Curse of the Sea: Book One of The Admiralty Archives

by Joni Parker

  Ecstasy checked his pockets. “Oh my, I must have left my wallet on the ship. Alex, may I use your card? I’ll pay you back.”

  Alex pulled the card from her purse. “Here.”

  “Yes, I will give you special discount for my new friend.” He took the card and returned with a slip of paper and the card. “Your receipt and card, Bella. Thank you so much for coming.”

  Ecstasy waved. “Time to go. Ta-ta, Eduardo. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” He led Alex up the stairs and out the door. They emerged into the dark alley.

  Jezebel and Esmeralda came up from behind.

  “Ecstasy, darling,” Esmeralda said. “Are you leaving?”

  “Yes, we must be on our way.”

  She pouted and put her arms around his neck, leaning into his body. “Don’t leave us. We want to spend some time with you, too. All this time you told us you only liked men. We know better now.”

  Ecstasy broke into a sweat, as Jezebel came up beside Esmeralda and rubbed his arm.

  “We have to leave. Come along, Alex.” He pulled Esmeralda’s arms from around him and pushed them away gently. He grabbed Alex’s arm. “Now!”

  “Ecstasy, you shouldn’t deal with fakes.” Jezebel glared at Alex. “She’s a fake. She doesn’t deserve that wand.”

  “She’s not a fake. The wand chose her.”

  “Give me the wand, girl. I won’t hurt you.” Jezebel stepped forward with her hand extended. She hissed at Alex. “Give me the wand.” Then she pulled out her wand from her cleavage and pointed it at Alex. “Now!”

  Alex pulled the green stone off her necklace and changed it into a wand.

  “That’s it. Give it to me.” Jezebel smiled and wriggled her fingers at her.

  Alex waved the wand. “Wand of Spiritus, take her away.” A white light flashed from the end and Jezebel disappeared.

  Esmeralda screamed. “What did you do? Bring her back!”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I told you I’m in training. I haven’t learned that part yet.”

  “Bring her back! Ecstasy, do something!” Esmeralda screamed at him.

  “If you’re such a good witch, you do it.” Alex pointed her wand at her.

  Esmeralda screamed and hid behind Ecstasy.

  Ecstasy covered his mouth with his hand. “Alex, to bring her back, say Restore Jezebel and wave your wand.”

  “Why should I? She wasn’t very nice.” She paused and bit her lip. “Oh, all right. Wand of Spiritus, restore Jezebel.” Her wand waved in a small circle.

  Jezebel appeared with a stunned look on her face.

  Alex pointed her wand at her. “Don’t ever do that again!”

  Jezebel and Esmeralda screamed and ran off. Alex burst out laughing as she changed her wand back into a stone. It was the first time she’d laughed in weeks and it felt so good she didn’t want to stop.

  Finally, Ecstasy hooked his arm around hers. “Well, it’s still early; the museum doesn’t close until nine.” They strolled out of the alley and turned left down the street.

  Chapter 35

  DRESS SHOP

  On the way to the museum, Ecstasy stopped in front of a store. “Alex, the museum’s just around the corner, but let’s check out this sale.” He pulled her inside, where there were racks of clothes.

  “Ecstasy, what are all these clothes doing here?”

  “They’re on sale. You can buy them. Look, isn’t this adorable? It’d look wonderful on you. And it’s less than ten pounds. What size do you wear?”

  Alex shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  Ecstasy found the store clerk, a young blond woman and asked if she had a tape measure to figure out what size Alex was.

  “I don’t have one, but just try something on and see if it fits.” She grabbed a dress in three different sizes. “Try these on. They’re in different sizes. I’ll take you to the changing room.” She took Alex to a small room at the back of the store. “Put it on and come out and show us.”

  Inside the cubicle, Alex took off her clothes and looked at the first dress. “How do you put it on?”

  “Give it to me.” The clerk unzipped the back and handed it to Alex who slid the dress on over her head. It was a little short. She stepped out of the small room with the back open.

  “Let me zip that up for you.” The clerk turned her around.

  Alex held her breath. It was very tight and the zipper stuck. The store clerk pulled it back down and told Alex to try the next one. Alex changed into the next dress and the clerk zipped the dress up. It fit her body tightly, but it stopped halfway up her thighs.

