Too exhausted to sort out what had just happened, I sagged to the ground with a smile and let my eyelids close.
Chapter 18
I stretched leisurely as I woke from a deep and dreamless sleep, but then my elbow made contact with something hard.
“Ow!”
I sat up, despite my sore body’s protests. Beside me the captain rubbed his jaw, somehow completely dressed. I looked down at myself and saw, to my relief, that my shift was covered once again by a dress.
“How do you feel?” I asked, looking around for William who was nowhere to be found.
“Aside from my sore jaw?” he asked dryly. He seemed to take stock of himself. “I feel like a boat that’s been run aground. And I'm hungry.” He seemed to be working his tongue across the roof of his mouth.
I quickly fetched him a leaf full of water and he looked at it suspiciously.
“It isn’t poisoned, is it?”
Apparently he was too thirsty to wait for an answer because he lowered his lips and drank every drop. He stretched, winced and scratched at his whiskered face.
“I . . . things seem hazy, but I seem to remember succumbing to the poison. I thought I was done for.” He paused and looked around. “Why, I’ll be,” he said, his voice full of amusement. “You nursed me.”
He brought his fingers to his chest and itched, and his mouth dropped open for a moment as he examined his clothing.
“You changed me,” he added, a wry grin spread across his face. He discreetly checked his underthings as well and turned to look at me with a smug smile. “It appears you took advantage of my weakened state.”
I felt my face flame. “Yes, I seduced you while you were burning with fever.”
He chuckled hard and his shoulders shook, then abruptly he stopped. “I didn’t think there was a cure.”
“I’m not sure there is,” I admitted slowly. I explained what had happened, taking care to leave out the blood ritual and the words my ancestors had spoken. “It seems they didn’t want you to die.”
“Maybe they know I’m trying to free their kin,” he said, standing up and stretching tall. “It proves I was right about the Emmía and the murders that happened here.”
“Well, maybe some parts, but surely not all,” I said, still unwilling to believe the worst.
He cracked his knuckles. “I don’t understand how you can’t believe what your own eyes have told you.” He strode toward the tunnel that led out of the cave. “We can go back to the ship now.”
I looked up in shock. “We can? What about the treasure?”
“I don’t know.” He stopped and his shoulders slumped. “He said I would find it, but I didn’t.”
“Who said it?” I asked. “What is this treasure?”
“A way to unbind the Emmía’s power. That’s the treasure I was seeking. I was hoping to find a spell or something that would teach me how, but I’m afraid I failed. It might not even matter anymore. For all I know, she could be dead now.”
I paused mid-stretch. His purpose in coming here was to unbind my power? Not a treasure? Before I could further that thought, William stepped through the tunnel. I scrambled to my feet to go to him before I stopped momentarily, stunned again by his beauty. I wanted to say something but my tongue wouldn’t cooperate.
He gave me a smile so wide it stole my breath. I’d never seen his full smile before; his scars had made it impossible. He opened his arms wide and I flung myself at him. He caught me, swinging me in a circle.
The captain gasped. “Willie, your scars! They’re gone.”
“They are?” William lowered me to the ground and raised his hands to his face, tracing them up and down his skin. His huge smile returned and he whooped as he picked me back up and swung me around again.
“Where did you go?” I demanded when he released me.
“You needed rest.” His finger brushed against the tip of my nose. “I figured it was my turn to be on watch.”
I blushed. “So you're the one who . . . ” I gestured to my clothes and he laughed.
“Yes, and I'm assuming you're the one who . . . ” he made the motion of removing his shirt and I blushed even deeper.
“I had to get the poison off of you,” I explained, not able to meet his gaze.
The captain laughed. “So, Sheridan, you managed to get not just one, but both of the Fredricks brothers naked.”
“Oh, be quiet,” I mumbled irritably. “The only reason I saved you was for William's sake and I already regret it.” I stalked past the captain, and both brothers laughed.
At length, their mirth died down and they began to discuss business. “What now?” William asked.
The captain picked a rock up off the ground and hurled it against the wall before dropping to his knees, and buried his face in his hands. “If there's a way to free the Emmía’s magic, I can’t find it. Perhaps it’s hidden inside the Manacle. She might be dead already. But maybe it will help the next one. Even if —”
“Maybe she’s still alive, Clay.” William extended a hand to his brother, helping him to his feet. “Don’t give up hope. We haven’t done all of this for nothing.”
They exchanged a brief hug. My mind spun. Judging by the worry lines around his eyes, the captain seemed genuinely troubled by my fate. But if he did care about Jade, how could he have orchestrated her downfall? No, I decided, he cared for the position, not the individual girl. And he was ruthless enough to succeed, no matter the cost.
I knew my magic had been unbound, at least in part. Ever since the medallion had been removed from my neck, I’d been able to cast successful spells.
How did the pirate crew fit in with the captain’s determination to unbind the Emmía? It seemed impossible to believe the captain would do anything without personal gain. Still, the words he had spoken had been filled with passion for his cause. It made me believe that he meant them. But to what end? And once he unbound the Emmía’s magic, what did he plan to do with it? I didn’t trust the captain, but I trusted William. That trust would have to do for now.
