Chapter One
North Atlantic, 1783 before the volcano erupted…
The sky wasn’t a scarlet and yellow hue. And the sun hadn’t turned a blood red- barely shining through a fog of ash. The volcano hadn’t erupted. Not yet.
None of those things had occurred. And yet she still felt the heat of the volcano when she thought of it. It might have been a vision. A dream even.
But the feeling of importance to get there before it did erupt urged her on this trip.
Elanor Tabor’s heart raced considering the vision had even pushed her to leave the safety of the country side at Sweetlace. The ship she boarded now headed for the North. She hoped to make it there before the worst happened.
For the first time in years, it felt possible that they could find some clues to where her younger sister Meagan had disappeared to. Elanor had to reach Istland before the volcano destroyed everything in its path.
The day she witnessed now actually was a stark contrast to her vision. Fresh salty air and crisp winds met white lofty sails. The sun shined a beautiful bright cheerful glow. The sky blue and touched with puffy white clouds. People walked the deck of the ship as though there wasn’t a reason in the world to be anything but carefree.
No signs that they knew of the impending massive eruption that would shake the world soon. And why would they?
They didn’t have the visionary magic abilities that Elanor had. If they did, more than likely they kept it hidden in any case. Even the most talented healers knew to keep to themselves. It wasn’t safe for magic users to openly show they were casters. No good deed went without punishment when it came to magic use and seekers. The hanging and burning times had past but the fear still lingered.
“It’s not smart for a treasure such as you to be flashing upon the deck. What, with pirates and thieves circling these waters like sharks.”
Elanor startled from her thoughts and turned quick to address whomever had spoken. Her dress tangled with the action leaving her to deal with fixing the material. It gave her time to gain composure; intending to smoothly inform whomever that had spoke despite the instant anxiety she felt that Captain Richardson had given her permission to be on the quarter deck.
At least she would have, had there been anyone within sight. She turned her head to the far left to gaze down the ship and then back to the view in front of her. No one there. The sea air playing tricks already? Honestly? She’d just waved to her Father and other sisters after setting sail for goodness sake! Was she already hearing voices?
Perhaps her mind played the doubts back that she’d heard from her family when she’d boarded the ship. Meagan’s twin, Teagan, had teased her about pirates. And her soft spoken middle sister, Constance, had used her usual logical counter that it were unlikely that pirates would attack the ship- but thieves on the other hand might.
Realizing that the comment must have been for another passenger, she turned to the rail once again watching the land on the horizon fading away. Araminta her oldest sister had been the only one to not re-voice her opinion that it would be foolish to take this trip. But she had called it dramatic when Elanor approached her after the vision. Her and their Father had tried to talk her out of it as well. But when it became clear that she’d go without their Father’s help or anyone’s support of the idea they relented to the idea. He’d begrudgingly re-introduced her to one of his merchant Captains and his wife.
She couldn’t blame any of her family for not wishing to follow another false hope. It wasn’t as though she’d had a handle on her magic abilities in any case. The vision had come to her purely because her mind head been on Meagan that night as she drifted to sleep.
Elanor had no control over powers that weren’t simple. And she’d yet to master even her abilities as a water caster. Loneliness crept a slow and gripping path up into her consciousness. She did wish a little that one of them had come along though. Perhaps she’d heard the voice because she felt so out of place and without anyone to tell her this would work. Two or so years surrounded by people who were like you only to be thrust back into a realm that feared you so much that they either shunned or killed you. To be fair, they weren’t all out for murder. Her father who wasn’t a caster himself had married her mother who had been a practicing witch. They’d lived happily for many years. But their mother had also cautioned them often not to cast or talk about their beliefs in company.
It would have been safe to stay in the quiet countryside of Sweetlace. But Elanor’s vision had been so vibrant that it drove her motivations. She knew deep down inside she had to take this trip. And she didn’t have much time to act on it. Other wise she would not be taking a chance like this. A heavy sigh made her shoulders slump.
