***
“Get away from her, creature,” Jake’s tone held a quiet danger as the Mermaid he tortured earlier swam close enough to reach out and touch Anna.
“I heard your vow to her, Pirate,” the Mermaid glared. “Would you break it?”
“If it meant her life,” Jake noted harshly. “I would break any vow.”
“And, for your life,” the Mermaid continued her questioning.
“No,” Jake admitted after a brief pause. “Do with me as you will, creature, but you will not lay hand to her.”
The Mermaid seemed satisfied with his answer, sinking below the surface of the Ocean without another word. Jake watched the dinghy dock on the shore not far from where he continued to hold Anna. Char, Sully and Dane rushed to his side, taking in his appearance with caution.
“Is she,” Char choked on the question, unable to finish his thought.
“She’s in shock, but alive,” Jake said with a shake of his head, knowing the Prince’s question without the words.
“We should return her to the ship,” Sully nodded in obvious relief. “She is chilled.”
Jake nodded in agreement, reluctantly releasing her into Dane’s grasp as he reached for Anna. He watched the large man and Sully make their way toward the dinghy as he stood. Char stood in his way, the Prince’s face hard set and angry. “We never should have come here,” Char spoke quietly. “You placed us all in danger. You placed Anna in danger. And, what do you have to show for it?”
“I had no choice,” Jake defended.
“So you say,” Char spoke louder. “You claim to want to help her, but you risk her life for nothing! You don’t deserve her!”
“I had to find a way to send Anna back to her world!” Jake revealed in his anger.
All of Jake’s strength drained with the admission as he thought of never seeing Anna again. He could tell the statement affected Char in the same way as the Prince paled in the moonlight. “She can’t go back,” Char choked. “The Fairy said it wasn’t possible.”
“She can with the elixir the Mermaid’s make,” Jake informed. “It can heal even the deepest wounds; bring her back from the edge of death. It’s the only way to send her home.”
“The elixir is a myth,” Char didn’t sound confident. “Even if it wasn’t, the Mermaids will never give it to you; especially now.”
“I know,” Jake admitted.
“That’s why you were going to kill the Mermaid,” Char nodded in understanding.
“And, as many more as needed until I found one with the elixir,” Jake stated.
Char sat heavily on the rocks and Jake joined him, leaning on the rough surface. “She will never be safe here,” Char noted.
“Believe me, mate, if there were a way to keep her here I would give my last breath to find it.” Jake ran a hand through his hair and stood. “We need to go.”
“She is of the Chosen,” a feminine voice called from the water, jerking both men’s attention. “Is she not?”
“She is,” Jake admitted to the beautiful creature who surfaced at the edge of the rock he stood on.
“I know of you, Jake Reynolds” the Mermaid glared at him. “You are the Pirate who should have been a Prince. Born of royal blood and abandoned.”
“What is she talking about?” Char asked.
“I am no Prince,” Jake shook his head, ignoring the man.
“I can smell it on you, Pirate,” the Mermaid nodded. “The blood of royals is inside of you.”
Jake heard rumors of the Mermaids’ ability to scent family lines, but he was never the subject of one’s senses. Char stiffened at his back as the Prince began to put the pieces of the puzzle that was Jake Reynolds together. “That’s not possible,” Char whispered. “He couldn’t be.”
“I am Calliope,” the creature gave a slight bow of her head, ignoring Char’s confusion. “I have what you seek.”
Jake knelt as the Mermaid held out a small vial on a cord, a black liquid visible inside of it. “After all I’ve done, you would give this to me?”
“No, Pirate,” the female he had tortured surfaced behind Calliope. “We give it to the Chosen.”
“Be warned, Pirate,” Calliope added. “This can only be used once. If she returns through the portal, she will never be able to return to you.”
“I figured as much,” Jake admitted, his heart aching at the confirmation of his suspicion.
“Captain,” Sully called out from the dinghy. “We need to set sail.”
“Thank you, Calliope,” Jake nodded to the Mermaid as he stood. “If there is anything you wish as payment, you need only ask.”
