“You never told me about your home and family,” Anna reminded, sitting on a rock just beyond the tide.
“My ship is my home,” Jake joined her, sitting with his hip pressed to hers. “And, my crew is my family.”
“And, before that,” Anna probed.
“Before that, I lived just outside of Meridelle,” Jake answered. “A little town called Dellemore.”
“And, your family,” Anna asked. “What were they like?”
“My mother was beautiful; sweet, kind and loved everyone,” Jake spoke tenderly.
“Was,” Anna looked concerned.
“She died when I was a lad,” Jake admitted.
“I’m sorry,” Anna laid her hand on his arm, keeping it on his flesh bared by the rolled up sleeves of his white shirt. “So, who cared for you?”
“No one who deserves the title of family,” Jake stated.
“Oh,” Anna mumbled, obviously a bit disconcerted at his coldness over the subject. She lifted her hand from his arm, but Jake covered it with his own, preventing the loss of her touch.
“I’m sorry, Love,” Jake spoke softer than before. “I didn’t mean to be short.”
“It’s okay, if you don’t want to talk about it,” Anna assured.
“I was raised by my grandfather; my mother’s father,” Jake struggled to keep the hate from his voice. “He was a very cruel man.”
“He was mean to you?” Anna asked.
“Aye,” Jake admitted.
“What did he do?” Anna prodded.
“Things you wouldn’t care to hear,” Jake hedged.
“Tell me.”
Jake hesitated, staring out to the lapping waves of the Ocean. He never told anyone other than Sully what horrors his grandfather exposed him to, but for some reason Jake wanted Anna to know. “He was physically abusive,” Jake couldn’t look at her as he spoke refusing to see the pity he knew would be in her eyes. “The night I took off, he had too much liquor and pulled a knife, intending to slit my throat.”
“Why?” Anna’s voice was breathless.
“My grandfather was raised in a time of honor and tradition. When my unwed mother brought him a bastard grandson, he snapped. Before she died, my mother was the one at his mercy, but after she died,” Jake trailed off, his tone shaking with the anger and frustration he felt.
“After she died there was no one to protect you,” Anna finished for him. “How old were you?”
“Ten,” Jake answered.
“So young,” Anna remarked. “And, there was no one who could help you? What about your father?”
“My father wanted nothing to do with me since the moment my mother told him she was with child,” Jake spoke harshly of the man. “She wasn’t of a high enough standing for him.”
“Surely, after she died,” Anna trailed off, but Jake knew her question.
“He came when he heard,” Jake admitted. “He had my grandfather and I restrained while he went through her belongings, destroying everything which might damage his reputation.”
“That’s,” Anna stuttered. “That’s horrible!”
“It was long ago, Love,” Jake excused with a smile and a gentle squeeze of her hand.
“I’m sorry,” Anna’s eyes were glass with concern.
“Let’s find a happier subject, shall we?” Jake offered, unwilling to accept the pity she offered. “Tell me of your family.”
Anna hesitated, as if unwilling to drop the subject at hand, but eventually nodded and began speaking. “Well, it’s my mom, dad and my four older brothers.”
“Four older brothers,” Jake looked at her in shock, glad she conceded to changing the subject.
“Yes,” Anna said with a nod and smile. “They are the most old-fashioned, overprotective, meddling people you will ever meet. I don’t remember a day going by when at least one of them didn’t show up at my house or job.”
“They worry for you,” Jake commented. “They love you.”
“Yes,” Anna’s eyes grew sad and wistful. “You know, before all of this, I actually resented them for their control over my life. Now, I just wish they were close.”
“I’m sorry you’re so far from them,” Jake squeezed her hand.
“I must seem silly to you, me going on about them,” Anna said with a fake chuckle as she swiped away a tear. “You lost your family so horribly.”
“Other than my mother, I had no family to speak of. One can’t miss what they never had.” Jake shrugged. “Tell me of them; tell me a good memory.”
“Well,” Anna seemed thoughtful for a moment before smiling. “Have you heard of whitewater rafting?”
