The Black Moon's Curse (The Stellara Trilogy Book 1)

by Alicia Restucci

  She was tempted to ask Asher if she could bunk with him, but he was quick to inform her that Sebastian hadn’t given him any special treatment. He slept with the rest of the crew.

  While she trusted Asher, Patch, Reid, and James, she didn’t trust anyone else on this ship to keep their hands to themselves. She knew she was right in thinking as much given the fact Reid shared his hammock with James and Ace with no complaint. He didn’t want the boy too far from him. Ember would have offered to let James take her bed and she’d take the floor if she thought either would agree to it.

  But now Ophelia, an actual princess, was aboard the ship. Sebastian hadn’t hesitated in giving her a room of her own. A room Ember didn’t even know existed.

  Ophelia, who was currently standing beside her watching the water crash by them as the Obsidian pushed forward.

  Beautiful, enchanting, Princess Ophelia who could create magic with no struggle and who knew how to fight with a sword just as well as any man on this ship.

  A princess who’d seen and experienced the world.

  Maybe Ember was only slightly jealous of the Princess.

  It was ridiculous, she knew it was. Ophelia was trying so hard to be her friend, but every story out of her mouth just made her hate her more. Ophelia had done everything she could have only dreamed of doing. Her father had kept her so locked up and coddled, all the while Queen Esmeralda had let Ophelia flourish and explore the world and everything it had to offer.

  Even now, Ophelia was telling her about another adventure she’d been on to the city of Whispering Oaks. The city she’d explained, was where most of the good lumber was cut and traded from. It was just something else Ember didn’t know. It might have been in one of her books, but she didn’t remember reading about it.

  As the Princess went on about the different kinds of woods she’d seen and what they were best for, Ember let her eyes scan the others on the ship. Some were working hard like James and Reid.

  Others had finished their chores and were enjoying some time alone to themselves. Ari was sitting on a barrel that was branded RUM with Ace sitting on her knee. She was actually smiling as she commanded the monkey to do different tricks before she rewarded him with a slice of banana.

  Her gaze continued on to find Patch and Ana bent over a map as they tried to work out the best route for the ship to take that would get them to Cane Island quickest but safely as well. She’d seen the twins talking closely with Ophelia the past few days, but she was never invited to join them in whatever it was that required all of their attention. If she was being fair, though, it wasn’t like she was asking to join either.

  As her search of the ship’s crew continued, she found her breath catch when it landed on Sebastian at the wheel. His own gaze was fierce as he searched the body water all around them, watching closely for any sign of trouble.

  He’d shaved, she noticed.

  It didn’t miss her attention that his eyes didn’t hold the same mischief they had only days ago either. He was determined to make it to Cane Island and he was just as determined to save his brother. His brother who lost his freedom to save her and her mother. He did that all because he loved a woman that he’d lost to fate years before.

  Sebastian had lied to her about almost everything, even about his own damn name. He hadn’t trusted that she’d help him if he told her the truth about who he really was. He believed she wouldn’t believe him if he told her his brother’s story. Even after those small moments they’d shared, she thought a connection had formed between them. What hurt her the most was the fact he hadn’t even hinted at wanting to tell her the truth.

  How long would the lies have gone on? Would she have completed this journey and returned to Cassius and her home never knowing who he actually was? Was that the ending he actually preferred to their story? Was his suggestion of staying with him, having a life with him, all part of his deception? She didn’t know for sure, nor was she sure if she wanted to know the answer to those questions.

  Her chest tightened, her eyes darting away before she could think toohard on it. She didn’t need silly dreams clouding her judgement. After her curse was broken she’d return home to Iron Kress and face whatever happened. She was still a lady of the court. Cassius, given that he was alright and healing from his wounds, could marry Ophelia. They could unite their kingdoms and have a life of traveling as King and Queen. They’d have children who’d never have to worry about someday being used as a sacrifice.

  Her eyes searched for Asher then. He was currently helping a few other members of the crew secure the ropes to the sail. Would she go home with him? Because she was no longer useful to the King once her curse was broken, she doubted they’d go through with her engagement to Cassius. Perhaps, that meant she and he could try courting. They might actually be happy together. A life in the palace with no worries of having to make the hard choices King and Queens do.

  A life still suffocating in the palace.

  The freedom she craved, the need to travel as Ophelia has? It wasn’t going to go away just because her life wasn’t in danger. The feeling of the sea breeze pushing through her hair, the sun warming her face, she’d miss it so badly if she was to go back to being the pretty wallflower in the palace. The pretty little silent wife to the bastard prince. It was a title she didn’t want any longer.

  So where did that leave her? If she couldn’t stomach a life back home, but neither could she consider a life at sea with him, what choices did she have left?

  No choices at all.

  A hand touching hers caught her attention. “You think too hard, my friend. Everything will happen as it’s supposed to. It might not seem like it now, but the right choice will shine through the dark clouds when it’s ready to.”

  Ember glanced at the Princess beside her in disbelief. She didn’t believe it would be just that easy to pick the right choice. There was no way the right choice was just suddenly going to come to her as easily as it was to ask for a glass of water.

