In the Hands of Fate III: Secrets of the Heart

Chapter Eight

Luna sat alone in the dim room, the only light coming from the tray of cream colored candles. A small breeze blew from the open porthole across the room, sending the sweet, salty scent of the vast Caribbean Sea. The faint sound of the crew wafted down the stairs and through the open door. Thunder growled somewhere off in the distance and the wind picked up. There was a storm brewing.

Lu's silvery-blue eyes widened as lightning flashed and the candles were blown out. She inched her way over to the round window right as the rain started to pour. For a moment she stood with her eyes closed, praying they'd make it out of the storm alive. Her eyes flashed open as thunder roared considerably close to the blackened ship. She slipped out of her pinching shoes and padded barefoot up the creaky wooden stairs and to the main deck.

The crew of the Gypsy Curse flurried about, hardly visible in the sheeting rain. She found herself soaked as she took that catalytic step out in the open and instantly wished that she had changed out of the heavy periwinkle hoop skirt and into something more… her.

The ship lurched to the starboard side as a large wave crashed into it. Luna managed to just keep her footing and stumbled into the steps leading to the helm. She glanced up and her olive face paled her stomach dropping. She inwardly swore as she searched the deck for the captain but he was nowhere to be found. Another giant wave crashed over the railing, this time coming from the starboard side. Said wave swept Luna off her feet and she braced herself for impact, but it never came.

Instead, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her from hitting the ground. She risked a look back at her life saver to find a pair of endlessly deep sapphire eyes staring at her.

"You need to go back below!" Nathaniel called over a clap of thunder.

Luna shook her head defiantly, "I'm as much a part of this crew as you, Captain!" she snapped back. She winced and almost apologized for her tone, knowing full well that Nate didn't approve of her smart mouth. Nate smirked for a second but wiped the smile away before Luna could notice.

"Please, Lu! If not for me then for our child!"

Her ringed hand immediately went to her belly protectively, a surge of pride washing through her.

"Fine," she grumbles loud enough for him to hear.

He sighed in relief and felt Luna's eyes on him as he shuffled to relieve the Quartermaster of the wheel. Once she saw he was safely there, she turned to prance down to the galley. Suddenly, an overly bright bolt of lightning struck the mizzenmast. Shards of wood flew everywhere. However, what worried Luna more was the giant wave that managed to knock her backwards.

She was too dazed to hear the sickening crackle as the mast snapped. She stood just in time to push the second mate out of the way. The ruined mast fell betwixt them, smashing the railing in three feet on either side of it.

Lightning struck the water just off the port bow of the ship, the resounding thunder leaving a ringing in her ears.

Nathaniel rushed to her and screamed something, but again she couldn't hear and she was a horrible lip reader. Lightning flashed again, right next to her and she closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she found herself at home in her bed, her nappy black hair matted to her neck with sweat. Outside, the remnants of a storm floated off into the distance. But the ex-pirate's main concern was not the storm or the inevitable damage it did, but the soft crying coming from the nursery just right down the hall of her darling Emmaleene. Luna slipped out of bed and down the hall.

The nursery was bland, save for the pink quilt thrown over the old rocking chair in the corner. She could never bring herself to decorating it much more than that after—

The persistent whining drew the nineteen-year-old mother to the crib. She picked up the small, white-haired child and cooed sweet calming sayings in her native tongue of Romanian. As Emmaleene stopped crying and stared up at her mother, Luna held the child closer and hummed a haunting lullaby she learnt as a child herself.

Emmaleene soon shut her sapphire eyes, so similar to her father's, and drifted into a peaceful slumber. Luna set the tiny three-month-old in her crib again. A dark splotch appeared on the blanket as she tucked her in. Luna stared in awe as another dark circle appeared. There were a total of five splatters before she lifted her nimble fingers to her cheek.

Strange, she thinks to herself, to cry without realizing it.

She drops her hand and abruptly leaves the room. Lu manages to hang on to some civility as she stumbles down the hall back to her bedroom, though she knows no one would know if she broke down. Nor could, err rather, would blame her. It was, after all, four months ago that she held her dying husband in her arms. And of course her mind chose that particular moment to highlight all the pain she's been through in her life.

The tears stopped as her head hit the pillow again. She was too numb to think any further, but too invigorated to sleep. Eventually, the darkness does claim her though she doesn't dream.

When she awakes next, it isn't because of a storm; in fact the thick forest surrounding her hilltop house was eerily silent. Luna listens further for the sound of her baby crying, or rather lack thereof. Instantly, she knows something's wrong.

She jumped up and moved with a speed she'd only ever used in battle. But it still wasn't fast enough. She prayed to the goddess Parvati that the baby, her Emmaleene, her everything, was fine and simply sleeping longer than usual.

But as she pulled back the little off-white blanket, she stopped functioning.

Emmaleene wasn't there.

Luna sat up breathing heavily. Through the crack in the thick curtains, she could see the storm outside. This always seemed to happen to her this time of year.