Chapter four
“We must be far enough away now.”
Elanor commented to no one in the room. Even though Derek had said to dress down to her stay and chemise; she’d elected to leave the heavy dress on. Her intention was to explain the need to turn the ship back North. Before they got too south. But hours had passed. It could be already be too late. The volcano might have already erupted. She hadn’t much time to get to Istland. She paced back and forth.
Sweat caused the dress to stick to her, patching in dark unseemly stains.
Elanor pulled at the high collar. Finally losing her patience her hands gripped the door, yanking on the knob.
Locked.
She tried the door again, this time hitting the heel of her palm against the wood- which ended with her collapsing in heat exhaustion in a chair.
Where was he? Why hadn’t he come to explain?
Elanor laid her cheek to the smooth cool surface of the table bolted to the floor. She noted that everything in the room had been secured down. The only things not bolted down were the small items littering the desk and a few pillows on the window seat. She remembered during storms if the ship had been tossed around by the waves, it kept the heavy objects from being deadly. Even the bed had been bolted. There wasn’t a single item that would help her get out of the room.
A small wooden chest caught her eye in the corner by the door. It had gone unnoticed before because of it’s location. Sliding to the floor, she crawled over the short distance kneeling to open it. Inside were various items of clothing. There didn’t seem to be anything of use in there either. Elanor did pondered putting on one of his tunics. Her hand shifted the fabrics around, wondering if pride would be beaten by the weather. A narrowing of her brows created a look of interest as she neared the bottom.
Slowly her fingers wrapped around a soft object. A long cord of gold intertwined with mauve, both ends tasseled. It swung gently in her hand. Without realizing it was happening, a tender smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. He’d kept it. The hand-fasting cord she’d given Derek when they‘d promised their oaths to each other under the strawberry full moon. He’d given the ring on her finger, she’d given him the cord to take with him sailing.
The door pushed open nearly hitting her. She got to her feet quickly, weaving even before she stood straight.
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were so close to the door.” Maybe it was relief. Maybe it was the bubble of joy that surface seeing him safe again. She go to her feet and tossed her arms around his shoulders. He returned the hug, squeezing her tightly in a warm welcoming embrace.
“I’m so glad we made it out of that. I was afraid we’d be taken to the slave markets or worse.”
“You’re safe. I’ve got you.” Derek turned his head to press his face close. Her insides tighten realizing what she’d done.
“It’s so hot in here. Do you know when we might be able to head back?”
He frowned as his eyes trailed up and down her form. “I told you to take that off. It’s too hot.”
“I didn’t know it was an order.” She said slowly, her brows starting to narrow with her frown. “I thought you would be back before now.”
“It does take time to manage a ship, Elanor.” He pulled his tunic over his head. The movement swift to reveal a compact muscled chest. He looked confident, powerful with his broad shoulders. This wasn’t the way he looked two years ago and surely not years previous.
A lot had changed and by his manners, it wasn’t just physical appearances.
He glanced at her hand, sinking into a bolted down chair.
“I see you haven’t lost your nosey manners when it comes to my things.”
Confusion clouded her focus for a moment before remembering what was in her hand.
“I was looking for something to put on.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “Modesty isn’t needed. Just take the wool off.” He rolled a hand in the air dismissively, starting to grin. “It’s not as though I haven’t seen your bits before.”
Teasing her? As though nothing had just happened? As though they hadn’t been running from pirates? As though they hadn’t spent two years apart? Her frown only deepen at this.
“I will thank you to be more serious.” This wasn’t exactly how she imagined things would go when he came to the cabin. “This isn’t funny, Derek. I’m still shaking.”
“I just saved you. Show some good spirit.”
“Will they hurt the people on the ship?”
“That particular pirate will be ransoming the Captain and his wife. The rest will be released when they dock.” He answered without looking at her.
“Will you taking me back north now?”
“Already trying to get away from me, sweetheart?” Derek did look at her then. His gray eyes seeming to look through her. “After all this time, that’s all you have to say?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just-” She took a deep breath and let it go. “It’s important for me to arrive on time. I do have a lot of questions about all of this. But I am glad to see you.”
“It’s good to be able to talk to you now.”
“Why didn’t you tell me who you were?” She toyed with the cord, wrapping it around her hand as she spoke with him.
“If I had, would you been able to keep quiet?”
“I don’t know. I’ll admit I was scared.”