“We should bury them,” William said from beside me, interrupting my thoughts. “The Myleans. They did save us, after all. Giving their bodies a proper burial, so their spirits can rest, is the least we can do.”
“They do need a burial, but you need to rest.” I sounded like Pearl.
“But the poison,” the captain said. “How do we keep from almost dying again? We still have a war to fight.”
I scowled. “I hate to say this, but the captain’s right.”
“I already checked on the ballroom,” William said, ignoring us both. “The poison’s turned black. It does that when it’s no longer active. I think the spell last night released and killed it. We’ll be fine.”
“I’ll help,” I said rolling up my sleeves.
“No, Sheridan,” the captain said. “Let us do this. It's no job for a lady.”
I blinked. The captain had called me a lady.
“I already brought the skeletons from the hut to the ballroom, too.” William gave me a sad smile. “I wanted to keep my promise to you.”
“Where should we bury them?” I asked.
“I wandered across a cemetery to the left of the palace this morning,” William said. “We'll bury them among their people.” He headed towards the banquet hall, and the captain followed.
Something caught the light from the sun streaming in from the ceiling. Next to the altar lay the gem that had burned my palm. It must have pulled free after I’d touched it. It really did look a lot like my medallion. I held my breath as I picked it up, waiting for the pain again. But nothing happened. I slipped it into my pocket, not sure what to do with it.
Feeling the need to help, I took the overgrown path to the cemetery. The massive headstones were weathered and twisted with overgrown vines and tropical flowers that bloomed among the chaos.
A small mound off to one side seemed out of place, and a roofline peeked out through the foliage. Quick examination revealed
it to be a shed. I pushed past the overgrown vines and forced open the door. Among the various tools, I found a shovel and made my way to an open section of ground where I began to dig.
It gave me plenty of time to think. And my thoughts circled around to my upcoming execution for murder. What I’d seen of the Mylean history was a thing of nightmares, one I’d never forget. But it did something else for me. It’d shown me what cold-blooded murder looked like. When I compared that calculated genocide with my own hand in killing August, I saw the glaring difference. I’d been nothing but remorseful. It had been an accident, like the running children in William’s example.
It didn’t matter that my medallion had fallen off. I didn’t deserve to die. I would have to explain that to the king when I returned. I’d make him understand. It was a mistake and I refused to feel guilty for it anymore. I’d run away from my execution to save Orea, but now I wanted to live for myself. I hadn’t truly broken an Edict and I didn’t deserve death. I deserved to live.
My progress was slow, until I remembered my newfound gift of magic. With the use of a few charms, I had several deep pits ready when the men arrived with the first of the bodies. They’d shrouded the remains in elegant velvet draperies.
The captain stopped and looked at the open graves, surprise etched on his face. “You . . . you exceeded my expectations,” he said as he held his gruesome bundle.
“Something tells me that wasn’t hard to do.”
His burst of laughter surprised me. William grinned too. Then the sobered as they gently rolled the bundle from the cloth and into the shallow grave where, despite their care, it landed with a crunch. Without another word, they left to retrieve another stack of bodies, then another, and another. As each grave filled I pushed the dirt back.
I dropped to my knees as I patted dirt around the last hole, murmuring the ritual words I had been taught for the dead. The men removed their bandanas and bowed their heads, and the captain offered a few words over the fresh graves.
He must have seen my astonishment at his thoughtfulness because he met my gaze. “Even a pirate has respect for the dead.”
I stared at the ground, unsure of what to say.
Once in the dinghy, I turned back around and gave the island a wistful wave. It had felt like home and right now it was the only one that truly welcomed me. The whole island seemed one enormous graveyard to me now. Beautiful, but a graveyard nonetheless, and its emptiness seeped into my soul like the chill of deep winter. But like the sun coming out after a snowstorm, the Myleans were now at peace. That brought a smile to my lips.
I wondered, too, at my magical ability that had blossomed. Was I a late bloomer, or had the medallion really been blocking my magic? Even if what the brothers claimed was true, I still couldn’t believe the kingdom would hinder my magic for any evil reasons.
Magic. I had magic! I wiggled my fingers with a smile.
The captain glanced my way. “How did you save us from the poison? There's no cure for it; the Manacle has used it before and the best witches around have tried to make antidotes, but there isn't one. So I ask again, how did you do it?”
“It wasn't me, it was—”
“Yes, the ghosts, but there's more to this story then you’re telling. I know you can’t invoke ghosts without some pretty heartfelt words.”
He stared straight into my eyes, as if daring me to lie to him, and I cleared my throat uncomfortably and let my straggly hair hang in a veil in front of my face to hide my chagrin at his observations.
“Well?” he pressed.
I took William’s hand in mine and stared into his eyes. “They were heartfelt for William.” William’s fingers tightened around mine. “You were just lucky to be included in the bargain. Besides, I couldn’t very well go back to your ship without you, could I? The rest of the crew would likely kill me.”
“Aye, they would,” the captain agreed. He stared at me like he expected me to say more.
I didn’t.
“Still, I appreciate it.” He cleared his throat and said in a clear voice. “Thank you for saving my life. For the second time.”
