Love the Sea

by G. Bailey

  “This is the only way,” he tells me gently as I walk over to him.

  “Call my dragon here, let her take me away, and I will agree to this deal,” I tell him, knowing that the only way I’m getting out of this cave is with help. My pirates can’t help me now, but I need to save them. I need to save the sea.

  “The deal is made,” the Sea God says, his gold hair lifting like there is a breeze. Then, my dragon’s roar sounds through the cave.

  I turn, hearing a loud crackling noise and then a huff of cold air that blows my dress around. My dragon walks into the cave slowly, giving me time to really look at her. She is massive, the size of a house, with shiny white scales, and a blue scale under her right eye. Her bright blue eyes watch me as I reach a hand out.

  “Vivo, I need your help. I need to leave and get to Fiaten,” I plead, holding still as Vivo presses her cold, rough nose into my hand. She steps back and lowers her head, so her nose is touching the floor. It’s a strange position she holds herself in.

  “She is giving you permission to ride her. Dragons always recognise those who protected them, and you saved her. You are her rider, Cassandra,” the Sea God says, and I turn to look at him.

  “I will complete our deal and free my people. Changed ones will not be hunted, not for a kiss from a god,” I tell him firmly.

  “I would never mark a child, a baby, if it wasn’t necessary for me to survive. I must mark changed ones, knowing I will lose them. Gods must pay the long price of time,” he says, his words floating around my mind. “If I die, the sea dies with me. This is the price of the world of gods, a world you could join if you wish,”

  “I could be a god?” I ask.

  “That is your second deal. There must be a new god soon. I must choose, and the deal is yours, but the price is high like I warned.”

  “What is the price?’

  “You will lose your chosen, they will never see you again. Unlimited power in exchange for love. That is my offer,” he says, linking his hands together and waiting for an answer I give him straight away.

  “Love. I will always choose them.”

  “Time doesn’t change for me. I gave up what you will not. If it means anything, Cassandra, I wish I had made the same choice as you many years ago,” he tells me.

  “I feel sorry for you, but time is changing and I have a world to save,” I tell him firmly. Things are going to change now. I will make sure of it. I am not going to stop, no matter who hates me in the end. I must save the world. I must save the sea.

  “You are the strongest changed one, and when you wear the crown, you will be able to win. Your power will be as strong as his,” he tells me as Vivo lets out a long huff.

  “And what then?” I ask.

  “You will save the sea and all will be free. Or we will all fall at his hands,” he says, stepping back.

  “Thank you for saving me. Is there a price?” I ask him.

  “The price is already paid,” he tells me, and I give him a confused look. I don’t expect him to answer me and he doesn’t. I look back at Vivo, and to the large spikes on her back. I climb up her wing, slipping a little on her shiny scales but managing to pull myself in between two of the biggest spikes. I wrap my arms around her spike in front of me with the one behind pressed closely into my back. I don’t think I will fall off, but I’m about to ride a dragon for the first time. I can hardly believe the person I was months ago. I was a girl hidden, and now, I’m a dragon rider.

  “Vivo, we can leave,” I tell her as I pull my cloak tightly around me, excited to get back to my pirates. She stands up, turning around as I look back at the Sea God watching me go. He looks happy almost, pride shining in his eyes. I turn back as Vivo gets to the end of the cave, and there’s a waterfall. It’s the place from my dreams, the same cave and the waterfall that always opens when I’m woken up. It makes all of this suddenly seem more real. Vivo leans back, her bright blue eyes meeting mine, and I stroke a hand down her neck.

  “Let’s go home, Vivo,” I say, and her head snaps forward to look at the waterfall as she takes a few steps back and then runs towards it. I lower my head and hold on tight to her spikes as the harsh, cold water pounds against my body and I open my eyes as water pushes hard against them. It stings, making it nearly impossible to open them, but the sight in front of me is worth it. We are in the sea, and Vivo is swimming up towards the top of the water using her large wings to swim. I try not to scream as she uses her large wings to swim harder, and my back is pushed hard against her spikes as water pounds against my face. I can’t do anything but hold on. It gets harder to breathe, and I start coughing for every breath as she swims. When Vivo and I break from the water, I take a deep gasp of cold air as I wipe the water out my eyes and catch my breath. When I’ve calmed down a few moments later, I look down at the Storm Sea.

