by G. Bailey
“She is indeed,” Dante nods, as he rests back against the wall. I watch him closely, knowing my friend well enough. We don’t let many women on board the ship, and we never sleep with the ones we take to different islands. If any of us need a release, we stop off at enough islands to find a woman to spend the night with. We just haven’t recently, because the king is getting smarter, and we can’t stay long on any island. So, having a very beautiful woman like Cassandra around is a distraction. It’s not just her beauty, it’s her confidence and nature that are even more attractive.
“No one is to date her, Dante,” I say. If any of us were to get that close to her, it would only cause massive problems on the ship. I’ve noticed every single one of us staring at her.
“Why not?” Dante asks me with a smirk. There are so many reasons, one being the jealousy that it would cause. I saw the way we all looked at her, the way we all seem drawn to her. It’s bad enough she has to sleep in one of our beds because the guests we have on board cannot be trusted with a changed one. They might try to kill her in her sleep.
“Dante, you can have any of the women, on any island. Stay away from Cassandra,” I say, my tone sharp. I wish Dante was frightened of me, but I know the bastard isn’t.
“No promises, Captain,” he chuckles before walking out.
“Dante!” I shout after him as he walks out and shuts the doors behind him. By the seas, Cassandra is going to make life complicated for us all.
The moment she crashed into our ship and crashed into our lives, Cassandra was destined to make things complicated for us.
16
Cassandra
“I was looking for you,” Jacob says as he comes into the moonlight. It’s the only light out here in the dark night. The wind howls through the night, and the sails catch the wind, making the night seem louder. I’m sitting on the steps on the deck of the ship after dinner, as I wanted to see the stars.
“I’ve been in the same place for over an hour, so you couldn’t have looked well,” I comment, and his lips turn up in a smile. Jacob takes off his hat and walks over to me. He sits on the edge of the steps like I am and leans back on his elbows.
“How was your first real day on the ship?” he asks me.
“Well, most of the people run away from me, and the children look at me like I’m two steps away from eating them. I keep falling over when the ship rocks as I’m not used to the wet floors up here, and that cat does not like me,” I say, and Jacob bursts into laughter, laughing so much that I end up joining in. It takes us a while to calm down.
“Salty Sam doesn’t like anyone, so don’t take that personally,” he says. Well, I guess that’s one thing. My leg still stings from the scratches.
“The cat scratched my leg as I walked past him earlier. I nearly jumped out of my skin,” I say, and he chuckles a little as he bumps my shoulder with his.
“Have Chaz take a look at it, he will find some cream to help,” Jacob says looking down at my legs, and then his eyes drift up my body until he gets to my eyes.
“I will,” I say, leaning back and looking up at the stars to break some of the tension.
“Do you know the names of the ten stars?” Jacob asks me, pointing up at the nine stars that make a weird shaped circle. There is one star in the middle of the circle, but I don’t know much about it. My father didn’t know the names, and none of my books talked much of the stars.
“No, I don’t,” I reply.
“Well it’s said that the star in the middle is called Love. That the nine stars around it were her lovers before they all died keeping her safe. They are called Fondness, Devotion, Adore, Lust, Desire, Warmth, Beloved, Sensation, and Compassion. Love couldn’t survive without her lovers, so she died and joined them in the stars. The stars circle around Love to protect her, so she can be free to give her love to anyone who needs it. They say when you’re alone, you only need to wish upon the star of Love, and she will help you.”
“She had a lot of lovers then,” I say, wondering how any woman could cope with nine men in her life.
“Some people are destined for more than one person,” he tells me, and I look up at the circle of stars in the sky. I don’t think on his words much more than I have to.
“Such a lovely story,” I say.
“My mother told me it once and many other stories. She loved the stars,” he tells me.
“So do I. As I grew up, the stars always seemed so . . . free. Something I thought I could never have, and I loved looking at them,” I say, then think about a book I read. “I once read a story about the god of the sea.”
“Would you tell me?” Jacob asks.
“The book said the Sea God lives in all the seas, and they say that the ones who truly believe can ask for a deal. Many ask for love, for fortune, and most for power. It said that the Sea God will make you a deal, but the deal always benefits him,” I say, and he nods.
“Only the chosen will be treated fairly,” he says. I look at him, and he shakes his head. “Something else my mother once said. She said her mother talked to the Sea God once. I do not believe it, but then again, there are stranger things in this world.”
I silently agree with him.
“Would you tell me about your life?” he asks me gently.
“There is not much to tell. My father kept me hidden because of the mark, and I was found. So, I ran to the sea,” I say. I ran to sea and was saved by pirates. Pirates who turned out to be better people than I could have ever expected them to be. How very odd, the way my life has turned out to be.
“I ran once from my past, and pirates also saved my life,” he says and stops mid-sentence, changing his mind and standing up instead. Jacob offers his hand to me, and he pulls me up.
“Where are you from?” I ask as I stand up. Our bodies are now pressed closely together, and he doesn’t let go of my hand.
“I was born on Sevten,” he tells me. We both just stare at each other, neither one of us looking away, and the urge to move closer to him is worse than before.
