The Fallen Stars

Chapter 41 Esme

Dear brother, 

Please return with Esme, otherwise your crew will be killed by father's wrath!

And the person who got Esme out, has been captured. I beg of you, don't let anymore blood be spilled. 

I might not always act it, but I'm always on your side brother. I love and trust you. Only you. I'm being watched, you must hurry! Blood will spill at midnight. If you don't return... Father plans to take the army at dawn to Isla Nunca. 

I'm starting to think that I'm standing on the wrong side of this... but I can't escape it. It is in my blood and yours. We must stand together, or kill each other. And I never want to put a dagger into you.

~Your sister.

I read the note over Damiao's shoulder. They got Warrick? They got the crew? Crap!

"Damiao." I whisper urgently. He looks at me brokenly. "My father will hurt you." He says softly. "My life isn't worth a hundred of others." I whisper, tears start to gather near the rims of my eyes. "We must go." I say under my breathe. He looks down at the parchment, his body starts to shake. I take his hand in mine. "We'll figure it out." I incourage. "What if he kills you?" He chokes, he's already crying, his eyes red and his cheeks rosy and wet. "He won't" I lie, I need him to take us back. We have to go back. If Casimero kills me then everyone just have to move on. And I'll wait for them in Davy Jones' Locker. A tear glides down my cheek as I look at my brother and Delja. They understand what needs to be done. I see it in their faces. They know if they were in our position they would go back as well, to save the people.

I stand up, and walk towards them. Ainsley tries not to cry, but I see it in his eyes. He's terrified, he looks the same as I feel. This might be the last time I see and talk to my brother. I might die today. 

"We have to go." I whisper to them. "So much for the plan." Ainsley tries to joke but he ends up letting go of some more tears. "So much for the plan." I agree with asad chuckle, my tears start to fall. He pulls me into a tight hug. "I love you." He whispers into my ear. I gather his shirt into my hands as I hug him tighter, and hide my face into his shoulder. "I love you too." I mumble against his now damp with tears shirt. He lets me go after a few moments, then I hug Delja she's also in tears. It's a sunny day, but this moment is gray and wet. "I would've loved to see the wedding." I tease sadly. She chuckles. "You'd be my maid of honor." She whispers. I give her a squeze then let go. Damiao comes to stand next to me, and takes my hand. We walk into the water until it's by our waists. I look at my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law, and I wave goodbye. They wave back and then I see Delja's hands glow. 

One second I see my brother, the next Isla Nunca Mas is a small gray figure in the distance. We're back on the secret beach. I look up at Damiao, he cups my face with both hands. "I will not let you die." He whispers, then kisses me desperately. After a few moments pass and we start to move to the entrance. "I told Ainsley, that if we're not back before dawn, then he will know we couldn't get out." He says, as I touch the rock wall. Get out... not we were killed. I exhale. 

"Let's go to Warrick's place. Just to check if your sister was teliing the truth." I say walking in. It's pitch black dark for a few moments then I hear the sound of the sleepless town. The dim lights from the streets make me admire the beauty of the this pirate town. "I love you." He whispers as he takes my hand again. We walk the streets until we get to Warrick's place. The door is broken down, The table of weapons has moved to the side, some of the weapons lay on the ground behind the table. And an old dirty fabric doll lies on the ground. "He and his family has been taken." I gasp. "You came." A voice says from the wooden chairs, the shadowy figure stands up and slowly walks down. "Mia?" Damiao asks. She comes into the dim light. Her eyes red and rosy. They look so similair with bloodshot eyes, and puffy cheeks. "I'm sorry brother." She says quietly. We both frown at her. "Why are you-" He starts but more people come out of the shadows. "Bloody hell, Mia." Damiao curses. "You lied." I hiss at her. She just looks at me blankly. "Pirate." She points at herself, like I should have known not to trust her. "Although, I didn't lie about the captured." She says, folding her arms over her chest.

***

I'm back in a cell again. But not on Casimero's ship. I'm in the tunnel cell, next to Warrick's and across from Theo and Hae's cell. "Good to see you, Esme." Theo says. He's been beaten until his one eye has swollen shut. "It's good to see you too." I say softly. Even though he was beaten almost to death, he's still alive! Hae's jaw is blue, and her lip cut. Danmit they got her too.

"I'm going to kill her." I promise them. They look at me sadly. "You will do no such thing." A deep voice says. Warrick. "It's all her father's doing. She couldn't do anything." He says huskily. "I'm sure she could've." I say, rolling my eyes. "It wasn't a spoken threat... they were going to kill me and my family." He says, coughing a little. I frown. "Does she know you?" I ask resting my cheeks against the two rusty bars. He chuckles softly. "Also unspoken, but she's in love with me." He says, a smile in his voice. A dark figure slowly walks passed us, for a second I thought it was Abner, but he has shorter hair, and a leaner face. Conner. "Shut it." He hisses at Warrick, giving him a glare. Pure malice towards Warrick... wait is Conner the used-to-be love interest? Oh crap!

He leaves after a few moments, and we're all quiet. "Where's the Captain?" Hae whispers. My shoulders sag. "I don't know, they took him away before we hit the tunnels." I whisper back. I look around my cell, it's small and rocky. A small puddle forms near me as water slowly drips from the ceiling. My wrists and ankles are in shackles, scratching against my skin, making it burn a bit. 

I should have said "I love you," back before we entered the twon. I should have hugged him tighter! I shouldn't have let him go... But I was so stuck in my head preparing fro the worst... that we were going to be late. And that everyone would be dead. I was preparing myself to die today, and that's all the more reason I should have said those things. But I couldn't. I just couldn't move my lips to form the words. I was too scared to say it outloud because if I said it... I fear it might end up killing him somehow.

Don't you dare die Ladron. Don't you dare! I whisper it over and over until I somehow fall asleep.