Chapter 12
T he sun beams through the bullseye window above my desk striking my eyes with the sun’s light. It doesn’t feel like I’ve slept even an hour though I know with how bright it is, it has to be at least mid day. I slowly awake, rubbing my burning eyes, still puffy from last night. I roll over to where Ace was sleeping but notice he’s no longer here. Of course, Ace is the new captain with my father’s passing yesterday. Even though we are completely destroyed, we have to step up for the crew. For ourselves.
I pull myself up into a sitting position and my entire body aches. You don’t realize how much the death of someone you care for can affect you. You feel it in your bones, in every limb. Not nearly as much as I feel it in my heart. My mind plays back everything from yesterday and how I wish I had never made eye contact with that man in the alley. His emerald eyes are engraved into my brain and I am sure he is part of the cause of what happened. ??I stand up, grab a hair tie off my desk and braid a few pieces on each side of my head pulling it back and creating a backwards braid headband. I throw on a fresh white tank top and switch my pants to my black leggings. I wrap my belt around my leg to hold my dagger, and put on my new boots. After, I stare into the mirror sitting on my desk and bury every emotion I have from yesterday and mostly from last night. Staring at myself in the mirror trying to convince myself that I look okay, not like the girl whose father just died. But the bags under my eyes from crying myself to sleep are as bold as ever.
Honestly, this is as good as it’s going to get . I tell myself before I head towards the door. ??I grab the doorknob and take one last breath in from the nose and out of my mouth. I open the door and standing right outside of it is Jasper, one of the men that was on the council. Jasper was one of the closest people to my father besides Ace and I. Ace likely sent him down to my door to make sure I was guarded after yesterday. Jasper is an absolute brute of a man. He’s six foot four inches of pure strength and muscle. His bicep alone is the size of my head and though Jasper looks intimidating, he’s really a softy.
Jasper looks at me with the look I’m sure I’ll see for days to come. Worry and sorrow. “Jasper, I wasn’t expecting you.” I say though I know exactly why he’s there.
“Abs,” He pauses finding what words he wants to say but his eyebrows furrow and I know he decides to avoid addressing the obvious. “Ace sent me down here to escort you into the council room after you awoke.” ??His voice lingers at the last word as I know he’s unsure what to say next. I nod at him and gesture, “After you.” He stands there for a moment more, remaining as if there’s something more he wants to say but then decides not to and begins to lead the way.
The council room is only down the hall from my bedroom, but this walk feels long. Almost drawn out as I dread stepping through those doors to the council room, the last place I saw my father alive. His words repeat in my head as we passed the dark cherry wood walls that I’ve seen a million times. This time they look so different, so dull but I need to stay strong. I have many questions, questions unanswered by an empty promise. ??Jasper opens the door for me to walk through, I step into the room looking at the head of the table, where I see Ace.
The other two councilmen, Avery and Merrick, each stand on separate sides of the table. Avery is a smaller man compared to the others. He and I stand the same height at five foot eleven. He is not the biggest man but is absolutely the most strategic. Avery is holding ship pieces that signal they are planning our next moves. Jasper follows me inside and continues over to the left side of the table next to Merrick. Merrick is an average looking man. He's very scrawny and has tribal tattoos all the way up both arms and wrapped around his neck. Merrick is much younger than the rest of us, but he's so clever with numbers. He keeps track of all the inventory between food to supplies to money. I stand on the other end opposite to Ace. Remembering the proper etiquette. I stand up straight, looking Ace right in the eyes.
“Ace.” I say softly. ??
“Abs,” Ace says gently but then continues in a more serious tone. “Let’s start with, The Order.” Ace’s glare stabs right through me. His gaze always puts me in a choke-hold, even now on a grim day but today his face is dark, lifeless. ??“The Order is a special group, contracted from the remaining government of The Royals. They are essentially the best of the best, government bounty hunters and are very skilled. As of the last ten years, they have been known to work under their own agenda. Serving whoever provides the higher dollar instead of staying loyal to The Royals.” Ace explains. I gulp as the fight with the man with emerald green eyes plays in my head and how easily he was toying with me. Barely showing what all he was capable of.