“I will hold you to that favor, Pirate Prince,” Calliope warned before disappearing back under the Ocean.
Jake turned into Char’s outstretched hand. “My father, he was, was he,” the Prince stuttered.
“Your father was a detestable, cold-hearted cad,” Jake spoke harshly. “I have no interest in speaking of him or his bloodline.”
Jake jerked away from the Prince, stomping toward his crew waiting on the shore. He didn’t look back to check on Char, not caring if the man followed or remained behind. Jake’s only concern was for Anna. He had what was needed to send her home. Now, Jake only needed to find a way to survive once his heart shattered.
Chapter Seventeen
Anna avoided the stares of the men around her for the next two days. Her body still ached from her plummet into the cold waters of the Ocean, but she refused to make a fuss. She would rather suffer in silence than allow even one of the men on the Crimson Jewel to offer aid. Anna had even stopped speaking to Sully, knowing he supported the horrible actions Jake ordered against the Mermaids. During her solitude, she managed to forgive Jake and his men their monstrous acts, but as hard as she tried, Anna couldn’t forget or let go of the disappointment she felt.
Prince Char was no exception, perhaps holding most of her rage as he continued to keep her in the dark as to their motives. All she knew was they now travelled back toward Meridelle, having acquired whatever they needed from the Mermaids. Anna shuddered as she wondered what Jake did to get the object he came for. He promised not to harm another Mermaid, but she doubted his sincerity, questioning if he made the vow in emotional haste. By the way he walked the ship in a daze of misery and cold detachment, Anna suspected whatever he’d done to earn his prize destroyed what was left of his soul. The thought caused a deep ache in Anna’s abdomen.
“He’s a good man,” Char’s voice was soft and cautious.
Anna looked away from Jake, realizing she was staring at him as he steered the Crimson Jewel above her. She huddled beneath the overhang between her and Char’s quarters, avoiding the gloomy mist which persisted for days in perfect accompaniment to her mood. Char exited his bedroom, leaning on the wall by the bench. Anna knew he waited for an invitation to sit, but she had no intent to offer one. “He’s a Pirate,” she spat the statement harshly.
“Yes, once a Pirate, always a Pirate,” Char agreed. “But, that doesn’t make him a bad man, Anna.”
“Isn’t it you who told me you hired him because he wasn’t a good man?” Anna reminded.
“I did, but that was before,” Char cut off his thought.
“Before what,” Anna prodded. “That was before he murdered your Guard? That was before he tortured and tried to kill an innocent Mermaid?”
“He’d die for you. He jumped into the sea after you, not caring about the hundreds of Mermaids willing to kill him if they were able,” Char ignored her barbs, running a frustrated hand through his hair as he looked up at the Captain. “What’s more, he’d let you go.”
“Let me go?” Anna questioned the Prince’s statement. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” Char sighed and looked down at her. “You shouldn’t condemn him for what he’s done. It wasn’t his will.”
“No, it was your will; it was his choice,” Anna clarified.
“Yes, it was,” Char agreed, turning to return to his
quarters. He halted at the opened doorway, turning without looking directly at her. “He cares a great deal for you.”
“He doesn’t care about anyone but himself,” Anna argued, but a traitorous piece of her heart leapt at Char’s claim.
“I believed that at first as well, but now I see that isn’t true,” Char shook his head before he looked at her somberly. “And, you see it, too.”
Anna opened her mouth to argue, but Char disappeared into his bedroom, effectively ending their conversation. His exit didn’t matter, as Anna wasn’t sure who her argument would have benefited; Char or herself. Anna did see the truth; did see Jake cared about those around him. She didn’t want to be angry and hurt by his actions. Anna wanted to go to Jake, throw herself into his arms and pretend they’d never gone to Mermaid Cove. She wanted things to be how they were. Unfortunately, if Anna learned anything since her impromptu arrival in the Mystic Realm, it was there was no going back.