The world suddenly seemed so much bigger. Her hand lifted to touch the moonstone pendant that lay against her chest. It gave her comfort, helping to ease her mind.
If the odd voice had been real- they probably weren’t talking to her anyways. Nothing flashy about her. In fact she was trying not to be noticed.
It felt like this was one of her more terrifying impulsive acts. There may have been less public announcements of the hunters and judging of her kind. No one had been hung in a few years in Inglid but it was still very much going on all over the world. It was after all, why they’d all moved to the country side after the ‘accident’. Putting herself on a ship full of people she didn’t know even for a short time could prove rash on her part. If they did discover-
Oh Elanor, stop it. You can do this. It’s just a short trip up north!
Elanor had dressed like any other woman on the ship; nothing out of the ordinary. Even her long hair had been styled from her usual loosely hanging about her shoulders to a tidy fashionable hairstyle. She’d grown up in a small Port city called, NewLlyn. She’d lived among many non-magic users, learning tact of societies rules for women and the deep seeded fear of any type of magic user had taught her family to hide that side of themselves. The magic had once been a big part of life in this realm but now…the star seekers or seekers put an end to openly being any part of magic. They were those obsessed with seeking the stars in the sky instead of the land they lived on. Fear and hundreds of years of forcing others to see it they way they did brought the world to its current position on magic.
Her own fear probably cropped up because of the distance to land had grown so much. Land had already become a dark mark on the horizon. Soon it would disappear altogether. She felt her stomach tightening again. She just had to consider herself another passenger on a merchant ship sailing for another Port.
Her chin rested against her arms perched on the railing.
“You’re either very brave or very daft.”
Elanor nearly jumped out of her skin; spinning around awkwardly.
Men worked on different stations around the ship but none were looking her way or speaking. Confusion started to frustrate her as she turned her head left and right again seeking the nuisance of this mystery voice. A whistle sounded above her head drawing her gaze up. The curve of her left hand moved to shield her eyes; the sun blinding. Her hat dropped off her head, tapping her shoulders as she finally spotted a man sitting on a rope, perched comfortably as though a bird near the sail. His legs hung down clad in a pair of sailing pants that went just to his knees. His calves and bare feet were dirty. His dirty appearance didn’t stop there, his shirt had a tear in it and his hair as long as the natural way men did back in Sweetlace. She blinked rapidly but it wasn’t from the sunshine. She’d never seen one of her father’s sailors look like that. They were usually less-- natural and more uniform.
Why was he talking to her?
“Excuse me, but- did you just call me daft?” She asked finally.
“No, Miss,” His voice oddly deep and gruff with a heavy Spanish accent. “I said you’re either very brave or very daft.”
“I’m not daft.” She said shifting her weight from one foot to the next while looking around”
“So, you think yourself very brave?”
“I didn‘t say that either!”
A warning sounded quite loudly in her head, telling her the man focused too much on her and to move. She listen to it moving towards the steps but the man dropped from the rope. He landed soundlessly on the deck just in front of her.
She took a step back in surprise. Her pulse had become erratic, skipping a beat when he landed. Did he know? Was he asking so many questions to confirm his suspicions? That made no sense. She hadn’t used any magic. It could be for any type of nefarious reasons he spoke to her.
Her anxiety soared to a new level.
“Well, what er’ you doing here then?” He demanded.
Elanor searched anxiously for the Captain and his wife with quick shots of her gaze around the man. Their attention clearly not on her since he stood entirely too close for comfort; and pressing issues that were none of his business. In the seeker world it was highly taboo for a man to speak to a woman alone that wasn’t her husband.
She wasn’t quite sure what bothered her most about him as she edged back against the rail. The bold way he spoke to her or his appearance? He had the bushiest beard and thickest dark brown curly hair she’d ever seen. The riot of hair stood out all over his head. The beard on his face so full that it had wove naturally into the hair shrouding his head.
