Chapter 3
M y heart falls out of my chest and through my stomach as I gape at the kneeling man before me.
He’s staring back at me, green eyes lightly glazed over with a layer of unshed tears. His neck is tensed, causing the angle of his bearded jaw to be even more pronounced. He’s adorned in a black suit, as dressed up as Charlie and I are.
And he’s holding a sparkling ring. The gold-set white opal sparkles pink and blue and yellow in the lantern light, casting specks of light across Nolan’s face and all over the hall.
“Nolan,” I breathe, hardly able to take in what’s happening before me.
“Be my wife?” he asks, his voice cracking, like the sound of stepping on gravel.
My jaw falls open, and after a few moments of silence, Charlie sidles up to me and whispers in my ear, “It’s sort of a yes or no question.”
I blink, and Nolan, misunderstanding, says, “I understand if this is too soon. If you think it more prudent to wait.”
And then the words find me. “I think I’ve waited on you quite long enough, thank you very much.”
Relief breaks out on Nolan’s face in the shape of the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. He slips the ring onto my finger, explaining in the process, “I thought an opal would be best. You deserve light in your life, Darling.”
I’d stare at the beautiful stone, marvel at its beauty, if I weren’t too busy taking in the sight of the man in front of me, memorizing every line of his face, every place his hand grazes as he slides the ring onto my finger, then lets his touch linger there.
“When?” I ask.
Nolan’s ears twitch, and his neck reddens. “I bought the ring as soon as I was recovered enough to walk again after my…” He glances at his hooked hand with a marked hesitation.
I swallow, then clarify. “No, I mean, when can I marry you?”
Charlie claps in delight behind me. “I think she’s going to be pleased, Captain.”
I turn to face my friend, who’s looking at me with a grin of mischief, then back to my fiancé—my fiancé —who’s looking like he’s up to even more trouble.
“Well, Darling, how do you feel about marrying me now?”
“Yes,” I say, this time without hesitation.
Nolan laughs as he stands and offers me his arm. “Well, that’s good to know. Because you slept so long, you and I are late for our wedding.”
When Nolan and I emerge on deck, Charlie right behind us, the applause that greets us is more akin to a roar. The crew breaks out into cheers, but that’s not what has me stunned.
The entire deck is decorated for a wedding.
Near us, long tables line the deck, trimmed with oil lanterns and lavender centerpieces, cream satin table runners cascading off the ends.
On the other side of the tables, the crew has set out rows of chairs, the aisle marked with a layer of daisy petals.
At the end of the aisle is an arch carved of wood, draped in more tiny lanterns.
The whole deck is bursting with light, like they’ve taken the stars above and harnessed them for the evening.
“You said yes, didn’t you?” says Maddox, running up to us, looking mildly disheveled and holding an assortment of daisy petals, leaves, and lantern parts as he chases behind Michael, who seems to think this is a scavenger hunt.
“Because we’ve been working all day on this in the hot sun, and it’s going to be quite disappointing to take it all down. ”
“I said yes,” I say with a beam, squeezing Nolan’s arm as Michael races up to me and grabs my other hand.
Maddox beams right back at me, then claps his captain and friend on the shoulder.
“Don’t take all the credit,” says Charlie. “It’s not like you designed it.”
“Yes,” says Maddox. “Charlotte over here designed the whole thing, then sat on her buttocks and told us what to do and where everything went all day.”
“As she should have,” I say with a wink.
Maddox rolls his eyes. “Meet you on the other side of the aisle then?”
All of a sudden, the bright tones of stringed instruments accompanied by deeper notes start playing from the other side of the ship.
I whip around toward Charlie. “Where’d you get a string quartet?”
“What, do you think privateers are uncultured?” she asks. “We have a few on board who play the fiddle.”
I turn, amazed, to Nolan, who pats me on the arm, leans in, and says softly, “That’s my cue, love. See you on the other side.”
And then he walks across the deck and toward the aisle, where the rest of the pirates are sitting quietly.
“It’s odd, seeing them behave,” says Charlie from behind me. Then she appears next to me and wraps me in a hug. “I hope all of this isn’t too much?”
I try and fail to stop a stinging tear from rolling down my eye. “I’m afraid no one is ever going to be able to show they care for me too much.”
Charlie offers me a soft smile, then squeezes my hand. “I thought you would want Michael to walk you down the aisle.”
I nod, ruffling my brother’s hair against my best judgment. He’s dressed in a small suit, one Charlie must have gone to shore to purchase today.
Charlie glides off, hearing her cue. “Wait,” I say as she leaves, realizing I don’t know when to walk down the aisle, but she’s already out of earshot.
Anxiety wracks through me as I wait, unsure of when to move. As happy as I am to have Michael walk me down the aisle, it’s not as if he cares about things such as wedding procedure.
We stand there, listening to the song I’m pretty sure Charlie picked out herself, and I hold onto Michael’s hand, wishing there was an additional arm on my other side that I could loop my arm through like I did for so many balls.
