by Jade Parker
* * *
James watched as Anna trudged back to her cabin. It was all he could do not to go after her. He’d spoken his words knowing they’d make her angry enough to walk away. And he needed her to walk away because he wanted her to stay so badly.
The kiss had unsettled him. Before, she’d been at his mercy. This time, he’d been at hers.
She’d looked so beautiful standing there, gazing out to sea. Crimson had once told him a tale about Sirens, magical creatures that lived on an island. Their songs lured mariners to their destruction — their ships were destroyed by the rocks surrounding the island. And even knowing that death awaited them, they couldn’t resist the lure of the Sirens’ song.
James had felt that way. That he was being lured to his destruction. He was a pirate. It was in his blood.
Anna was a lady who would one day return to sipping tea in her parlor instead of on the deck of a ship.
Harboring any true feelings for her would be disastrous to his plans for obtaining a ship and returning to his pirating ways.
He had to keep her at bay. Even if it meant hurting her.
If faced with choosing between his destruction or hers … he’d always choose hers.
“Are you truly a pirate, sir?”
James had been standing on the quarterdeck waiting for Anna to appear for their morning lesson, wondering if perhaps after their encounter last night she’d not show. He’d hardly blame her if she didn’t. It would be best for both of them.
He glanced down at the young lad who’d spoken. “And who might you be?” he asked.
“Sam. Samuel Baker. I’m a powder monkey.”
“Are you now?”
“Aye. Mr. Northrup says I’m the best.”
The best at carrying small buckets of powder to the cannon.
“I’ve never met a pirate before,” the lad said.
“Well, Sam Baker, now you have.”
“Did you really serve under Crimson Kelly?”
“Aye.”
“Is it true what they say? Does he drink blood?”
He heard a gasp, and it was then that he noticed a few of the other lads gathered on the steps, peering up cautiously. He wondered how they’d come to be on this ship. If, like him, they were simply one mouth too many to feed.
“Aye, ’tis true,” James said.
He watched as the boy grew pale. “So if we lose to him, he’ll drink our blood?”
“Will he kill us first?” another lad asked, his eyes so large James was surprised they didn’t pop out of his head.
James crouched down. “So ye be afraid?” he asked, making his voice less cultured.
The boys all looked at one another. James knew they were trying to determine who would be the first to acknowledge the fear. Once one did, they all would. He held up his left hand. “Do you see this ring?”
The boys nodded.
“A witch gave it to me. She put a spell on it. You have but to spit on it, and Crimson Kelly will never take your blood.”
“Truly?” Sam Baker asked.
“Ye ’ave me word.”
“How does it stop him?” a smaller lad asked.
How indeed? James hadn’t thought that far. He’d forgotten how inquisitive he’d been as a lad. Crimson had taken to allowing him to ask only three questions per day. Any more than that and he had to go without supper. He went to bed hungry many a night.
“Because when he looks at you, he sees his own death. And he knows your blood is poison to him.”
Grinning, the lads all looked at one another, until finally Sam Baker asked, “May we spit on it, sir?”
“By all means.”
He held out his hand and the boys filed past, each taking a turn at spitting on the ring.
When they were finished, Sam Baker asked, “How did you get your scar, sir?”
“Now, that, lad, is a tale best told on a moonless night.”
“Will you come down to the crew’s quarters and tell us some night?”
James wouldn’t be here that long, and lies were easier to spill than the truth. “Aye, lad, I will.”
“Don’t you lads have duties?” Anna asked from behind James.
He grimaced and wondered how long she’d been there. While the boys scurried away, James slowly unfolded his body and wiped his hand on his shirt.
When he turned around, Anna was smiling. Not exactly the reaction he’d expected of her this morning. He’d expected her to be wielding the cat-o’-nine.
“A witch gave you the ring?” she asked, her eyebrow arched.
“A very lovely witch.” He grimaced. It was so much easier to flirt with her than to anger her. More pleasant as well. “’Tis cursed, however.”
“Indeed.”
“It’s the reason Crimson marooned me. Because I took the ring instead of the girl. I shan’t make that mistake again.”
“Do you spit on the ring?”
“Every morning.”
She laughed, that wonderful, joyous laugh she had. That Siren song that was so dangerous to him.
“I hadn’t expected you to talk to me this morning,” he admitted.
“Honestly, I hadn’t planned to, but then I saw you with the young lads …”
She gnawed on the lower lip that he was so tempted to lean over and kiss.
“You were so kind to them,” she finally continued.
“I lied to them.”
Sadness settled in her eyes. “So Crimson will kill them and take their blood?”
“No, he’ll take them and turn them into pirates.”
“Not if I have my way. We’ll capture him and put an end to his tyranny of the high seas.” She raised her cutlass. “And to that end, I need a lesson.”
