Chapter 24
24
" A naked lady is lying in my bed, the most beautiful one in all the land. I must be the greatest captain of all time."
Anna blinked languidly. It took some time to chase away the sleep. She stretched sleepily, yawned loudly, and blinked again. Someone was looming over her: dark eyes, dark hair, five o'clock shadow, and a shimmering silver scar on the cheek. A rough hand stroked her hair, bringing her back to reality.
It was already morning. Daylight streamed in through the three windows and a seagull screeched.
"Where am I? What happened?"
"You are where you belong." He suddenly leaned over her and pressed his lips to hers. Still dazed, she let it happen, and then she remembered the dream. She opened her eyes, pushed the captain firmly away, and sat up.
"I dreamed about her. About Meysandrine. I met her."
"Can't we sort that out later, Ani?" Grinning, he inched closer, but Anna kept him at a distance with her outstretched arm. The dream was important and she had to tell him about it before she forgot what the siren told her.
"I was in the cave and she gave me a prediction. But… it wasn't particularly helpful."
The captain inhaled deeply, looking away from her bare shoulders, which were peeking out from under the blanket, and directly at her. "What did she tell you?"
Anna ran her hand through her hair thoughtfully. "When my magic returns, the fate of the fairies will change."
Chris rubbed his hands over his eyes. He looked exhausted. No wonder. If he had just gotten to the cabin, he must have been steering the ship all night. His clothes were dry — how could that be? Anna glanced over at the table where a few of his clothes were also hanging over a chair. Had he come in and changed his clothes that night? Perhaps when the storm was over. He must have been incredibly quiet for her not to have noticed.
"It could mean," he started, "that… Actually, it's clear. At the moment, the fairies are dying out. Their fate is such that they will soon no longer exist. When you get your magic back, that fate will change."
Hopefully for the better. "Do you believe she thinks my magic can save the fairies?"
"Aye, that's what it sounds like to me. Did she tell you how to get your magic back?"
Anna shook her head. "After her prediction, I wanted to ask questions, but a tornado immediately appeared and tossed me out of the dream."
"It was similar for me back then. She won't let you ask questions."
"Frankly, we could have figured that out on our own. The gold coin was wasted money." Disappointed, her shoulders sagged and she pulled her legs up under the blanket, wrapping her arms around them.
Chris took one of her locks between his fingers and stroked it. "That wasn't it, Ani. Now we know that your magic and the future of the fairies are connected. Getting your magic back is more important than we thought. That's why we have to do everything we can to clear the blockage."
Anna frowned. "Blockage? What do you mean by that? That it's me holding back the power?"
The captain tilted his head and searched for words. "It could be. None of us knows what happened back then. You may have experienced a shock and that's why your powers are no longer working. Like you're resisting it because you're afraid of something."
"No, I don't think so, that…" Anna hesitated. It didn't sound completely absurd. "It could just as well be that whoever banished me robbed me of my powers — forever."
The captain shook his head. "Magic is a part of you. Nobody can take it away from you. Block it, yes, but snatching it away — not even death can do that."
His words sent a wave of goosebumps across her arms. He saw it and grinned. "Ready for a rendezvous, madam?" He ran his finger over her shoulders and neck. Her skin tingled under his touch. Her gaze softened as she leaned forward and cupped his head. Chris didn't hesitate for a second and put his lips on hers as a cry reached the cabin.
"LAND HO!"
Chris dropped his head. "Bloody bastards. Can't they sail slower?"
"Land ho?" Anna looked out the portholes, but all she saw was the endless blue sky and seagulls circling. "What about the pirates who were chasing us? Blackbeard and his comrades-in-arms?"
"They didn't dare follow us into the raging storm."
Anna breathed a sigh of relief. At least that danger was averted for the time being. "What realm are we in?"
"The land of the giants."
Entranced, Anna stared at him. "Land of the giants? Do you mean the Kingdom of Rocks? Already?" She immediately sat up again, wrapped the blanket around her body, and hurried to her clothes. "Toni, is he there too?"
"The giant wouldn't miss it for the world."
Darn it. Her clothes were still too damp. "Do you have some shirts and pants I can wear?" She glanced at his build and grinned. He was significantly broader and more than a head taller than her. She would be swimming in his pants and shirts, but she didn't want to walk around in damp clothes either.
Chris grinned. He seemed to be picturing the same thing. "I have something much better. And perhaps it will even be of use to you." With heavy steps, he went to one of the chests. Curious, she hurried after him. The blanket dragged along the floor and she held it tightly around her so that she wouldn't be completely naked in front of him, though that probably wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest.