A meeting of the ship’s officers commenced as soon as we came back aboard. The room was unusually silent when the captain announced the crushing news that the mission had been futile.
Edmond's lips were drawn in a tight line, his brows crushed together. “I told you it was a fool’s errand! We’ll be lucky to hobble back into port with the condition the ship is in. We’ve lost men and risked the ship, and all for nothing!” He slammed his hand down as he pushed back from his table.
The captain leaned forward, gripping the edge of the table. “Hold your tongue, Edmond. This option had to be explored if our goal was to be met.”
“Bah! You risked all our lives and earned the notice of the Manacle. We were imbeciles to have listened to you.”
“Watch your mouth.” The captain rose, glaring at Edmond across the table, his eyes flashing silver. Edmond cringed and dropped his gaze.
“I’m not the only one saying it,” Edmond muttered.
“In that case, it would do well to remind you that mutiny is impossible with your oath.” He circled around the table until he came to rest behind Edmond, whose eyes narrowed as the captain towered over him. “If I hear one more word of dissent coming for your lips, you’ll no longer have a tongue with which to speak.” There was no question by the steel in his voice that this was no idle threat. “The same goes for the rest of my officers,” he added, turning towards the rest of the men.
Edmond swallowed, glowering. “Understood.”
“Dismissed.” The officers’ eyes flickered between the captain and Edmond, still feeling the thick tension in the air.
Edmond’s lips pressed together before marching out of the room. Once he was gone the rest of the men followed suit.
“A word if you please, Sheridan.”
I arched an eyebrow at the captain. He motioned to a chair and I sat.
“I wanted to thank you again for what you did for William and me on the island.” He cleared his throat. “I wish to explain why I acted the way I did with the Emmía, to show you that I am not the heartless man you believe me to be.”
“I doubt you’ll be able to convince me of that, but feel free to try.”
He drew a deep breath. “I’m in love with the Emmía.”
“What?” My jaw went slack. His words had come out in such a rush, I was sure I had misheard them.
He tapped his fingers along the table. “I’ve been in love with her since I was a boy. I didn’t plan to jeopardize her life. I just wanted the medallion. With it I could save her from the Manacle.”
Air. I suddenly needed air. I jumped to my feet, but the room spun. I sunk back down into the chair, my head swimming. My stomach clenched and I fought to keep my voice calm. “And you thought that attacking the ship and threatening the prince’s life was a good plan?”
“At the time.” A flush rose from his neck and he tugged on the collar of his shirt, not meeting my eyes. “It didn’t go according to plan. I meant to rescue her. My luck usually runs better than that. I thought it was fate. And if she has died while we wasted our time on that island, I’ll never forgive myself. I’d do anything to help her.”
His words startled me. He didn’t even know me; how could he think he loved me? In stories, men in love always did silly things to prove how much they cared, but attacking a naval vessel? What did he plan next, storming the castle? I sat up straight. “There may be something you can do to help her. Would you be willing?”
“Anything.”
I cleared my throat. “The reason I snuck aboard was to retrieve her medallion. They sent Dorian after me to make sure I didn’t break my word. I have to return to the palace with him and the medallion.”
“No.”
“If I don’t, they’ll kill the Emmía’s sister. They’re trading her life for it. They were angry that Jade left the medallion with you. Don’t you see that not only will th
e Emmía’s execution be on you head, but her sister’s death, too, if you don’t let me leave with it?”
He didn’t speak at first. “Give me some time to consider. I’m not willing to give up a witch as powerful as you.”
He’d have a dead witch on his hands if I couldn’t keep my blood oath with Dorian. “If I don’t return to them, I will die. And so will Pearl.”
He frowned. “I’ll consider it.” He turned his head, staring out the window and I decided to leave him to his thoughts. If he truly cared about me as much as he had just proclaimed, then we would be rescuing Pearl. I stood and left the room, feeling a flicker of hope.
I stepped into the bracing sea air and gulped for breath. I finally had the captain’s reasons for what he did to me. I had speculated almost every reason imaginable. All except love. That I never would have guessed. A pulse of anger erupted inside of me. Love? He called that love?
A hand touched my arm, interrupting my tirade. “Sheridan, may I speak with you? In private?” William whispered into my ear.
“Of course.”
“In our quarters, if you please.”
“Very well,” I said, following him.
Once we were alone, he closed the door behind us. He opened his mouth, then closed it several times, and ran his fingers through his hair while shifting in place. He looked uncomfortable about what he wanted to say, and I had a guess as to what put it there. “Is this about undressing you in the cave? I’m sorry. I know it was rather bold of me, but it was the only way to get the poison off of you, and I didn’t peek—”
William interrupted me with a laugh. “I’m not that modest of a man, Sheridan. Besides, there are worse things than being undressed by your wife.”
He shook his head, still laughing, and I marveled again at how different he looked now that his scars were gone. He was as handsome as his brother, but in a completely different way. The captain strutted around like a peacock with his tail feathers waving in the air. In contrast, William brought to mind a soaring eagle, quiet in his graceful beauty, indifferent to the vanity and pettiness miles below.