He tilted his head. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
* * *
With the wind whipping through her hair, Annalisa stood at the prow. She’d finished her lesson a short time ago. Her arm was sore from the continual onslaught of blows. But she also had to admit that it thrilled her that Sterling was testing her mettle as thoroughly as he was. She was confident that when the time came, she’d be up to the task of fighting a pirate.
“Look,” Sterling said, beside her and pointing just off the prow.
Playful gray dolphins were swimming in front of the ship.
Smiling brightly, Annalisa leaned forward. “It’s almost as though they’re racing us.”
“It does appear that way.”
“They seem so friendly.”
“They are. I’ve swum with them.”
Annalisa stiffened, aware of the fact that beside her, Sterling did the same. Very slowly, she turned to face him. “I thought you said you couldn’t swim.”
He scratched the end of his nose, furrowed his brow. “Did I?”
“You did. So now the question before me is which is the lie: Can you not swim at all, or did you swim with dolphins?”
“Let me know when you figure it out.”
When she not only figured that out, but also how many other lies he might have told her.
“Do you know where Crimson Kelly’s island is?” she asked.
“I do.”
“If you’re lying, I’ll hang you myself.”
He gave her a devilish grin. “I want him as much as you do, Anna. He marooned me. For most men that’s a death sentence.”
“Then he no doubt thinks you’re dead now.”
“No doubt. Which gives us an advantage. He won’t be expecting us at the island.”
“Does it have a name?”
“He calls it Devil’s Gate.”
A shiver went through her. “I suppose he sees it as the way into hell.”
“Or perhaps as the way out. After all, that’s where he hoards all his misbegotten gains. Perhaps he thinks he’ll buy his way into heaven.”
She bit her lower lip. “You lied about not being able to swim.”
“What gave me away?”
“The timing of the lies. When you lied about swimming,
you didn’t trust us and we didn’t trust you. Now you have no reason to lie.”
“Perhaps I lied about the dolphins to impress you.”
Her heart hammered against her chest. “Why would you feel a need to impress me?”
“For the same reason that every man aboard this ship does. You’re very lovely.”
“Are you saying that every man aboard this ship lies?”
“I suspect more so than you realize.”
She couldn’t imagine Nathaniel telling an untruth or in any way deceiving her. Sterling was no doubt viewing the world from his perspective of piracy.
“How did you come to be a pirate?”
“I was aboard a pirate ship.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “How did you come to be aboard a pirate ship?”
He tightened his jaw, and she didn’t think he’d tell her.
“My mother had too many mouths to feed,” he finally said.
“She gave you to the pirates?” she asked, horrified by the notion.
He shrugged. “Where do you think your little powder monkeys come from?”
“I thought they were orphans.”
“No doubt.”
“Or young men wanting a better life.”
“Perhaps.”
“You’re rather cynical.”
“I am indeed.”
She looked back down at the water. The dolphins were still swimming ahead of them. She wondered if they ever grew tired. She turned back to Sterling. “On a moonless night when you tell the lads how you came to have your scar, I’d like to be there to hear the tale.”
“There’s really not much to it. My first battle. I didn’t duck quickly enough.”
“And for that you need a moonless night?”
“Makes for a better story in the dark.”
“I suppose you’ll embellish it for the lads.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t frighten them.”
“Do you truly think a man who would allow them to spit on his hand would find sport in terrifying children?”
“Quite honestly, James Sterling, I don’t know what to think of you.” She took a step away from him. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to see to business.”
She began walking across the deck with a speed that rivaled that of the dolphins in the water. She caught sight of Nathaniel standing on the poop deck watching her. There was obvious disapproval in his stance.
She knew she shouldn’t enjoy spending time with a pirate.
Unfortunately, however, she did.
* * *
“I’m telling you. He’s leading us on a merry goose chase. Up and down the Caribbean. Making fools of us,” Nathaniel said.
Anna stood behind the helmsman. She didn’t understand the particulars of how maneuvering the ship worked, but she still found it fascinating to watch, even when they were doing nothing more than traveling in a straight line.
“Anna, it’s been ten days,” Nathaniel added, the exasperation clear in his voice.
“I know.”
“How long do you intend to let this go on?”
“Until we arrive at the island.”
“And how long before you accept that we’re not going to be arriving at any island? You’ve given him his freedom to roam about the ship. You’ve removed his incentive.”
“What would you have me do?”
“Put him back in the brig. Make his life miserable. Give him a reason to uphold his end of the bargain as quickly as possible.”
“Putting him in the brig will not speed things along. We just have to be patient.”
Nathaniel took her hand. “It is becoming more difficult for me to do that. If I may be so bold, once this adventure is behind us, I’m hoping —”
“Land ho! Land ho!”
Annalisa jerked her head up to see the crow’s nest. The lookout was pointing east. She pulled her spyglass open and peered through it. She could see the green, mountainous island in the distance.
“Do you suppose that’s it?” she asked, her heart hammering.
“I doubt it. Has it occurred to you that he could be leading us into a trap?”
“A trap would require assistance.”
