Falling For The First Mate

Chapter 36

Silence.

The wheeze and cough of multiple inhales and exhales filled the air. Hearts drummed out the beat of life, waiting for a melody. Dawn was approaching and the mutant birds squawked at the light, drawn to its glow even in sleep. The injured groaned and those who tended to them shuffled their footsteps and spoke in murmurs. All this noise, and there was still, somehow, silence.

It was the absence of the Kappas, Evanora told herself, that made things seem so quiet, so empty. It was the calm after the storm. Since the Kappas had fallen back, their saucer-shaped heads disappearing reluctantly beneath the waves, the clashing of swords had ceased and the dying screams were no more.

Yet that was not why Evanora heard only silence. The emptiness, she knew, was not from the shock or the trauma. It would not wear away or fade with time, like the impact of an explosion or the aftermath of a fight. It would accompany her forever, a dull ache that paled everything else in comparison.

It was the absence of Kade Skyler.

Evanora knew why the Kappas retreated, so she cared not that the crew whooped and danced in victory. The victory was not theirs, after all, but Kade’s.

She knew why Captain Silvestre fell to the floor, and when he rose, she knew that he could hurt by himself once more. No longer did the crew feel his pain, or know his anguish. The curse was gone and again they cheered, but again it was not of their doing. The triumph belonged to Kade.

So while they cheered, she wept. And while she wept, she remembered. And while she remembered, Shen pulled himself up onto the deck to be met with another wave of quiet. He walked solemnly across the ship, pausing to lay a hand on the shoulder of Captain Silvestre, who nodded in pained understanding and retreated to his cabin without a word.

Evanora watched from behind blurred eyes as Shen approached and knelt with her, holding her as only a friend can, letting her tears soak his chest. For a long time, nothing was said, and then Shen reminded her that silence can be broken.

“I need to speak with you,” he whispered. “Immediately, if possible.”

“Shen, I don’t think I can talk right now.”

Shen shifted, parting her hair to better look into her eyes. His own pooling with depth beyond tears, he implored her to listen.

“I have to show you something,” he said. “You need to see this.”

This time, Evanora slipped a trembling hand into his own. Without further words, Shen lifted her to her feet and led her to sit on a barrel of rum just beyond the eyesight of the crew. There he knelt before her, trying to meet her gaze. Whereas the girl he knew would have caught his stare and rivalled it in an instant, this empty vessel kept her eyes trained intently on the ground.

“Nora, look at me,” he urged, afraid that if he were to touch her she would break. “Look at me.”

She followed his instructions painfully slowly. Her eyes no longer shone and her hair had been ripped from her scalp in places. In her lap her hands wrung despairingly and tears dripped down her sodden cheeks. The emotions radiating from her body made one thing abundantly clear: this girl wanted nothing more than death.

Shen’s natural instincts were activated instantly. He longed to fill her with the sweet death- a girl such as Evanora Lockett, the near-downfall of the Maelstrom, would keep him nourished and vigorous for longer than he could ever imagine. It would be so easy to fill himself with the life he could gain from her death. It would be as simple as a touch, and both of them would be satisfied…

“Take care of her.”

Kade’s voice echoed in his head, but not loud enough to penetrate Shen’s hunger. He leaned towards Evanora ravenously.