Chapter 14 - Malia
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MALIA
Iawoke to the sound of wood splitting and metal crashing against something else. Birds chirped and the storm that had passed the previous night left a muggy feeling in the air. As I sat up, my shoulder ached and a shocking sensation passed through my body.
Poison. I squeezed my eyes shut. It had been a rough night, thinking about my strange origins.
Was my mother really my mother? Or my father? He had always been kind, though a little aloof. I figured it was because his kingly duties kept him busy.
But mother? She seemed to loathe me the older I got.
As I sat up, my body ached, and I knew exactly what I needed to fully wear off the poison: noni. It was sour and pungent, but it would most definitely help the poison run its course quicker.
That and a walk.
Besides, Alaric was probably ready to go. It was sweet of him to make sure I was alright.
And those sweet words he said to me last night?
I hugged my arms, a sad smile on my lips.
I’d remember it for the rest of my life.
But he needs to go.
We were only making this harder on ourselves the longer we stayed together. So I made a plan: we could walk to town together and then he’d go on his way.
After preparing myself for the day and wearing the last thing I had in my closet–a black lace dress with an elegant corset, ribbons, and long sleeves, I brushed my hair then walked onto the front porch to find Alaric chopping wood.
His shirt was off, the wound on his side a white line. I watched for a moment, quiet. His back faced me. The rhythm of the axe was steady, focused. He didn’t know I was standing on the porch and, for a moment, he didn’t seem so guarded. He was just… a man. Not a whaler. Not a weapon. Just him.
For some reason, that made my heart ache.
I could almost see a life together: living in a cottage built and kept up by Alaric. Children running around and helping with chores… A husband and wife deeply in love…
And then fear crept in. Would those children grow up to be whalers too?
He paused to wipe sweat from his forehead and that’s when he noticed me. A blush crept up my cheeks and I tried not to stare, but I failed horribly. I forgot why I’d come outside.
“Good morning beautiful!” he said, making my heart pound.
“Good morning…” I tried to remember why I came to talk to him. Instead, I stuttered. “Do you always… chop wood… like you’re going for a swim?”
He smirked and let the ax have another log. “Do you always spy on men working?”
“I wasn’t spying. I was just checking… the weather.”
Alaric stopped and rested his elbow on the end of the ax. “And what’s the weather like, Malia?”
My blush only deepened. “It’s hot.” I waved my hand at him. “I’m heading to town today. You better get yourself cleaned up because you’re coming too.”
He only grinned and I hurried in, embarrassed at everything I said. “Hot?” I muttered to myself, shaking my head, trying to reason that it was, indeed, a hot day. And it had nothing to do with him.
Once Alaric was ready and we’d eaten a good, albeit a silent, breakfast together, we packed for the brief journey.
“You should go today,” I repeated as I cleaned the dishes, but Alaric gently put a hand on my waist, as if memorizing my shape. My cheeks heated.
“Alaric…”
He was making this harder on both of us.
But it almost seemed like he wanted to… enjoy this moment. Our last moments.
“If that’s what you want. But I will walk back with you… to make sure you’re home safe,” he said, then added. “I am a gentleman, you know.”
I laughed, and he rubbed his hand across my back before helping me pack for the journey. He was used to this.
And I secretly loved that he’d paid attention. It was strange… and so new, but I loved it. And I would truly miss Alaric being around my home.
When we made it to town, I used Alaric as a shield against the prying eyes of the villagers. What would I do once he was gone? Everyone would spread rumors about how I’d put a spell on a handsome whaler, and then he mysteriously disappeared. The thought caused my stomach to tighten.
Maybe they won’t notice me with him, I thought, though it was in vain. Already a few villagers glanced at me, suspicious.
They didn’t say the words aloud, but their gazes said everything:
“Children-eater.”
“The cursed girl.”
“That poor whaler she put under her spell…”
Alaric walked a step ahead, towering, calm, casual, like he belonged here. He paused at a fruit stand, lifted a ripe noni with a grunt of approval, then began an easy conversation with the merchant. I shrank behind his broad shoulders, hoping the merchant wouldn’t notice me.
