Chapter 30
T ime passes slowly as we wait for the night to creep up. We all have eaten and napped but we are all too eager to head right into battle. The ocean is quiet, just soft sounds of water splashing from the occasional fish and the creaks and groans of the boat as one of us moves inside.
“Well, this has been a lot of fun just sitting here watching every shape Arielle’s mouth makes when she's concentrating but I think I’ve hit my limit of how long I can just sit here.” Caspian mocks with the widest smile and then immediately stands up. He pulls off his cloak and then his shirt and places them in the corner of the boat. His curled chest hair rests on his toned pecs and his scar. His stomach is flat and he holmes a beautiful brick shape in each abdominal muscle forming his six pack. He turns to face the water showing each well defined muscle he has from the top of his shoulders and all the way down his well developed back. He pulls off his pants leaving him completely naked and then dives into the water from the side of the boat.
I look over at Arielle as soon as he jumps to see she is just as paralyzed by his perfection as I am. She notices me and immediately starts laughing.
“Obviously, I’m married but Caspian makes it hard not to look. His ass looks better than mine and I have an amazing ass.” She teases and then stands up and starts to strip down to join Caspian. She has cuts and bruises all over her body and I’m quickly reminded of the life that they live. To have endured so much, it's no wonder she is so hard externally. The danger they are constantly in and the pain they repeatedly feel from the sharp edges of a sword or dagger. It feels so strange to have gone a lifetime so safe but I guess when I’m meant to be kept safe and hidden, It explains the lack of life I’ve really lived.
Jasper just smiles and shrugs his shoulders then stands up and follows Arielle right into the water. Caspian pokes his head out of the water on the other side from where he jumped in and swims up close to the boat.
“You might as well join us.” He suggests in a smooth sly tone.
“Don’t you ever worry about what could be in the water when you dive in?” I question him looking around to see that we are the only movement in the water within sight.
“Come on, Abigail. Life can be too short or too gloomy to not take chances and make experiences.” His tone is playful but his words are serious. Until the past couple of days, I would have never deep dived into the ocean, walked on an unstable bridge from one ship to another, Escaped a sinking ship, or lived nearly so close to death. It hasn’t been a week and I have walked an unsteady line with the dangers of The New World. But as dangerous as this all sounds I can also say that I have finally overcome the true obstacles of life on sea. The things normal people living in this era would have experienced and I have never felt so lively.
I gaze at him in the water, his blonde wet hair slicked back and the drops of water streaming down his beautiful face. The dripping water from his mustache slides down over his lips. I know he is watching me fixate on his features because the side of his mouth tilts up in the corners and then he bites his lip in the most seductive transition. His words start playing over in my mind and I decide that for once, I want to make experiences by choice not by force, and this is my choice.
I stand up in the boat not letting my eyes sway anywhere but at his face. I want to see his expression and most of all I want his full attention. I pull off my tunic slowly, letting the fabric gently raise up over my head and then I just drop it down into the boat. His eyes are beaming as he looks at me. Taking every moment in. My heart is pounding and I hear Arielle and Jasper swimming in the background but I don’t turn around. I pull down my pants and then dive into the water towards him. I pop my head out of the water and feel the sun's heat on my face while my body stays cool from the water. I feel so free, almost as if my world wasn’t flipped completely upside down the last couple of days.
I swim in front of Caspian, stopping once I am but inches from his face. My eyes are still focusing on the perfect pout on his bottom lip.
“I suppose you are right.” I say in a soft sensual tone. “Life is far too short to not have new experiences.” I tilt my head and graze my fingers down his chest. I can hear him gulp and I feel my ego overcoming my senses. I reach down and wrap my fingers around his shaft, rubbing back and forth. Picking up my pace with the increased growth filling in my hands. His eyes close and my heart rate builds in both excitement and readiness to devour him whole.
Caspian closes the small amount of distance lifting me up onto him, my arms wrapping around above his shoulders. His hand gently pulled my hair back for full access to my neck. He kisses from behind my ear down to my clavicle. His breath follows every kiss causing goosebumps to run down my back and arms. The water feels even colder with every streak of chills his warm breath creates
Sounds of splashing build up in the background but I can hardly focus on anything else but Caspian’s lips. The sound grows louder until a large splash of the cold ocean water hits the back of my head, drenching my hair. I snap back to reality and realize that either Arielle, Jasper, or both are directly behind us. I look and see Caspian beaming behind me with his orneriest grin.