“Aye,” Jake claimed. “Though, I haven’t been myself.”
“We go as a family every year for my birthday,” Anna began. “About two years ago, we are on the river and we hit the nastiest set of rapids on the whole trip. Of course, my brothers are being annoying and goofing off, so we hit the rapids all wrong. Anyway, the raft starts bucking and Danny, the youngest starts to fall in. Well, he reached out to Beau and Beau reaches out to Shane and Shane grabs onto Billy. So, when Danny goes in, they all tumble out like dominoes. So, here my parents and I are, sitting in a raft in the middle of the rapid and my four older brothers are just floating away down the river. When we finally catch up to them, they are throwing punches and screaming at each other because they all blame someone else for pulling them in and nobody knows who started it.”
By the end of her story, Anna was laughing; pure enjoyment coming from the memory. Her face was lit, the flush on her cheeks visible even in the silvered moonlight. Jake marveled at her beauty. “You should laugh more often, Love.” Jake informed.
“I,” Anna stuttered, shock from his words ending her amusement. “I haven’t really had much reason to laugh lately.”
“Perhaps, I can fix that,” Jake brushed a tendril of hair behind her ear. Jake allowed his hand to linger before gently brushing down her jaw and the side of her neck. Anna’s hand rose up to brace against his chest as he pulled her closer. Jake’s torso burned at her touch and he groaned as his head lowered to just a breath away from her lips.
“Anna!” The shout was closer than Jake would have liked and he jerked away instantly. Several men with torches stood a few yards from them and Jake instantly recognized the Prince and his royal Guards. “Anna, are you alright?”
“Of course,” Anna stood to face Char as the Guards came around to stand behind Jake, pulling his arms behind his back and binding them.
Jake mentally cursed for allowing himself to lose track of his surroundings. If he hadn’t been so focused on Anna, Jake would have heard the Guards coming long before they reached them. He was so lost in her touch and the prospect of tasting her, Jake ignored the world around them.
“Did he hurt you?” Char asked anxiously as he held Anna’s shoulders and inspected her by torchlight.
“No,” Anna assured. “What’s going on?”
“Why are you here, Pirate?” Char demanded of Jake as the Guards forced him to his knees on the sand and confiscated his sword.
“Pirate,” Anna repeated, her eyes showing her confusion.
“I’m not on your lands, Highness,” Jake answered, his chest pulsing with anxiety over how Anna would respond to the information. “It’s none of your concern what I do.”
Char looked down at Anna, his hands still on her shoulders. “How do you know this man?”
“We met in the market last week,” Anna answered honestly. “We were just talking, Char. He didn’t hurt me.”
“I’m afraid he was using you, Anna,” Char sighed. “This man is a notorious Pirate. He was using you to gain access to the castle so he could steal from me.”
“That’s a lie!” Jake defended before looking at Anna, his eyes pleading for her belief. “It isn’t true, Love.”
“Isn’t it?” Char asked harshly as one of the Guards searched through Jake’s satchel. The man held up the music box and Jake closed his eyes against the s
ight as it was handed to the Prince. “Then, what is this?”
“It belongs to me,” Jake claimed.
“So, you didn’t steal it from the royal chambers an hour ago?” Char asked in disbelief. “You are a thief and a liar.”
“Yes, I took it, but only to reclaim what is rightfully mine,” Jake insisted. He defended himself to the group of people around him, but his true target was Anna. Jake ached to think she believed him to have used her. “It is the royal family who stole it from me. Look inside; the picture is of my mother. The box was hers.”
“I’ve heard enough,” Char released Anna and waved his hand toward the Guards. “Take him to the cells.”
“Wait,” Anna’s voice was barely audible, but the Prince raised his hand to signal the Guards remain still. “If I’ve been deceived, isn’t it my justice to seek?”
Prince Char hesitated, but his eyes were sympathetic for Anna’s request. “Whatever you wish, Anna.”
“Release him,” Anna spoke to Char, allowing him to give the order to his Guards. “May I have the music box?”
