Chapter 16
W aking up to the ocean sun can sometimes be excruciating, especially if you aren’t hydrated enough. I blink my eyes open, slowly letting the sun’s light in. The more I adjust my eyes, the more I feel how dry I am from falling into the salty ocean water last night. My throat is scratchy, it feels like sandpaper rubbing onto my throat. Salt is dried onto my body, frying me alive minute by minute.
“Ow.” I just manage to get out of my mouth, The pain is felt down into my chest. I am so dehydrated and desperately need a drink of fresh water. I look around and notice I am the only one on the boat.
Where did they go? When did they go? I think, pacing in my mind.
How long have I been asleep?
“He-ll-o?” I shout as my voice cracks in and out. I grab at my throat, swallowing down the few drops of saliva I have left. It doesn’t help, only feels worse forcing the muscles to clench.
Then suddenly I hear the quaint sounds of an echo. That sounds like Arielle. I turn around and squint into the distance to see if I can make out where the sound was coming from. In the distance I just see it, a massive white ship coming towards me. It looks like it was once an old cruise ship, you rarely find ships this size unless it belongs to a Royal. Though this ship has paint chipping off, cannons poking out of the portholes, and a huge forest green flag matching the cloaks that Arielle and Caspain were wearing. Hanging off the side of the ship is a long rope ladder and there was Caspian holding onto it while looking towards me.
“There she is, Arielle!” Shouts Caspian, his eyes not leaving me. The wind whispers through his shoulder length blonde hair. He has it pulled half up into a hair tie keeping it from covering his face. He looks so free and lively. I know he notices me staring at him as his facial expression lightens and that ornery smirk appears. The ship slows down and they pull close to me.
“Abigail, you look like you’ve seen better days.” Caspian advertises.
Yeah, No fucking shit! I scream in my head. It hurts too much to respond to him but I’m confident my facial expression says it all, as death darts through my eyes. He really knows how to ruin a moment. A moment where I for some dumb reason thought he might be more than the ass he has continuously been.
“Damn, love. If looks could kill.” He says with a chuckle under his breath. He puts his hand out for me to grab. I reach up towards him but stop for a slight moment. Should I be so willing to just hop on this ship? He already admitted to being paid by someone powerful to bring me in. I look down at the boat I’m standing on and feel my skin still burning in the early heat of the sunlight. I don’t have much a choice, It’s a dangerous risk but to stay on this boat in this condition is suicide. I reach my hand out and lunge towards his. He swings me in towards him and I grab hold of the ladder.
“Good girl.” He whispers as I am holding myself steady and starting up towards the deck. Something about how that saying meshes so well with the husky tone in his voice. He’s undeniably attractive but also incredibly arrogant and also kidnapped you! I remind myself so I am not too distracted.
Once I get to the top of the ship, Arielle is up there waiting to help pull me onto the deck.
“I was starting to think you died on us, Princess.” She says mockingly. I immediately get annoyed, something about being called Princess really pisses me off. She helps me over the side and as my feet hit the deck she follows her statement with, “Too bad.”
I would give anything to shut her up. Her time will come and she will regret all the times she called me Princess mocking me, I swear it.
I look around the ship and there are at least a hundred men walking around. None of them are dressed like Arielle and Caspian. They all look like the average pirate not that I knew what to expect hopping on this ship but I certainly didn’t expect so many average sized men and women. None of them look harmful or that they would even last a moment in a fight. I see a drink just sitting there unattended and immediately lose all thought. I start to bolt towards the full cup of liquid just as Caspian hops on the ship right behind me and grabs my arm. “No no, love. You are coming with me.”
“I need to drink something!” I demand, my throat still aching as I am so close to sweet relief. Caspian nudges his head in the direction of the drink to Arielle. She rolls her eyes and grabs the cup and hands it to me.
I snatch the cup out of her hand as quickly as I could possibly move. The fresh water slides down my throat and I feel it hydrate me all the way down my esophagus to my chest. I chug every last drop of water out of it and almost pout at the realization that it’s gone. Caspian pulls onto my arm guiding me to the staircase leading down into the ship, “Come on love, I’ll show you to your room.” He says to me just before he yells to Arielle. “Arielle, you stay here and make sure we continue the path to Keegan!”
“Who is Keegan?” I bark out before thinking. Caspian glares at me and shakes his head. “He’s no friend of yours, love.” There was almost a warning in his voice and it all settled in. Keegan is the powerful man Caspian was talking about last night. He’s the one paying them to bring me in. My stomach feels unsettled and my thoughts become very uneasy. What could he possibly want with me? Or worse, what is he going to do to me?
The look on Arielle’s face says it all, worry or even fear fills her entire demeanor. We may not get along but I can almost feel sympathy vibrate off of her.
“Yeah, you got it, Caspian.” She agrees.