  Her eyes flickered toward the Captain again, wondering if that was why he chose to lie to her over and over. If it was why he couldn’t seem to tell her the truth even after the few moments they shared together. If nothing else, she thought they were becoming friends.

  Apparently, she’d been wrong about that too

  Ophelia followed her gaze and a small smile played on her lips. “Guilt plagues his mind about how things were handled during my mother’s party. I can feel it swirling around him. Guilt and sadness. He knows he hurt you and I can tell he wishes to apologize, but he doesn’t know the correct words to do so.”

  Ember’s gaze immediately darted away from the pirate. A blush burnt across her cheeks like wildfire. “How could you possibly know that?”

  Ophelia gave her that dazzling smile that told her she had her ways. Ember wasn’t sure she wanted to know the exact extent of what the Princess could do with her magic.

  The witch in question simply laughed, her fingers squeezing her own gently. “I also have the talentof being able to read a person.”

  Upon seeing Ember’s confusion, Ophelia turned and went on to explain. “His eyes flicker to you when you’re not looking. This is a look of longing and guilt swirling behind those green eyes when he looks to you. It’s not hard to read between the lines if you know what to look for.”

  Ember’s gaze shifted to the pirate captain again, wondering if there was any way Ophelia could be right. She wasn’t sure what answer she was hoping for. As if he knew they were talking about him, his eyes turned toward her suddenly.

  Their stares locked, his pleading with hers to forgive him.

  So maybe Ophelia was right, not that she’d admit it.

  As her eyes lowered, she tried to ignore the hurt she saw flash across his face.

  Ophelia leaned over, her shoulder bumping her own. “I know you miss him too. I saw the two of you at my mother’s ball dancing. You care for him and he for you. I’m not ordering you to talk to him, but as your new friend? I th
ink you should.”

  Ember sighed heavily as she leaned back against the side of the Obsidian, her thoughts racing through her head. Her head tipped back, her eyes closing, as she soaked up the sun’s rays. She could get used to this, she thought to herself. She knew that she already was if she let herself admit it.

  After a moment, she lifted her head, her eyes shifting toward the Princess standing beside her. “Thank you. For the advice. I appreciate it.”

  Ophelia’s smile shined as she nodded. “What are new friends for?”

  Ember returned her smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes like Ophelia’s did.

  “Do you really believe if fate had worked differently that we would have been close friends?” She asked, her eyes watching her curiously.

  Ophelia leaned back against the wood. Her face scrunched up as she thought over Ember’s question. “I do. I think we would have been close. Maybe not at first, but over time and after a few adventures. We would have had our fights. No doubt over boys, clothes, opinions, the normal things I believe friends argue over, but we would have come out stronger. Maybe after this mess, you can return with me and we can work on lost time? Your mother was Stellarian. You’d be welcomed in my kingdom.”

  Ember’s eyes widened at the offer. She hadn’t even considered going back with Ophelia as an option. While her mother was from Stellara, Ember knew nothing of her heritage. She didn’t know if she even had the powers Ophelia did. “I couldn’t intrude like that. I wouldn’t fit in at Stellara. I don’t have-” Ember started to say.

  “Magic? Not that you know of, no, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any.” Ophelia cut her off, raising a challenging brow as if she dared her to tell her she was wrong.

  Ember couldn’t fight back the grin even if she wanted to. “You may have a point.”

  Ophelia’s smile spread across her face as she held her head up proudly. “Of course, I’m right. I am a princess and a witch after all. I know how to find hope when there is none.”

  Ember laughed. Actually laughed. It was something she hadn’t done in a long time.

  “I’m not about to argue with that logic.” She said as her smile grew.

  After a moment their laughter quieted, seriousness falling over them once again. Ophelia looked over to the Ember with a curiousness she wasn’t sure she was ready to satisfy. “Would you consider my offer? Coming back to Stellara with me after this is all over and done with?” Her question was quiet. It was almost like she was nervous of the answer she’d receive, but she knew it needed to be asked.

  Ember really considered the offer. Without thinking, her eyes sought out Sebastian’s once again. Her head told her Stellara made the most sense. Her father would have no more use for her and he’d sooner send her to a nunnery then let her stay in the palace. Her reputation would be in ruins and he would be the joke of every Lord who came to the palace.

  If her curse was truly broken, she knew the King would have no use for her. Her engagement to Cassius would be history. As would their

  friendship.

  Still, it would be another life in a palace she had no place being in and then there was the issue of the fact she barely knew this girl. She grew up with Cassius and Asher. She knew their odd habits, their likes and dislikes, and even their favorite things. She knew nothing about Ophelia. No matter how badly the Princess wished it, their pasts weren’t going to change.

  “I’ll consider it as an option. Thank you for the offer, but” Ember started to say.

  Ophelia sighed. “But we’re still complete strangers and Iron Kress is the only home you’ve known. The bastard prince is the friend you grew up with. Not me.”

  Ember felt her shoulders tense, but she nodded regardless. Ophelia wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t exactly right either. Still, she found herself not racing to correct the Princess.

