13. Joy
JOY
“She owed a debt and it needed to be paid. Simple.”
- CAPTAIN HARLOW
Istared at Dahlia, my gaze flitting from her to the captain. They spoke like old friends, old friends who kept their swords raised.
Old friends oozing with malice.
Their history felt long and thick, I wondered how long it would take me to wade through it. To understand who the people in front of me were and how they had become the perfect balance of friends and enemies. The sun had reached its apex and the sea swayed slowly, I reached for a rag to clear away the blood.
Their gazes snapped to mine at the movement.
“Steady,” I said softly as they glared at me. “I am merely hoping to clean the blood away.” I looked down at the body paling on the deck. “We should also do something about him, he’s starting to smell.”
“Throw him overboard for all I care,” Captain Harlow picked his teeth and grimaced. “He was just a means to an end… but don’t tell the rest of my crew.” He shrugged with a smile. Dahlia gave a humorless laugh.
“And you wonder why you are always alone.” She stalked toward me and grabbed one of the dead man’s arms, motioning me to take the other. We heaved him overboard, his splash disturbing the ocean’s peace.
“You throw us away once you no longer have use for us.” Dahlia’s words were strained, tainted with hate and longing. Suddenly I was painfully aware that I knew nothing about Dahlia or Florence or whoever the hell she was.
“And yet you wonder why I left you,” Dahlia gestured around us wildly. “Why everyone leaves you.” The captain’s constant smirk disappeared and he stepped back as though wounded.
“You left because you could not face the truth, Florence.” He stepped closer to her, resting his hand against her cheek. “Do not fool yourself in thinking otherwise.”
I couldn’t help the cringe that snaked up my spine, the idea of his hand on her cheek made my stomach churn. Turning away, I focused on the horizon, on the delicious heat from the sun’s rays.
But something caught my eye.
My eyebrows crumpled, my heart beating out of my chest. I squinted, concentrating on the dark, green blob resting on the deep, blue skyline.
On the land taking shape.
Sweat pooled on the bottom of my back.
Were we here? Had we finally found Jameson?
“Enough.” I turned to Harlow and Dahlia, interrupting their hushed conversation. “Dahlia, is that it? Are we here?”
I looked again at the island. It was achingly familiar, the crystal waters, the lush wildlife and… the mountain?
Dayra’s mountain? We weren’t just in the Southern Continent; we were back at Dayra. I fought back tears of frustration.
“What have you done?” My long legs ate up the floor as I strode to Dahlia. “Did you steer us off course while I slept?”
She reared back, her face smeared with hurt.
“This isn’t me,” her voice was clear and strong. “I didn’t do this.” Her eyes pleaded with mine. “You have to trust me.”
I scoffed.
“Trust you?” My laugh was harsh and cold. Harlow stalked to the edge of the boat; his eyebrows crumpled.
“Do you smell that?” he whispered.
“Is it so hard to believe that one day you could trust me?” Dahlia’s voice rose.
“You are the reason I have lost everything!” I gestured to the slowly sinking boat. My slowly sinking home.
“Stop!” Captain Harlow’s voice was almost a shout. Blood rushed to my head, my anger laying just beneath my skin. “Stop with this nonsense quarrelling.” His gaze lingered on Dahlia.
“Do. You. Smell. That?” He spoke clearly, his usual jest lost from his voice.
As the words left his mouth the scent of coffee, the ocean’s breeze, and Lolita’s lavender perfume wafted up my nose. Dahlia’s gaze landed on me, her pupils dilating.
“Magic,” she whispered.
A cool breeze tickled my neck. Magic. The seductive goddess. The golden temptress.
“Magic?” My own voice turned into a whisper. Lolita’s perfume lingered in my nose; she was all I could smell. She was everywhere. My stomach rumbled hoping for a mug of coffee. Sighing I breathed in again, feeling almost high from the scent.
“Try not to get wrapped up in it,” Dahlia’s voice was breathless. “It loves chaos.” I looked back at Dayra to find it was no longer the island I knew, the sky was no longer blue, thunder rumbled, and dark blue smothered the world.
“They used magic as protection,” Harlow whispered. “That is why you saw Dayra and I saw…” His voice faded toward the end.
“You said there was no land for miles!” I turned to him as harsh sheets of rain began to fall. “Where is this weather coming from?” I yelled over the thrashing.
“They must have a SkyChanger on the shore,” Captain Harlow stalked toward his ship.
“More than one for a storm this size.”
Harlow nodded to Dahlia.
“C’mon, you must board my ship.” He almost looked sympathetic. “You will drown if you do not.”
My hair stuck to my head, the rain beating against my body relentlessly. The fabric of my dress became heavy as I slowly walked toward his outstretched hand. I knew nothing of the world I was stepping into. I looked back one last time. My parents jumping into my mind.
“It’s ours?” My voice high was and naive.
“Yes! It’s all ours, my love, no more inns or tents.” My father lifted me into his arms.
My mother stood behind us with boxes in her hands.
“Welcome home, baby.” She planted a kiss on my forehead. “Now we’ll be together forever.” She stepped up onto the gangway, looking back with a smile. I sighed, relief washing through me.
Home.
“Joy? We must go now.” Dahlia’s soft voice wrapped around me like an embrace.
“Harlow has his crew tying ropes to your ship, they will drag it to land. It can be fixed, Joy, I promise.” She rested her hand against my cheek. Pulling away, I stared at her.
“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep, Florence.” I stepped up onto the ship’s bow, my voice emphasizing her name.
Stumbling down, clutching Captain Harlow’s hand, my feet landed on the ship’s deck, spots of water and blood dripping onto the wood. Lifting my head, Harlow’s face was mere inches from mine.
“You truly are becoming more and more interesting.”