  “I’m flying, we are flying,” I whisper, and Vivo lets out a loud roar that shakes her entire body. There are clouds everywhere, a storm right in front of us and lightning flashing against the sky, but Vivo flies us straight up through them. I hold on tight as water pounds against me for a moment until she breaks through the clouds, then uses her wings to smooth herself out. I open my eyes once more to see her just gliding in the air, hearing the sound of her beating wings. I lean back to look around at the purples and oranges painted across the sky up here, the peace above the storm, and the sun we are flying towards. Everything is warmer up here, and the warm breeze is drying my clothes and hair as we fly.

  “Thank you. I don’t know if you can understand me, Vivo…but thank you for coming for me,” I say, and she huffs, a shiver going through her, and I smooth my hand over the wet scales on her neck.

  “I never forgot about you, not once. I wish I could have protected you more when you hatched and I wish I could have seen you grow into the beautiful dragon you are now,” I tell her honestly, “but we are together now, and you have a place by my side if you wish it.” She lets out a loud roar, ice shooting from her mouth and I watch as it drops through the clouds.

  “We will need to fight. We have to save the sea, save Calais,” I whisper to her and she growls, tilting her body to the side. I hold on tight as she suddenly shoots down into the clouds. I keep my eyes open, watching around her head as the clouds disappear to show an island full of mountains, huge mountains that nearly touch the sky. Vivo flies quickly towards them.

  “Fiaten,” I whisper, knowing it couldn’t be anything other than that. I hold on as Vivo flies us straight to the biggest mountain in the middle of lots of little ones. It takes her a while to get to it, but I can’t believe the amazing views I get to experience from up here. She flies around the largest mountain until I can see a large stone platform cut into the side. It’s a landing platform, that much is easy to spot from the air, but I doubt you could see it from the bottom of the mountains.

  “Land there,” I tell her, and she tilts her body towards the landing. Three people in black cloaks run away when they see Vivo and me, running back towards the large doors that go inside the mountain. Vivo lands with a large thud that nearly knocks me off her back. She growls loud, loud enough that I flinch until she stops, knowing she doesn’t mean to hurt my ears.

  “Thank you,” I whisper to her, stroking her back and lifting myself down as she bows down for me once more. I slide down her scales on her side, much easier than climbing on, and Vivo’s loud roar is the only warning before an arrow comes flying towards me. I lift my hands, thinking of a wall of water and a wave of water shoots out of my hand, knocking the arrow away and slamming into the person who shot it at me. I lower my hands to see two men on the floor by the doors, their bows and arrows on the ground next to them. Ten more men run out of the doors, holding a mixture of daggers, bows, and swords, looking like they want to kill me. They all have black leather outfits, except for two of them who are wearing black cloaks and hold no weapons. None of them make a move to attack me, but I keep my hands in the air just in case.

  “Stop!” a
familiar voice shouts. Then, I see Dante pushing through the men and stopping as he stares at me in utter shock. I can’t help the smile that lights up my face as I run over to him and throw my arms around his neck.

  “Dante,” I whisper. And he pulls away, holding my face in both of his hands as he looks at me. His eyes search every bit of my face as I do the same with him. Dante looks much better, with his brown hair and beard cut short, his blue eyes searching mine for something.

  “You’re real?” he asks, not at all what I was expecting him to say.

  “Yes,” I answer, confusion all over my face when he still just stares and his mouth drops opens a little.

  “Is everyone here? Did you all escape?” I ask him.

  “A year ago, Cassandra. We escaped the castle a year ago, just after we watched you fall off a cliff,” he says. His voice is gruff and full of emotion as I try to process his words. I’ve been gone a year, but it only felt like moments with the Sea God. I look up into Dante’s light eyes, his eyes that have always reminded me of the sea, and I know everything has changed except one thing. He still looks at me like he loves me. I lean forward, kissing him as he returns my kiss with just as much passion.

