Chapter twenty-three
A hot stillness lay heavy in the air with hints of sweet scents.
Soft sounds muffled through the building’s half opened door as Derek and the other two men talked. His hand brushed her bare arm letting her know he knew she was present and- his lawful wife. All it had took had been ink, some paper and as Derek put it, favor money. The papers signed and the money exchanged made her his wife in the eyes of the Inglish King. It did seem almost comical to think that it mattered so much to him since neither really was favored by their fathers’ court and country. Her being a witch. Him being on the cusp of out right piracy, well, smuggler. Still, she couldn’t deny that the little girl inside of her that had fallen in love with the idea that marrying Derek in both realms was delighted beyond silencing.
They were truly married by all faiths and laws, both by man and nature.
Elanor smiled wide, felt the flush of giddiness on her cheeks. Laughter erupted from the men and though she had no idea what had been just said she laughed right along with them. Derek’s hand clasped her elbow guiding her from the building back into the market.
“Well, Wife, what would you like to buy for our wedding day present?”
“How about some pottery?” She could hardly hold back the teasing light that shined with the happy glow of the day. He didn’t miss it giving her a side long glance before looking around distrustful she were about to hex him or some such. “To replace the ones broken the other day hmm?” She said wrapping her hands around his arm as they looked through the little booths all lined together in the market. Merry Meeting Market, someone had made a play on words. She almost grimaced at the appearance; the unsmiling faces of the attending booths, loud arguing market goers. It looked anything but merry there. Her eyes drifted over the wares of each booth, slowly passing each. He pointed to a booth nearby with pottery and a wash of realization came over her. They were buying items for their home.
“Those are very pretty.” She didn’t wait for him while gliding over to that booth, remarkable craftsmanship. A sun kissed dark elderly woman stood behind its low wooden counter watching with warm brown eyes. Elanor gave her a friendly smile. “Good day, these are lovely wares. Did you make them?” Like Zo she didn’t speak but used her head to communicate a nod. Elanor didn’t mind since she was used to it. Unlike the first time she’d met the older man. The pottery had been finely done, bowls and pitchers lined neatly. Their patterns were beautiful.
Realizing she’d broken a few things Elanor realized they’d need to replace almost a whole set. With a guilty teasing expression turned to Derek while biting her lower lip, “I think those there will look lovely in the kitchen?” Derek’s eyes lingered on her mouth making her skin prickly with pleasure.
“They? Count in your head how many you smashed, did you?” He said raising his eyes.
Sheepishly she laughed. “I am sorry for that. You know I don’t go about breaking things in fits, normally.” He gave her a grin that made little flutters play against her ribs. More and more his charms melted down the walls she’d put up. Today, it seemed natural to be happy and light. The invisible web of love and attraction keeping them connected closer than ever in these moments.
“I’ve long forgiven you for that. As I hope you have me.” His large hand gestured to the booth again. “Buy whatever will warm the cockles of your heart, my dear.”
Elanor felt herself nearly grinning wider, sharing it with the elder woman behind the booth’s counter. “Could I have those three just there?” Her hand gesturing with an extended index finger. The elderly lady lifted the large bowl and then the smaller bowl to place closer to Elanor. When she lifted the pitcher, that was when Elanor realized her aging had taken its toll. The woman trembled from lifting each object but more so when the pitcher was placed near to the bowls with a clank. Luckily there hadn’t been a chip but even if there had Elanor nor Derek, she believed, would have mentioned it. Instead, the compassion Elanor felt mirrored silently in Derek’s face. The three were relatively alone at least at the booth and so without asking she took the coin from Derek to pay the elder woman herself. A healing spell wouldn’t last forever but it would at least give some relief.
She hadn’t ever casted in public. Not once in her life.
Teagan had always pressed the limits set down by her parents. The rest did small things that would go unnoticed but not Elanor. She feared being caught back then. But she felt compassion for the woman standing there now. Derek stood behind her and that made her feel safe. Though Elanor hadn’t ever used a healing spell; some where deep inside her, she just knew it would work. In fact, that was the reason she had so much guilt. Had she been there when the accident happen; she may have been able to heal them all.