“It has no significance for me. It’s yours,” Char handed her the box, his expression confused but indulgent.
Anna approached where Jake still kneeled, though his hands were now unbound. He winced at the betrayed look on her face, knowing she believed the Prince over his pathetic pleas for faith. Jake expected to feel the harsh lash of her palm across his face or hear horrible names cross her lips, but there was only her silent stare. As she stood above him, Jake almost wished for one of the other options, anything other than the coldness emanating from her now.
Anna opened the music box, its gold and emerald casing glowing in the moonlight as she looked down at the picture of his mother inside. She looked between Jake and the photo for several seconds before replacing it and closing the box. Anna held out the box, her hand bobbing in indication he should accept it. “Take it,” her words backed up the unspoken invitation.
“You’re letting me steal it?” Jake asked in shock.
“Prince Char gave it to me. I am giving it to you,” Anna clarified. “You can’t steal something which is given. Take it.”
“Why?” Jake asked as he took the box from her fingers.
“Everything you said to me may have been lies,” Anna started. Jake opened his mouth to deny her claim, but she shushed him. “What you said just now about it being your mother’s was real; it was honest. I know that pain. I would give anything to have a piece to remember those I’ve lost. I won’t take that from anyone, even you.”
“Anna, I,” Jake wanted to reach out and touch her, to reassure her he never meant to cause her pain. He wanted to promise she would see her family again. He wanted to swear he would make it happen, but Anna didn’t give him the chance.
“Now, leave,” with her words, Anna turned and headed back toward the steps leading up to the castle.
Jake watched her walk away, his heart shattering at the final look of disgust she gave him. Jake never wished to rid himself of his Pirate status before then, but at the moment he ached to be the good man she once believed him to be. He wanted to be worthy of her admiration. Char interrupted Jake’s thoughts, his body blocking Anna’s departure from view.
“Leave, Pirate,” Char ordered. “And, consider yourself lucky Anna is such a kind soul. I would have had you hung. If I ever see you on my lands again, that is exactly what I will do.”
Char and his Guards followed Anna, their lights dimming until Jake was left in darkness. He marveled at how much darker the beach seemed without Anna by his side. Jake steeled himself against the tearing in his chest, knowing he would need to get accustomed to the darkness. Monsters belonged in the dark.
Chapter Eight
Jake stepped onto his Crimson Lady as the skies opened up. He was soaked in an instant beneath the harsh deluge, his white shirt sticking to his chest and becoming translucent. Anna left his jacket at the base of the stairs, but Jake was unwilling to put it back on. The leather smelled like her; hints of vanilla and lilac permeating the thick material.
Sully waited for him in the navigation room, knowing Jake would return and want to discuss the events of the evening. Jake surprised his first mate with silence, his movements slow and jerky. He ignored the older man’s confused stare and sat in the large chair on the opposite side of the desk.
“Was your mission successful?” Sully asked.
Jake pulled the music box out of his satchel in answer, placing it on the desk in front of him. “Weigh anchor, Sully, we leave in twenty.” Jake’s tone was soft, holding none of the elation he knew Sully expected.
“Should we wait for the storm to ease?” Sully questioned.
“Nay,” Jake muttered. “Ready the ship and set sail.”
“Is everything okay, Captain?” Sully asked hesitantly.
“Everything is as it should be,” Jake answered.
Sully left quickly, obviously uncomfortable with his Captain’s odd mood. Jake ran a hand through his hair, his eyes never leaving the music box. He should have been thrilled with his prize, especially since he hadn’t even needed to steal it. Since Anna gave it to him, Jake didn’t need to fear repercussion from the royal Guards. He was free to leave and go about his life.
Anna was nothing to him, merely another woman he met in a port. Surely, she would be gone from his mind in a matter of days. In the next port, Jake would find another woman, one who was more experienced and knew the score. He was much better off without Anna and the strange sensations pulsing through his chest when she was near. There was a reason Jake swore never to love. He was grateful to be leaving before it was too late. He wouldn’t allow himself to be weakened by a woman.