  18

  Cassandra

  “Is this Cassandra? Your changed one?” a man asks from behind Dante, breaking up our kiss. Dante reluctantly moves his hands away from my face, reaching down and taking my hand in his, linking our fingers.

  “Yes, this is Cassandra. Cassandra, this is Master Light,” Dante introduces us as the man walks over and lowers the black cloak hiding his face. I look at him in surprise as I see the three lines in a row in the middle of his forehead.

  “You’re a changed one,” I state, and he nods his head.

  “And we have waited for you. What has the Sea God asked?” he asks me straight away, but I don’t know him. I narrow my eyes, not trusting him when I don’t know what is going on here. It’s been a year and there is only one thing I want to do.

  “I want to see my chosen first before I will tell anyone anything,” I say, crossing my arms.

  “I did warn you she was stubborn,” Dante says, making Master Light laugh. When he stops laughing, he nods to me and looks behind me at Vivo.

  “Please tell your dragon to fly down and you will call her. She will need to hunt and find a warm place for the night,” he tells me. I look back at Vivo and unhook my hand from Dante’s to approach her.

  “Go find somewhere warm and get some food, but stay close. And thank you, Vivo,” I whisper. She presses her head against the side of my body before she steps back and turns around, flying off into the mountains with a loud roar. Master Light walks over to me, watching Vivo as she flies off.

  “A dragon rider as well as the awaited chosen one,” he says, “I do look forward to knowing you.”

  “And I you,” I reply.

  “Go and be with your chosen. We will talk in a day,” Master Light tells me as Dante comes to my side and slides his hand into mine once more. I give Master Light a sharp nod and watch as he walks out, the other men following him.

  “I need to see them all,” I say to Dante, a need to be close to them ruling out anything else in my mind.

  “I know, and we need to be close to you, too,” he says, and as I try to walk away, he pulls me back into his arms and kisses me. A kiss so tender, so soft that it takes everything in me not to cry.

  “Dante,” I say as he pulls away, wiping a tear that escaped my eye.

  “Come on. The others will be in our room,” he tells me. I want to ask him a million questions, but I find myself not saying a word as we walk towards the doors. I want to ask what they have done for a year? Do they still feel the same way for me? What has the king done in this year? So many questions and yet none of them feel right to speak right now. I let go of Dante’s hand in shock when we step through the doors and walk the few steps to the stone barrier in front of me. The inside of the mountain has a large waterfall in the middle, and around it are rows and rows of stone caves and paths outside them like the one we’re on. I look down to see green fields on the bottom floor. Plants, trees, and rows of vegetables cover the ground that people are walking around.

  “What is this place?” I ask, loving the beauty of it and the sound of the water. It’s almost peaceful.

  “Fiaten City. It’s all inside the mountains, which is why the king cannot attack us here. It’s safe, and the changed ones who are alive, live here and keep nature running,” Dante tells me, sliding his hand down my arm. I turn and hold his hand once more.

  “Let’s go,” I say, knowing that there is something far more important than staring at the beauty and nature of this place. I need to see my pirates. Dante nods his head down the right path and we see a few people pass us with their black cloak hoods up so I can’t see their faces, but I feel them staring at me as I walk past.

  “One more thing first,” Dante suddenly says, opening a wooden door and pulling me inside.

  “Yes?” I ask, but he doesn’t answer me as he kisses me. The kiss is demanding as I throw myself into his arms and his kisses take all the air from my body. He pushes me against the door, his hands sliding up my leg slowly, burning a path with every touch.

  “Tell me to stop. I’m losing control, pretty girl,” Dante asks me as he breaks away from the kiss, but I shake my head.