She could barely see his face beneath. She took another step away from him anxious to end this strange encounter. He boldly took one towards her. Elanor tried to gain the Captain’s attention but he wasn’t even watching.
A hunter? A pirate? A thief?
Should she run or try to defend herself?
Was she already in trouble?
“Well Miss, I think I’ve shown you the poor choice of standing alone on a large ship, yes?” His teeth appearing against the thick beard as he grinned. His brown skin made his teeth extra white in the tangled mess on his face. Her father had regulations for his sea crew or did. Was she letting her mind make trouble when there wasn’t any? His mockery turned her stomach further and her mind burning in frustration. He knew the error of the situation and still committed it.
“I… had… permission to-” Her voice might have hit a higher note than she’d intended. Fear brought her right hand to lift just a little. A magic shove came instinctively to the surface of her thoughts but she recoiled it as quickly as it came. She darted glances around to see if anyone noticed; as if they would know by her actions.
Her right hand folded with the left at her hip as though that was the intention all along.
“ My Father owns the ship.” She said trying her best to talk in a polite, effortless manner. “The Captain, he gave me permission.”
“Oh la la la. That changes everything.” He nodded his head enthusiastically sending the pokes of hair bouncing wildly. “Yes, that does change things. Instead of just selling you for a mere price on the slave market, well the pirates will ransom you to your fancy ship owning Father!” A crude laugh followed. “After, they use that little body of yours of course. If it‘s excitement you‘re looking for Miss, as I said,” He bowed deep with his arms spread open. “I’m willin’ to show you some daring things. Many of the crew I suspect would as well.”
Shock ripple through her. Was he talking about going off to do unmentionable things below deck now as though she were some dock whore? Fear still lay heavy but her personality started to nudge her into argument. She wasn’t going to be ordered about! Instead, Elanor did lift a shaking left hand. The ring Derek had given her a long time ago sparkled on her finger in the sunshine. She’d never taken it off. Even after she’d left that day.
“I’m a promised woman and I don’t think you should be talking to me so boldly. I will have a word with the Captain about it.” She stepped around him forcefully as she could without stumbling. He didn’t make any move to stop her.
“Then your intended is a bloody fool for allowing you to stand on the quarter deck like a prize goose ready for plucking.” He called. “Stay off it Miss or next time maybe I won’t be askin’!” The words had her shoes moving quickly against the wooden deck.
She didn’t look back as she took the steps quickly down. The anger in his voice sounded almost personal- like he knew her and she were a pesky ward of his? She didn’t even know him!
Elanor didn’t look back in fear that he might take that as encouragement. She missed the dark scan of the ship for anyone who dared look her way. Nor did she see the other man join him. His appearance equally dis-leveled. They were blending in without notice because of it.
“You should have waited,” The man said to the one whom joined him. “She could have turned around and saw you.”
“Thank you for getting her off the deck. She shouldn’t be up here. That git Richardson should know better. Besides, it’s too late now. We’re sailing.”
“She might go to him and complain.”
“She won’t. And even if she does- I doubt he’d even look into it.”
“She…said she’s intended to someone.”
There was a spark of indefinable light in gray eyes that ignited by the wild haired man’s comment.
“That she did my friend.” He said clapping him on the shoulder, grinning wide through his own wild unkept appearance. “That she did.”
“Are we adding killing someone to the roster?”
“No, it won’t come to that.” A chuckle rumbled from the second man.
“Ah I see. We better get back to work before we draw any attention to ourselves.”
They had each other’s back but they couldn’t get outed this early. But he noticed his friend hadn’t moved yet. The plan had been for him to be the one to interact with her. The efforts of the past two years felt validated and it was all coming together finally for his friend. He doubted though, that Elanor Tabor would be pleased with their intention of being on her Father’s ship.
So until the time was right, he’d keep his identity of who he really worked for secret.