“That was a good storm last night. Your grove must weather it well to produce such beautiful fruit. That’s a miracle in itself.”
I shifted back and forth on my feet, eager to get out of there. That was all I needed: a simple noni fruit. So why was he striking up a conversation with the merchant?
The merchant laughed, shaking his head. “There’s only one miracle I see here. You’re still breathing after heading into the woods with her.”
Alaric didn’t even blink. He tilted his head towards me, my head down. “She saved my life,” he said.
Silence rippled across the market, as if everyone was listening. The merchant looked from me back to Alaric.
“You’d all be mourning if not for her,” Alaric added, and a lump formed in my throat.
“I’m Alaric Galebourne.” Gasps and cheers sounded, something I did not expect.
Alaric was powerful… The people did not have such a strong reaction to the prince as they did to this whaler.
And whaling was illegal here in Corallure. The fact they liked him said a lot.
“Whatever you think of her,” he said. “You’re wrong. And as any of you know, I’m a good judge of character.”
“He is!” exclaimed some nearby sailors, lifting their pints to him.
But the crowd began to press in on us. “What did she do?” they asked.
“How did she save you? I thought she ate people for dinner!”
Alaric was bombarded with questions as the crowd grew louder and louder, closing in and somehow wedging themselves between the whaler and I.
A brief wave of panic came over me when Alaric pushed his way through and grabbed my hand. “I’ve got you.” His voice was gentle and did not go unnoticed by the crowd.
“Are you sure she didn’t put a spell on you?” asked a woman as Alaric pulled me away.
At this, he turned to her, holding out his palms like he had nothing to hide. “The only spell she put on me was caused by her natural charm.”
Natural charm? I blushed while the crowd laughed and found this all very amusing.
And the thing was… Alaric didn’t say it like he was defending me, but he said it like it was a fact. Like anyone who disagreed was blind.
My breath stuttered and my cheeks burned. But this time it wasn’t from shame.
Not one person argued and the silence shifted. It wasn’t quite acceptance, but it was no longer poison. Then he paid the merchant, nodded to the crowd, and led me out of the market, his hand still holding mine.
Alaric took me to the inn where he wanted to check in with his first mate.
“I want to know if they’ve found the twins,” he said. But when we got to the inn, his men looked discouraged and tired. Worn out. From what Alaric told me earlier, they’d been repairing the ship night and day so they could leave Corallure as soon as possible.
I moved to the side of the pub and watched as Alaric spoke to his men.
“Men,” he began, voice steady and clear, “this ship is more than wood and sail. It’s our lifeline. Our future. Every plank we lay, every nail we drive, we’re not just rebuilding a vessel. We’re rebuilding our future.”
His eyes landed on me, and, though I couldn’t confirm it with my bad eyesight and the dim lights of the inn, I was sure he winked. I blushed as the men snickered. “We keep steady, keep working. Because the sea doesn’t wait, and neither do we.”
I played with the sleeves of my dress and looked around at the men. They were rough in appearance–the years at sea stretching and tanning their skin, their builds large and brawny from the intense labor they did.
But there was something else about them as they listened to Alaric.
They admired him.
They respected him.
For all the ways Alaric was known as a cruel and ruthless whaling leader, it didn’t seem that way with his men. Maybe they feared him sometimes, but, in this moment, they looked at him as their leader. Someone they trusted.
And it was then I realized something: I trust him too. This was even more shocking to me.
I, Malia, trusted a whaler?
And I love him too. My heart ached as the realization settled in.
“We’ve weathered storms worse than this. We’ve fought battles that should’ve broken us. But here we are still standing, still fighting. So let’s show the sea and anyone who doubts us that this crew isn’t done yet.”
The men erupted in cheers, renewed strength in their hearts.
Afterwards, while Alaric spoke with his navigator, Thatcher, another dark-haired man approached me. It was the same young man I’d delivered a message to and who came to my home with Thatcher.
“I’m Destin,” he said, holding out his hand. “Alaric’s cousin. I know we’ve met before, but not formally.”
I shook his hand.
“Thanks for saving his life,” Destin said. “We wouldn’t have gotten far without him, you know?”
