She was skeptical of the food she was given, often wondering if it was poisoned. She’d initially refused to eat what the boy brought to her. Unfortunately, her hungry stomach won out that battle and she eventually started to eat what was given to her.
As she huddled in the corner, her dress ruined, her nails black with dirt, and hair looking more like a nest, she felt more like a caged animal than a lady in the palace.
Her dreams, or rather nightmares as of late, consisted of a wounded Asher and Cassius back at the palace. She prayed her friend had merely been left unconscious on the beach and his brother was not wounded as badly as it seemed. There was blood in the water, but she had no way of knowing where he’d been hit. It could have easily been just a scratch on his arm and he was fine.
It could have just as easily been a more fatal wound, but she refused to consider that option longer than a few minutes. She hoped to the gods Asher was able to get Cassius and himself to a healer before one, or both of them, bled out. Her nightmares played on her fear that he hadn’t made it to safety on time. She dreamed the brothers’ once beautiful faces now gray, their eyes clouded over with death.
What truly haunted her was when Malia’s bloody face reappeared, begging her to help her, save her, from the wound that had in the end been what killed her. It was worse when her dreams consisted of her sending the arrow that pierced the maid’s heart from her own bow and arrow with Nikolas standing behind her as he whispered in her ear with that wicked grin of his.
She woke up screaming after those dreams, and not long after she’d find herself throwing up what little she had in her stomach.
The Captain now kept a bucket in the corner of her cage. God knows she needed it.
Her body shook with chills that seemed permanent. Dark circles edged the bottom of her eyes from the lack of sleep. She just felt so cold. Her damp clothing was no doubt being the reason for that, but she was not about to request anything from the Captain.
She’d sooner drown than ask anything of him.
As if conjured up by her thoughts alone, she heard boots slap against the steps connecting the cells to the world above. Her eyes lifted briefly, curious because she knew it was too early for her next meal to be brought down.
A cheery whistle met her ears and she cringed at the noise. This was definitely not the boy who brought her food.
When she noticed the nicer clothing, no patchwork on the pants and the almost silky loose top that was tucked into them, she knew exactly who it was. Her grimace appeared, her snarl rumbling in her dry throat.
It was him.
As he came into sight, she noticed the cell keys swinging around his finger as that taunting smirk played on his lips. In his other arm, she noticed he held new garments for her. She only knew this because she recognized it as was one of the dresses Asher had packed away for her.
“Good morning, pretty girl. I hope you’ve enjoyed your first couple of nights on my ship.” He taunted, knowing perfectly well it’d been anything but pleasant.
He’d made sure of that.
Her eyes shifted away from him, choosing instead to look out the porthole above her. There wasn’t much to look at besides water and bright skies, but it was better than making eye contact with him.
“Aw, don’t be like that, darling. We’ve made a good distance from your kingdom. We’ll be at the next port in just a few hours. It’ll be safe sailings from there.” He said, leaning against the cell door as he inspected the dress he held in his arms.
Her gaze darted back to him in surprise. She didn’t realize they’d gone so far. She thought the next port was a week’s trip away, not days. His eyes met hers, his browraising when he noticed he’d gotten her attention now. “Ah, now I’ve piqued your interest. You’ll be going with me to land. I’ve got to meet with someone and I need a pretty arm piece to show off. You’ve got experience in that role so the job is yours. Well, it is after you've had a proper bathing.” He explained, his gaze returning to her dress as he picked an invisible speck of dust off the bodice.
There was something he wasn't telling her.
“Why do you need me?” She asked, her voice hoarse from not using it.
His smirk twitched, his eyes daring her. To do what, she wasn’t sure just yet. “You’ll find out in due time, pretty girl. First, we need to get you cleaned up and presentable to the public. It’s not a luxurious marble tub I’m sure you’re used to, but the one in my quarters will have to do. Ari and Ana will help you.”
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what I’m doing here.” She snarled.
Annoyance flashed in his eyes, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. Adjusting his pants, he sighed as he crouched down to her level. “What if I told you, you weren’t the only one cursed? That breaking your curse would break another one? This person I’m meeting? They can lead me in the right direction to where and how we can break the said curse, savvy?” He said quietly, his tone laced with annoyance.
“Are you cursed?” She asked curiously, wondering how he played into all of this.
Confliction and pain crossed his face.
“No.”
He straightened back up, standing to his full height again. Her eyes followed him curiously, wondering then who it was that he was trying to free from a curse. A lover? No, he didn’t seem the type to keep a long-term lover. Family? Maybe, but most pirates didn’t have family outside of their crew.
“Ari or Ana will be down to bring you back up to my quarters soon. This discussion is over.” He said, his tone suddenly lacking the charm or taunting it had before.
She said nothing as he headed for the stairs. The discussion was far from over, but it’d be on pause for right now. She had countless more questions to ask. Specifically, how this second curse connected to her own.
“I thought it was bad luck to have a woman on board?” She questioned, more so just to prove a point that she wasn’t done asking questions.
Nikolas paused where he stood on the steps, a chuckle threatening to erupt from his throat as he smirked. “It is. That’s why I have two. Though, I supposed I’ve got three now, don’t I? At least I will once you look like a lady and not a wicked witch of the underworld.”