Once she’d channeled enough water energy into her own hands, the coins were exchanged but Elanor didn’t release the wrap of her fingers.
Surprise widen the woman’s warm dark brown eyes as they looked into Elanor’s. A kindly smile offered as the healing light passed between them. She may never have done this before still a vibrant knowledge that it would work told her to believe it. When the spell had finished, Elanor pulled her hands back allowing them to slowly drop to her sides.
The woman blinked and finally after being stunned by the action, smiled.
“Thank you, these are beautiful.” A slight upturn of the wrinkles at the corners of the older woman’s mouth made Elanor smile wider. Derek no doubt confused but knowing better than to ask and draw attention, lifted the two bowls stacked carefully together. “We best be going. I told everyone we’d be shipping off straight away.”
Lifting the pitcher Elanor followed as he turned to push through the small crowd off to the side. When they were out of ear shot of anyone he asked, “What did you do?” Leaning closer to his arm so no one would over hear she whispered. “A healing spell to make her fingers and maybe her bones feel a little better.” It was then the realization that she’d done magic in public again without thinking of the problems it could make for her. A quick look over her shoulder, darting a glance to see if anyone followed. Hopefully the woman wouldn’t tell anyone?
“What a brave magical burde you are.” He said reading her mind, grinning.
Elanor gave a half smile almost sheepish that he knew she’d started to worry. Too late now in any case. A deep breath of air pulled into her lungs before letting it out slowly as she followed Derek. He seemed to make her feel at ease and safe. Even without the protection of the island.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about Mate, push off.” Her attention shifted to just ahead at the dock hearing a familiar voice. Caspin stood squaring off with three other men and the body posture didn’t make her feel as though it were a polite conversation.
“Elanor.” Her name came as a warning. Derek set the bowls down where she’d stopped; then walked over to meet with his first mate. Fear bubbled up into her chest. A fourth had also joined the men as Derek gotten there and now it seemed four against two.
“We know you’re harboring two slaves. Their Master has hired us to return ‘em.”
“Only free people on my ship.” Derek said dryly as he joined the small crowd.
“We know about you, Captin’. Heard all about you and yours, having free slaves somewheres around these parts.”
“That, is a stupid remark. Either they’re free or they’re slave, yeah?” Again, Derek’s tone dry but she could see his back muscles beneath the shirt flexing as though preparing to move. Stepp came up along side her making her jump a little. He seemed as frighten and as unsure what he should do, as her. Her heart leapt into her throat when it became clear with his step towards them as to what he decided.
“No, please stay with me Stepp.” Her hushed whisper hurried. “I don’t want to be left alone.” Her protective side showing, if he went over there no doubt the rough looking men would view him as the weakest of the three. And men like that always went for what they knew they could attack.
“Alright, Miss. Don’t worry. I have my knife and I’ll protect you.” His voice sounding a bit more confident as he watched the scene unfold. The voices were getting louder and the vulgar language got worse. All clear signs to Elanor that this would end in a physical fight. She knew that both Derek and Caspin could handle themselves but against four anyone would be challenged.
“Give us the bitch and the child or-” A crack of skin hitting skin silenced any other words that were about to be said. Caspin’s fist hit the man’s face; shoving the rest of the words back down the throat of the rogue. A flurry of fists and bodies moving instantly made it seem like there were many more men there than in reality. Her fingers gripped the pitcher until the white of her knuckles shown. The energy building so quickly in her chest that Elanor had a hard time holding it back like a wild caged animal. She made herself watch though the landing blow Derek took made her empathic mind cringe. She could feel it as though she’d been physically hit herself.
But not all of the men it seemed knew how to fight; the two that had come along just stood there as the other four went at each other. Elanor gave Stepp a worried glance and tried to think of a way to help. She wasn’t much of a fighter herself but the magic being drawn from it all could easily finish the fight. Another grunt of contact had her placing the pitcher down on the ground.
“No Miss, don’t go over there. Captain will gut me if you get hurt.”