“You’re sleeping in my room tonight, as I’m running the ship,” he says, moving away slightly, but he keeps his hand in mine.
“I can sleep with the guests. I have no idea why you think I need to sleep in your rooms,” I say, having to speak a little louder as the wind blows hard against the sails.
“Cassandra, remember how the people looked at you with fear?” he asks me.
“Yes,” I respond, remembering the woman and how the other men have stayed far away from me today. I don’t know how to explain that sometimes it bothers me how people treat me, how they fear me.
I’m not sure what to do as his fingers rub my hand, but it’s comforting. I wonder if he knows how I’m feeling.
“People do unimaginable things out of fear. The very fact that they would hand over a baby to be killed, because of fear of what that child may or may not become, is proof of that. Let us keep you safe, because we do not fear you, Cassy,” he says.
“Why don’t you fear me?” I ask him, my breath haunting as he steps that little bit closer to me. Our breaths come out like clouds as the chilly night air blows around us.
“I do fear you, Cassy, but not for the reasons the others do. I fear you, because you could take my heart, and I would never want it back,” he says softly. Jacob leans down, his lips briefly brushing mine before he sharply pulls away.
“Ouch!” Jacob shouts, stepping back quickly and rubbing the back of his head. I was so lost in Jacob’s words and the ghost of a kiss, that I didn’t notice Laura coming over to us. I didn’t notice the fact that she just hit Jacob on the head with her wooden stick, and I try not to giggle. She lowers the stick and winks at me.
I have no idea why she just did that.
“Laura, how many times have we told you not to hit people with that damn stick?” Jacob says, still rubbing the back of his head.
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Laura says before walking off and whistling to herself. I
watch her in disbelief and try not to chuckle.
“Don’t laugh,” Jacob groans as he takes my hand and walks us off, following Laura. I watch in surprise as she opens the doors that lead below deck and walks down them. The doors are about the size of her, and she is an old woman.
“She’s stronger than she looks,” Jacob says, making me giggle. “What did I say about laughing?” Jacob gives me a cheeky grin and picks me up, throwing me over his shoulder.
“Jacob,” I say throughout laughs as he walks down the stairs with me. Jacob just tickles my stomach with his one hand, and I can’t stop laughing.
“Should I ask why you have the little bird on your shoulder?” Hunter’s deep voice comes from somewhere in front of us.
“She is being a pain in the ass,” Jacob replies with a laugh and walks us past Hunter without waiting for his reply. I lift my head a little, just in time to see the smirk that Hunter gives me before he walks up the stairs. He clearly agrees with Jacob.
“Are you going to behave, Cassy?” Jacob asks before he slides me down his body. I’m way too aware of how every part of his body touches mine as he lowers me to my feet.
“Yes,” I say, my voice breathless and strange to me.
“This is my room,” Jacob says, leaning a hand past me and opening the door behind me.
“Thanks,” I say, struggling to understand my feelings for the pirate. He nods, stepping back. I’m surprised he doesn’t say anything about the near kiss, but I’m not sure if I want him to.
“Sleep well, Cassandra,” he says before walking away. I watch him disappear into the shadows of the corridor before I walk into his bedroom. The room has a candle inside a glass lantern on the wall and one small window that lets in a little moonlight. There’s a small bed with red sheets, and a large dresser in the corner. The dresser has a pile of books on it and a heavy-looking crossbow balanced against it. There is a holder full of arrows next to it. I look at the crossbow, knowing there’s no way I would be able to even pick it up.
I kick my shoes off and take my coat off before leaving them on top of the dresser, loving the soft rug I can feel under my feet. The room smells like Jacob, and I’m concerned by how comforting that is to me.
“I’m going mad,” I mutter to myself before walking over to the bed and realising that I need the toilet. I find his bathroom, which is similar to Chaz’s, and quickly wash my face while I’m in there.
After I’m all sorted, I make my way back to the bedroom and slide into the extremely comfy sheets.
My eyes close in seconds, and my dreams are filled with handsome pirates.
17
Dante
“You’re not meant to be down here,” I say before I lean back and throw a dagger into the wall opposite me. The storage room I’m in is at the bottom of the ship and full of boxes. They mainly have weapons in them, and cannons in case a ship targets us. That’s very unlikely, and we haven’t used them in a long time.
“I’ve never been down here, and I got curious,” Cassandra replies behind me. I turn to see her standing close to the door to the storage rooms. She looks beautiful, as usual. Her dark brown hair is down today, the braids undone other than the one that holds the feather. I remember when I first saw her. She was standing watching the people at the party, not aware that every man’s eyes were on her. I watched her dance with her friend. When her brown eyes met mine, I felt something; something more than just a base attraction. I felt drawn towards her. I was more surprised to learn that her personality is just as attractive as her looks.
“It’s still not safe, pretty girl,” I say and walk over to the wall. I pull out the four daggers in the bullseye painted on the wall of the ship. The walls are thick enough to do this down here and know there is no chance of making a hole. I place the daggers on top of a barrel next to me.