  Her gaze shifted back to Asher, a wave of pity hitting her. “I wish people would stop calling him that. He’s a good man. A quick temper, sure, but he’s kind. He acts with his heart. It gets him in trouble most of the time, but at least he doesn’t lie to me. He loves his brother and he cares for m” She stopped herself from finishing that sentence.

  She wouldn’t put her heart through that pain. Asher had turned against her so quickly. He actually thought she had switched loyalties from him to Sebastian. He’d known her just about her entire life. Yet he actually believed she had drop him for the first chance at freedom. As much as she wanted to travel and see everything the world had to offer, she had wanted to do it with him by her side once upon a time.

  Could she say the same now?

  Ophelia’s hand rested on top of her own. “It’s okay if your feelings for him have changed. You’ve seen so many things since leaving your home. He represents the only place you’ve known since you were a child. He’s safe, he’s familiar. Perhaps, that’s what you wanted before but is no longer what you need now? Perhaps, just maybe, now you need something else. Someoneelse.”

  Her eyes darted back to Sebastian without hesitation.

  As if he knew where her mind had gone, his eyes lifted and locked back on her. She held his stare, wondering if he was feeling what she did. Was every moment between them a lie? Was it all some game so he could trick her into trusting him?

  After a week and a half on this journey, and he couldn’t trust her with at least his real name? Did he think she’d turn on him simply because of who he was related to? She might have been surprised, but Klaus had left him when he was a child. His brother didn’t mold him into the man he was today.

  Though, as much as she wished that was how she’d react in the moment, she knew she couldn’t be sure how she would have actually reacted. Regardless, it shouldn’t have mattered. That small fact aside, he should have given her the chance to figure it out. Instead, he’d made an assumption and made the choice for her.

  “He didn’t trust me, Ophelia. He took me from my home, my family, with no explanation. He locked me away in that cell for days until he needed me as some sort of pretty distraction. I actually started to trust him, that’s the real joke. I considered him a friend and he couldn’t even trust me with his name.” She said softly, the pain in her voice clear as she spoke.

  Ophelia’s hand squeezed her fingers gently, silently telling her she was on her side. The motion was appreciated, but she wasn’t sure it helped. “Men are odd creatures. It’s why I don’t bother with them any longer.” Her new friend confessed.

  Ember’s eyes widened, her brow rising in interest at the reveal. “I didn’t know a royal could be open about their‘preferences’.”

  Ophelia laughed suddenly, the sound startling her.

  “You’ll learn quickly that in Stellara we’re not as backwards as the rest of the world seems to be. While the case of two rulers being of the same sex hasn’t happened yet, it’s not frowned upon either. It's just a matter of time.” She said with a shrug of her shoulder, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

  This was why Ophelia was a beloved princess. She didn’t care what others thought of her. She did was what thought was best, liked who she wanted to, and thought of progression instead of following the old traditions.

  “Have you ever thought of opening Stellara’s borders? To people who could use that way of thinking? Stellara could be a safe place for people who cannot be themselves anywhere else in this world.” Ember asked, her eyes studying the Princess as she seriously considered the question she’d been asked.

  It didn’t escape Ember’s attention when Ophelia’s gaze flickered to the beautiful pirate sitting on the barrel of rum. The sadness Ember had felt when Ana revealed her and Ari’s story to her returned. They could have used the very safe haven Ember had suggested when they were girls. It still could be if Ophelia opened Stellara’s borders to non-witches.

  “Stellara hasn’t always been as open-minded as it is now. I wouldn’t be able to make that decision on my own, and as progressive as our kingdom has become over the years? There are certain laws i
n place that would keep me from doing that. The idea would be shut down before I even finished suggesting it.” Ophelia said, her eyes shifting away from the pirate as a sadness waved over her.

  “Perhaps one day that’ll change.” Ember said, wishing there was more she could say but knew there wasn’t.

  As much as she pretended that she was part of the royal's world, she wasn’t actually anything special. She’d never be a ruler like Ophelia, now would she ever have that chance to make a difference in this cruel world like she could.

  “Perhaps,”

  She didn’t sound too hopeful.

  Chapter 23

  Another two moons had come and gone and they were making good time as they continued to sail toward Cane Island. The Obsidian was pushing through the waves at a quick speed. Sebastian didn't want to waste a single moment.

  Ember’s chores had started to beco me more challenging as the days went on, but she was a quick learner and was able to keep up with Reid as he assigned her new tasks. He took the time to teach her different jobs around the Obsidian and she was happy to learn them.

  If she was being honest, she knew he was surprised to see her able to keep up. Never mind the fact she knew he was more impressed she’d asked to be taught in the first place. She was sure the fact she rarely complained like other crew members were known to was something else that caught him off guard. He expected her to live off the special princess treatment she’d be given the first few days she was here. Ember was more than happy to prove him wrong.

  She was also having Reid teach her James’ language so she could interact with him as well. He’d mentioned before that he, Sebastian, and the twins were the only ones who bothered to learn sign language. She found it upsetting everyone else on the crew either ignored the poor child, or forced him to speak even when it caused him so much pain to do so.