  “It’s too short.” Alex stared at her bare legs. “I feel naked.”

  “That’s the style. What do you think, sir?”

  “I agree—it’s too short, but you have gorgeous legs, Alex.” Ecstasy blushed slightly. “I’ll find another dress for you, now that I know your size. What size was that? A six tall, very tall.” He found a dress that was longer and less revealing, when he suddenly dropped to his knees.

  “Are you all right, sir?” The young woman ran over to help him.

  “Fine. Pretend I’m not here.” He put his finger over his mouth to keep her quiet. “Alex, get dressed quickly!” He whispered loud enough for her to hear. “Hurry up!”

  Alex went back into the changing room and put her clothes on. When she came out, Ecstasy was hiding under the dresses.

  “What’s the matter, love?” the young woman asked in a whisper.

  “An old boyfriend.” Ecstasy pointed to the window. “Alex, can you see him?”

  Alex looked out the front window and saw a man with dark hair, standing next to a man with long, white hair. She picked a dress out of the rack and wandered over to Ecstasy. “There are two men outside.” She looked at the other dresses on the rack casually. “One looks like Nemesis, but I don’t know the second man. He has white hair.”

  “The one with white hair is Stalker and the other one is Nemesis’ brother, Malicious. We have to get out of here. Ask her if there’s a back exit.” He crawled towards the back of the store.

  “Pardon me, but my friend is very upset with those two men out there. Do you have a back exit?” Alex asked the clerk.

  “I’m not supposed to let any customers use it, but I understand. Follow me.”

  At that moment, Malicious and Stalker entered the store. The bell over the door tinkled.

  “Ecstasy, we know you’re in here. You women, get out of here.” Malicious pulled his wand out of his jacket and waved it in the air. “Wand M, reveal Ecstasy.”

  Alex pushed the young woman to the changing room. “Stay here,” she whispered to her and closed the door. She turned her green stone into a wand.

  The dress racks moved to the side, revealing Ecstasy crawling on the floor. He scooted over to another rack, but it moved away from him.

  Malicious grinned. “I’ve got you now! Stand up and face me like a wizard. You’ll die like my brother did.”

  The young woman ran out of the changing room. “No, please stop! I’ll lose my job.” She burst into tears and held her hands out to stop him.

  Alex grabbed her and pulled her away to safety.

  Ecstasy pointed his wand at the two wizards. “Wand of mine, eliminate them!” He dove under the closest rack of dresses as a lightning bolt shot at Malicious. He jumped out of the way and rolled to the side, but a cardboard mannequin wasn’t so lucky. She disappeared.

  Stalker drew his wand. “Wand of S, disintegrate him!” Lightning shot from his wand.

  Ecstasy ducked just in time, but a large hole in the wall appeared behind him. He crawled among the dresses and hid.

  Malicious got back on his feet. “Wand M, reveal Ecstasy.” The racks moved again in a confused manner as Ecstasy scooted around on the floor to stay hidden until he popped up on the left and waved his wand.

  “Wand of mine, terminate him!” Ecstasy’s shot hit a dangling cardboard sign from the ceiling and
it vanished.

  Malicious ducked to avoid the debris.

  Alex waved her wand in a grand gesture toward Malicious and Stalker. “Wand of Spiritus, eliminate them!” An extremely loud crack of lightning shook the room followed by a large ball of white light. The entire store front blew open and the windows shattered. Malicious and Stalker flew out of the store in a gust of wind. Alex stood in shock, as the wind whipped around her. She looked at her wand and pressed her lips together as she raised her shoulders.

  The young woman covered her mouth and burst into tears. “Oh my God, I am so screwed! Look at this mess.” She buried her face in her hands and cried. Several passers-by gawked in through the open store front. Ecstasy looked shocked and sweaty.

  “I’ll clean it up.” Ecstasy waved his wand in the air and said a spell:

  “Wand of mine, return these dresses and racks to their places,

  Repair the store and all of its spaces.”

  The racks moved around as dresses flew back onto them and all the glass in the storefront returned intact.

  The young woman stopped crying as she gaped in amazement. In a few minutes, the store was almost back to normal, but without the mannequin and sign.