***
Jake anchored the ship just outside of Meridelle’s borders. He decided days before it would be safest to approach their destination quietly and by foot, rather than aboard his fairly recognizable Crimson Jewel. Jake smirked as he noted how often he’d resented his reputation since meeting Anna. Since that fateful first day, Jake wished beyond anything else to be someone else – anyone else.
His misery of the past few days since leaving Mermaid Cove weighed heavily, making his orders cold and distant to his crew. His men seemed sympathetic to Jake’s plight, each having faced Anna’s silent disappointment during their journey. The woman made it clear, while she could forgive their actions, Anna would never forget. And, she would never again allow Jake to lay hand on her.
He knew her distance was for the best, as she would soon be gone from his reach and back in her own realm. The more time Jake spent with her, the more he would ache when she was gone. For a time, he even managed to convince himself of this. It was only at night, when he released the wheel to his ship to a crewman and retreated to the dark, cold interior of his quarters Jake admitted the truth. It didn’t matter how distant he was from her. It was too late and was for quite some time. Jake was lost without her.
“Are you sure travelling by land is best?” Char asked from the door of the Captain’s quarters. “It’s slower. Shouldn’t we be as quick as possible?”
“Aye, it is slow,” Jake nodded coldly. “But, if there are still spies on your lands, they won’t expect it.”
“Right,” Char nodded. “It’s safer.”
Since their departure from Mermaid Cove days before, Char accepted any order given by Jake without question. The Prince was a shell of his former commanding self and he wondered if part of this was his new suspicion of Jake’s lineage. Jake looked at the Prince for a few moments, taking in his obvious loss of weight and the dark circles under his eyes. He knew Anna was harder on Char than on any of the other men onboard. She hadn’t spoken a single word to Jake since they left Mermaid Cove, but he heard her wrath for the Prince several times. The man’s misery was in contest with Jake’s own pain and he felt a momentary sympathy for him.
“You should gather whatever you need for the journey,” Jake stated. “We have at least a half day’s travel ahead of us.”
“I will,” Char nodded and left the room without another word.
Jake took his own advice, packing a few necessities and some spare weapons in case of trouble. He knew his men would be doing the same, having been informed of the danger they may face without all of the unnecessary details. Within minutes, Jake was on deck with his crew. Jake took the first ferry to the land with Sully, Dane and Doc. He thought the medic may be helpful during their journey. Sully returned with the dinghy to pick up Char, Anna and his ship’s navigator Peet. The rest of Jake’s crew remained on the Crimson Jewel, under order to sail around the outer banks to keep any attention focused on the sea.
Once the dinghy was safely stashed under some brush, Jake and his companions set out into the forest. The underbrush grew thick quickly, making it necessary for Jake and Dane to cut through the brush with machetes. The process was slow until the forest finally cleared out and allowed them easier travel. Jake felt Sully move beside him before he viewed the old man from the corner of his eye.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Jake?” Sully asked quietly. “There’s no coming back once it’s done.”
“I know, Sully, I’m sure,” Jake spoke just as quietly, ensuring their conversation wasn’t heard.
Sully was the only man of his crew who knew the full story of their quest, Jake having confided in him after the incident at Mermaid Cove. Jake knew it was a risk for anyone to know the truth about Anna, but Sully was his mentor and oldest friend. Besides, Jake needed someone he trusted to talk to.
“We can keep her safe,” Sully assured. “You have men who would kill and die for you. They’d do the same for your woman.”
“She isn’t my woman, Sully,” Jake felt an ache of loss at the statement. “And, she has no interest in being such.”
“You know that isn’t true, Jake,” Sully argued. “She’s angry and disappointed, but that will pass. I’ve seen the way she looks at you.”
“She sees me as a monster,” Jake sighed. “Whatever she felt for me before is gone now.”
“I don’t believe that,” Sully shook his head.
“Believe it, mate. This time tomorrow, Anna will be back where she belongs.” Jake mumbled sadly as he moved ahead of his quartermaster. He had no interest in speaking anymore about Anna’s departure. “And, she will be better off for it.”
