Pirate By Blood

Chapter 23: Rescue

CHAPTER 23

Rescue

Maleen wasn’t sure what to think of it at first.

Her head whipped up in the direction of the sound, instinctively, as her senses tried to figure out where it had come from. It was obvious, really – the deck – but it took her no more than a second to figure that out.

It had given her a shock, that was for sure, but other than that she felt nothing. Just curiosity, as always; nothing else. There was no reason for her to wonder who might have fired the blow – she had no idea what was going to happen, like always – but it was something she would have definitely found interesting. She had no idea that her luck was about to change – dramatically.

Jozan hadn’t seemed any more intrigued than she.

Maleen glanced at him before she went back to looking at the floor. He was leaning against the wall, his legs hunched close to his body and his arms wrapped around his knees – the exact same position he had been in when she had first seen him. It made him seem...weak somehow; as if he were protecting himself from the world around him – hiding away as best he could in the hope that bad things would avoid him if he made himself as small as possible.

But when he looked up, strands of brown hair just covering his eyes, there was something in his face that made Maleen feel suspicious.

His posture had made him seem sad, lonely; perhaps even afraid, but his face...

His eyes were dark, mysterious; mouth drawn downwards into an almost sinister frown, eyebrows pulled together – a look of concentration.

It was a tad frightening that he had managed to disguise his mood so well with only his position. There was a strange aura around him to – one of hatred and revenge.

It didn’t suit him at all well – it was such a different side to him from the weak and vulnerable look he had just a few moments before.

‘But what could he be thinking about?’ Maleen had to wonder, much to her own annoyance in the interest she was taking, ‘There has to be a reason...’

Cannon fire, once again, sounded above their heads.

Maleen sneaked a glance at Jozan for a second time, only to be caught and have to whip her head back round again – hair lashing against her cheeks almost painfully.

He may have been interesting, but he sure made her angry.

How could he have stolen from her? She still couldn’t get over it.

Cannon fire, louder this time. Maleen ignored it.

There had to be a reason why he had done it; money, she supposed –

Cannon fire.

But what would have been the point if he was going to stay with her? He couldn’t have –

Cannon fire.

Traded it without her noticing. And that look on his face – one of concentration – what was that about? Why was he so stern when he should be asking her for forgiveness; asking to help him escape?

Cannon fire.

It filled her with anger just thinking about it. How could he be so pigheaded? Thoughtless? Malicious? It certainly hadn’t been the impression she had gotten from him to begin with. He’d seemed...gentle, quiet and a little shy – nothing like what she was thinking now. Because now, she was sure she hated him – well, almost sure – words began to spring into her head; names of which described him best. Curses; the worst names she could possibly think of. Every name under the sun.