Chapter 28
28
" I will love you until the end of our days, Ani."
His declaration of love resonated within her as she lounged comfortably between the sheets and her mind wandered lazily. She found herself above a rocky landscape, flying over it at lightning speed until she saw the sea in the distance. Thunder rang out behind her, shaking the earth, and she flew faster when she reached the redemptive sea. But she didn't stop to rest. Who knew if Anton had really stopped his people or if the furious giant hadn't rushed into the water after her.
Too bad — it hadn't been a good idea to visit the giants' realm. Anton had wanted to show her his land and she had wanted to see the Kingdom of Rocks. She had planned to tour the whole country with him and one day the sea too. Unfortunately, she would have to do that without her best friend because the ship that could carry him had yet to be built.
As she flew over the waves, the sun glinted off them and she lost herself in the glow of that reflection. It looked beautiful with a magic all its own. Would she one day sail on a ship far out to sea? Maybe on a merchant ship, since it was unlikely that a feared pirate would take her on board. Especially since Iris constantly warned her to stay away from the wicked villains because they were after the fairy dust.
Anna flew a long way around the border and then far out across the open sea. Iris would scold her relentlessly if she knew she was straying so far from the mainland.
"We fairies cannot land on the sea. If we fall into the water, we can't use our wings and will drown miserably — unless we are caught by one of the horrors that live in the open sea!"
This had been drilled into her from a young age. Nevertheless, the call of the sea lured her. A longing came over her and she ignored the admonishing words that Iris had practically imprinted onto her brain. She vigorously flapped her wings, which shimmered colorfully in the sunlight. She felt strong and rested. She would fly out a little further before turning back.
The sea was calm with no storm in sight. She glided happily over the calm sea until the mainland was barely visible. She still felt safe, but decided with a sigh that it was time to go back. She stopped, flapped her wings slowly, and let her gaze wander over the endless expanse one last time. How wonderful it must have been to live on a ship, or at least to travel around on it for a while. One day she would find a way. If necessary, she would transform into a human woman and then someone would surely allow her on board in that form.
It was hard to take her eyes off the sea but she turned away. Look again , she told herself repeatedly, until she finally gave a loud sigh. It was time. But as she turned, someone called out to her. Wait, wasn't that a female voice? That of a child? Oh my goodness, had a little girl fallen overboard?
She flew as swiftly as an arrow in the direction of the cry for help. This took her a considerable distance out to sea, but the day she ignored a cry for help had yet to come. She hurried out farther and farther over the water, fluttering over the waves as they lapped higher and higher, but she couldn't make out a head of hair or a hand. The child was nowhere to be seen. Had they already gone under? Hopefully not — she wasn't able to help them underwater. But maybe she could do something with the fairy dust. She took a pinch from the bag on her belt and blew it out of her cupped hand.
"Show me where the cry is coming from!"
The dust swirled across her palm like a tiny tornado before moving out to sea. She immediately chased after it, regardless of the fact that it was taking her farther from the mainland. She couldn't turn back. She had to help the child. When the glittering dust settled down and fell gently onto the water, she was frightened. There was no child in sight. But… there! A hand. It was bigger than she'd expected, but it had to belong to the one crying for help.
"I'll help you!"
She dove to the fingers that were disappearing under the surface of the water when a large wave rolled over her and dragged her into the depths. She spun around and saw a hand again, but it didn't belong to a little girl but to a woman with a shimmering red fishtail. She had glistening golden hair and laughed as if it were merely a game. The woman swam toward her and tried to grab her to pull her deeper into the endless darkness when a loud splash broke the silence and a large hand wrapped around her. This hand pulled her upward. The woman with the fish tail called to her, wanting to play with her, to take her with her. But the hand held her in an iron grip as whoever it belonged to threatened the fish woman, who then looked angry and swam away.
The next moment, she was out of the water. She wanted to breathe when she was seized by a cough.
"Slowly, slowly, madam," a dark voice said. Did it belong to the hand?
"Shall we take her, Captain?"
"No, I'll take care of her."
"Is it really a fairy?"
"Aye, and the siren almost had her."
She listened, but she didn't understand what the men were saying. Her body was numb. She couldn't even move her little finger. While the man holding her climbed upward, she didn't move.
"Is she dead?"
"No, I feel her heartbeat."
After she was gently turned onto her side, someone pushed on her back several times until a gush of water escaped her mouth, and she coughed loudly. Dazed, she tried to sit up, but everything was spinning. Where was she? She tried with all her might to open her eyes and when she finally succeeded, she peered into a pair of dark eyes that looked at her with concern.
"Are you okay, little fairy?"
The voice was rough and dark, yet it enveloped her wet body like a cozy, warm blanket. She nodded slowly.
The man gently ran his finger over her head. "Rest, little fairy, you're safe now."
"Where… where am I?"
"On the Fortuna."
Her heart beat faster. She couldn’t tell if it was from fear or excitement, because this man was looking at her in a way that no one had ever looked at her before. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the flags blowing in the wind and was startled. They were black with a white skull on them.
"Is this… a pirate ship?"
"Aye, madam, and I am the captain. My name is Christopher O'Brien, but please call me Chris."
Her pulse quickened again, but since the man treated her gently, she didn't feel threatened. The warnings of the other fairies faded and instead, she listened to her heart as it whispered to her what had just happened. The pirate captain had saved her life.
"She should call him Chris, did you hear that?" Men laughed in the background, but that didn't seem to bother the captain. He didn't take his eyes off her, watching her worriedly, and her heart beat a little faster again.
"Are you in any pain?"
