Aaron nodded. "I miss ye, Henry. I--."
Ike heard the hoof-beats of an approaching horse but still couldn't believe his eyes. His father was alive though he didn't know that he still counted as his father. He reached for the pistol tucked in his belt then looked up at Aaron, who turned away from the Lash to reveal the pistol was in his hand. "Aaron?"
Aaron scowled at Ike but his hand was sure. "Are ye certain about this, Henry?"
The Lash leaned forward and whispered something in Aaron's ear. Aaron glanced back at him then turned back to face Ike. "Ye must leave now, Isaac, one way or t' other. James is comin'. It's yer choice, mate."
"Cap-Aaron, please, ye're the only one I ever loved. I need ye t' come with me. Don't ye want me to be happy?" Ike's eyes had gone very dark with misery and he reached out to Aaron.
At his movement toward Aaron, the former pirate flinched, only Henry's presence behind him kept him from retreating. Johnson aimed the pistol at Ike though he didn't intend to use it. "No closer, love. I don't want t' hurt you but I cannot go with you."
"You need to be on your way, Stern," Dunbar said from behind him. "Aaron has made his choice. If you do not wish to be taken into custody when my marines get here, you must leave now."
Ike spared James only a dismissive glance. He returned his gaze to Aaron. "Ye don't belong here! Ye're a pirate captain--the best there is!! He-He don't love you or he wouldn't keep you here--like a bird in a cage. I-I'm lost without you, Aaron. I need you more'n he does."
At those words, Aaron's eyes rose to James'. Maybe it was true that Ike needed him more than James did but what Ike never understood was that Aaron needed James more than anything else in the world. "I'm sorry, Ike, but, no, I belong with James."
At those words, Ike slumped forward. Aaron wanted to reach out to him, to offer him some comfort, but Henry held him back. Aaron lowered the gun. "Isaac?"
Ike's head jerked up but the golden eyes were no longer miserable. Aaron heard a strange rumbling sound and realized it was Ike growling. Stern yanked the sword from his scabbard and spun about. He charged James with an inhuman roar, causing the gelding James was astride to rear, throwing the Commodore off his back.
)O(
James hit the ground with the only thought that he had to get to his feet. He grabbed for the pistol he had tucked in his belt. He had his fingers on the pistol butt when he saw Stern loom over him, the sword raised high above his head. At that second, he heard the shot. He woke from his shock in time to roll aside as the sword struck the ground where he had been. He managed to draw the gun and scramble a few feet away as Stern swung around to face him.
"No!" Aaron's rough voice tore through the air painfully. He was running across the sand but James knew he wouldn't make it in time.
He aimed the pistol at Stern, his hand shaking inexcusably. He was squeezing the trigger when Ike stopped in his tracks and the sword dropped from his hand. When the gun finally fired, it missed Stern entirely as the pirate had dropped to his knees. At that point, James saw the bloom of red blood on the front of his chest. Aaron's bullet had struck home.
Aaron was at his side then, taking James' hand and pulling him to his feet. He made sure James was all right with a questioning look. When James nodded, Aaron knelt beside Ike.
“I want you to be happy, Aaron,” Ike was muttering softly, lowering inch by inch as he leaned in closer to rest his head on Aaron’s shoulder. “But I want to be happy too. I love you! I want you with me. I’ve found us a ship, Aaron. She’s not the Maid but we can be together and happy, like we were when-when . . .”
“Honey,” Aaron’s voice dropped still more and James had to strain to hear the words. “Sweet Isaac, that was all in yer mind, love. I tol’ ye those stories t’ keep yer mind off what that bad man made ye do and did to ye. I love ye, Ike, but not like that, not like I love James, savvy?”
“But—why not? I’m not handsome? I’m too poor? Why don’t you love me like that?” Ike’s voice broke and James had to bite his lip to keep his composure. “You’re the only one I’ve ever loved, Aaron. I knew it when you and father used to come back from your journeys. You were always so beautiful and exotic. I used to pray for the day that father would say you had come home to be with us forever. If you don’t want to be a pirate anymore, I don’t care. Just pretend to love me, please? Please, Aaron?”