“You didn’t think I would miss my sister’s wedding, did you?” says a familiar voice next to me.
I gasp, whipping around. Of course, it’s not him, not John. Just his wraith.
But still.
I smile. “It’s not like you enjoy weddings all that much,” I tease, glad to get to hear my brother’s voice once more, even if it isn’t real.
“Well, no. I happen to think they’re quite the waste of money. But the marriage part? Now, that’s a reasonable decision.”
“You don’t think I’m an idiot for marrying him?” I ask.
“Of the many reasons I think you’re an idiot, this would not make the list.”
I laugh, and when my brother’s wraith offers me his arm, I take it, fully aware of how strange it will look to everyone else on board, unable to see him.
I don’t really care if I look strange.
The music changes, but by the time John tells me that’s my cue, I’ve already taken a step forward.
When I reach the beginning of the aisle, the entire crew stands, everyone’s eyes on me. As we pace down the aisle, Michael making up lyrics to the song, I can’t help the smile that breaks across my face.
Normally, that would make me uncomfortable, everyone’s attention. But I hardly notice, because my eyes are on Nolan, and it might as well just be him and me and my brothers on this boat.
He’s stiller than I’ve ever seen him, back rigid. Like he’s worried that if he moves the slightest bit, all of this will disappear, turn out to just be a dream.
I understand the feeling.
But I’ve dreamed of this moment before; I’ve gotten pretty good at recognizing the difference.
So I smile at Nolan, and my Mate’s throat bobs, his chin quivering as he gazes on me with wonder and disbelief, his green eyes filling with tears.
I’ve always heard this moment described as the bride’s feet floating down the aisle, carrying her along with them. But I don’t want to be carried along anymore. And each step I take toward my Mate is weighted, grounded, my very own.
By the time I reach Nolan, Michael is clearly tired of the ceremony and runs toward Charlie, who turns him to face me and Nolan. She wraps her arms around my brother, wiping tears from her cheek with her shoulder.
As Nolan takes my hands and turns me to face him, I glance back toward the aisle. John’s wraith is already fading, but he tips his head, his glasses threatening to fall off his shadowy nose. “I’m glad to see you happy,” he says, and then he is gone.
Fighting tears, I turn my attention back to my husband, whose head is tilted in question.
Maddox stands behind us, hands crossed in front of him, and begins to address the crew.
“Traditionally, the captain is the one to officiate weddings on a ship, but given that our captain is currently indisposed”—the crew chuckles while a few of them whistle—“this solemn duty falls upon my shoulders.
“Now, I was told to keep it short,” he says, which is to my relief, as my ankles are already shaking.
“But I make no promises. Because I’ve known the captain for many years now.
I’ve known him through love and heartache, and I’ve watched his world burn down, and I’ve watched him rise from the ashes.
But as strong, as steadfast as Captain Nolan Astor is, as much as anyone on this crew would trust him with our lives, as much as I respect him for picking himself back up, it’s been years since I saw him happy.
Since I saw him surprise himself by laughing.
Since I saw him hope. Until you came along, Winds.
And then I got to watch a bear meet a butterfly for the first time, and be so entranced, yet so terrified of his own size.
Like if he made the wrong move, he might crush it.
I got to watch him learn to be soft. And I got to watch you learn to be stubborn.
I watched him push when all you wanted was to be left in your cocoon.
And I watched you melt him when all he wanted was to be flint.
So it had to come to this, all along. There was nowhere else for your fates to take you, except to this moment.
Not with how much you change each other for good. ”
I glance at Maddox in surprise, shocked by his meaningful speech.
“Do the groom and bride have vows for one another?” he asks.
“I am yours, Darling,” says Nolan. “And if you’ll have me, you are mine.”
I smile, my voice shaking, as I repeat it back. “I am yours, Nolan Astor, and if you’ll have me, you are mine.”
“The rings?” says Maddox. Charlie appears behind me and hands me a golden band, a thinner one to Nolan.
He takes his, placing it on my finger gently, sliding it next to my opal ring. I go to place his on his finger, then panic, realizing there’s nowhere for it to go than his hook.
The crowd chuckles at my predicament, but Nolan just chuckles softly and says, “I think the other hand will do just fine.”
I laugh nervously, then slide the ring onto his right ring finger, my stomach growing heavy with the reality of what I’m doing.
Claiming him.
Just as he’s claimed me.
Again, Charlie appears behind us, this time with a rope. Nolan takes my hand in his, and softly, Charlie ties the rope around our wrists. As she does, Nolan curls his fingers through mine, and my heart melts.
“Before witnesses today, Captain Nolan Astor and Wendy Darling bind their lives together forever,” says Maddox. “Captain, I think you know what to do.”
And as the crowd cheers, Captain Nolan Astor grabs me by the waist, sweeps me into his arms, and kisses me.