Pale Horizon

by Heather Renee

  Gulping, I nodded.

  Point taken.

  Chapter Two

  Prime called for Evander, and he joined us moments later. When he walked in, I was taken aback by his appearance. He looked younger than me, but he had several deep scars on his face and arms. I tried to divert my attention from the marks, but they were hard to ignore.

  “Evander, this is Lavinia,” Prime offered. “You are not to leave her side unless she is with me. Not for any reason. If something happens to her, you will suffer. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Aye, I will keep a close eye on her.”

  Evander’s accent wasn’t as heavy as most of the pirates I had previously encountered, and I wondered briefly where he was from. His skin was naturally tan, and his chestnut hair was cut short but looked as if he had recently shaved it and it was just growing again. His forest-green eyes stared at me intently as we waited for Prime’s next instructions.

  “Not too close,” Prime muttered. “Take her to the brig, but keep it short. She has to earn her visits to the boy, and she hasn’t done that yet.”

  Evander nodded and stepped to the side, leaving plenty of space for Prime to exit the room. He paused at the doorway, his red eyes glancing over me. My cheeks flushed, realizing belatedly that I was still dressed in nothing but my nightgown.

  “There are some dresses and other lady things in the chest there,” Prime informed me, pointing to a small chest at the foot of the bed that I hadn’t noticed before. His eyes grazed over me one last time as an emotion appeared on his face, one I had never seen on anyone but my parents. Pride.

  The door shut with an audible thud, and I stared at it in confusion. Maybe I had misinterpreted the expression on his face. No one had ever been proud of me, except my mother and my father Tobias. Long-buried memories resurfaced, and I was surprised that I could still recall my mother’s face with such clarity after all these years. Her floral scent had always permeated the house, reminding me of a time when I had been safe and loved.

  Had I really smelled like her?

  Tears gathered in my eyes as more recollections came to me, bringing with them doubts and questions. Those memories were precious to me; I didn’t want them tainted by the words that Prime had spoken, and yet, now they were. Anger overcame me as my fingers brushed the tears from my face, frustrated that one man could make me doubt everything.

  “Miss, are you all right?”

  I flinched, having forgotten that Evander was still in the room.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “It’s fine. I was just lost in thought,” I confessed, pulling myself together as best I could and trying not to show my surprise at his polite inquiry. He was either an anomaly, or he was playing a game in which I wanted no part.

  “I can take ye to the brig, but I suggest that you put on some clothes. The others won’t be messin’ with you because of Prime’s orders, but best not to give ‘em an eye-full,” he suggested, averting his eyes.

  Nodding, I made my way over to the small chest at the foot of the bed. My hands lifted the lid and sorted through the clothes inside. There were several dresses in an array of colors and styles. When I spotted a red one, I stuffed it to the very bottom of the chest, not caring to see the color ever again. I chose a practical blue-colored dress. It had an elegant skirt and modest neckline that I noticed as I laid it out on the bed.

  Without another thought, I grabbed the hem of my nightgown and pulled it up to my knee before a throat cleared behind me, and a small squeak escaped me.

  “Ah, miss? There’s a divide in the cupboard there that ye can use. I’m supposed to be keepin’ my eye on you, so you’ll understand why I can’t leave the room,” Evander informed me, looking at everything in the room but me.

  Why did I keep forgetting he was there? It was not like he was easy to miss with the scars visible on his face and arms. A couple of them looked like bite marks, and I swallowed hard, trying again not to stare.

  “Thank you,” I offered, opening the cupboard and locating the divide he had mentioned.

  Once the barrier was situated in the corner by the bed, I ducked behind it, slipped off the nightgown, and donned the underclothes I had pulled from the chest. It was then I realized that I had forgotten to grab the dress that I had set on the bed.

  “Evander?” I asked, flushing with embarrassment.

  “Yes, miss?” he responded immediately, and I was struck again by how polite he was.

  “Could you… could you hand me the dress I laid on the bed?”

  Several footsteps echoed in the space before the dress was thrown over the top of the divide. Gathering it, I paused and listened to his footsteps as he stepped away. He was unlike any pirate I had come across in the past month, and I had no idea if he was a vampire or not, since his eyes hadn’t turned red. Still, he worked with Prime, which meant he couldn’t be trusted.

  After pulling the gown on, I managed to secure it on my own—it might have been pushing the limits if I had to ask Evander to help. The dress fit like it was made for me, which made me pause. There was no way Prime could have known my measurements, was there? No, this must have been something he had thieved during his time pillaging and pirating all over the islands.

  I folded the divide and leaned it against the wall beside the chest, so it was ready for me to use later. Though, I hoped there wouldn’t be a later depending on how quickly I could work out our escape.

  “I’m ready,” I announced to Evander, who looked me over quickly before striding to the door and opening it for me. I passed through and waited for him in the hallway on the other side.

  “Follow me,” he offered, and I fell into step behind him.

  Looking at everything as we passed, I tried to remember the route we took, so I could find my way back if I was able to give Evander the slip and somehow free Jameson.