  “Don’t stop. I need you, pretty boy,” I say, and he groans before slamming his lips into mine. He pushes my dress up my legs, finds my underwear, and I hear a ripping noise seconds later. I gasp as his finger slides inside me at the same time his thumb starts rubbing circles around my clit. His lips battle with my own, and neither of us can get enough until he suddenly pulls his finger out and I help him undo his trousers. Dante lifts me up higher, getting us into the right position, but not going inside me as he uses his one hand to make me look at him.

  “I love you. I love you more than I could ever tell you,” he says before sliding into me, making me moan out in pleasure. I move up and down him, biting my lip from the pleasure as he keeps his eyes locked with mine.

  “I love you, too,” I say, and his hands slide down my body, grabbing my hips and thrusting into me harder as his lips press against mine. Every thrust gets me closer to the edge, the pleasure building up until I can’t focus on anything other than moving my hips with his.

  “Come for me, pretty girl,” Dante growls out, before moving his lips to my neck and lightly sucking. His words send me over the edge as I scream his name and feel him thrust a few more times before he finishes inside me.

  “I missed you. I god damn missed you,” Dante mutters, kissing me again as he slides out of me but keeps me in his arms.

  “Never again. We are never going to be separated again,” I say, and he nods, looking down at me.

  “We should see the others. They might kill me for keeping you so long,” he says, and I nod. I help him do up his trousers before looking at my ripped-up underwear and then to the small bedroom we are in. There are two single beds, and a small circle fire in a bowl in the middle of the room.

  “Your room?” I ask.

  “Mine and Zack’s,” he says and takes my hand as I smooth down my dress and we walk out of the room. Dante turns us down a row of caves, passing wooden doors hiding more rooms behind them until we get to the end one.

  “You ready to see them all?” he asks me.

  “I’ve always been,” I say gently, and he smiles before pushing the door open.

  “You’re late for lunch. We have all been waiting -,” Zack says, looking up from the table. I don’t know who to look at first as all my pirates turn to look at me.

  “Cassandra…,” Zack whispers, dropping the plate he was holding and it smashes onto the table. Zack’s hair is longer, the blond bits curling around his shoulders, and he has grown a blonde beard to match, making him look more handsome than I’ve ever seen him. I look over at Hunter and Ryland, my dark princes, and they are bigger, more muscular, but look every bit th
e pirates I have come to love. I’m so happy to see the feathers back in their hair, and Ryland’s pirate hat is back. I look next at Chaz, whose handsome face is no longer marked with bruises, and then finally to Jacob, who has a long scar down the side of his eye. His one eye is completely white and I know something must have happened to him. But mainly, they all look and feel the same to me. My bond seems to come to life being close to them all.

  “I’m back, and we have a crown to find. We have a war to win and a world to save,” I say, watching as each of them stand up one by one.

  “Where were you? We all knew you were alive. We could feel it, but couldn’t find you. We have spent a year training, fighting, and searching for you,” Zack tells me, sadness in his words.

  “I was with the Sea God,” I say, the silence after my words is deafening.

  “What did he want?” Ryland asks, leaning his hands on the desk and watching me for the answer.

  “Your father’s death, the sea saved, and a new queen on the throne,” I tell them, and they look between each other before all their eyes return to me.

  “Good thing you have your pirates by your side. Six pirates, six of your chosen, six men who would die for you, because we love you,” Chaz says gently.

  “And I love my pirates, too…” I whisper, but their smiles show they heard.

  “We have a question we all want to ask you,” Hunter says, pulling out the box from the middle of the table. He gets something out of it before they all walk to stand in a line in front of me. Dante moves from my side to join the line and then I watch as each of them kneel down.

  “We knew the moment you tried to jump off the ship that we had to keep you. I mean, what crazy girl would do that?” Jacob starts off, making me laugh.

  “But none of us thought we would meet the bravest, kindest, and most beautiful woman in the world that day,” Ryland says, making my heart feel like melting.

  “Every day with you is how we want our future to be, because we all love you,” Dante tells me gently.

  “I knew I loved you from the moment you hit me with a chair. I was lost then,” Zack says, making us all laugh a little as I reach up and wipe away the tears that have fallen.