“They are coming over here, aren’t they?” I playfully roll my eyes and he nods yes.
“I guess playtime is over, love.” He laughs and gently removes me off him allowing me to push off and swim towards the boat.
I turn for a moment to make eye contact and bite my bottom lip. “Too bad, I was really feeling this new adventure.” I say slowly and as sensual and yet mocking as possible. I want him to feel as teased as I currently feel.
“Done already are we?” Shouts Arielle. “I wasn't expecting you to be one that gets his rocks off so quickly, Caspian.” She teases and we all start to laugh.
I pulled myself up onto the boat and threw on my clothing quickly while the others were still distracted and sat down and stared up into the sky and soak in what little time of freedom and carelessness we have left. Tonight will be a bloodbath and even in revenge or anger, death has never been my first resort until my fathers death. But with how simple things feel right now, it makes me wonder what would happen if I just stayed out in the ocean and remained hidden.
Caspian pulls himself up into the boat, throws his clothing back on, and then sits down beside me following my lead. The other two are still swimming, I can hear Jasper patronizing Arielle. Though she is far too stubborn to just let him. In my peripheral vision I see Caspian just studying me.
“This feels like simpler times. Our crew were far from savages, we were fun and lively with each other. Of course, I was never able to live the ventures of a normal pirate in these times until now. It’s hard to know what I like more, the adventure and thrill or the peace.” I whisper to him, my eyes still locked on the white puffy clouds.
“Well, I think a life worth living is one where you can find peace in the quiet moments and excitement in the unknown and chaos. There should be a balance.” He responds in a quiet and sincere tone.
“You think it's possible to have both? To have that balance?” I asked while rolling over now facing him.
“Abigail, I believe that you are the one who could give the world the opportunity to live both. I will follow you into every moment to help you get that balance, if you wish for me to.” His devotion spills out of his mouth with every word spoken. I know now more than before that I will never need to question his loyalty. Caspian pauses for a while, both of us just taking in the moment.
“Tell me about Ace, I need to know what we are walking into on this Island.” Caspian asks carefully. I have to tell him everything or it can be used against us later. But it's not the conversation I want to have with the man I’ve fallen for.
I sit up and look at my fiddling hands. “Well, Ace was my first love.” I resent the words as they slide out but it doesn’t make them any less true. “I’ve known him since he was just a boy. My father rescued him from the water and took him under his wing. Naturally he was always around and we were always paired up together for everything. His biggest strength is with his sword, he has a way of throwing all his force into each swing. I’ve never seen anyone fight quite like he can.”
My fingers intertwine each other and I don’t lift my head once. He swings with passion, a love for the win. A deadly craving I never noticed until now. I should have seen the signs of darkness, they were always right in front of me. Love makes you blind to the obvious and I followed and defended his every move. The constant visual of his swing plays over in my head reminding me that there is a very big chance I will not win this fight. But I know how he moves, how he thinks in battle like nobody else does.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Abigail? A friend's blood on your hands regardless of their wrong doings is a constant reminder of betrayal. If you do this, you will only ever remember him as the darkness that interrupted your life and there will come a time where you will regret having his blood on your hands.” Caspian speaks each word from experience. You can hear the pain in his voice and I want nothing more than to ask him about it but I do not need another reason to not hold to my word. I grab his hand and squeeze it softly so he knows I am here for him.
“I’m doing this, Caspian. Even if it’s the last thing I do.” He looks at me with admiration and respect though I know he wants me to stay as far away from this as possible.
“Fine.” He says in agreement and then a smirk follows. “You are The Royals' heir after all. I’ll follow your lead.” He playfully nudges his shoulder against mine. All this thought about avenging my father and trying to stay alive, I have hardly put much thought into what that means exactly.
The Royals Heir? Me? I am supposed to suddenly take the reins and run an entire world of savages? How do I change things for the better?
I must have had my thinking expression plastered on my face because Caspian moves in close and places his thumb under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His pointer finger glides across my lips and my attention is drawn to him.
“Whatever it is that is making you so overwhelmed, we will handle it one step at a time. I stand by you and will until I draw my very last breath.” He leans his face in, his soft lips leading the way, straight into mine. I close my eyes and feel my body loosen the tension I was holding. Something about Caspian calms me in my hardest moments, he feels safe and the closest thing I have that feels like home.