“You’re safe now.” He reached out to trace his fingers over the hand holding the cord. She felt her heart flutter.
She hadn’t seen him in two years and the maturity of his face though changed his look didn’t change it entirely. She could still see the man she had cared about. But she couldn’t let the past cloud the situation.
“How did you know this would happen?” She pushed.
He stood walking to the window, his smooth bare back to her.
“I might as well tell you.” He turned around. His gray eyes hard. His lips set. It startled her how quickly his manner changed from good natured humor to this.
“I made the deal with the pirate for you. When I heard about Richardson, he’d been looking for a buyer to take the ship in exchange for retirement money. So, I made my own deals.”
“Why? Why didn’t you just warn my Father?”
She let the cord slide against the wood floor hitting the chair leg.
“We haven’t spoken in years, Elanor. Why would I warn him?”
“Derek how could you do this? Weeks! Weeks we were on that ship and you didn’t say a word. You and that man, Caspin, just kept playing games, toying with me. I knew there was something happening, I just couldn’t…”
He interrupted her scattered assessment of him.
“Because I had no intention of telling you until I knew everything was going to go as I planned. You finally did the one thing I’ve been waiting for you to do since you left.” He said in a strained voice. “Something impulsive and daring like you always do. It took you longer than I expected. But you did, you got on that ship.”
Confused, she had to ask. “What would me being on a ship have to do with anything?”
His eyes sparkled dangerously. “I live by one rule out here now. Take or be taken. There is nothing else. I thought for a long time, if I waited you would come back to me. But a year went by. And then two years went by.” His fist slammed down on the cherry wood of the desk making her jump. “You took our future away when you left. I just took it back.” He picked the cord up, crossing the room to place it back in the chest. “I only had to be patient. When your father’s man Richardson came bragging at Port, that he had one hell of a deal with a pirate, I finally had it. I just joined Richardson’s crew.”
She took a step towards him. “Derek, listen to what you’re saying! I’m not some object that is being passed from owner to owner for goodness sake!”
“You were taking away from me!” Derek shouted. “From what we had? From everything we had planned! We shouldn’t be arguing right now, Elanor. This should be a happy reunion! You should be hugging me and I holding you from long due reconnecting. But instead, I have to explain why I had to wheel and deal with pirates! You never should have left!”
Did he think they could just carry on as though nothing had happened? Elanor never would have been able to live with herself. “Everything was so confusing and I didn’t know what… I’m sorry, so very sorry. I wish I didn’t have to, when we were already…” Elanor closed her eyes and gathered strength from within. No one believed her but she could possibly help find Maegan if she reached Istland in time. “But I had to leave. And I need you to take me back now. I realize this was all terrible mistake. I never should have left the country side.”
Her empathic abilities could feel the anger and betrayal almost physically. But she couldn’t change what had happened. There had been many reasons why she couldn’t stay. The elemental magic would have been a threat to them both. Living in constant fear of the same thing happening to them as it did her Mother and sisters. She couldn’t let him suffer because she had been born a fifth generation elemental caster. She was one of five sisters that had elemental powers, hers being water. She had to hide away because of the fear magic grown so much in the centuries that seekers hunted them. She feared it herself. She’d gone the past two years avoiding anything that felt stronger than a simple spell. Elanor couldn’t even manage a simple spell anymore.
And he just dismissed it all.
There was just too many things that were working against them. It wasn’t safe.
Her face twisted in different emotions, but they were nothing compared to the ones tearing at her heart and soul once again years later. His next words twisted them with a blurring of confusion and anger.
“Now, Elanor, my caged bird. That’s where you’re wrong. The sea has only one rule.” He lifted a hand with his index singled. “Take, or be taken. Your Father’s ship has been taken by pirates. No one knows you are with me. They will all think you’ve been stolen and sold on the Barbary slave market in Morocco. You were the only one that was taken from the ship, remember? No one will ever know where you went. Like it or not, you are now, mine.” The last word punch in the air between them. “I’m going to show you the life we’ve been missing and we’re never going to look back. Ever.”
Shock seized her. He didn’t sound like the Derek she’d grown up with. Had fallen in love with, and had planned to marry before life had thrown them into a different direction. This man was wild, dangerous and clearly didn’t want to listen to any kind of reason. Dread swept in and carried the rest of her emotions away.
Realization became an icy splintering down her spine. He’d just declared her his prisoner. . .