I nodded, surprised at the swell of pride I felt inside. I didn’t expect it…
I saved his life. And, for once in my life, it seemed that my good deed was being recognized. Acknowledged. Appreciated.
“There’s something between you, isn’t there?”
I jumped at Destin’s voice, soft enough that only I could hear. Of course he’d ask that just as I faced the reality of my heart.
A blush spread up my cheeks as I thought of the moment Alaric kissed me. I wanted to say that was as far as we went, but that wasn’t true.
We held hands.
He kissed my head.
I fell asleep in his arms.
We talked and connected and opened up in a way I couldn’t explain.
I felt safe with him, and, I think, he felt safe with me.
He offered me to go with him.
I wanted a life with him… something I never allowed myself to dream of.
“It’s… complicated,” I said, but Destin didn’t seem to mind.
He folded his arms and leaned towards me a little, saying, loud enough that only I could hear, “Alaric hasn’t ever spent time with a woman he has with you. That means something, you know.”
“He’s only trying to protect me.” My heart pounded, especially when Alaric looked our way. He raised an eyebrow at his cousin, but continued giving his men instructions and the plans. They all went right over my head.
Alaric promised his men that he would still pay them, still take care of them… something along those lines.
I was trying to pay attention if Destin weren’t prying into my feelings.
“If you choose a life with him, he will protect you,” he said. “If there’s anything I know about my cousin, he doesn’t like it when people touch things that belong to him.”
“I don’t belong to him,” I started to argue when a hand rested on my hip. The men were beginning to dissemble and leave on whatever assignments Alaric gave them and he now came to my side.
My heart pattered as self-consciousness flooded me once again.
“You don’t?” Alaric’s voice was low, like he was daring me.
Alaric’s hand was not missed by Destin and he grinned while clapping Alaric on the shoulder. “We’ll see you both back here soon?” he asked, a welcome interruption, sparing me from answering the question. “Hopefully the ship will be ready to sail home in a few more days.”
With burning cheeks, I looked up at the whaler captain. His hand found mine. “Come on. We better get you back before dark.”
So we walked in silence for a long moment, my mind reeling.
He defended me.
He said I am brave.
And now he was holding my hand. Maybe Destin was right… maybe there was something more to this.
Then why don’t I marry him and sail off with him?
For just a second, I entertained the thought: we could have a home at the port, where I could stay if he did business off the coast. Or I could sail with him.
And watch him kill whales? That made my stomach sick and abruptly reminded me that I could not marry him. He would just keep murdering the creatures I loved.
Furthermore, I could never live in Moanalei, though I did miss the waterfalls and peaceful forests.
But beneath the tropical paradise was a complicated legacy of power and ruin.
As soon as I set foot in that kingdom, Sereth would find out and send a witch hunter or guard… I’d be killed without anyone knowing.
As the cottage appeared into view, a lump formed in my throat.
I should thank Alaric.
“Thank you… for earlier.” My voice was quiet, but sincere. “You didn’t have to do that.”
Now that I looked at it, my cottage needed serious fixing.
Shingles had come off the roof, the outside needed fresh paint and stain, and one of the shutters was completely torn off from a recent storm.
And when I looked at Alaric, he seemed to notice the same things.
His eyebrows furrowed and he didn’t look at me as he said, “Don’t start thinking I’m turning into a fish out of water. ” His voice was gruff.
“I don’t think you are out of place. I think you’re kind.”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t let go of my hand. “You don’t really know me, Malia.”
“I think I’m learning to.”
He exhaled and shook his head, though something flickered in his eyes, like I was stripping away a layer he wasn’t ready to lose. He began releasing his fingers from mine. “Don’t let go yet,” I said and the corner of his lip twitched, like he fought a smile.
I motioned to the swing on the porch, the one facing the distant sea, and he nodded. So we sat in a content silence for a while, holding hands, deep in our thoughts.
And in that moment, as the breeze carried the scent of salt and blooming flowers, I felt a quiet strength growing inside me, a warmth sparked by his simple kindness.
He fought for me.
He believes in me.
Maybe I could believe in us.
Another thought came that I never imagined could be mine. But it was: Maybe I could even believe in myself.