  Evander led me to a set of stairs that we quickly descended into the depths of the ship. My steps slowed as I gazed around. Prime’s ship was enormous and very clean considering it was loaded with pirates. The walls were made of sturdy timber, and hooks with lit oil lanterns hung from them every few feet. The stairs weren’t as steep as the other ships I had been on, making it easy for me to traverse.

  We passed several men on our way, and a small part of me realized that they all eyed me hungrily, but I was too distracted by the ship and my own thoughts to care. Evander had slowed down to match my pace, and I noticed he observed the men we passed with his jaw clenched in ire. He was a strange pirate.

  We walked down several hallways and two more staircases, before we came to a door that looked like all the others in the rest of the hallway. I had been so engrossed by the ship and the earlier revelations, that I hadn’t been paying as close of attention to our path as I would have liked. Not that it mattered all that much. If Jameson and I were able to escape, we would find a way out even if we had to blast a hole through the side of the vessel.

  The thought of seeing Jameson again had my earlier desperate emotions roaring within me. I was suddenly so anxious to see him that I nearly pushed Evander out of the way when he finally unlocked the door.

  The brig was dark and smelled of wet wood, but Evander grabbed an oil lantern from the wall beside the door before leading me into the obscure room. We approached a cell toward the back that had iron bars running from floor to ceiling, while smaller ones crossed between them, making a lattice pattern.

  As we moved forward, my eyes glanced between the bars, trying to make out Jameson in the shadows, but I couldn’t see anything. As we got closer, blood red eyes glowed in the gloom. My heart clenched inside my chest, urging me to run the last few steps to the cell. I peered inside.

  Jameson stood sentry in the center, unmoving. He was burdened with chains, like I had been, but his were noticeably bigger. His wrists were shackled together, and the chains were connected to his ankles, which prevented him from lifting his arms more than a couple inches. My gaze followed the bindings
that trailed behind him, back to where they were coiled around the bars in a specific pattern. I didn’t bother trying to solve it, because all of my attention was centered on the man within the cage.

  “Jameson,” I whispered.

  His eyes flashed an even brighter red before returning to the normal blue I was used to as he registered my presence. Being without me had been harder on him than I realized. Guilt assaulted me that I hadn’t asked for him sooner.

  He moved to stand before me, only the iron bars keeping us separated. I was desperate to touch him, but as I moved my hand through the bars, I was suddenly yanked away from him.

  Jameson snarled at Evander, who had pulled me from his touch. He didn’t know that Jameson would never hurt me. All he saw was an irate vampire, who was a hair's breadth away from going feral if I didn’t do something. Shaking off Evander’s hold, I lunged toward the cell before he could stop me again. Slipping my arms through the bars, I wrapped them around Jameson’s neck as tightly as I could.

  His growl immediately cut off as my skin made contact with his. He tried to reach through the bars, just as desperate to touch me as I was to touch him, but his shackles prevented any further contact.

  “Lavinia…”

  His voice was rough and low. My heart ached for what the last few hours had been like for him.

  “I’m here,” I answered, choking on a sob.

  “Are you all right? Are you hurt?” he asked, desperation ringing in his voice.

  “I’m fine. Nobody has touched me.” I decided not to mention the hit that knocked me unconscious when we were grabbed. “Evander, do you have a key? Please let me go inside.” An urgent need was coming over me, and I feared what would happen if I denied it.

  “I’m sorry, miss.” Evander stood straighter. “I have orders to follow.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but Jameson cut me off before I could.

  “We need to cooperate, or they won’t let you see me again. This will have to be good enough for the time being.”

  Now it was my turn to snarl, but it didn’t last long. I agreed with Jameson, though it had been worth a try to ask. If we couldn’t get off of the ship today, I would find a way sooner rather than later. This wouldn’t be our only chance to escape. I’d make sure of it, even if I had to pretend to be Prime’s doting daughter in order to free Jameson.

  My fingers wrapped around Jameson’s, and I leaned my head against the bars, looking up at him. He moved forward until we were barely touching through the thin opening, yet it would have to suffice for the time being. Tears ran down my cheeks as I inhaled his scent. It calmed a raging part of me, but not by much.

  We stood there for several moments, embracing each other as best we could. We both needed the contact, him especially. I was the only thing that calmed the monster inside him, and he settled my emotions in the same way. Somehow, the shock and everything Prime revealed to me had managed to distract me and push aside the desperate need I felt for Jameson's presence, but I didn’t know if anything would be able to do that again.

  “What happened?” Jameson asked me, and I reluctantly leaned away from him.

  “I woke up in a room, chained to a chair and blindfolded,” I began, but the growl that ripped from his chest made me jump. I stroked his cheek to calm him. “Then, a man came in and we talked before he untied me. He said Evander could take me to see you.”

  “Did he say his name?” Jameson’s chest was heaving as he tried to maintain control.

  “Prime,” I whispered, resting my head against the bars again.

  “What does he want?” Jameson asked after a quiet moment, the fear evident in his voice.

  “I don’t know.”

  I should have told him that Prime was claiming to be my father, and that I could possibly be half-human and half-vampire, but I hesitated. I wasn’t absolutely certain that what Prime claimed was true, so I didn’t want to cause him added stress while he was locked away and unable to do anything about it. No evidence had been presented besides a very detailed story and my scent, which had changed with the many attempts to turn me into a vampire.

