Lunars of the Caribbean

Chapter 38

Wolf was not on board with the idea of letting Scarlet go onto the Solstice alone with Winter and Jacin. As the meeting ended and the crew dispersed, Wolf pinched the end of Scarlet's coat.

She snapped her head around,and narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't nag or berate him, yet. She actually didn't make a single comment about it. Neither of them said a word until everyone else left the room.

She cupped his hand and pried her coat from his fingers. "What is it?"

He grimaced, already dreading Scarlet's reaction to what he'd say. "I don't trust Jacin. I don't think he's as loyal to our cause as Winter believes him to be."

Scarlet snorted, "You think I don't see that? I don't trust him as far as I can thrown him." With a small smirk on her lips, she sat on Wolf's lap and slung and arm around his shoulders. "I know Jacin's here for another reason. I figured he was only fighting for us because Thorne is friends with Winter, and Levana hurt the poor girl."

She pressed her palm to his cheek, letting warmth rush into his skin. "You don't have to worry about me so much. You'll go insane."

He cupped his hand over hers. His eyes practically shut as he held her. "I ... I don't want to lose you again."

She smiled, though faintly. "You won't have to. After this, we can go back to sailing the seas and giving the crown Hell."

He furrowed his brow. "If all this goes as planned, won't Levana be dethroned?"

Scarlet chuckled, gaining a grin from Wolf. "Yeah, but King George II of England hates pirates."

.....................

The second the Rampion returned to her anchorage on Winter's abandoned island, Kai practically jumped off the boat. Cinder had to grabbed him by his collar to keep him from leaping over the side. With a pack of supplies she gathered for their little excursion, Cinder guided Kai to the ship's rowboat.

Cinder and Kai lowered the rowboat and rowed back to the island. The two of them were off Scott-free until Jacin, Scarlet, and Winter returned from their mission.

Once the Codex was back in their possession, they could go after Levana at full force and destroy her empire.

In the meantime, Cinder had other plans for herself and Kai.

They got to shore, and saw the crews of the Solstice and Lone Wolf were getting along just fine. Some of them were competing in sports and having great times. Others were showing each other survival techniques and out of the sun.

One group was having an arm wrestling competition between the bulkiest of Thorne's old crew and a Lunar soldier. Both were straining to the point of sweat and popped out veins.

Cinder dragged the rowboat up the beach and tied it to a nearby boulder. They left the oars inside the boat and went further inland.

Kai was a tad rigid from being on the water, even for a short time. He kept his eyes on the land in front of him and flinched at the louder roars of the waves.

Cinder took his hand and brought him to an empty area with nothing but trees and the beginning the grass-line. She set down her supply pack, and pat the spot next to her for Kai to sit.

He sat next to her, leaning his head on her shoulder. "I don't think I would have lasted one more day on that damn boat."

Cinder patted his head and smoothed down his hair. "You were a real trooper, Kai. I don't think anyone even knew you were scared."

"There is no way Thorne didn't notice."

Cinder shook her head. "No, he's too busy cuddling with Crescent in the Captain's Quarters to notice anything else right now. Besides, if he knew, he would have started poking fun already."

Kai hummed a laugh. "That's true..."

She kissed his forehead with the side of her lips. "Besides, being afraid of being in the water isn't silly. Hell, I think I'm a little nervous about it now too."

He rolled his head back and looked up at her. "Are you saying that to make me feel better?"

"Did you see Crescent when she came back out of the water with Thorne?"

His pupils dilated and his lips pressed tight. His eyes trailed back to the setting sun. "Good point."

She twirled strands of his hair between her fingers. They watched the sun dip further and further down the sky, amazed by how the waves reflected the fiery auburn light.

"While we're here, do you want me to teach you how to swim?" asked Cinder. She'd posed the idea to him before, and he wasn't too hesitant at the time. And in her mind, Cinder believed learning how to swim would lessen Kai's fear of water.

He snaked an arm around her waist. "I don't know," he mumbled.

"We'd do it in one of the inland pools, near shallow water." She smoothed his hair back down and strummed down his jaw and neck with the back of her hand and fingers. "You'd be completely safe. I promise."

After some time to think, and a bit of coaxing from Cinder, Kai answered, "I guess it would be better than having Thorne dive in to save me every time."

....................

In the midst of packing her essentials, Wolf slipped an extra pack of ammunition for her pistols in her bag. Since her back was turned, he thought she wouldn't have noticed.

"What's what for?" she asked, to his dismay.

He faced her and said, "Just in case you need it."

Scarlet shook her head and chuckled to herself. "You really don't trust Jacin at all, do you?"