Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince

by Liz Kessler

  Jakob shook his wife’s hand off. “Well, he needs to get used to disappointment,” he said. “He’s going to have a lifetime of it. Now, then, let’s get this chest open and start enjoying our newfound wealth, shall we?”

  As his father began to open the chest, Sam stared at him for another moment. Then he turned and stormed out of the room.

  “Sam!” I called to him.

  He didn’t reply.

  I glanced at the crew. Ana gave me a nod. “Go after him,” she said.

  I followed Sam out of the room. He was halfway down the corridor when I caught up with him.

  “Sam. Wait.”

  He stopped but didn’t turn around. I walked around to face him, made him look me in the eyes. His face was steel.

  “Why are you so angry?” I asked.

  “Are you kidding me?” He pointed down the corridor. “Didn’t you see what just went down in there?”

  “Yes, I saw it. I saw everything,” I said calmly, carefully. “I saw a family of pirates acting like . . . a family of pirates.”

  Sam gritted his teeth, his breath raging in and out of his nostrils as he continued to stare at me.

  “You want to be a part of that?” I asked. “I mean, really? Is that what you want to inherit? Is that how you want to live your life? Like them? Like that? Do you really want to be a pirate prince?”

  Sam’s breathing had begun to calm. His eyes lost their intensity. Finally, he dragged a hand through his hair and breathed out heavily. “No,” he said. “It isn’t. But what choice do I have?”

  I thought about my own situation. My worries about people’s reactions to who I was. The fact that I’d almost been ashamed of being a mermaid, just because someone else said I should be.

  “You have the choice to be yourself,” I said. “Regardless of what anyone else wants you to be.”

  “What if I don’t know who that is?” Sam asked.

  “Then find out.” I leaned forward and put my hand on his chest. “Listen to what’s in here,” I said, whispering now. “Your gut, and your heart, will tell you what to do.”

  Sam closed his hand over mine. Without moving his eyes away from mine, even for a millisecond, he said, “My heart knows exactly what it wants me to do.”

  We stayed like that for — I don’t know — a minute? An hour? I couldn’t break away.

  “Hey, is everything OK out here or do you need —?” Someone had come out into the corridor.

  I turned to the voice I knew well. “Aaron!”

  I saw his eyes flicker to my hand on Sam’s chest, Sam’s hand over mine. I snatched my hand away, but it was too late.

  “Sorry to bother you,” Aaron said.

  “Wait!” I called, but he’d already turned and gone back inside.

  No!

  I turned back to Sam. “I’m going after him,” I said.

  Sam grabbed my arm. “Emily, wait.” He paused for a second; it looked as if he were trying to say something but didn’t know how to.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  Sam swallowed hard, chewed a nail already bitten to the quick, took a couple of breaths. Then he spoke quickly. “Just. Look, think about what you said to me, OK? About what you want, what other people want. Before you run — after anyone — just make sure it’s what you want, not what you think someone else wants from you. Remember our deal on the ship, OK? Will you do that?”

  I smiled at Sam, remembering our words. “I will if you will,” I said again.

  “All right. Come on,” he said, striding confidently back to the room where everyone was waiting. “Let’s go face the music.”

  Ilet go of Sam’s hand just before we reached the door.

  “Good luck,” I whispered.

  He turned to give me a quick smile. “You too.”

  We walked in as Jakob was opening the chest. He leaned forward and lifted the lid, and none of us could keep ourselves from gasping at the sight. The chest was absolutely packed full of gold, diamonds, jewels of every color and shape, glinting and sparkling and sending sparks of light around the room.

  Jakob stared at the treasure for a moment, and then he dived in — hurling his arms into the jewels as if he were launching himself into a pool.

  But his joy was short-lived.

  A second later, Jakob leaped backward, as if he’d been stung or bitten or something.

  “What the — ?” he screamed, rubbing his arms and frowning, his face curled up in pain.

  “Jakob, whatever is the matter?” Michele sounded disgusted.