With that, he said nothing more and disappeared as he went above the deck with only a chuckle echoing behind him upon hearing her snarl.
Another hour went by before she saw any sign of whoever these mysterious ‘Ari and Ana’ were.
A woman, no older than she was, descended the stairs. Her presence screamed strength and a deadliness only a pirate could possess. Her hair was a wild set of honey blonde curls. With a quick once over, she took in this woman’s appearance and felt herself sink further into her corner she curled up in.
She had a white blouse exposed from the breast up with puffy sleeves covering her arms as they fell off her shoulders. Her waist was covered with a black corset with three golden buckles running down the center. Tight brown pants clung to her legs until her knee-high boots covered them.
Her eyes followed this predator as she approached her cage. They both watched one another and seemed to size each other up. This woman’s curls fell off her shoulder as she tilted her head curiously. “What a scary little beasty you are. I wonder what you look like under all that dirt and grime. You must be a beauty if the Captain is letting you clean up in his quarters.” She said, her voice dripping with venom.
This woman didn’t like her, that much was clear.
Ember’s ears perked at the sound of another pair of feet descending the stairs. Her eyes lingered on the beautiful creature currently glaring at her before flickering her gaze behind her to their new arrival.
“Do you not trust me to bring her up by myself, sister?” The woman in front of her spoke out to the new arrival.
The second woman appeared at the bottom of the stairs in a matching outfit, though the colors were different. With a quick assessment, Ember realized these women were not just wearing similar outfits. They had
identical faces. They were twins, she realized.
“Of course, I do. Without a few new scratches? That is another story entirely, Ari.” The second woman laughed as she crossed her arms and approached the cage.
So, Ari was the one in white with the massive amount of curls, while Ana had to be the one in red with her hair straight. Ana stood a few inches taller than her sister, Ember noticed, and her face was slimmer while Ari’s was rounder. They weren’t glaring differences, but if you looked hard enough, they were there.
“I’m not going anywhere with either of you.” Ember finally spoke, her eyes narrowing on the twins as she studied them.
Ari laughed at her attempt at having any control in this situation. The sound sent chills down Ember’s spine. She certainly did not want to be alone with this woman.
“You act like you have a choice, girl. Believe me when I say you don’t. Besides, you could do with some grooming. Have you smelled yourself?” She said, grimacing.
Ana could see this conversation was going nowhere. Sighing, her eyes rolled with annoyance as she crouched down to her eye level. “Look, we don’t like having you on board any more than you like being here. Let’s all just play nice and play our parts so everyone gets what they want. Savvy?” She said, giving her a pointed look as if to ask if she could just meet them halfway.
Ember considered her offer carefully.
It wasn’t like she had any better options. She had no idea where they were and no way of getting word home. She wasn’t even sure if it was safe to send word of her situation back home. Her father and King Ivan, if there was any truth to her curse, were the people planning on using her until her last breath of life. Going home meant that the entire point of her leaving in the first place would have become null and void.
With a glance at her appearance, she agreed that she could do with some cleaning. The smell was starting to burn her nose, not that she’d admit that to them.
“Fine. I’ll come with you.” She finally submitted, giving in to their offer.
Ana simply nodded as she stood. She pulled out the keys she’d seen Nikolas with earlier from her back pocket. With a glance at her twin, she slipped the key into the lock and twisted it until it unlocked.
Ember carefully lifted herself up onto her feet. Her legs wobbled from lack of use in the last few days, but she stood strong. She knew she was probably dehydrated from being sick so often thanks to her nightmares. Using the wall of the ship to keep her balanced, she tried to ignore the flopping feeling in her stomach.
Ari eyed her cautiously as if she was expecting her to make a run for it. If she didn’t feel so sick, Ember might have done just that. Once the door was open, Ari slipped in and grabbed ahold of Ember’s arm, yanking her forward. “Get moving, girl.” She snarled as if she was trying not to breathe through her nose.
Ember didn’t blame her. The smell was bad.
Pushing her out of the cage, Ari kept a good grip on her as they followed Ana up the stairs to the next level of the ship. Her eyes had to adjust to the slight difference in lighting. With a quick glance around, Ember noticed this had to be where most of the crew slept if the hammocks were anything to go off of.
“Keep moving, Beasty.” Ari snarled, shoving her forward.
Ember was quickly getting tired of the new nickname she’d been gifted. She bit her tongue and kept her head high as she continued up to the top deck. Don’t show them weakness, her father would tell her time and time again.
As they finally emerged from below deck, she had to pause to give herself a moment to adjust to the brightness now surrounding her. The sun was shining high up in the sky, the newfound brightness hurting her eyes as they adjusted from the darkness of below.
From the startled looks from the crew, she wondered just how much she looked like a ghostly monster from the haunting tales' fishermen would tell children when they docked after long trips at sea. Maybe Ari’s name for her wasn’t too far off? Regardless, she didn’t appreciate the name, nor did she wish to hear it again from her lips.
She could hear the whispers between the men around her as the twins brought her to what she presumed to be the Captain’s quarters.
