Troubled Waters || Book One

~1~

Many Years Ago....

"Lorelei? Lorelei, I-"

"Leo," The woman whispered, gently pressing a bloodied finger to her husband's lips. "Leo, this is not your fault. You had no idea-"

"I-I brought him here." He stammered as he took her hand in his, "If I would've listened to you, none of this-"

"Leo..." The delicate features of her face distorted as another sharp pain tore through her abdomen, her bloodied hand falling to cover the weeping gash where an ebony blade had broken through skin and bone only minutes earlier. "The Stone cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of a human," she continued, a single tear streaking down her cheek. "Our daughter....she....she is the only way...."

"Easy, Lori." Leo hummed as he cradled her in his arms. "You need to rest."

She looked up at him tearfully, a weak smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Promise me you'll keep her safe."

"Lori, don't-"

"Promise me." She repeated, mustering all her strength to grab ahold of his tattered shirt collar. He licked his lips and nodded. "I-I will. I promise."

Smiling, she closed her eyes. "I love you, Leo, forever and..."

She never finished.

"....Always." Leo murmured, tears stinging his eyes as he hugged her limp body closer to his own. "I love you forever and always...."

xxxxx

Cobble, British Province
Jamaica

Present Day

"You're doing it all wrong!"

A frown etched itself on Sera's face as a pair of gnarled hands snatched the dough out of her hands.

"You have to knead it gently!" Mrs. Henry exclaimed, "The good Lord made a woman's hands delicate for a reason, child!"

Delicate. Sera snorted and looked down at her hands, the same hands that had gripped the helm of the Painted Lady and handled a sword since the age of eight. 'Delicate' was hardly the word she would use to describe them....

"Make yourself useful and sweep the floors. Got the women of the church coming by for tea this afternoon." Mrs. Henry grumbled. Sera gritted her teeth. "Yes'm."

Playing the part of the orphaned teen was beginning to wear on her, but such a thing is to be expected when one has told a lie and is forced to uphold it. However, in the case of Seraphina Drake, it was necessary.

You see, Sera is not like ordinary women her age. While most women don frilly dresses and corsets, she prefers to wear trousers and shirts that are two sizes too large. One can hardly blame her though, as it would be most difficult to meet the demands of her trade in petticoats and slippers, but ever since arriving in Cobble, she has been forced to wear the blindingly colorful dresses belonging to Opal Henry's deceased daughter. Certainly, she would much rather be in her usual choice of dress but she was no fool; it would be the scandal of the town if she were to prance about in men's clothes while living under the shrewd widow's roof.