indelicate manner. In return, you will be free to sail the Corsair seas as a friend and ally of Sultan Suleiman. You will be able to dock wherever and whenever you wish, and you can rely on the Corsairs as allies and not enemies.”
Quinn gazed down at her half empty place, unsure of when she ate it all. To walk away from Ireland… to finally be free of Elizabeth’s meddling…to start fresh with her men…it all seemed too good to be true.
“You’re wondering why I did not offer this to Grace.”
Looking up, Quinn nodded. “Aye. She would be just as capable.”
“She is still too well known and too tied to Ireland to be of service to me. No, Callaghan. We need your faster ship, your ability to sail in and out of the shadows. I have faith in you and your crew, Callaghan, but mostly, in you.”
Quinn rose. “Walk with me.”
Sayyida finished another bite before joining Quinn on a walk to the garden. The roses were finishing their bloom, but still sent out an aroma that always lifted Quinn’s spirits.
“You do not want to leave your lover,” Sayyida said softly. “I understand that, Callaghan.”
“I don’t think you do.”
Sayyida turned. “Oh? Then do tell. Is there discord in the castle?”
“Not at all. Kaylish is an amazing woman, but she does not play into my decision.”
Sayyida took Quinn’s chin in her hand and forced her to look in her eyes. “Oh my. I thought your words false bravado, but they are not. Do you not love this O’Brien woman?”
“Of course I do. Verra much, but I am not a land lover. I do not belong in this castle. I am no Lord of the manor. I am a pirate, and it is time for a different course of action and I must do what is best for my men.”
“And being on the water is always what’s best for our men.”
Quinn stepped away from Sayyida. “Indeed. This, I know. I just do not wish to lose her because I cannot remain on land long.” She walked into the dying sun for a few more minutes before Sayyida turned and held Quinn’s hand. “Advice from an old friend?”
“Could I stop you?”
“Of course not.”
Quinn grinned. “Then by all means.”
“You can’t keep leaving them, Callaghan. If you want to have a relationship, you are going to have to give up pirating. If you want to be captain of a ship, you are going to have to give up women.”
Quinn nodded and sighed. “She’s had me on land more than enna other. We have shared more time and space together than all the rest combined. I resent your implication that I always leave.”
Sayyida stared at her. “Resent it all you like, it is true nonetheless, and the sooner you recognize that, the sooner you will stop allowing women to believe they can actually have you.”
“Have me?”
Sayyida laughed. “Oh, my love, you can be worse than a man sometimes. You make women fall in love with you. You seduce us with your noble sentiments and passionate words. You open your arms and we melt into them, believing there is no greater or more wonderful place on earth. You make us all feel beautiful, sensual, loved, and wanted. We are filled with a joy and warmth only you seem to give. The sun is brighter, the air warmer, the rain softer, And yet, all of that is fleeting because you never truly intend on staying. You, my love, are a stunning rainbow – here for a limited time only – and then gone, taking your brilliant colors and pot of gold with you.” Sayyida took Quinn’s face in her hands. “You. Do. Not. Stay. Not for Becca, not for me, not for Kaylish, and not for Fiona, the true love of your life. It would have mattered not at all if I came with a request for you to sail into a hurricane, you would have jumped at the chance. And do you know what?” Sayyida did not want for an answer. “Because you, like me, like Grace, like Drake and Dragut, you are in love with the sea. It is high time you came to terms with that singular truth so that you stop luring women into a web that hangs tenuously in the wind.” Releasing Quinn’s face, Sayyida stepped back.
“Been waiting for the right time to say all that?”
Sayyida smiled. “Perhaps, but you’ve not answered the question.”
“I apologize. Was there a question?”
Sayyida shook her head. “Incorrigible, just like a man. If you love this woman, you will release her from the agony of hoping she’s the one to tame the pirate spirit that drives you to do what we do.”
“I do love her.”
“But not enough to be honest with her.”
Quinn shrugged. “I cannot see into the future, Sayyida.”
“Of course you can. Callaghan, you live in a castle with a beautiful woman, a child who adores you, and you are a well-loved and respected member of your community. And yet, all of that is still not enough to keep you land bound.”
“I…”
“You’re not being honest with yourself, Callaghan, and when you do, when you look deep in your heart and realize how unfair you are to the women who love you, perhaps you will free her to find the love who will stay.”
They walked in silence for a few more minutes before Quinn sighed, smelled a rose, and then locked eyes with Sayyida. “We can be on the water by noon tomorrow.”