She knew he was right and the little twinge of fear that someone would see her preform magic were fading fast because of it. She watched as the fight only grew in intensity. Her teeth sunk into the soft pillow of her lower lip until she tasted blood. A raging battle in her own her mind. Anger started to crawl up from the pit of fear and clenched tight.
She wasn’t helpless.
She was powerful and had the means to help her husband.
She shouldn’t just be standing there watching. Fear be damned.
All at once she could see how to help him just by believing. The fight had started on the dock, it’s wobbly planks weren’t the best footing for any of them. Each time a forceful blow or push would make a rocking of the wood and a sloshing of water below.
“Stepp,” She turned abruptly to the younger man and shoved the pitcher into his unexpected arms. “Get the bowls as well and be ready to follow quickly.” Elanor didn’t explain anymore than that, hoping he’d just do as she said. Energy unlike anything she’d felt before tingled through her fingers and the rest of her body. Even her scalp tingled. She didn’t need it for direction or intent. Soft words hummed off her lips calling to the Goddess, the Mother of all, to help her aim true and not harm Derek or Caspin. As soon as the dock naturally rocked and water sloshed again, she released the spell to make the water reach a height to spiral around the other men, yanking all four of them into the water with cannonball splashes.
Both Derek and Caspin stood in stark shock looking down at the men flailing their arms. Elanor moved in a hurried succession of foot steps passing them by and only glancing back to see if Stepp had listen. He had- and quickly it seemed since he followed on her heels.
“Ela!” Derek said breathlessly once all of them were on deck. “That was, that…”
“I know! I just couldn’t watch anymore.” Darting glances at Derek, Caspin and Stepp. Her stomach clenched painfully waiting for their reaction.
“That was-” Derek tried again.
“That was bloody brilliant! Spit it out man! She just saved our arses!” Caspin laughed and grabbed her joyfully into a tight hug. “Elanor, thank you for helping. When I saw that knife-”
Elanor nearly swallowed her tongue in a gasp. “There was a knife?” .
“Whoa, whoa, we’re all safe now. Let’s focus on getting out of here and how we’re going to avoid them following us to the Island.” Derek said.
“Oh! I- didn’t even think of that.” Elanor followed him back on deck, touching her flushed cheeks. Derek’s blue eyes stare deep into hers when he stood still instead of heading for the wheel. His hand raised to touch the side of her face and her hand. “You were brilliant.” Her heart flipped as he leaned to brush his lips against hers. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She wanted to saying something funny or teasing but the profound moment took words from her. She’d preformed magic, helped them and the world didn’t come down on her head. But she knew right then and there, even if it had she would have done anything to keep Derek from being hurt.
She loved him deeply. Always would.
She watched him and Caspin move to the upper deck before giving Stepp a smile. “Will you help me put those away in the cabin where they won’t get broken?” This pottery had made it out of a fight thankfully; they’d only had it a few hours now. Perhaps it would be a curse for them not being able to keep pottery. She took the steps, heart racing as Derek’s crew moved quickly to set the ship sailing.
“Don’t worry Miss, Captain is going to get us out of here just fine.”
“But they can’t get out of the harbor fast enough though, can they?” Elanor asked. “We’ll be within telescope sight all the way to the reef?”
“There’s enough wind and its cloudy.” Stepp said looking up towards the sky. “Might be enough.” He didn’t sound so sure and she didn’t feel very confident herself. She may have been away from the sea for a few years but she hadn’t forgotten how a ship moves in the water and what it took. Elanor squinted her eyes trying to focus the other ship that had started out of the harbor right behind them. She couldn’t make out the crew working but the ship itself was gliding as well as theirs.
“Do you think they’ll attack?” She asked Derek coming upon him at the helm.
“Not in the harbor.” The grimace on his face wasn’t an expression she’d ever seen. She knew suddenly that he was preparing himself for the fight that was coming. Her gaze left him to pan around the ship seeing the crew physically doing so.