He opened the chest and Anna glanced over his shoulder. There were lots of black shirts and a few trousers. And underneath she saw something that made her heart beat faster. As he pulled it out and held it up in front of her, tears welled up in her eyes.
It was a dress in green and pink tones, cut classically like a sheath dress, and appeared to end just above the knees. But it wasn't made from normal fabric but rather the leaves of the anemone.
"Is this…?"
"Aye, one of your dresses."
She slowly came closer and stroked the natural material. It felt cool and warm at the same time. Pleasant. There's no way it would scratch. "Can I…?"
Chris held it out to her. "Of course, it's yours." He watched as she took the dress, sat on the bed, and stroked the interwoven leaves lovingly. "I'll go out and decide where we can go ashore."
"Okay." Without looking up, she waved at him. Then she heard nothing more, and just sat feeling the article of clothing in her hands. She slowly raised it to her face, pressed her nose into the material, and took a deep breath. Her heart beat faster. She was excited, joyful. This was hers. When Chris had pulled it out, she had known immediately. A piece of the past, something of hers. It seemed infinitely precious to her.
She peeled off the blanket and slipped into the dress. Into her dress. As she pulled the wide straps over her shoulders, a smile filled her face. It fit like a second skin — just perfectly.
That's what she'd worn back then. She was a fairy and this was her dress. She stroked it reverently again and again. Why wouldn't any memories come back even though she had rediscovered so much from her inner convictions? Anton was her friend, she and Chris were a couple, she was a fairy — why did she know all this but nothing from the past returned?
If she truly was the one blocking the memories and the magic, why was she doing it? What had happened back then that had shocked her so much? And why couldn't it all just be retrieved with a simple flick of the wrist?
Deep in thought, she paced the room. Her shoes were still wet, as were her socks. She spotted a pair of boots that didn't look quite as big as Chris's. Could they possibly… be hers? Had Chris put them out for her? She hadn't even noticed.
As she slipped in a bare foot, she smiled. Exactly her size. And the leather felt so soft, as if it had already been broken in. If they were hers from back then, how could that be after so many years? Had Chris conditioned them to keep them soft? After all, he had carefully stored her dress. The thought of him warmed her heart. She wanted to go to him, thank him, and then… then she wanted to see the Kingdom of Rocks.
As she stepped out the door, it was so bright that she blinked. The sun was shining in a cloudless sky and the storm was nowhere to be seen. The men had only set one sail on the main mast and the others were catching up with them. It looked like hard work as they unraveled the huge mass of material. When they noticed Anna, they turned and gawked at her. Wordlessly, they stared at her clothes. Anna would have loved to turn in a circle, she felt so comfortable in the leafy dress.
Jack was the first to find his voice. "Our pirate fairy is finally back!" He laughed loudly and the other men joined in, roaring and hooting. Warmth and gratitude flowed through her. Gratitude for how the pirates had welcomed her. A smile tugged at her lips. It had been a long time since she'd had that feeling of belonging that she felt that morning.
Chris stepped out of the shadow of the sails and approached. His eyes lit up and a cheeky grin spread across his face. When he reached her, his voice was a rough whisper.
"I like you better naked, but this dress," he whistled appreciatively as he slowly moved his eyes up and down her body, "was always my favorite."
Overjoyed, Anna looked down. In her other life, she had always worn pants — jeans, to be precise — so it was unusual. Still, the garment felt like coming home. She smiled and looked at Chris challengingly. "Can we finally land, Captain, or do you need a moment?"
He grinned. "We can land, madam. Your giant is waiting on the bank, waving his arms."
"Really?" She hurried past him, ducked under the sail, and ran to the bow on the upper deck. She leaned on the railing and looked out at the land before them. High cliffs reached up into the blue sky, everything gray on gray, as if this part of the country consisted only of stone. There was hardly any suitable place to moor on the rocky coast. No harbor was in sight. And in the middle of this gray wasteland, something moved. It was big, wide, and not only gray, but also mossy green.
"Toni!"
She leaned forward, careful to hold on tightly to the railing. The giant almost blended in with the monotonous background, but the longer she concentrated on the moving spot, the better she could make him out. He waved at her with both arms at the same time and she waved back happily.
Chris stood next to her and watched the spectacle with a smile. "We're just going to go ashore for a moment so you can talk to him. Then we sail on to the Arctic Ocean to the Kingdom of Winter."
"Only for a moment? That's too bad."
"Aye, the giants don't like trespassers."
The explanation was obvious. It would be better not to irritate the rulers of this kingdom. Once again, she scanned the barren land with her eyes. "Do only giants live in the kingdom?"
