Chapter 11
Alight knocking on the door rouses us from sleep.
I’m sprawled across Lachlan’s chest. My head rises and falls with his steady breathing.
The motion and sound are undoubtedly the reason behind my unusually deep sleep.
I try to move off of him, but can’t. I’m held firmly in place by the two massive arms that hold me to his chest. I crack an eye open to see the stubble of his beard and the sharp contours of his jaw.
Boudicca’s voice carries through the wooden door. “You might want to get a move on if you’d like to make it there and secure the stone before nightfall. There are creatures in that forest you don’t want to cross when the moon rises.”
Her words have me shivering. Lachlan’s calloused palm caresses my back and I look up to see his brilliant green eyes in the early morning light.
He scoffs. “It’s only scary stories. The elders ha’ passed those down for ages.”
“You seemed to think Evander was lying about the sea dragons too,” I mumble onto his chest. “We’ll be right out!” I call louder to Boudicca.
“I made you some laverbread and bacon to tide you over this morning and packed you some rations for your trip.” Her footsteps drift down the hall as she walks away.
“What’s laverbread?” I ask Lachlan, yawning and stretching.
He grins down at me as he stretches his arms up over his head. “Seaweed bread.”
We clamber from the bed and I already regret leaving the security of his arms. Dread begins curdling my empty stomach and it must show on my face.
“It tastes pretty good. I wouldna worry too much,” Lachlan whispers, casting his eyes towards the door.
I shake my head. Facing away from him, I pull my nightshirt over my head to put my leathers back on. “It’s not that. I have a weird feeling about today.” The cool air has me shuddering. I glance over my shoulder to see Lachlan still.
His eyes shadowed as his brow lowers, lingering on my nearly naked state. He forces a swallow before saying, “She was teasing about the creatures. I’ve never seen anything remotely dangerous in this realm.”
I sit on the edge of the bed discretely pulling down my shorts and tugging up my leather pants. The fabric stretches to fit my hips and legs just right.
I cast a glance over my shoulder to see Lachlan tying up his own pants. Damn. I focus back on tying the laces on my hips before bending down to pull on my boots.
“Yeah, well, the sea dragon absolutely had razor-sharp teeth the size of my arm, so…”
Lachlan sinks onto the edge of the bed to put his boots back on. “Well then, suit yourself, but it’s gonna be fine.”
I bite my lip and braid my hair back and away from my face. “I don’t think that’s where the anxiety is coming from.”
He finishes tying his boots and stands, making his way around the bed and to my side.
I hadn’t realized before, but his head almost grazes the ceiling.
Tattooed arms reach out, taking my hair from me as he finishes the braid and ties it with the leather strap before draping it over my shoulder. “Alright then, what is it?”
I turn to face him. “I don’t know.” My head hangs and I toe my boot against his.
Lachlan tips my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“We’re on the right path. We’ve found what is corrupting magic and we’re fixing it. Soon we’ll be jumping to the human realm to protect Adi and my Da. We’re doing this together. It will be alright.”
“And if it’s not?” I ask, studying the strength radiating in his eyes.
“Then I will make it so.”
We crowd around Boudicca’s wooden table. A round window in the dining area overlooks the seaside from atop the hill. I swear I spy a sparkle of a sea dragon scale in the shimmering reflection of the sunlight breaking over the sea. But I blink, and it’s gone.
“I’ve secured a boat and a captain to take you to the west side of the island,” she says, placing two large sage-green plates in front of us. Each plate piled high with several pieces of laverbread and a heaping portion of bacon. “I couldn’t come by a cart. But we did find two available horses.”
“Thank you.” I smile up at her. My stomach is positively ravenous after a long day of traveling yesterday.
She nods to the assortment of butter and jams on the table before taking her seat. “Help yourselves.”
“What kind of creatures roam the forest?” I ask Boudicca before smearing the laverbread with butter.
Her mass of oxblood curls is piled high upon her head, making the smattering of freckles on her nose stand out. She sets her rose-painted tea cup down and traces the chipped rim with a fingertip.
“Well, we don’t know exactly.” She sighs, looking between me and Lach. “Some of the young warriors we send there for wilderness training have sworn they’ve seen beasts and creatures with unnatural colored skin. Or the trees and rocks moving on their own accord.”
Lachlan’s grin turns feral as he swallows a bite of bacon. “Aye, and don’t forget about the trolls, fairies, brownies, and wulvers.”
I slap his shoulder and roll my eyes. “It’s not funny.”