“You’re going to take them on!” She exclaimed. “Derek…”
“Ela, it’s not just Lea and Breeze we’re protecting.” He took one hand off the wheel to do a wide spread gesture to his ship. “They’ve all got something to lose if these bounty hunters find the Island. I left my father’s business because I hated the way human beings were being treated.” His grip tighten on the wheel, forcefully he finished. “Now that they’re changing the laws in the Colonies, they,” He jerked his head towards the other ship. “won’t be the last to try this. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose those I call family to these bastards following us now.” Elanor moved to him and pressed her cheek against his shoulder while her arms slide around him. It would be the first time she dared to show softness towards him without his making the first move. His release of pent up air loudly filled her ears. He moved like lightning tucking her into the wheel and crushing a kiss to mouth. Her lips were soft and warm after the passionate exchange. He didn’t let her out of the cage of his arms on either side of her as he held the wheel and she made no motion just yet to move. Again her head leaned into him, resting her cheek against his chest.
“I think… I think I can help.” She’d said it so softly that he might not have heard.
“No.” His chest rumbled with the word. “I want you to lock yourself in the cabin and stay there. You’ll be safe until it’s over.”
“I’m not hiding while you and the rest are-”
“You’ve done enough. This is now something we have to handle ourselves.”
“I’ve never casted this big but I think it will work Derek.” She tried to dip her head under his elbow but he dropped it so she couldn’t.
“There isn’t anything you can do. Even if we catch the wind better and out race them, they’re going to see where we’re heading.” He shook his head. “We’re going to move out of the harbor so the authorities don’t see any of us and then…” He didn’t finish but it was clear what the intent would be.
“But I can help. You have to trust me. I know a spell that will keep us out of their sight once we get far enough away.”
“Why not let her try?” Caspin said taking the last step to the deck. “If it doesn’t work, we’re not anymore worse off then if she hadn’t.” Elanor tried to duck under his arm again this time he allowed it but still protested.
“I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I’m not afraid of hurting myself.” She did look down at the crew working and then back to him. “Do you think-”
“If you get us out of this mess,” Derek said shaking his head. “There won’t be a man, woman or child on the Island that wouldn’t be grateful.” He sighed heavily then smiled at her. “Do what you can my beautiful burde.” A flutter played against her chest. When he said it like that, she did feel beautiful and pride in being a caster openly like back at the country side.
“This won’t be easy or quick.” She pulled her wand from its place at her hip and raising the twisted wood towards the sky. This time she’d need all the tools she had to cast. “You’ll still have to get as much ground from them as you can to give this a chance.” Derek started shouting orders to the crew. Elanor stood just behind him on the deck feeling safer near him. Her lashes brushed the calming round of her cheeks, grounding herself with deep breaths. Her own words and intent. No fancy spell work. Just her thoughts of her sisters.
“Earth, fire, air, spirit and water,” She said each of her sister’s elements, leaving the last for her own. “Where ever you are, I call to you my sisters, whatever the distance, where ever in time or place, connect with me.” Deep breaths inhaled she felt the invisible lines of connection one by one. All four of them having felt her need and reaching out. Energy pulsed now through her like static or lightning striking to the sky. Instinct overwhelmed her thoughts. She just knew how she wanted to use the water to help them.
Her arms still raised she opened her eyes to look to the clouds. “Hail Goddess, Mother to all! I call upon you. Please grant the path to safety!” Elanor continued to speak the words over and over so that the message would reach this Goddess and if it be her will, might grant the plea.
“Mercy, will you look at that!” She knew before she looked that she’d been heard. The current of energy so intense inside her body that she could barely stand there. Elanor’s gaze found what the crew was shouting about easily enough. A crow had landed on the rail and now taken flight back into the sky as clouds were seemingly melting from the sky and drifting down to the water in a eerie calm snake like coil; then spreading out. Like a physical blow to her chest she felt the terms of the Goddess’ help all at once.
“Derek, if you can, get us moving faster!”
“Get back to work, now!” Derek shouted at the crew watching in wonder. “What’s wrong?”
“I was afraid that it might be like this but no other form of the Goddess came to mind that would help us better.” Elanor let her arms lower having already thanked the Goddess for her generosity, though, what she had granted might take both ships down in the process.