“Beautiful Ike, so lost and so alone. It’s all right now, Uncle Aaron’s here. I’ll take care o’ ye,” Aaron pressed his face into Ike’s hair and ran his hand over the younger man’s back. “I don’t have t’ pretend t’ love you, sweet Isaac. I’ve loved ye since the day I first saw ye as a little tyke. I see now, though, that I did ye a disservice. I stopped McSwain from killin’ yer body an’ it killed yer mind. Apologies. Kiss me, love, one last time?”
Ike did as requested, reaching up to stroke Aaron's cheek, his fingers leaving a streak of blood across the flesh. James approached cautiously. Until Stern breathed his last, there was always a possibility for something to happen. Aaron was murmuring soothingly to Ike.
"It will be all right, love. Ye'll see yer Mama again, eh?"
"Is Father still here?" Ike's voice had weakened dramatically.
"Aye, he is," Aaron glanced behind him then returned his attention to the dying young man.
James' eyes narrowed as he watched Stern speak to thin air. What startled him, however, was that Aaron seemed to be following a conversation between Ike and someone. He didn't understand what was going on but Ike seemed to be calm and composed, as did Aaron. He noticed that Aaron was stroking a hand down the longest of Stern's braids. When Aaron's fingers encountered the coin at the end, he glanced down and the barest trace of a smile crossed his face.
"Aaron, I sent Henry for some marines. They should be here any moment," James informed him.
Aaron nodded then spoke again to Stern. "I can see ye're tired, love. Close your eyes an' let yourself rest. I'll take care of everythin'."
Stern nodded and caught one of Aaron's hands in his. He slowly smiled then settled his cheek against Aaron's chest and closed his eyes.
)O(
Aaron literally felt the life leave Ike and closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against Ike's. James rested a comforting hand on his shoulder after a moment and Aaron managed to raise his head. As carefully as he could, he lowered Ike's body to the sand. Taking up the sword, he used it to cut the coin off the braid. He tucked the coin into his pocket then turned to look up at Henry. James followed his line of sight and a strange expression crossed his face.
"I thank ye fer comin' to help me, love. What do ye want done with his remains?" Aaron asked.
"Ye needn't worry, love," Henry responded, reaching down to stroke Aaron's cheek then kneeling beside Ike and placing a hand on his son's forehead. After a few seconds, he moved to Aaron's side. "I'll take care of him. Ye're not lookin' well, Aaron. Let James take ye home, hmm?"
"I won't see ye again, Henry, will I?" Aaron whispered, tears finally threatening though he fought them back.
Henry leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "When the time comes, nothin' will keep me away from yer side. Go home, Aaron. Be happy with the one ye love."
Aaron nodded then grew aware that James was holding a hand out to him, a worried look in his eyes. He placed his hand in James' and was carefully drawn upright. "I should introduce ye, Jamie. This is Ike's father, Henry the Lash Stern."
James shook his head. "There is no one here besides us, Aaron."
Aaron turned to look for Henry and realized he was nowhere to be seen. He started to speak, to tell James that he had to be wrong, but the words escaped him. Everything went black as he collapsed into his lover's arms.
)O(
Aaron woke to the sting of someone cleaning the injury on his face. When he opened his eyes, James smiled gently at him. Outside the window, he could see the sky was growing dark as the sun set.
"Feeling better?"
Aaron nodded. "Jus' a bit sore. Are you
all right?"
James shrugged, "Bruised but not broken. I have some disturbing news, my Raven. Would you like me to tell you or to wait?"
Aaron sighed. "Not sure you can disturb me much more 'n I already am, Jamie. I'm thinkin' that maybe I have gone mad, 'specially since I really thought Henry was there."
James drew a deep breath. "The marines went to the beach less than half an hour after we left Ike's body there. The boat was still there, the tide had not come in, yet Stern was gone. I don't know what to tell you."
James returned to cleaning Aaron's injuries and let the former pirate contemplate what he'd just been told. Several minutes passed then Aaron took the wash-cloth from James' hand. He set it aside and pulled James into the bed with him. Dunbar settled in beside him, wrapping his arms about Aaron. Aaron pressed his ear to James' chest so he could hear the steady, strong heartbeat. Though he wanted to cry for Ike, the boy deserved to have someone shed tears over him, he couldn't. Ike was in a better place, he had to hope.