  Ecstasy waved his wand at the hole in the wall and repaired it.

  The young woman stared in amazement. “It’s almost like it was. How did you do that?”

  “It’s nothing. We really must get to the museum before it closes. Ta-ta!”

  “You’ll be all right.” Alex nodded to her.

  They left the store and turned right for the museum. As they stood in front of it, Ecstasy leaned closer to Alex. “You must be more careful with your wand. You have too much power. Control it.”

  “Sorry, I’ve never done that before. What did I do?”

  “Make sure you know where you’re pointing your wand. I can see I’m going to have to teach you more control.”

  “Good idea. Maybe we should just go home.”

  “I think you’re right. Let’s skip the museum, this time. Malicious and Stalker may still be around looking for my ship, but I know a hotel where we can stay. Let’s go.” He took her arm and led her down the street. They turned right for a block and turned left again. Ecstasy led Alex down several more blocks until they were alone in a dark alley.

  “What are we doing here?” Alex whispered and heard her voice echo.

  “The hotel’s close by.” He held up his wand and the tip glowed, providing enough light to find their way.

  “In an alley?”

  “Ah, here’s the door.”

  Chapter 36

  HOTEL

  Ecstasy knocked twice slowly and three times quickly. The door buzzed, then opened.

  “Is that a special code?” Alex asked.

  “What?”

  “You knocked two times slowly and three times quickly on this door and on the door to Eduardo’s. Is it a special code to get in?”

  “No, that’s just the way I knock.” Ecstasy stepped into a dimly lit hall with faded carpet and the walls were covered with a combination of peeling paint and old wallpaper. They approached an old man at a counter in the reception area.

  “Good evening, Jennings.” Ecstasy tapped on the counter.

  The man straightened, but smiled when he saw him. “Ecstasy, my boy! Where have you been?”

  “Busy. Traveling a lot.”

  “Eh?” Jennings leaned forward, cupping his ear.

  “I’ve been very busy.” Ecstasy shouted as he leaned closer to him.

  “Good. I’m fine, thank you.” Jennings smiled and waved. Alex grinned at the old man who was obviously hard of hearing.

  “Can I get two rooms for the evening?” Ecstasy held up two fingers and pointed to himself and Alex.

  Jennings raised two fingers with a question on his face. “Oh, one for the young lady?”

  Ecstasy got the two keys and took Alex up the old wooden stairs. They creaked loudly.

  “Here, Alex, you’re in this room; I’ll be across the hall.” Ecstasy opened the door for her and flicked a switch to turn on the overhead light as he handed her a key.

  A single light bulb glared from the ceiling, making Alex squint. The room was small with an old bed covered with a worn quilt, a small table, a chair, and on the wall, a sink with two white, threadbare towels.

  “If you need to use the bathroom, it’s at the end of the hall. Women use the one on the right. Sleep well. Ta-ta.” He closed the door to her room.

  As soon as Alex heard Ecstasy’s door close, she opened her door and went down the hall to the lavatory. Inside, she found a private shower and dressing room with nicer towels, robes, and toiletries. Alex picked out some body soap, shampoo, and conditioner and took off her clothes for a shower.

  ***

  Ecstasy draped his jacket over a chair in the small room. He sat down and slipped his right shoe off. As he tugged on his left shoe, he heard the stairs creak. Then he heard voices in the hall—the familiar voices of Malicious and Stalker. They sounded drunk as they discussed finding Ecstasy in the dress shop and laughed loudly. Ecstasy froze and sweat beaded on his forehead. The two wizards headed up to the next floor and went down the hall to their rooms. Ecstasy stared at the ceiling, waiting for silence. His heart pounded in his ears.

  Quietly, he picked up his shoes and padded softly to the door, picking up his jacket on the way. He leaned his head against the door and listened, but heard nothing more. Cautiously, he peeked out to the empty hall. He slipped out and crept down the stairs.

  At the front desk, Jennings was still on duty. Ecstasy put his finger to his lips and handed him the key. He scribbled a note, I’m leaving. Don’t tell anyone. He held it up for Jennings who nodded and shrugged. Ecstasy stopped to put on his shoes and jacket. He peeked out the door. It was dark and quiet. He closed the door behind him and headed down the street. He didn’t realize how much he was sweating until the night air gave him a chill. His shirt was soaked. From behind, he heard a window open and heard Malicious shout his name. A wave of panic ran through him and he took off running.