“She’s got a warrior’s spirit, Derek. To her, to win a battle you have to show your mettle. She’s giving us a blanket of cover but at a cost. A very big storm is coming.” Already the other ship and the distant Port they’d come from had been consumed by the fog. It was pushing towards them now, nearing faster than a normal natural fog would.
“To win the battle, we have to make it out of the storm.”
“How-”
“She’s blessed us really.” Elanor cut him off before he unwittingly insulted the Goddess, knowing how vindictive she could be if the gifts she gave weren’t properly received. “I can use my own magic to help us. She’s given us a real chance to make it to our Island.”
He peered over his shoulder at her raising a brow but didn’t say more about it when she shot him an expression that he knew all to well to wait for explaining.
A sail snapped hard and the ship lurched. The muscles in Derek’s arms bulged as he held the wheel steady.
“I’ll try to keep the fog parted so you can see where we’re going.” Her wand lifted just in front of her this time she focused all the energy she could into moving the moisture of the air in spirals. It thinned enough to see ahead. Caspin and Stepp joined them on the deck again. She could feel their apprehension.
“Do you think we’re going to be able to steer through the reef at this pace?” Caspin shouted looking ahead.
“We better.” Derek answered trying to yell over the growling wind. “It’s going to be close as it is! We’ve got to lock down before that storm hits the Island.” The ship shuddered with another large wave spraying over the rails. It had only taken moments for the air to gain momentum and the water to get rough. Elanor gripped the rail in one hand and her wand in the other. There was shouts of orders and things she couldn’t make out in the increasing monster roar of the storm gaining on them. She kept her focus and intent on helping Derek get the ship safely to the Island. She stumbled with another roll of the waves but Stepp came to her rescue before she hit the deck.
“I have you, Miss.” He assured helping her gain her feet again. The water now rough, tossing the bow up and down and making the sails blow fully into their girth.
“White water ahead Captain!” Shouts came from everywhere on the ship. Men pointed to the left, a few to the right and no doubt there were some pointing straight ahead. They had come upon the reef faster than expected.
“Damn it! We don’t know where on the reef we are!” Derek shouted through the pouring rain. Panic pressed her into a tail spin of thoughts. There had to be something she could do to keep them from hitting the reef and splintering into a pile of wood.
“Keep it heading straight!” She yelled when it came to her. “Don’t let the ship pitch at all!” Elanor lifted both hands towards the dark sky channeling the mass amount of energy that pulsed through the clouds. She asked her mother and the Mother of all Goddess to be with her. She’d never tried to do a spell this big on her own, though she’d been told many times that she could achieve it. Control over the sea water, she would have to believe. Really believe.
No choice, she focused her intent on the water commanding it to raise up beneath the ship and create a wave to carry them over the reef. As though she were committing an act of physical strength she strained her leg muscles and her stomach clenched. Her arms rose up slowly as did the ship on the wave. The wild nature of the sea made it difficult to manage but she wouldn’t let it get the best of her. She envisioned the force of her will like an arrow moving through the air towards her target. Wood scraping the reef suddenly echoed in the wind. She pushed harder in her efforts to make the wave bigger. The scrapping stopped but Elanor couldn’t allow the ship to lower until she was sure they were over the jagged rock and coral. Her lungs squeezed and the pound of her heart out roared the wind.
“Let it go!” Derek shout sounded like it came from the distance. She shook her soaked head, afraid that it was too soon. “Elanor!” She relented only when her body began to shake. The spell having taken her personal energy because of the battle of fighting with the wild nature of the wave. She knew Derek was saying something to her but the storm had gotten deafening. It roared so loudly in her ears that she couldn’t even hear her labored breath. It wasn’t until her legs got weak that she realized it wasn’t the storm but her heart thundering that she heard.
Elanor fought to stay conscience, afraid they would need her again before they made the island. She tasted water in her mouth that had been tainted by tin. The world spun but she clawed mentally at the darkness that tried to blanket her. The last thing she saw was Derek’s concerned face as he reached out to catch her before she fell.