  “The — the —” Jakob jabbed a hand at the treasure chest. “It bit me!”

  “It did what?” Michele replied. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She shoved her husband out of the way and leaned over the chest herself. “Diamonds do not bite,” she said as she reached into the chest. “And nor do — ARGH!”

  Michele pulled her hand back out of the chest and rubbed her arm. “What on earth is happening?” she asked.

  Sam went over to join his parents beside the chest. “There’s something on there,” he said, pointing to an envelope stuck to the inside of the lid.

  “I’m not touching it,” Michele muttered. So Sam leaned forward and pulled the envelope off the lid.

  He opened the envelope and pulled out a card.

  “What does it say, son?” Jakob asked.

  Sam read aloud.

  “The Trident’s Treasure marks the love that Neptune and Aurora shared,

  And here it shall remain until with its new owner it is paired.

  Perhaps you’ll think these jewels you’ve found have been presented just for you.

  Be warned: you’ll never touch or own them, lest your heart is pure and true.”

  For a moment, no one said anything. Then Noah strutted across the room.

  “Poppycock!” he announced as, like his mom and dad before him, he shoved his hands into the jewels. A second later, like his mom and dad before him, he leaped away, gripping his hand and screaming in pain.

  The way he jumped reminded me of something. What was it? My mind whirred back over the events of the last few days — and then I had it. On the dance floor back at the ship. The way Noah had leaped when he was dancing with my mom. Just before Sam had picked something up off the floor.

  I pulled on Sam’s arm. “Where did you find my mom’s necklace?” I asked him.

  Sam turned to me, confusion clouding his eyes. “What?”

  “My mom’s necklace. The mermaid. Did you pick it up off the dance floor?”

  “I . . . yes.”

  I stepped forward and spoke to Noah. “You couldn’t touch it,” I said. Turning to Michele, I went on. “Nor could you. My dad had received it from Neptune as a reward for doing good work.” I grinned at Sam. “Sam, I think my mom’s necklace is part of this collection. That’s why no one else in your family could touch it!”

  “I wouldn’t want to touch that thing. Mermaids!” Michele muttered, making a face of disgust. I didn’t care. What she thought of mermaids didn’t matter. She wouldn’t hold me back from what I knew was true.

  I turned to Sam “You could hold it,” I breathed. “You’re the one with the pure heart. You should try touching the Trident’s Treasure!”

  Sam stepped toward the chest. “You think . . . ?”

  I nodded. The others crowded around.

  Sam carefully leaned over the chest, skimmed his hands over it, lifted out a necklace. “You’re right!” he said, turning to me. “The Trident’s Treasure — I’ve won it after all!”

  Jakob strode over to his younger son. “Now, hold on a minute, lad,” he said. “Just because you can touch it doesn’t make it yours. We’ll come to some sort of arrangement. Maybe I’ll put you in charge of it. But the family business is still mine, and any jewels you receive while working for me — well, they’re mine as well.”

  Sam looked his dad in the eyes, and then he smiled. “I don’t want your family business,” he said. “I don’t want to work for it. I don�
�t want to be part of it. I don’t want anything to do with it.”

  As he spoke, his shoulders seemed to get higher, as though his words were lifting a burden from them.

  “I’m done,” Sam went on. “I’m taking the ship I’ve been given, I’m taking this chest filled with treasure — and I’m out. This chest belongs to Neptune and I intend to return it to him.”

  “Neptune!” His dad laughed. “Neptune is a mythical creature!”

  “No, he isn’t,” Aaron said from the far side of the room. His voice wobbled as he spoke. “He’s real. And if he left the treasure here, then I agree with Sam. It’s up to him to decide what to do with it now.”

  Sam nodded at Aaron. “So we’ll find him, and we’ll ask him. And while we’re at it, we will return the rest of my father’s stolen treasures to their rightful owners.” Sam turned back to his dad. “Father, it’s over,” he said. “I’m boarding your ship and I’m taking everything. Everything that isn’t yours.”