  “He wants something from you. That’s why I’m locked up and you aren’t,” Jameson responded.

  After taking a deep breath, I decided it was better to tell him what I knew.

  “Prime said things to me…”

  “What things?”

  “He’s claiming to be my father.” My chest tightened at the possibility Prime was right. I wasn’t ready to accept it as the truth.

  “I thought your parents died in a shipwreck,” Jameson replied warily.

  “They did.”

  “Then how can he be your father?”

  “I don’t know. There are things that make sense from his explanation, while others don’t.”

  “You can’t trust him, Lavinia.”

  “I know I can’t.” I sighed, my shoulders sagging.

  “We’ll get out of this. I promise you, I will find a way,” he vowed, low enough for the man behind us not to hear.

  Jameson leaned down until his face was level with mine and pushed close enough to tenderly press his lips against mine. The moment didn’t last nearly long enough before Evander cleared his throat, a signal our visiting time had ended. I kissed Jameson back, silently promising that I would be back for him as soon as I could.

  I had a sinking feeling that being on this ship was the last place we should be.

  Chapter Three

  It had been three days since our forced arrival on Prime’s ship. Jameson was still locked in the brig, and I was either being led around or followed by Evander. I was still getting strange looks from the men who bustled about the place, but none dared to approach me, not with the shadow that constantly loomed over me.

  That afternoon, Evander and I headed to the galley, so I could eat. During our unending time together, I had discovered that he was in fact a vampire. I hadn’t mustered up the courage to ask him about his scars, but I suspected that he had been a blood slave prior to being turned. The notion made me wonder what he had done to be appointed Prime’s second-in-command at such a young age. Although, age was usually deceiving with vampires. I really needed to get better about asking more questions.

  Each night, I met with Prime for dinner. He’d explained that eating together as a family was important, and I did my best not to gag on his words. I was more of a prisoner than family to him. I might not be locked up like Jameson, but my freedom was fictitious.

  However, I was surprised to find that vampires could eat food. It didn’t do anything for them like blood did, but apparently Prime still enjoyed an occasional meal with a glass of blood-laced wine.

  I strode into the galley like I had done several times before, not caring about the stares from the crew any longer, but today was different. Everyone stopped talking when we entered, which made me nervous. I glanced back at Evander. He was much closer than he had been a moment ago. His body heat reached mine, and his jaw was rigid as he took in the others in the room.

  “Get eatin’ or get out,” Evander snarled. His pirate accent seemed more prominent when he was directly speaking to the crew.

  His sudden change in demeanor forced me to do a double-take, because he had been nothing but polite around me. The intimidating tenor of his voice was not one I had heard from him over the last few days, which had my suspicions from before raising once again.

  “Why ye get the lass?” one of them complained. “It only fair if ye share.”

  Evander moved from my side and had the pirate by the neck in the blink of an eye. “Prime said nobody touches her. Ye know what happens if his orders be disobeyed.”

  But the problem wasn’t the mouthy pirate. He had only been the distraction.

  An arm snaked around my waist while a calloused hand covered my mouth. “Make a sound and yer neck be snapped before he turns around.”

  I wanted to laugh. I couldn’t die the conventional way. Whoever had their fish-smelling hands on me was in
for a surprise. I relaxed my body, nodding my head as if I was going to obey. I gave one more cursory glance to Evander, but he was still distracted with the other pirate and had no idea what was happening behind him.

  “That be a good lass,” the pirate whispered.

  Remaining calm, I recalled my training with Alice. We had spent nights practicing how to get out of the exact hold the mongrel had me in then. I eyed my surroundings, knowing I needed a plan before I acted. The counter had a cooking pot on it. If I could get loose enough to grab it, I should be able to knock out my captor.

  My window of opportunity got smaller by the second when he tugged me toward him. I wasted no more time. My head flew backward with force, slamming into the pirate’s face. Throbbing pain radiated through my skull and made my vision double for a moment as he howled in pain.

  “Ye wench!”

  I reached for the pot, but his hand grabbed on to my braid, yanking me back before my fingers could grasp it. He turned me to face him and backhanded me so hard I fell onto the floor and hit my head on a chair.

  “Rowland,” Evander growled. Struggling, I turned to find fiery crimson eyes locked on my attacker. “Ye will pay for that.”

  My cheek stung as I brushed my hair away from my face to assess our situation, but Evander was already on the mongrel.

  He snapped Rowland’s neck before I could blink, then turned to the others. “If ye want the same fate as him, try that again. If yer smart, leave her be. Understand?”

  He helped me from the floor as “Ayes” sounded throughout the room. Food long forgotten, Evander led me back to my quarters. He didn’t speak the entire time. His body tensed against mine while I let him support my weight, but I didn’t truly lean on him despite the pounding in my head.

  As the situation registered in my mind, I wanted nothing more than to see Jameson. He was the only one who could calm the storm that was building within me.

  If the pirates were messing with me, could they be plotting against Jameson as well? Fear began to choke me, and I found it hard to breathe.