  He found his ship where it was hidden. With a wave of his wand, he started it up and left. He whispered his apologies to Alex and hoped she’d understand, if he ever saw her again.

  ***

  Alex stood under the shower, letting the hot water run over her body. She took her time, something she couldn’t do in jail. Until it ran cold. After drying off, she returned to her room and closed the door. She didn’t have any nightclothes so she slept naked in bed. With a wave of her hand, she turned off the light and went to sleep.

  Sometime later, she woke up but it was still dark in the room. She opened the curtain to look out the window and saw a brick wall, blocking her view. She lay down again, fell back to sleep, and woke up when she heard a knock on the door.

  “Housekeeping.” The cleaning woman moved down the hall, knocking on all the doors.

  Alex sprang out of bed and threw her clothes on. She washed up, using the sink in her room and ran down the hall to the bathroom. When she returned, the cleaning woman closed the door to Ecstasy’s room.

  “Pardon me, is Ecstasy still inside?” Alex pointed to his room.

  “No one’s in there, Miss.” She locked the door.

  Alex’s jaw dropped. She didn’t know what to say.

  “Are you finished in your room?” The woman pointed with her feather duster.

  “Yes, I just need my jacket.”

  “Turn the key in downstairs and get some breakfast. We’ve got some tasty bangers this morning.”

  “Thank you.” Alex got her jacket and purse and left the door open for the housekeeper. She had no idea what a banger was or what could have happened to Ecstasy. Where did he go? Her stomach churned as she put the jacket on and ran downstairs.

  The young man at the front counter had unusual hair, striped black and red, standing in spikes, a frightful sight for this time of the morning.

  Alex set the key in front of him.
“Do you know where Ecstasy went?”

  “Who?”

  “Ecstasy. He was in the room across from me.”

  He glanced at the room number on her key and leafed through some papers. “It says here he left last night just after he checked in, so we didn’t even charge him for a room. How are you paying for this, love?”

  Alex was even more stunned, but managed to hand him her card. He ran it through the machine and looked at her. “You don’t have enough on your card. Are you going to pay the rest in cash?”

  She panicked. “I don’t have any more money. Ecstasy spent it all.” She handed him her jacket. “The woman at the store said this was worth twenty pounds. Can you take this?”

  He sighed. “Keep it. I’ll add it to Ecstasy’s tab. Here, you can add more to the card later.” He handed her card back. “Breakfast’s included. Have a good one.”

  “Thank you. I’m very grateful.” Alex appreciated the man’s kindness but wasn’t certain what to do with Ecstasy gone. Now what? After her confusion ebbed, her anger boiled over. She touched her necklace. There was no way she’d ever give her wand to Ecstasy. He’d left without telling her and with the bill. She wandered over to the breakfast room and sat at one of the tables. She was hungry. Really hungry. It was a sign that her lead levels were coming down.

  An older woman wearing a flowered apron came out of the kitchen. Her hair was wrapped with a scarf and she held a spatula in her hand. “How’d you like your eggs, Miss? I have one here that’s poached soft. Will that do?”

  Alex nodded and the woman put the poached egg on top of a pile of red beans. Then the woman put a rasher of bacon and a well-cooked sausage on her plate. “Make sure to eat the banger this morn. Got them in special.” The woman slid a piece of toast on a plate with some roasted tomatoes and mushrooms. “Have some coffee.” She poured Alex a cup. “Here’s some milk and sugar, takes the bitterness away.” She put the coffee pot back on the side table and returned to the kitchen.

  Alex savored her meal; the egg was cooked perfectly and the banger tasted wonderful. Breakfast at home was never like this. After she finished, she put an apple in her pocket and went outside. Fog had set in. Curses! The sounds of ships could be heard and she wondered if Ecstasy could be on his ship. She’d even find a way to forgive him if he took her home. Unfortunately, there was no sign of him or his little red ship at the river. She wandered on, sat on a bench, and tried to think. Depressed, her head drooped; the cloak pin poked her face.