"No, I…" With difficulty, she stood up. He tried to stop her, but she waved him away. "I want to sit. Only my wings…" She glanced sadly over her shoulder. They were sopping wet and drooped from her back. They felt heavy and ice cold. "Surely, they'll return to…?"
"Aye, don't worry. I bet once you let them dry in the sun you'll be able to fly around again, little fairy."
When she smiled up at him, something fluttered in her stomach.
"I'll show you where you can rest until you feel better." He hurried across the ship toward the prow, giving her the opportunity to examine the Fortuna. Some men on board peered at her curiously. Their clothes were torn and frayed in places and their faces tanned, but they didn't actually seem as scary as the pirates she had imagined. One of them kept looking at his pocket watch and another winked at her before disappearing below deck.
They arrived at the prow, where a few ropes were hanging between the railing and a rope was stretched from the railing to the forward mast. He placed a piece of canvas over it. "Look, you can lie in this makeshift hammock. Rest until you regain your strength."
Grateful, she collapsed onto the canvas, still barely able to do more than sit and look around. He crouched in front of her and she looked up at him questioningly. "Why are you helping me?"
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Because pirates have a reputation of robbing everyone and then tossing them into the sea."
"That's what people like to say about us and if someone wants to steal from us, then it's actually true. However, we are actually the masters of the sea and are therefore responsible for ensuring that everyone who follows our rules can cross the sea unharmed." She stared at him in disbelief and he laughed. "Do you know what kind of creature was luring you?"
Tired, she shook her head. "One of the horrors that roam the open sea?"
"Aye, it was a siren. She is the most beautiful as well as the most dangerous creature in the ocean, luring people out to sea with her call and then dragging them into the eternal depths."
"And she obviously attracts fairies too." A shudder came over her and goosebumps spread across her arms. When the captain noticed, he raised his hand, almost as if he wanted to stroke her forearm, but then withdrew it. Was he acting reservedly because she was a fairy? Or was he merely being friendly because he wanted her fairy dust? Iris had always emphasized that pirates sought out fairies to enrich themselves through their magic.
He raised one of his dark eyebrows. "What are you thinking?"
Even though everything about him appeared dark and frightening, she wasn't afraid of him. Still, she had to ask the question. "Did you help me so I'd give you fairy dust?"
He laughed. "What makes you say that?"
"That's what has been said… among us fairies."
"I certainly can't speak for all pirates, but you have nothing to fear from me or my men on board the Fortuna. Look! We have already set sail and are heading toward land."
She followed his gesture and noticed the coastline getting closer. "But please, not to the Kingdom of Rocks."
He chuckled softly. "No, don't worry. I don't want you to have to fly away from the giants. I know a small bay near the border. It lies in the Kingdom of Flowers. That is where you want to go, right?"
"That would be wonderful."
"Okay then. Now rest, little fairy. You'll be fine by the time we drop anchor."
He gave her one last, intense look before stomping back to his crew. She heard his boots against the planks, which sounded almost like music to her — like the drums of a moving song. Her heart beat faster and she wondered what had just happened.
Since she was still weak, she remained on the canvas. Soon, the warmth of the sun had driven the cold from her wings and even before they entered the small bay, she could move them again. Refreshed, strong, and overjoyed, she flew upward. A warning voice whispered that she should immediately flee the pirate ship and fly to land on her own, but she didn't. She zipped over to the men who were busily working on the sails, barely paying attention to her. She found the captain in his cabin. The door was open and she fluttered back and forth in front of it curiously.
"Well, little fairy?" He was leaning over a table spread over with a large map with countless islands marked that she didn't recognize, apparently studying it. "Are you feeling better?"
Instead of answering, she flew in a circle, flapping her wings vigorously, which sparkled in the sunlight.
The captain's eyes widened. Then he cleared his throat. "Excellent."
Curious, she drifted closer. "What are you doing?"
"I've been searching for an island for years. But let's talk about that another time."
Another time? Her heart pounded excitedly as he looked steadily into her eyes.
"Captain, we're in the bay," one of the pirates called out.
"Aye. Come, little fairy, I'll take you ashore."
As he walked beside her to the railing and lowered the rowboat into the water, she shrugged. "You know I could easily fly the few feet, right?"
"Aye, but I am a gentleman and will escort you to shore. If your strength hasn't fully returned, you might end up falling into the water. While I wouldn't mind rescuing you again, I think you have more pleasant plans for the second half of the day."
As he descended the rope ladder, she flew down into the rowboat. Acting on an impulse, she transformed into human form to add the necessary solemnity to the situation. When the captain entered the rowboat and saw her sitting on one of the transverse boards, his eyes widened and he slowly let his gaze wander over her human-sized body. She blushed, but he didn't make fun of her as some people did and rather bowed to her gallantly.
"Madam, please hold on."
A giggle that she had never heard before escaped her. The captain grabbed the oars and with strong strokes, brought them quickly to the mainland. When the boat ran aground, he got out, pulled it onto the pebbly beach, and then held out his hand to help her out. It was a moment right out of a romance novel that she didn't think she would ever experience as a fairy.
They walked a few steps, the stones crunching under his boots before he kissed her hand and looked at her abruptly. There was a fire in his gaze that sent pleasant jolts through her body.
"Would you do me the honor of telling me your name?"
Excited, she looked down, took a deep breath, and slowly raised her head. "My name is Anemone."
"Anemone. And may I see you again?"
A grin spread across her face and he squeezed her hand even tighter.
"That would make me happy."
"Aye." He nodded at her before she slowly walked away. She felt his gaze on her back and turned again. Grinning boldly, he nodded at her and she knew that this man was… different.
"Until next time, Ani."