  Jakob burst out laughing. “On your own?” he scoffed. “I don’t think so.”

  “I won’t be on my own,” Sam replied. Then he spun around to look at each of us individually. “Who’s with me?”

  There was a split second of silence, followed by a shuffling from the far side of the room.

  And then Dean stepped forward.

  “I am,” he said. He marched across the room and stood beside Sam. Sam turned to him with a smile full of gratitude and shock in equal parts.

  Luke was next. “With you all the way, Captain,” he said as he joined Dean beside Sam. Then Hal came forward. And finally, Ana and Kat. Grabbing my hand as she joined us, Ana said, “You’re with us, aren’t you?”

  I stood with them all. “Of course I am!” I said.

  Sam grinned at us all. “OK, I’m done,” he began. “I have my team.”

  “No, you haven’t,” a voice spoke up from Noah’s side of the room.

  Aaron!

  He stepped away from Noah’s crew and crossed the room to stand in front of Sam. “I’d like to join you, if you’ll have me,” he said.

  Sam moved aside so Aaron could shuffle in between him and Dean. “Of course we’ll have you,” he said, reaching out to shake Aaron’s hand. “Welcome aboard.”

  Another guy stepped away from Noah’s crew. “I’d like to come as well,” he said, crossing the room to join Sam’s crew. Another followed, and then another, then two more.

  In the end, Noah — by now speechless — was left with only two crew members, one on either side of him. All the rest had joined Sam.

  The atmosphere was electric. Sam turned around to face us. “Welcome to you all,” he said. “Thank you for your loyalty, and for your trust. I will work hard to earn and keep your respect as your captain. In return, I will expect the same level of work and loyalty from you. We will be a democracy. We will make decisions together. One person, one vote. We will not steal, we will not lie, we will never use violence. And we will not rest until we have returned everything my family has stolen — and righted the wrongs my family has committed.”

  It was all too much for Noah. He couldn’t stand there listening to it anymore. “You’re pathetic,” he shouted. “All of you! You’ll all come crawling back to me in the end, just you wait.”

  And with that, he stormed out of the room, his two loyal crew members trailing meekly after him.

  Dean turned to face us all. “You heard our captain,” he said. “If you don’t like what he’s said, leave now. Go join Noah before it’s too late.”

  No one moved.

  Sam smiled at us all. “Thank you,” he said. “I won’t let you down.” Then he turned to his parents, who had remained shocked into silence throughout the proceedings up to now. Sam stood in front of his mother. Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Mother, come with us. Help us make amends,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  Michele shook her head. “I can’t,” she said. She didn’t even look at him. “It’s too late for me.”

  Sam leaned in and kissed his mother’s face, wet with tears. He stepped toward his father to shake his hand. Jakob kept his arms folded. “You shouldn’t be doing this, son,” he growled. “You’ll regret it.”

  “The only thing I’ll regret is letting my family define who I am for another minute,” Sam replied. Then he let his arm fall and he turned back to us. “Dean, Luke, can you manage the chest between you?”

  A couple of other boys offered to join them, and the four of them heaved it up onto their shoulders.

  At the door, Sam turned back to his parents. “Bye, Mother. Bye, Father,” he said. Neither of them replied. Jakob’s face was stone. Michele’s was streaked with tears.

  “Come on,” I said softly. “Let’s go.”

  Sam turned away from his parents. “Wait,” he said to me. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled something out. A thin silver chain was looped around his fingers. “Here,” he said. “The first thing we’re taking back is your mom’s necklace. The second thing is you. I’m going to take you home.”

  I took the necklace from him. “Thank you,” I said, my voice breaking on the tears that had squirmed into my throat.

  Sam turned to look at his parents one last time.

  “I don’t wish you any harm,” he said. “And if I see you again, I will be civil. But my mission from now on is to undo every nasty thing you have ever done and to turn our family name into something that good people will respect. If it takes all my life, it will be a life well lived.”