He chuckles. “Of course it is. They’re just spooky legends we tell the soldiers, so they dinna fall asleep on their watch.” He picks up another piece of bacon and takes a bite. I watch as he eats, enraptured with every single thing he does.
Boudicca’s eyes narrow on him and the contrast between her icy stare and fluffy pale pink robe is comical. She raises a finger and waggles it at him. “I seem to remember your tail being tucked firmly between your legs during your wilderness training.”
Lachlan heaves a sigh. “Aye, and that was all your doing.” He wags a finger back at her.
She snickers as she picks her tea up again and takes a sip.
“So it’s been confirmed that there are actually creatures out there? Like someone has killed one?” I chime in, pushing my plate away now that my belly is full of bread and bacon.
“Na, but chickens and livestock go missing far too often for it to be a coincidence.”
Armed with full packs and full bellies, we trample across the dock to the ship Boudicca secured for us to borrow. The crew is already there loading up the horses. A wiry man with a jet-black goatee lounges on the dock when we approach.
“Dragut!” Lachlan calls loudly at the man, quickening his pace.
“Captain!” the man, Dragut, bellows in return.
The two men embrace, patting each other roughly on their backs.
“When did you return?” Dragut asks peering up at Lachlan from under bushy brows. The wide-brimmed hat on his head shading him from the rising sun.
“Where ha’ ye been? I’ve been back for months leading a rebellion with Lena.” Lachlan stares bewildered, holding him at arm’s length.
“A rebellion? And you didn’t invite me?” Dragut’s face contorts into what I can only assume is a pout. “Lena? Who’s Lena?” A red head wrap under his hat raises when his eyebrows do.
Lachlan shakes his head, chuckling, before tugging me to him and folding me under a tattooed arm.
“Dragut this is Lena. Our queen. Lena, this is Dragut, the world’s finest pirate turned naval commander—formerly of the Ottoman Empire.”
He strips the hat from his head and descends into a sweeping bow. The flowing linen blouse and trousers he wears flap gently in the breeze blowing in from off the sea. But it’s the Yataghan sword strapped to his waist that draws my eye.
“It’s an honor, Your Majesty.”
I extend a hand to the man. “The pleasure is all mine, Dragut. Are you to be our captain today?”
His rough hand wraps around mine, giving it a light squeeze. It feels like a pumice stone under my grip. Dry and calloused from centuries of working on a boat, no doubt.
“Come, come, come aboard!” He says excitedly, backing onto the gangplank.
I turn my head towards Lachlan and ask under my breath, “Did you say pirate?”
Lachlan clears his throat and aims a wink my way. “Formerly.”
Dragut walks in a commanding fashion up and down the vessel, shouting orders at the crew who scurry about to do as they’re instructed. I stride to the bow, hoping to stay out of their way as they work to get us back out to sea.
Lachlan follows behind me, dropping our packs to the deck, and leaning his back against the wooden railing. He stares at the crew with a sense of longing I mirror, looking out at the water.
“Still wish you were a pirate?” I ask, remembering a time long ago near the southern creek when we were treasure hunting. Lachlan had told me that one day he’d be a pirate and live on the ocean, as we scavenged for bits of glass, porcelain, and other trinkets.
He stares at me, his mouth parting in surprise. “Ye remember that?”
I grin, looking towards the horizon where the sun begins its climb from out of the water. The wind coming off the water grows stronger, slinging my braid off my chest and behind me. I have the sudden urge to throw my arms out wide while leaning against the wind.
“Of course.” I look out at the sloshing whitecaps. “I remember almost everything where you’re involved.”
Lachlan turns to face the ocean, leaning his forearms against the railing. The wind has his dark hair sliding across his eyes, a hint of excitement lighting them, as he glances back at the busy crew.
“Do ye wanna do the Titanic scene?”
Now it’s my turn to be shocked. My mouth drops open and I turn towards him.
“How did you know?”
He’s already moving to stand behind me. His hands grip my waist as he heaves me up onto the bottom railing.
“Throw your arms out!”
With my face towards the sea, my arms spread wide, and Lachlan’s sturdy chest behind me, a laugh bubbles up from deep within my belly.
I revel in the feeling of flying across the ocean.
And just like that, all my anxiety about the day melts away.
A booming laugh echoes from behind me and Lachlan buries his face into my neck.
“I wish I had a camera to capture the look on your face. But alas, I’ll just ha’ to burn this moment into my mind forever.”
His words send butterflies fluttering around my ribcage, and my smile grows.
We’re going to be okay.