A Shade Darker ✔️

{Chapter Fifty Seven}

Little Niece

March 17th, 2018

Billie

I held the sleeping child in my arms, trying to be as still and quiet as I could as to not wake her. So many thoughts were running through my head, as well as guilt.

Guilt because I had let Ashley put herself in danger. And I had not tried to talk her out of it. I had let her go, watched her leave and not intervened when I should have.

It should be me out there, instead of her. Instead of my brother. Mike had a family now. A beautiful wife and daughter that needed him. And I'm sure that if I went out risking my life for our colony and I had died, I wouldn't be mourned over.

Mike however would, and he would leave so many broken hearts behind.

"What troubles ye, dear?" The maids voice brings me out of my thoughts and I blink a few times to see my gaze fixed intently on my niece.

"Nothing. I was just thinking...." The maid-Lucile- smiled and dried her hands on her apron.

"Thinking what? Is it the child? A burden to ye, is she?" I shake my head, finding a smile come across my lips.

"No. She's no burden of mine...in fact I'm rather fond of her" I touch Snow's chin, wondering with sympathy if she would ever see her parents again.

My face dropped and I looked back up at the maid.

"I should've stepped in for her. Not have left Ashley leave like that. What if she gets killed? What if he gets killed? The child will be orphaned...I'm overcome with guilt and shame" I admit lowly, watching as the maids face fell with sympathy for me.

"The child will not be orphaned. They will likely not die, Billie. They are both fighters, both strong physically and mentally. They'll return safely. But if perhaps they do...the child will still not be orphaned. She'll have you, and you will become a wonderful father. Maybe even find yourself a nice wife to help you raise the child" I faintly smiled, looking down at my niece again.

"Well...I doubt any woman here in the colony would want to marry me. And certainly not if I had a child already" Lucile smiles at me.

"An attractive male like yourself should have no problem with that" I felt heat rising in my face, something I hadn't felt in a long time.

I look down at the child and sigh.

"Well...I do hope they come back safe"

"Oh of course! I'm sure the Queen is already fitting right in!"

Ashley

"Stay where you are! Man the cannons!" So many shouting voices are surrounding me at once and the boat rocked with scraggly men jumping aboard.

My first instinct was to run and I found myself trusting the plan.

Hide, stay alive. All you have to do is go unseen.

I ran back down into the steps but found rotten teeth and a greasy dull knife being pointed at me.

Gasping, I backed away and back up the steps, running through the crowd of fighting men.

I felt like I was in a movie, only this was so much more real and frightening. The swords hitting against each other were close, and for once on the ship, my life is on the line.

I can't give up, I have a daughter to get back to. A secret to keep and strength to maintain.

Suddenly the things surrounding me seem foggy and I can slowly feel myself giving up as I run low on ideas. My vision is becoming blurry, things are happening in slow motion, and I can feel the hot salty tears streaming down my cheeks.

"I'll take you for cargo! One less man here and another there won't be missed. Especially not one scrawny as you" A hard dirty hand clasps down on my arm and a knife is pressed to my throat.

I would have screamed if it weren't for the blade cutting into my skin, and I couldn't struggle because of the one being pushed into my back.

Thunder echoed in the grey sky above and a slow drizzle began to drip off the edges of my hat.

"They're taking him!" My own crew members behind me begin shouting, but they're too occupied with their own battles and too late to really notice in time.

"Keep moving, son. The less you struggle, the better off you are" The man coo's into my ear, pushing me across a plank and onto the adjacent ship.

I began shaking in my soaked clothes, now drenched and adding weight to my stiff stride.

I swallowed, wincing as I felt the muscles press sparingly against the blade of the knife.

"Now, son. Let's see that face" Panic rises in me, more if it were possible, and the man grabs the brim of my hat.

My eyes search frantically for anyone, and they land on a few familiar faces of my crew.

Mike, and a few men behind him had already crossed the plank, standing defensively at a distance.

"Let him go...take all the goods you want" The man grasps me tighter, so much that I gasp and let out a faint struggle.

I shake with cold, wet, and fear. Fear for my life, identity, and future.

The man grasps me from behind, wraps his arm around my throat and holds my back to him.

"Go back to your ship, or I'll slit his throat!" But they don't back down, they continue to stand, ready to charge at any moment.

"Don't believe me, eh?" With a flash of movements, the man holding me rips off my hat, exposes me and presses the point of the knife into my throat.

The crew surrounding us goes silent with surprise, the only noise being the commotion on the other ship.

I don't know now whether it's the rain or tears fogging my vision as Mike's eyes bore into mine with fierce recognition.

"Oh? And what do we have here?" The man behind me holds me tighter now and in my peripheral vision I can see a sickening smile plastered on his lips.

He takes the point of the knife and begins dragging it across my cheek, his disgusting breath following as his face got closer to mine.

"It's a girl...a stow away?" The man looks up at the surprised crew and I watch Mike step forward slowly, but with pride.

His face looked dark, gloomy, and deceived. He looked hurt.

"No, take me instead and return her to the ship" Mike continues his small walk, now only a few feet in front of me as he throws his knife on the grown and disposes of his belt holding the gun.

Fear laces my veins. Why would he make himself so vulnerable?

I begin struggling, trying to get to him, trying to warn him to stay back, that I could fight on my own. But the man holding me smiles to both sides and waves off the other crew members.

"Back to your ship. I'll take them both"