“Last night-you said they saw me, which is why this is happening. Why? Why would that have any impact and why now after all these years” I demand. ??Ace proceeds on."Abs, when you were born.. You were born from a very powerful family. The Royal family, themselves. But at the time, The New world was still adjusting and they weren’t confident you would be able to survive as they built their current sanctuary. Charles, the man you believed to be your father was given a mission to keep you safe. In return, they would give him the ship and crew he acquired. That has kept you alive. But there are a lot of people looking for you to use as leverage.”
“Leverage?” I repeat. ?? How would I be leveraged? ??I have so many more questions and the answers leave me more confused than when I started.
I am completely frozen.
After all this time, everything I’ve believed has been a lie? No, it doesn’t make sense. If the captain, Charles, was not really my father.. Why wouldn’t he tell me?
I am so confused and I know my face shows my every thought. I look around the room and all three council members are studying my reactions.
“Wisteria, Charles' wife was murdered by The Order when you were just a baby. She was protecting you. If The Order gets to you, there is no telling who they are working for. Abby, some people will use you to get power. Some would rather see you dead. If they got to you, then every bit of hope for our future is lost and every death was for nothing. Abby, the king Royal, has recently died and left everything to his daughter. A daughter nobody knew existed until now. Nobody except for Charles and I, that is.” He pauses, “We have been preparing you for this moment under the radar to keep you safe until it was time. If people knew of you previously, you would have lived a life of constant worry and danger. They wanted you to have a life but still be able to protect yourself. This most recent visit to Parteis, somehow, they recognized you from the moment you stepped onto the island.”
My face is getting warm and last night’s tears flood my eyes. This is too much, I am so overwhelmed with the information. Charles, the man that has raised me. The only man I know as a father died protecting me. I wish I was stronger and could keep it all in but the tears start pouring down my face.
And now I am the daughter of the most powerful family in The New World? I’m supposed to somehow step in power and run things? How in the hell am I supposed to do that?! ??
“But Ace” objects Merrick. Confusion creeps onto Merricks face.
“Now!” Ace shouts, his expression bewildered over Merrick overstepping.
Merrick nods and they all grab their items and rush out. I immediately fold to the ground, my knees slamming into the hardwood flooring, my hands covering my face as I lose every bit of self control. Ace runs over and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. “Abby, I know this is a lot. I hate that you are finding everything out now, like this. But you must know, everything was kept a secret to protect you. Charles truly looked at you as a daughter. But the things people would do to you if they knew who you were.” His voice is soft and calming as his thumb wipes away the flow of tears. His blue eyes, like the ocean, are dark in such devastation. His hand cups my cheek and my face calms into the warmth.
“I feel like I don’t even know myself and now I’m being hunted.” I whisper.
??“Abby, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. It’s all I live for.”
?? He leans in closer, his face is only inches from mine. My entire face is flushed and my heart is racing. His breath is picking up as I breathe, I know he is feeling the same. Our nerves are shaking in our palms. I move my hand onto his chest, firmly tracing the edge of his shirt that parts and shows his chest hair. My eyes slowly look from my hand up into his gaze and in that moment I belong completely to him. He leans in closer and just before our lips touch there’s a loud knock on the door.
I jump up, quickly snapping back into reality. Ace immediately rushes to the door to talk to Jasper. I suppose he was jolted back as well.
?What was happening between us? Or is it just our shared grief bringing us into these irrational choices?
I look over to Ace and watch him go from the caring, sensitive, loving man I almost kissed to standing up straight, bold, and guarded. Ace glances over to me and for a moment the stern look softens and shows his sorrow. ??They are talking about Charles.
??Ace slowly closes the door and turns to face me completely. He speaks so quietly, in such a merciful tone. “Abby, we are going to give Charles an honorable Captain’s funeral. They are preparing the kayak to send him off at dawn, would you want to be the one to lead the torch?”
I’ve asked others this very question when another one of our crew passes, but being on the other side of the news truly is significantly worse. I don’t want to lead the torch because he should be here right now. But nobody else should do it either.
I look down at the ground, pain sounds in my voice, “Yes, I must be the one who does it. I will head to my room and get ready.” Ace nods, grabs the door handle and pauses for a brief moment. Almost as if there’s something more he wants to say but decides against it. He opens the door and walks out. ??I forget that we are all hurting in my father’s death, not just me. But while I have been dealing with my sorrow, others are forced to continue their roles on this ship. So I need to do so too.