“Perhaps, but I think we should trim back the sails and approach slowly and cautiously.”
She nodded. “Where’s Sterling?” Before anyone could respond, she yelled, “Sterling! James Sterling!”
Then she saw him, standing at the prow of the ship.
“Come along,” she ordered Nathaniel.
She hurried across the ship, wending her way around the men who’d stopped working, hoping to catch a glimpse of the island in the distance. When she finally reached Sterling, she was breathless.
“Is that it?” she asked, holding out her spyglass.
He took it from her, peered through it. “Aye.”
“I see no signs of the Phantom Mist,” Nathaniel said.
“It could be on the other side of the island,” Annalisa said, unable to keep the anticipation from her voice. They were so close to seeing the completion of their quest.
“Let’s hope not,” Sterling said.
She jerked her head around to look at him. “Why not?”
“Let’s go to your cabin, and I’ll explain.”
* * *
Using the backside of one of Anna’s maps, James drew a squiggly outline of the island.
“On the far side is a narrow, shallow cove. It runs inland for a good distance. Your ship is shallow bottomed enough that it can easily travel into the cove. It’ll be hidden there. You’ll set up lookouts at the entrance of the cove. When they spot Crimson returning, we’ll be in a position to surprise him and take him.”
“We could be waiting there for months,” Northrup stated, his arms crossed over his chest.
“It’s possible. Have something else more important to do with your time, matey?” James asked.
“If I’d known this was your plan, I’d have never agreed to it. Crimson is supposed to be here.”
“And will be.”
“But we have no way of knowing when.” Northrup turned to Anna. “We should stay on the sea and search for him.”
“And just where are you going to search?” James asked, feeling an irrational need to have her follow his advice and not Northup’s. He felt as though he was engaged in battle. An insane notion. “He could be anywhere. The one thing we are assured of is that he always returns here after a raid, to bury his treasure.”
“But we have no way of knowing when he’ll raid a ship or when he’ll have treasure to bury.”
“He’ll arrive during the dark of the moon.”
Anna straightened and stared at him. “How do you know?”
“He’s a man of habit. He always comes to the island during the dark of the moon.”
“That should be within the week then.”
“Aye.”
She nodded. “Then we’ll wait for him.”
“I don’t like the notion of going into a cove where we could be trapped,” Northrup said.
“Are there any of my ideas you favor?” James asked.
“None that I can think of.”
“We captured him specifically for this purpose, Nathaniel,” Anna said, her voice laced with exasperation.
“I want more men on guard at night,” Northrup said.
“You shall have it.”
“And I want two guards on Sterling at all times.”
James watched Annalisa’s face, saw her struggling with a decision. Against her better judgment she’d come to trust him.
“Not a problem, mate,” James said. “Make it three. Four. A dozen. Believe it or not, I want to see Crimson Kelly securely imprisoned aboard this ship as much as you do.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” Northrup said.
James didn’t bother to argue, because the truth was, he doubted anyone — not even Anna — wanted to see Crimson Kelly captured more than he did.
“It’s a little like paradis
e here,” Annalisa said. She stood calf deep in the warm waters of the cove.
They’d sailed easily into it late the afternoon before. Last night, there’d been no moon. Anna had barely slept with the realization that her quest might soon come to a satisfactory end. She’d assigned men in shifts of four to watch the area from the mouth of the cove so they’d know when Crimson Kelly arrived.
This morning, Sterling had knocked on her door with the sun and enticed her into joining him for some exploring. She could certainly understand why Crimson Kelly liked the island. It was so incredibly green, the water so marvelously blue from a distance, but clear as glass up close. And so inviting.
Without hesitation, she’d brought the back of her skirt forward, between her legs, and tucked it into her belt. The action had raised the front and sides almost to her knees. She’d created baggy breeches. She’d removed her shoes and stockings and now walked along the water’s edge within the cove. Around her ankles colorful fish and sea creatures darted here and there. They came in close for inspection, then darted away. The water was so clear and pure here that she could see her wiggling toes.
“I’ve always liked it,” James said.
“Does Crimson spend a lot of time here?”
“More and more of late. He’s seen nearly thirty years. That’s old for a pirate.”
“And what about you? How many years have you seen?”
“One and twenty.”
“You seem older.”
He grinned his cocky grin. “The result of hard living and even harder playing.”
She couldn’t help herself. She laughed joyously. James Sterling could be such fun. Playful and teasing. “At moments like this, I could almost forget you’re a pirate.”
At moments like this, James almost wished he wasn’t. When she looked at him like that, with such openness, he was almost ashamed of his past … and his future.
He’d rolled up the legs on his breeches so he could walk in the water beside her. He’d rolled up the arms on his shirt, so he could —
“Here,” he said, scooping his hand through the water to lift out his find. “I told you the stars that fall from the sky land here.”
He didn’t think she could have given him a brighter smile if he’d dug up a treasure chest for her.