"Only thing that needs t' be said, love, is that I love you. Promise me you'll never leave me?"
"I promise," James tilted up Aaron's face and kissed him on the lips.
When Aaron drifted off to sleep, the only dream he had was of making love to James. What he never knew was that James lay awake most of that night to shed silent tears at the heartbreak he had seen in his lover's eyes. By morning, James had put it all from his mind. The report he wrote said that he had killed Ike Stern in self-defense and the body had been carried out to sea by the tide. It was as much the truth as anything.
)O(
Chapter 64:
Epilogue: April, 1726
Ike Stern's disappearance was received gratefully by almost everyone, everyone except one of the pirates captured in the aftermath of that raid on Nassau. That pirate, one Matthew Archer, spent his last days in mourning and actually smiled when he was led to the gallows. Piracy is a distant memory now for most citizens.
I have been a widower for almost six months. I’ve never relayed to anyone the events of that dreadful night until now. It was All Hallow’s Eve, of course. Aaron knew, somehow, that he would meet his fate on that bloody night. I just wish I had been able to go with him.
Aaron’s physical health was never good after his time with McSwain. When Ike Stern was killed, he declined mentally and emotionally as well. As if his heart had been torn in two, he was happy with me, as happy as he ever could be, but there was always something broken about him—he was subject to deep melancholies over the most trivial of reasons. I believe he felt he had failed Henry Stern in some way.
I must confess, there were times when I felt angry and more than a little jealous that a dead man could hold such sway over him. Henry Stern had betrayed him, as the others of his crew had, and given him over to that demon-spawn to be damaged irretrievably. Aaron, though, never could see it that way. Henry was his first love and had promised to save him, indeed, he had saved him, if Aaron’s story about the night of the Governor’s party was to be believed.
But that night, the wind had turned bitter early on in the day, bringing a storm with it. Thunder, lightning, and pounding rain could not drown out the low moaning. Aaron, though I did my best, could not be comforted. I made him some hot buttered rum and surrounded him with our warmest quilts. I joined him in bed early and we spooned for over an hour, talking quietly about the day’s events and the usual household matters. He fell asleep before me and I fell asleep gazing at his beautiful face.
I was awakened just a few hours later by a pounding on the door to our home. As I opened my eyes, I spotted Aaron, his eyes reflecting fear and confusion though he gave me a slight smile. “Stay abed,” I told him. “No need risking your health anymore, hmm?” To which, Aaron nodded and pulled the quilts back up over his shoulders.
At the door was Chambers, reporting that the Aeneas, the newest ship of the line in the Caribbean, had been improperly moored and crashed into the dock there at Nassau. She was taking on water badly and there were several injuries, not to mention the damage to
civilian craft that had been in the way. Every available hand was needed to manage the situation. I returned to my room to dress and explain things to Aaron.
“I have to go. There is trouble with the Aeneas,” I said and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.
“Want I should go with?” Aaron asked, his eyes worried.
I shook my head. “No, love, stay here. I’ll worry less about you if I know you’re safe, warm and dry. If you feel up to it, you could warm me a brandy when I come back.”
To my pleasure, Aaron gave me a wicked leer and caught my hand to kiss my knuckles. “I’ll warm more than the brandy fer ye, hmm?”
I pulled Aaron’s hand to my mouth then before I lowered the lamp and left the room. I had every confidence that I would return to a warm brandy and a willing lover before the night was over. I would discover that I was to be wrong on all counts.
Someone aboard the Aeneas had failed to properly furl the lower mainsail. In the high wind, it had come loose, filled, and pulled her loose from her mooring lines. The dock itself was relatively undamaged though the support palings were dangerously affected. The crew set to work pumping out the water that the Aeneas took on and the injured were retrieved and treated but it took most of the night. When dawn came, a gray, watery light that did little to better the mood, I ended up dealing with additional storm damage from the night before. It was coming close to my usual breakfast time when Beatrice appeared. I could tell by the look on her face that she had not brought me a meal.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her immediately. “Something’s happened to Erin?”