“Show me,” she nods towards the wall. I simply smile slowly as I look over her body. The shirt she is wearing shows off way too much of her chest, and her breasts move up and down with each breath. The trousers are tied at her waist, showing her small waist and toned legs.
“Go and stand in front of the target, and I will show you,” I challenge her. She won’t do this if she doesn’t trust me. I know I wouldn’t hit her; I’m too good and have been doing this as far back as I remember. My father was a personal guard for the king, and my mother was a maid for the queen. I grew up bored in the castle, and my father gave me daggers to practice with. My father is known for being deadly with his aim and never missing, something I have inherited from him. Cassandra doesn’t move, and I lock my eyes with hers. “Trust me?”
“Says a pirate,” she says back, with a hint of humour in her eyes. I watch as some kind of decision crosses her eyes, and she moves towards the target. Cassandra stops next to the wall and pushes her back against it.
“Don’t move,” I say, picking up two daggers off the barrel.
“Don’t hit me,” she says.
“I would never hurt you, pretty girl,” I say, flipping the dagger in my hand and throwing it. It lands right next to her arm, but doesn’t touch her. I quickly throw the next one, and it lands next to her other arm, boxing her in.
“Impressive,” she says, sounding breathless as I walk towards her. Cassandra isn’t a short woman, but I am very tall, so I still have to look down when I stand in front of her. She can’t escape with the daggers caging her in, but she doesn’t look like she wants to.
“Can you fight?” I ask her, wondering if her parents taught her that.
“A little, but I only used to fight against my friend, who wasn’t very good or interested in fighting. My teacher didn’t know enough, and my father wouldn’t spend much time bothering to teach me,” she admits to me. I don’t know why she seems to be embarrassed about that, but the slight blush on her cheeks as she looks down suggests she is.
“Your mother?” I ask carefully. I see a wave of pain cross over her eyes as she looks up.
“She died giving birth to me,” she says eventually, after a long silence. I feel like she didn’t want to tell me that.
“I’m sorry,” I say, running my finger down her cheek, and she tenses up.
“All of you, you touch me like you personally care about me. You all have these nicknames for me and look after me. I don’t get it. I don’t get you,” she says. I swallow the urge to ask about the others and how close she is to them.
“I do care about you, pretty girl,” I say, and she watches me.
“Do you care about all the girls you bring on the ship?”
“No,” I say, and the word hangs between us. I move away, pulling the daggers out of the wall and walk back to the barrels.
“If you ever want to practice fighting, I could help you.” I tell her, and she walks past me towards the door that leads to the stairs.
“I’ll think about it, pirate,” she says.
“And, I will think about you, changed one,” I say, and she laughs as she walks out. I smile to myself, knowing that all I have done since meeting her, is think about Cassandra.
18
Cassandra
“So, this is Sevten?” I ask Ryland, who hovers next to me. I stand at the front of ship, watching the island coming into view. It’s been a mad week on the ship, with me trying to get used to everything. Working in the kitchen with Zack is always the fun part of the day, while the un-fun part is trying to stay out of the way. The ship is chaos most of the day, but I like it. Most of my life has been quiet, and the ship is never quiet. Also, I’m rarely alone. I have slept in Chaz, Ryland, and Jacob’s rooms all week. They said that next week will be Hunter, Zack, and Dante’s turns to stay up at night. Ryland’s room has the most comfortable bed, and I slept so well in it last night. I haven’t seen much of the pirates, other than Zack in the kitchens and Chaz when he got me some cream for the scratches on my leg. He told me that Salty Sam does it all the time to everyone, and it’s not worth getting infected.
“Yes, and where are you hiding?” he as
ks me, and I roll my eyes at him. Ryland has gone over the plan for me to hide in his room more than once. I suggested going below deck, but he said that’s where anyone would look for someone. Ryland is worried someone might say something about me being on board, so he is leaving Dante to watch the ship. Dante is going to sit near the entrance to the ship and stop anyone from coming on board. It’s a simple plan, and they are all clearly worried about me. Well, other than Hunter, who I’m sure would sell me off in a heartbeat for some gold or food. The evil looks he gives me make it clear he doesn’t care much for me.
“In your room,” I say, and he nods, looking back at the island with me. Sevten is about the same size as Onaya, but it’s so different. The beaches are full of ports and different ships. The main city wall is visible as it’s on the beach, and there are rows of green-leafed trees with brown fruits hanging off them. The city is built high, unlike our small houses, and they seem to have towers. The towers look to be made out of wood and are in block shapes. The city looks full of life and busy. I can’t believe the amount of ships I can see from here. There must be at least fifty of them docked.
“It’s so different,” I say.
“And dangerous,” he says, and I glance back as we get closer. I can now see that most of the ships have pirate banners. The place must be full of them, and what first seemed like a pretty sight is now a little frightening. I can’t imagine all the different types of people that must be on this island. I see another ship, with big, dark green sails and a black-painted hull. It’s so different from the others, and I know it’s a guard ship. I remember my father telling me that the royal colour is a dark green, like the crowns the king and queen wear. The royal symbol is a green dragon on a black background. My father showed it to me once and said it was because the royal last name is Dragon.