  As his parents stared numbly at him, Sam turned to me and the rest of the crew. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Sam led the way along the castle’s corridors.

  Aaron had squeezed past a couple of boys from Noah’s crew to get to me. He went to take my hand and found the necklace I was still clutching. “Here,” he said. “Let me do it.”

  I stopped walking so Aaron could clasp the necklace closed around my neck. As we set off walking again, he took hold of my hand. We didn’t say anything as we retraced our steps along the corridors, down the staircases, through the tunnel, and back to the bay where our ship was waiting.

  Except it wasn’t.

  Or — well, the ship was there. But it wasn’t going to take us around the world delivering stolen goods back to their rightful owners anytime soon.

  The sails had been torn to shreds: they lay on the deck, flapping in the breeze; some had already blown off the ship, into the water around it.

  The main mast had been attacked so savagely it was broken in half.

  The wheel had been ripped out of its place and smashed into three pieces.

  Who could do such a thing?

  As if we needed to ask.

  Noah’s ship was already nearly at the horizon. He’d gotten away before us and done this. His parting shot had been one last attempt to undermine his brother.

  And it seemed to have worked. Sam leaned against the rocks as he looked around. All the words, all the fighting spirit we’d gathered together less than an hour earlier seemed to have been ripped up and thrown on the wind like the sails.

  “Jakob’s ship is still here,” one of Noah’s crew members said. “Maybe we could take that.”

  Sam shook his head. “I promised no stealing — even from my father. We fetch every piece of stolen treasure from his ship, but the ship itself is his, and I’m not going to start this journey in his footsteps. I need to make my own.”

  He looked around at the crew. “Can I have some volunteers to collect all the stolen goods from my father’s ship?” he asked.

  Five or six people put their hands up.

  “OK, here’s the plan. We’ll all make our way to the Morning Star,” Sam said. “Thanks to Emily, we have a safe route through the water to my ship. From there, you guys will row back here to get the treasure and then across to my father’s ship in the tender and gather the stolen treasure. The rest of us will figure out how to get the Morning Star away from here.”
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br />   Sam stepped toward the water’s edge. He looked up, found my eyes and raised an eyebrow. I knew what he was asking me. I nodded in reply.

  “Follow Emily,” Sam said. “She will lead the way.”

  Aaron was by my side in seconds. “Emily,” he hissed. “They’ll see you.”

  I shrugged. “I know.”

  “I mean, your tail. They’ll know what you are. What we are.”

  “Half of them know already,” I said lightly.

  “And the rest?” Aaron asked. “What if they’re like Jakob and Noah? What if they’re disgusted?”

  I laughed as I stepped into the water. “What if they are?” I replied, realizing just how far on this journey I’d come. How much I’d gained; how much I’d let go of. “That’s their problem. Not mine.”

  And with that, I slipped into the cool water. “Are you coming?” I asked Aaron.

  He glanced at the others. Then he grinned and nodded. “OK,” he said. “Let’s go.”

  And together we let the water fold around us, let our legs disappear, our worries and fears disappearing with them as our tails formed and we led the way to the Morning Star.

  We’d boarded the Morning Star and half the group was rowing the small tender to gather the treasure.

  “What are we going to do?” Sam asked me while no one was listening. “We’ll never get this ship moving. It’s completely broken.”

  I shook my head. “I honestly don’t know,” I said. “We’ll figure something out.”

  I could see Aaron at the back of the ship, chatting with Luke. He looked awkward and shy. My heart went out to him. “Can you give me a minute?” I asked Sam. “There’s something I have to do.”

  Sam saw where I was looking. “Yeah,” he said. I was pretty sure I detected a note of regret in his voice. “Do what you need to do. I won’t hold you back.”

  I made my way to the back. “Hey, Aaron, have you got a minute?” I asked.

  Aaron left Luke and we found a quiet spot along the side of the ship.

  “You OK?” Aaron asked.

  “Yeah. I’m good. Are you?”