***
Darkness descended over the forest like a shroud, leaving only the light of fire to chase away the gloom. Clouds blocked any light from the moon, threatening to release their holdings, but no wetness fell. Anna shivered in the chilled air, glad the rains stopped before their journey and stayed away through the evening. She was miserable enough from their long trek and the cold evening breeze without adding wet to her list of complaints.
Dane set up a small tent for Anna, but she refused to use it, preferring to remain by the heat of the fire. Jake sat near her, distant enough to offer seclusion, but close enough to make Anna shiver every time her eyes drifted over him. She fought her urge to move closer, shaking with the force of will it took to refrain. Jake stood and removed his jacket, stepping close enough to hold it out for her.
“Keep it,” Anna mumbled.
“You’re shaking, Love, take it,” Jake insisted. “Please.”
After a long pause, Anna took the leather, slipping it on over her short-sleeved shirt. She opted for a shirt and jeans for their trek, grateful she hadn’t decided to indulge in the sundresses as was her norm since arriving in the Mystical Realm. The slacks provided enough protection from the elements and, with Jake’s jacket, Anna was finally warm.
“Thank you,” she whispered almost as an afterthought.
Jake nodded in response and returned to his seat, though Anna noticed he sat slightly closer than before he stood. Char sat across from her with the fire between them. She noticed the Prince’s eyes rarely left Jake’s form since they began their journey. Anna wondered at Char’s odd mood, but she had no interest in conversing with him further. She’d kept to herself for the better part of the day, only speaking when necessity demanded it. Most of her words were shared with Sully or Dane; Jake, Char and the other men keeping distance between themselves and her.
Jake stared into the flames of their fire, his blue-green eyes shimmering with the light. Anna noticed his gaunt appearance earlier when they set out from the Crimson Jewel. His eyes were set back in his unshaven face, the dark circles beneath speaking of his exhaustion. His gloved fingers fondled a glass vial he wore about his neck, the black liquid having been present since leaving Mermaid Cove. Unable to watch his misery, Anna stood. The men around her stood as well, their eyes all focusing on her movements.
“Are you alright, Miss Anna?” Dane asked softly, as if trying not to spook her.
“I need to take a little walk,” Anna was proud of the stability in her voice, when all she wanted was to bury her face in her hands and sob.
“I’ll go with you,” Dane offered.
“Alone,” Anna added. Dane and the others seemed concerned at her retreat, but Anna was in no mood for company. “Some things don’t require an audience.”
“Aye, Goddess sakes, Mates,” Doc’s thick, inebriated accent cracked. “The Lass has to piss, give her some privacy!”
All of the men returned to their seats, obviously accepting her excuse for the manner it was intended; except Jake. He remained standing, staring after her until Anna could no longer see his sad eyes. Once beyond their view, Anna leaned back against a tree with a deep, shuddering sigh. Tears streaked her cheeks and she held a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob she couldn’t contain.
“Don’t cry, child,” a low male voice called.
Anna jerked around to find several dark men standing near her, their presence startling a cry from her lips. She heard her name shouted from the direction from where she came before the sound of running footsteps came through the trees. A golden form stepped forward, Mara’s figure seeming to glow in the darkness.
“Don’t fear, child, they are friends,” Mara assured.
Anna’s companions burst through the trees with weapons drawn, coming to an immediate halt at Mara’s presence. The Fairy raised her hands to signal halt, her form promoting calm and control. Mara stepped closer, her golden form lighting enough to see the men with her ranged in colors from shades of brown and gray to thick black. “They’re Fairies,” Anna’s voice shook with unshed tears and her shock of their arrival.
“Aye,” the darkest of the men stepped closer. “I am Matthew of Faeria.”
“You enjoy scaring women alone in the forest?” Jake questioned angrily.
“It was not our intent,” Matthew assured calmly before bowing to Anna. “I apologize for the fright, child, my men mean you no harm.”
“Why are you here?” Jake demanded.
Once a Pirate (Mystical Realm Series Book 1) Page 16
