Tidal Waves

21. Captured

"I told you I'd find you again, my love."

As rain beat down on the deck of the Outlaw's ship, Klarion stood proudly at the helm, eyeing Raven as she tried to wiggle out from his grasp.

"Unhand me, you— you—"

Klarion used his magic to shut her mouth, preventing her from shouting. "Come on now, you know I'm the only other sorcerer on this planet. We will be the most powerful couple in history."

Raven shook her head in disagreement, watching as the rest of the crew spilled out from inside the cabin of the ship.

"Get away from her, you freak!" Damian ordered through gritted teeth. His wet curly hair draped over his eyes but Raven could still make out the angry expression on his face.

Klarion chuckled at the threat, pressing his face against Raven's cheek. "Sorry, pirates. This treasure belongs to me now. Farewell!"

Before anyone could get ahold of the two, smoke appeared and they disappeared into thin air. Everyone's eyes widened at the sight.

"No!"

Jason placed his hand on the smaller boys shoulder. "There's nothing you could've done. He ambushed us in the middle of the night."

"I should I've protected her better," Damian stated through gritted teeth.

Jason swallowed at the words. They were all too familiar. "Look, we'll find—"

Damian pulled away and looked up at him. "There's no telling where he took her! They could be literally anywhere!"

"Hey, I get that, we'll try our best, but—" Jason started, but was interrupted once again.

"No, no 'but'," Damian spoke. "We have to find her! I'll do it myself if I have to."

The crew grew silent at Damian's outburst. Jason let out a sigh.

"Do you have any ideas on where he could have taken her?"

Damian's gaze fell to the floor. The sight of a red gemstone caught his attention.

"No," he answered, making his way over towards the object and picked it up. "But this does."

"A... necklace?" Jason questioned.

"It's not just a necklace," Damian responded and turned his body around, waiting for the gem to glow. "It's a compass. She must have dropped it on purpose."

"How is that even possible?" Rose questioned. "Wait... is— is she a real witch?"

"How long have you known this, and haven't told anyone?" Jason asked, visibly annoyed. "That would've been nice to know."

Damian narrowed his eye. "We all have secrets, do we not?"

Jason went silent, and Damian got his answer.

"There's a lot to explain. She wasn't aware of her ability until recently. Also, to answer your question, Rose, she's the daughter of a demon."

Rose inaudibly gasped at his words.

"Well, uh, let's start the search," Maya suddenly spoke up, gaining everyone's attention.

Jason let out an exasperated sigh as he glanced down at the glowing gem and then up at Damian.

"Lead us to her."

—

Raven awoke to the sound of a purring cat. In a panic, she sat up and scanned her surroundings anxiously. Her eyes trailer below, and the first thing she noticed was her ankles and wrists bound with an energetically projected rope. As sunlight peered through the window, she was unsure of how much time had passed since she'd been captured.

Before she could take in anything else, she heard a soft yet cunning voice cut through the silence.

"Don't be afraid, my dear."

Raven scowled at the man who sat down next to her on the bed, the mattress shifting as he did so. Her eyes narrowed as he reached a hand out to tuck a tangled strand of her dark hair behind her ear.

"Why are you so in love with me?" Was the first question she decided to ask. Begging him to release her was a waste of breath. "You don't even know me."

"How could I not be?" Klarion retorted, retracting his hand. "Once I heard about you, I couldn't resist searching for you. You're—"

"A sorcerer? Yeah, I got that," Raven scoffed. "That doesn't make us a match."

Klarion laughed at her reply. "Well, you're also the most attractive woman I've laid eyes upon."

Raven couldn't help but roll her eyes at the comment. "I've been on a pirate ship for months, my hygiene and overall appearance can't be that appealing."

"I mean what I say," Klarion said and perked up once his purring pet leapt onto the bed. "Oh, yes, Raven, this is my familiar— Teekl."

Raven blinked as he picked the orange cat up and showed her, as if for approval. His red eyes stared directly into hers, sending a shiver down her spine.

"We're inseparable," Klarion added and smiled as the cat mewed at her. "But don't worry, that doesn't mean he'll get more attention than you."

Raven grunted as she lay back down, squeezing her eyes shut and wishing this were a deranged nightmare she'd wake up from.