Still, Ember held her head up high, ignoring the hushed whispers around her as she had been taught to in the palace. She knew she looked ghostly. Frankly, she knew she didn’t smell any better, but she would act like nothing was out of the ordinary.
She was Lady Emberlyn Lethorne, daughter of the King’s right-hand man, and they couldn’t take that from her.
She would survive this.
She had to.
Chapter 9
After an intense amount of scrubbing, and Ari nearly ripping her hair from her scalp as she washed it, Ember was finally sparkling clean. Her skin was red and felt raw, but it was finally clean. Her fingers were no longer black with grime, her hair no longer knotted and clumped with dirt. The soap was even scented, no doubt having belonged to one of the twins given it smelt of lavender and honey.
Ari had left to check in with someone named Reid, another member of the crew she had yet to meet, leaving her alone with Ana. Ana was cleaning up their supplies as Ember dried off with what towels they could scrounge together.
“Am I supposed to thank you?” Ember asked, finally breaking the silence that had fallen over the three women since they entered the room.
A na didn’t acknowledge her right away, leaving her under the impression she hadn’t heard her speak. Another moment went by and Ember was sure she hadn’t. When she opened her mouth to say something else to break the silence, Ana quickly cut her off.
“Just be cause my sister and I washed and brushed your hair does not make us suddenly friends. You royals are what’s wrong with this world. People are starving and sleeping out in the cold while you are filling your stomachs with bitter wine and food you know will just be tossed if no one eats it. It’ll never go to the people who are actually hungry and need it.” Ana said, her voice cold and full of anger.
Ember didn’t blame her.
She wanted to point out that she was not a princess or anything that could be considered royal, but did she not enjoy those same parties as they did? She drank that bitter wine and wasted food just as they did. Was she not about to be announced as the future queen if that dreadful party had gone as planned? Not for long if this curse was real, but still, she’d be the awful royal Ana seemed to hate.
There wasn’t even a defense she could stomach saying for her people because she knew anything that she’d come up with would be wrong.
Ana had a point, and it was a good one.
Were pirates any better? No, she didn’t think so. They stole what they wanted and kept it for themselves. They killed and conquered and didn’t care about the families they destroyed in the process. That was no different in her eyes. Malia’s face flashed in her mind, wondering what the maid had ever done to deserve the death she’d been given. She was no royal. She was instead a servant to a spoiled girl and had died to protect the people who treated her badly. Ember had a feeling saying that to Ana right now was not in her best interest, so she kept her mouth shut for the time being.
“Do you know what curse Nikolas wants me to break and who is bound to it?” She instead asked.
Ana straightened up onto her feet as she tossed the last of the wet rags. Her brow raised curiously at thequestion. “It’s not my secret to tell. Nikolascan tell you himself if he wants to.”
She said his name as if it was a joke Ember wasn’t allowed to know. That made her curious just how many lies this Captain had already told her and how many she mistakenly took as the truth. She doubted he’d tell her if she asked him.
“Fine. Don’t tell me. Can you tell me at least where we’re making port? Or is that a secret as well?” She asked, her words sharp with annoyance.
“Owl’s Head.” She said without an ounce of hesitation.
Ember’s eyes widened. “But that’s a -”
“A pirate safe haven. We are pir
ates, in case you forgot. We need supplies and a day of rest to refresh before our journey to Cane Islands.” Ana said, her annoyance causing her to reveal the information she wasn’t supposed to.
That slip up caught her attention. The Cane Islands were where her father’s ship was attacked and her mother was killed all those years ago. Why would they be going there? Was it a coincidence that was the same place her mother had been supposedly sacrificed?
Curiosity killed the cat, but a cat had nine lives. Ember was determined to make the most of each one. “What’s in the Cane Islands?” She asked, her gaze shifting to the now uncomfortable pirate.
“It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with just yet, pretty girl.” A new voice said from the doorway.
Both women turned to see Nikolas standing there, his expression filled with nothing but annoyance. “Ana, go help Patch and Tomas with the sails. Now.” He ordered with a nod of his head for her to get out.
Ana nodded, shame flashing in her eyes as she hurried to leave.
Anger fueled Ember as she watched the woman leave with her tail between her legs like some scolded dog. “She didn’t do anything wrong.” She snapped once the door slammed shut.
“I know that. You ask too many questions and you’re starting to annoy me with them.” He replied as he took in the sight of his bathing room.
From the way his nose scrunched up in disgust, she knew he didn’t like how she’d made a mess of the room. Served him right for treating her like a pet.
“Then answer some of my questions and I’ll stop asking them.” She shot back.
He scoffed in disbelief. “Is that all it’ll take?”
“Yes.” She said as she tightened the towel around her body.
It was then he realized she had not changed into the dress he’d picked for her yet. His brow raised in approval as his tongue darted across his lips. If she wasn’t blushing already, she certainly was now. Her eyes narrowed when he wasn’t subtle in letting his eyes linger on her chest. “You’re such a pig.” She snarled, throwing a rag at him to snap him out of his trance.
The Black Moon's Curse (The Stellara Trilogy Book 1) Page 8
