Falling For The First Mate

Chapter 35

“The Pirate has returned!”

A sentry, robed in blacks and purples that only reminded Shen of bruises, shoved a spluttering Kade Skyler through the arched entryway to the room. Shen breathed a silent sigh of relief- he had started to wonder if Kade would make it back on time. He knew that if it was his life drawing to a close, he would not have been able to tear himself away from Evanora.

He thought of her, left behind on the boat as her lover sank to his doom, and his relief was replaced with knots of sorrow.

“Your timing is impeccable, Mister Skyler, I must say. Three more minutes and you would have been dead,” Meriel addressed him, appearing from behind the crystal where she had been sitting. She had barely been able to stand; obviously the strain of giving Kade the black spot in the first place had tired her.

Kade was tortured- you could see it in his eyes. Leaving Evanora had weighed greatly upon his heart and Shen’s tongue fried with the heat of despair.

“Get this thing off of me,” Kade said, holding out his blackened palm. The number three imprinted there slowly dissolved into the black circle, leaving a gnarled two in its place.

“Show me the map first,” Meriel replied curtly.

Kade, who was already shirtless, spun on his heels. Giving them a clear view of the treasure he now carried, he called back over his shoulder, “Proof enough?”

Shen gaped at the vastness of the tattoo. Evanora had been burdened with this design for the entire voyage, the entirety of her back marked as such, and he had failed to notice? A new taste took over his mouth- sharp and salty, like seawater- and Shen wondered if he tasted his own shock besides Meriel’s.

“Yes,” the Princess breathed. “Proof enough.”

She seemed absolutely captivated. Absentmindedly, she reached out a hand as if to touch such a priceless thing, and her eyes glazed over. Gazing at the map, her expression was as if she had died and gone to Heaven.

Moments passed and Kade held out his palm. The digit that had previously been two was now a hissing and dangerous one. Time was running out.

“Free him then!” Shen snapped, jolting Meriel from her thoughts. She glared, her eyes flashing red once more, and he remembered her previous threat to kill him. He hated it when her eyes did that.

“Very well.”

The Princess glided across the marble floor, carefully stepping between the mass of broken shards. When she reached Kade, she slipped her dainty fingers between his, flattening her palm against his hand. For a few brief seconds they locked in position, before the Princess let go and Kade dropped to his knees.

When he mustered the strength to lift a hand, showing flawless skin, the company were forced to ponder if there had ever been a black spot curse there at all.

“Our agreement still stands, Pirate.” Meriel said quietly. She looked drained, worn, and had seemingly aged in the last five minutes. “You will not leave this room. You need only touch the main crystal to end it all.”

Kade’s acceptance tasted sickly to Shen. He was ready to die. He did not deserve to die.

“And you swear to call off the attack on the Maelstrom?” Kade was sceptical, eyebrows raised.

“Upon my life and everything in my possession,” Meriel answered. “As soon as you touch the crystal it will be done.”

Shen, standing awkwardly to one side, cleared his throat.

“Oh!” Kade added, “And let Shen go free.”

Shen expected the Princess to roll her eyes, or perhaps to send a swarm of crystals flying toward his skull, but Meriel did neither. She could not take her eyes off of Kade- whenever he moved, she craned her head to catch one more glimpse of the ink on his back. Finally, still entranced, she gave her answer: “As you wish.”