"And lots of goats, the giants' main food source. There used to be a few people who lived there. They milked the goats and traded the milk and cheese made from it. Plus, of course, the wool and meat. But back when you disappeared and I took to the sky to find you, the giants drove the last people from their land."
"Since then, only goats and giants have lived there?"
"Aye."
Anna laughed half-heartedly. "Why is everyone mad at me and hunting me — I even have a bounty on my head! — when it was you who sailed into the sky and threw everything out of balance?"
Chris shrugged. "It must be my charm." He grinned. "Everyone knew I was only able to do this with the help of the dust you gave me. Sorry, love, I think that's why most of the blame was placed on you. But I'm not popular, if that's any consolation."
Anna smiled. "I can hardly imagine that." Wait, he could only fly because she'd given him the dust? "Is there still a small portion of the fairy dust left in the barrel that I gave you back then?"
"No, I had to dump everything over the Fortuna. Otherwise, the ship would never have taken to the air."
Anna played with her hair thoughtfully.
Chris watched her. "What is it?"
"When the pirates abducted me, their ship was also covered in fairy dust. At least, the whole ship glittered and sparkled. Is there any other magic that looks like that?"
He slowly shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. So, what are you getting at? That they came to you with fairy dust and not some other spell?"
She nodded emphatically. "Whoever sent them to me must have given them the fairy dust. But if I understand you correctly, it requires a considerable amount. Who would have such a quantity?"
He stroked his stubble thoughtfully. "Perhaps the source has been diverted. Maybe it hasn't dried up at all, but is flowing somewhere else."
Anna looked at him thoughtfully. "You think so?"
"It is conceivable. The other possibility is that someone stole the dust from the remaining fairies. There would have to be someone who knows where they keep the supply. I have no idea if they have reserves, though."
Hadn't Margerite said that Iris had kept the remaining dust and decided who got what amount? But Iris herself would never have given even a tiny bit of it to any pirates who came along; after all, the accusations she'd directed at Anna were even harsher than Margerite's. Her brain rattled as a crazy thought popped into her head. Anton knew the location of the reserves. He had taken her to the tree where the last fairies lived. And wasn't he the one who had been lying in the meadow near the harbor as if he'd known she was coming back?
Chris looked at her. "What are you thinking?"
She stared shamefully at the water. Margerite had expressed similar thoughts when they were on the way to the fairy dust source. Anna had dismissed it as outrageous and impossible, but what if there was something to it?
She felt Chris's searching gaze. Should she tell him? Her suspicions? But he already had so many reservations about the giant. And Anna trusted Anton, despite the fears that arose in her mind. She wanted to tell him, but she couldn't be careless about it.
"If I trust you with something, will you promise to keep it to yourself and let me handle things?"
He furrowed his dark eyebrows. "What's wrong, Ani?"
"First, promise me you won't do anything and let me try to resolve the matter in my own way."
He didn't appear thrilled, but he nodded. "Aye, madam. So?"
She glanced at the coast where Anton was becoming increasingly visible against the rocks. She almost thought she could hear his childlike, happy laugh. "Toni knows where the fairies are and where they keep the reserves. And he was near the harbor the night the pirates abducted me."
Chris balled his hands into fists and hit the railing. "That damn…"
She raised her hands defensively. "Stop! We don't know for certain."
"The evidence speaks for itself."
"That doesn't matter right now. I want to talk to him. Alone!"
"I won't let you go to that monster without protection! If you're right, then…"
"You promised, don't forget that. We'll sort this out my way. I want to talk to him first."
Chris clenched his jaw tightly. "Why can't I accompany you for your protection?"
"Because he'll speak more freely if you're not there glaring at him. Either way, I'm still convinced he would never harm me."
Chris closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and stared at the coastline. While he thought, he didn't say anything, and Anna waited patiently.
"There's a bay over there. We'll go there. I want to come ashore with you and I want to see you. If you have to, you can take him so far up the rocks that I can't hear you, but we have to maintain visual contact. And do not let him take you in his hand, lest he capture you and run away. The devil knows I would come and get you back, Ani, but I'm afraid for you. He cannot be allowed to harm you."
"He wouldn't, I'm certain of that."
"That doesn't change the fact that I've never trusted that giant."
"But I do — for the same reason that makes me trust you. I don't have much memory, but I know Toni and I were friends. He won't hurt me." She relied on that. Faint doubts tried to surface: she barely knew the giant and she didn't remember anything from their past except for one time they'd laughed together, and that didn't say much about what kind of character he had. But she overcame her doubts resolutely. She wanted to believe Toni. And she certainly wouldn't suspect him without giving him a chance to comment.