Sayyida nodded.
“What? No lecture? No monologue?”
Sayyida shook her head. “No need. I never doubted your reply, dear one.”
“My men are anxious to be back at it. I want more for them than to just be thieves and killers.”
“Thieves and killers? So that’s how you view them?”
“Not at all. The rest of the world does, however. I want a greater purpose for them. For us. We live in exciting times, Sayyida. There is much good to be done.”
“Such as saving the Sultan’s granddaughters before they are beheaded?”
“Exactly.”
“Then suit up, my love. It is time to get back to the sea.”
That night, as Quinn and Kaylish cuddled in bed, it was Kaylish who started the conversation.
“She’s beautiful.”
“Yes, she is.”
Long pause.
She seems to care about you a great deal.”
“She does.”
“And you, her.”
“Aye.”
Long pause.
“You’re leaving, aren’t you?”
Long, long, pause.
“Yes, love, I am. Do you want the details?”
“Of course I do.” Kaylish rose up on one elbow. “I want to hear everything.” Kaylish listened passively until Quinn told her all about the dangers involved in facing off against a cutthroat like Dragut Reis.
“So we leave tomorrow,” Kaylish stated.
Quinn sat up and pulled the covers up with her. “Not this tune, love. This is not a mere sailing mission like to the New World. This could be very dangerous.”
“You must be joking if you think I am going to let you traipse off to help two damsels in distress with a gorgeous Moroccan woman you once slept with. If you believe that, well, then you know me not at all.”
“It is far too dangerous to—”
“I went four and a half months on a ship to the New World that was filled with barbarians who killed over two dozen of our men. I’ve been shot by an arrow, poisoned, and lived to tell about it. I’ve been in danger with you since the moment I laid eyes on you, and I’m not afraid of being in more.”
“We did not know what we were to face in the New World, my love. This time, I know, and I am not going to willingly put you in danger.”
“You know, there are times when you are worse than a man. It is not up to you to determine my fa—”
“Dragut collects people as slaves, Kaylish. Women and children. I won’t put Gallagher or Jacob at risk and I won’t separate all of you. The three of you are safe here. The children are learning their way in the world…a world on land. Isn’t that why we’ve been landed for so long? For them?”
“For them and for you, Quinn. You needed the rest just as much as your men.”
“And now, the time for action is upon us, but not for you or the children. My mind is made up, Kaylish. You all will stay here.”
Long pause.
Kaylish threw the covers back and got out of bed. “I’m sorry, my love, but when did you become my lord and master?”
Quinn stared at her. “Sorry?”
Kaylish paced over to the window. “If you think for one moment I am going to sit here while you traipse around with that gorgeous woman who looks at you like a starving dog gazes at a turkey leg, you are quite mistaken. You may feel the need to run around the world saving women in distress, but my job as your partner, as your lover, is to protect us.”
Quinn inhaled deeply to calm the anger rising in her chest. “And if you think I would risk you all to save two women I’ve never met and do not know, you know me not at all.”
“I believe I know you quite well, Quinn Callaghan. You seek adventure away from the tedium of castle life.” Kaylish turned, hands on her hips. “Is it her? Is she why you would leave us? Have you so quickly become bored of me? Of our life here?”
“Not bored of you, my sweet girl. Ever. But my life is not my own. I cannot just think of what I want. I can’t even consider what it is that we want. I am a captain. A captain in charge of a crew of over one hundred men on a pirate ship that has lain dormant for too long. I lead men who count on me, who count on each other to make a living. What is it you think the crew has been doing all these months?”
“I have no—”
“Exactly. You do not know. Some have gambled their coin away. Others have built homes, taken care of families or paid back debt, but I can guarantee you this…few have much of their coin left.”
“We have enough room on this land to support them all.”
Quinn sat up. “That’s just it, Kaylish. Land. We have land. Actually, Gallagher has land. Not us. But that’s neither here nor there. These men are pirates. Sailors. They… we do not belong to the land. We belong to the sea, and we have been gone from her long enough.”
Kaylish glanced away. “Well, then. There it is. The fish and the hare cannot coexist in the same place. While they can love from afar, and even visit for a brief moment, they will never successfully be together.”
“Kaylish—”
Kaylish whipped back around. “No, Quinn. Please. You think I didn’t see this coming? You think I haven’t been waiting for this day to come? You gaze out at the sea for hours on end. You’ve checked on that ship more than the property. I’ve even heard you speaking out loud to
Quinn shrugged. “I miss the old goat.”
“You miss the life at sea.”
