Dizgaia ~ The Dreamfinder's Daughter

Chapter 44 ~ Unhooked

Life is full of juxtapositions. Mia had heard that once, though she could not recall the source of the quote. She had lost all equilibrium the way one does when intoxicated. But this was not intoxication. This was despair mixed with so many other feelings – sorrow, anger, passion, lust, hate, fear, love – all intermingling to create a heady concoction that stripped her of all sense of surroundings.

As the gray light of a new dawn shown through the large windows, Mia wondered if what they were doing could truly be considered making love or if it was just a mere act of desperation between two hopeless souls. There were so many emotions rising within the cabin – more emotions, it seemed, than was possible to pass between two people – that perchance it was neither. Maybe this was something altogether different.

It isn't fair, thought Hook.

Why did he have to be tortured in this manner? Why did it have to be such a disaster of pain and emotions? It would be so much easier if he didn't have them, if they could just be stripped away and make him feel absolutely nothing inside. But to remove those feelings would be to remove what little remained of his decaying, imprisoned soul. While he served Maleficent, he still had his own thoughts, his own feelings, his own desires. To watch the beautiful young creature beneath him give herself up to a mix of despair and desire made his heart ache and desire her all the more. To think that someone so young, so pure, so kind could have ever loved a despicable wretch like himself. Never again. Never again.

In the midst of their passion, neither Mia nor Hook noticed the curious behavior of the two black parrots contained within the iron cage at the other side of the cabin. The sheet lay at the floor beneath the cage, where it had fallen when Mia had thrown her phone at it. Now, the two birds sat with their heads tilted, their green eyes glowing unusually bright.

Far away in a distant land, a figure sat in a dusky throne room, wearing the darkness like a shroud. A graceful, long-fingered hand, pale in color, stroked the oily black feathers of a raven perched upon the arm of the throne. The raven's glowing green eyes shown like emeralds in the shadows. Their light penetrated the darkness like two laser points, which widened the further they reached, ending in a hovering projection of the Jolly Roger's cabin.

"Interesting... Very interesting," drawled a cruel, feminine voice.

"I beg your forgiveness, Mistress," spoke a man's voice from the shadows, "But should we not be concerned about this? After all, if Hook has developed feelings for the girl, might he not betray us?"

The long, feminine fingers continued to caress the raven as the magical projection continued to play. "James Hook has not the will to defy me. He belongs to me, and soon enough, the same will be true of the girl. In fact, this is a fortuitous situation. James Hook could very well be the key we need to unlock the darkness in her heart. As long as the girl feels for Hook, and as long as Hook plays by my rules, the girl's cooperation may be far more easily obtained than originally anticipated."

Hook had no inkling that their actions were being surveyed. The wicked, green-eyed parrots merely sat quietly in their cage, allowing their vile mistress to have a voyeur's eye view of the passion between her servant and her would-be captive. Unaware of Maleficent's peering gaze, James and Miandra maintained their passionate embrace, loving one another, giving themselves to this moment of bliss, until the sounds of a bell rang out on deck and panicked footsteps hurried to the cabin door.

The door flew open and a wide-eyed Smee stumbled in. "Cap'n! Cap'n!"

"Knock, damn you, knock!" roared Hook.