Jake shook himself, burying the memory of how Anna looked at him; the hurt and disgust on her face. It didn’t matter now what the woman thought of him. Jake did as he set out to do. He reclaimed his property, escaped the royal grounds and was now about to set sail on his ship. He’d won, but somehow it didn’t feel like a win.
***
The clouds from the day before remained gray and low, another morning which threatened to be wet and miserable. Anna didn’t mind the weather, always enjoying rainy days and cooler weather. She debated sitting at her window and watching nature’s display, but couldn’t bring herself to rise out of bed. It was as if every ounce of strength she possessed disappeared during the night.
Anna returned from the beach in a state of numb acceptance, her shoes and gown having been dropped just inside her bedroom door. Jake’s betrayal hadn’t stung as Anna expected it should have, but instead left her with a welcomed emptiness. She didn’t know if he used her to gain access to the castle, as he must have already stolen the music box before meeting her in the courtyard, but his lies and secrets were more than enough to destroy her trust.
Captain Jake Reynolds, she was informed by Char, was a notorious Pirate with a history of violence, theft and murder. His ship was the most recognized and feared symbol in the realm, sending decent citizens into hiding upon its arrival. Anna thought over every moment spent in Jake’s presence, finding many times he could have told her the truth. She would have been open-minded and listened to his side if he had only trusted her with the truth, but it was too late now. By his own omissions, Jake condemned himself. After all, he would have no reason to keep it from her if the rumors of his indiscretions were untrue.
“Miss Anna,” a short woman Anna didn’t recognize peeked into her room. The woman’s voice was thick with an accent Anna couldn’t place. “My name is Meeka. I’ve brought you breakfast.”
“Thank you, but I’m not very hungry,” Anna sat up in bed, swinging her legs over the side. Meeka’s hands shook as she set the tray on the small table by the window. Anna watched the nervous woman wring her hands. Meeka’s copper eyes darted around anxiously. “Are you new to the castle?”
“No,” Meeka shook her head. “I mean, yes, I am.”
Anna eyed the woman, feeling a touch of unease at Meek
a’s obvious discomfort. She stood and cross the room, suddenly wanting the feel of concealing clothing on her body, rather than the flimsy shirt she wore as a nightgown. A pair of jeans was easily slipped on, making Anna feel instantly more confident as she turned to face the fidgeting woman who remained standing at her window.
Meeka’s hair was a dark copper color, which matched her bright eyes and flawless skin. Her coloring was reminiscent of someone Anna met before in the realm and a memory struck her. “You’re a Fairy, aren’t you?”
“I thought I would look enough like your kind to blend. I’m sorry, Miss,” Meeka’s tone was filled with unshed tears. “Please, forgive my deception, I mean you no harm.”
“Why are you here?” Anna asked, her suspicions confirmed by the woman’s continuing anxiety. Meeka shook her head, ducking her eyes to the floor.
“I know I should not be here, but I wished to speak with you,” Meeka’s eyes glistened.
“How did you get past the Guards?” Anna asked, for some reason feeling unthreatened by the woman’s presence in her bedroom. Perhaps from the remaining hollowness in her core contributed. Her time with Jake made Anna forget all she’d lost in her unwanted coming to the Mystical Realm. For a brief point in time since her arrival, Anna found peace and seen the potential for a future in the land.
“A friend of mine works in the kitchen,” Meeka claimed. “She allowed me entrance. Please, don’t call for the Guards.”
“Well, you’ve gone through a lot of trouble to speak with me, Meeka,” Anna sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed. “What is it you wanted to discuss?”
“Is it true, you were taken from the Mortal Realm?” Meeka asked.
“What?” Believing Char and Mara the only people in the realm who knew of Anna’s true home, she was shocked by the question. They were both adamant about keeping it secret. “Where did you hear that?”
“So, it is true,” Meeka paled and sat heavily in the chair at her back. “I didn’t believe it was possible.”
Once a Pirate (Mystical Realm Series Book 1) Page 7