“Of course I do, but I miss him most. He’s my best mate. We’ve had excellent adventures together. He’s like my right arm and I miss my right arm!”
Kaylish sat on the edge of the bed and took Quinn’s hand. “I don’t wish to be like Fiona or Becca and wonder if you live or at the bottom of the sea somewhere. I want a life with you, not apart from you. I resent that you don’t think I can take care of myself. I have worked very hard not to be a burden to you or your men. And if I am to be honest, I am a better bowman than you or most of your men.”
“I am aware.”
“Are you also aware of how much Gallagher will miss you? How much all of us will miss you?”
“I am.”
“And yet, you will not reconsider?” Kaylish released her hand. “You have a family here, Quinn Callaghan, whether you want one or not. You do not get to just abandon them because you have wanderlust.”
“Wanderlust? Is that what you think I do for a living? Wander around looking for adventure?”
“Isn’t it?”
Quinn shook her head, her anger overwhelming her. “Gallagher needs to continue with her lessons. She needs to learn more about real life, not life at sea.”
“Then you tell her. I’ll not. You want to break her heart, you go right ahead, but I won’t be a part of it.”
Quinn sighed. “I’ve never pretended to be anything else but what I am.”
“Someone who cannot commit to another?” Kaylish folded her arms over her chest and glared at Quinn.
Quinn opened her mouth to reply, but all she could do was hear Sayyida’s words smashing into each other. All she could feel was the excitement about the prospect of getting back on the water with her crew.
There was nothing she could say or do, short of placing Kaylish’s life, as well as Gallagher’s, in danger, so she merely bowed her head in defeat.
“So that’s it, then. You are willing to lose me for your obsession with the sea.”
Quinn raised her head, looked Kaylish in the eye and whispered. “I’d rather you remained alive, yes. I nearly lost you in the New World. You had no business being there with us. It was a foolish move I’ll not make again.”
“You’ll lose me if you sail away from Ireland without me. This is no idle threat, Quinn. I won’t be one of those women who spends every night waiting for your ship to pull into port.”
Quinn nodded, her heart slowly breaking. “I understand that.”
Throwing the covers back, Kaylish jumped out of bed. “Then understand this. I won’t be here when you return. If you return.”
“Gallagher—”
“Needs stability. She needs a home. She needs to grow up with other children. She needs a proper education. She needs you, but it’s pretty clear you are choosing the crew and their needs over your own daughter’s.”
“That’s not fair. I—”
“There’s nothing fair about you traipsing off to help someone simply because Sayyida asked you to.”
“I love Gallagher with all my heart, but the sea is no place for a little girl. She has needs. There are things she needs to learn about—”
“All of which I will take care of while you go fight your demons. Just understand that that child worships you. She deserves better than to constantly be left while you play heroine. If you can’t stay grounded for me, at least do so for her.” With that, Kaylish left the bedroom, leaving Quinn feeling that all-too-familiar emptiness inside her heart.
At the end of the day, Sayyida was right.
She was now a creature of the sea, and not even the love of a wonderful woman could keep her from it.
The sea air felt comforting on her face as they pulled into the sea.
Her goodbyes to Gallagher and Jacob were painful… second only to the goodbye she did not get with Kaylish. Though she knew Kaylish was still angry with her, Quinn never really believed she would not say goodbye.
The wound cut deep, but there was little she could do.
“Leavin’ is harder the longer you stay,” One-Eye said as he joined her on deck. “Been too long. Goodbyes feel final. This was yer longest time since takin’ over a ship. You never really do get used to it, Captain.”
Quinn did not open her eyes for fear the tears would free themselves.
“Some a the fellas said they heard her cryin’ out by the stable. They say she didn’t come to the dock to say her goodbyes. That’s mighty rough, my friend. You okay, Callaghan?”
Quinn inhaled the salt air through her nose and exhaled softly. “I don’t really know.”
“Aye. The sea is a jealous mistress… one mosta us can’t live without.”
Opening her eyes, Quinn looked at her old friend. His beard was grayer than she remembered, but he had put on some weight, which was good. They had all come home from the New World much lighter. “Aye, that she is. And I’m afraid my lady has no intention of fighting her for me.”
“We’ve all lost a filly here and there. The trick is makin’ sure ya got another lined up.”
“I don’t know. I think maybe… maybe it’s time I just focus on captaining this ship full of rowdies. How are the men feeling about this trip? What have you heard?”
X Marks The Spot (The Plundered Chronicles Book 6) Page 4