“You must come home,” She insisted, though the tears in her eyes told me immediately that I would not enjoy it. “Please, sir.”
I left Chambers in charge and ran to the fort, as fast as my bad leg could allow. Borrowing a horse to ride home, I arrived well before Beatrice, slammed open the door and ran to my room. As I stepped in, I noted that the door to the balcony was open and water stood on the floor. A glance at the bed revealed that it was soaked and unoccupied. Catching myself on the bed post, I understood that it was over. Finally, I stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the cliff. Aaron lay on the marble tile, his long black hair obscuring his face but there was no mistaking who it was.
I knelt beside him and turned him to face me, knowing that there was nothing I could do but praying for something anyway. As I brushed back the hair, I realized that he was gone. The thumb and forefinger of his left hand pressed to the index finger of his right
hand where the ruby and silver ring had been. The ring itself was gone.
“The Lash,” I said and glanced out at the ocean that roiled before me. Henry Stern had finally come to reclaim his lover. I say without shame that I wept more tears for Aaron than for anyone else I had ever known or loved.
We buried Aaron in a private graveyard behind the house, overlooking that self-same vista. Every day, I visit him. Sometimes, I tell him things that I think are important for him to know or that I think he would have enjoyed hearing. Most days, though, I just sit quietly on the bench that marks his grave and remember. Christina Edwards, the governor’s eldest daughter, has come to call a few times, offering her condolences. If Aaron were here, I know he would want me to take up with her. She is a beautiful woman and would make a fine officer’s wife. What’s more, I would be able to have the children that society expects me to produce. The truth, though, is that my grief is still too much for me to even consider such a thing. I think Christina understands that.
Chambers was promoted a month or so after that night for his bravery and response to the call of duty. He is now the Rear-Admiral in charge of the British fleet in the East Indies. It was a good move for him though it has made my life very lonely. Aside from Beatrice, no one here knows the truth about Aaron so I must guard my words with nearly everyone. I do write to Ellis regularly but it certainly isn’t the same.
The room where Aaron died has been sealed. I can never return to that room, let alone sleep in that bed. The ruby ring was never found though I wanted desperately to bury it with Aaron. I did keep the gold ring from my grandmother. Before he was buried, I clipped a lock of his hair and placed it with the picture of him that Ellis drew years ago in a locket on my watch. Some days it comforts me immeasurably. Other days, it makes my heart ache.
I am considering retirement soon. I have no desire to sail or to hunt pirates. Even less do I enjoy the bickering with local politicians and officious autocrats. My only reason for not having retired already is that I know all I will do is mourn all day every day for what I have lost. That is one thing of which I know Aaron would not approve.
)O(
Chapter 64:
Postscript: The Sea's Rough Magic
When the seas grew rough, he knew it was time. He and his companion surfaced near the ship that smelled the most like new wood. It had been years since he had been able to walk on land but Ike was still able to do so. With a jerk of his head, he sent Ike up onto the deck of the ship to unfurl the big sail on the main mast. It was hard work for one man--or more properly, one former man--but they both knew this was important so Ike did not object. While Ike took care of the topside, Henry followed the anchor rope down and gnawed at it until it was ready to break. When Ike rejoined him, they went to the base of the cliff to wait.
They spent two days in an unnatural state of patience and restraint. Henry refused to leave, afraid he would miss out on the arrival but Ike was so much younger that he couldn't stay in one place. Henry didn't stop him when he saw the golden scaled tail head off for a hunting trip. Instead, Henry surfaced and watched the top of the cliff for some sign.
It was midnight on the third day when Henry saw something disturbing the rocks on the side of the cliff. He swam as close as he dared to the rocks and peered up into the long shadow that was the edge of the island. The moon was lowering into the sea, sweeping the tide out with her, when the dark haired head pushed through the hole the hands had fashioned in the stone. A bit more wriggling and the shoulders were through. Despite himself, Henry nearly cried out in alarm when the pitifully thin form emerged completely into the moonshine then plummeted, exhausted, to bounce onto the rocks beneath it.
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