Page 11 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"I can't tell you, but I know one thing for sure, it wasn't voluntary."
Not voluntary? Even though it was all beyond her imagination, she was dying to know what had supposedly happened back then. If only Toni would finally loosen his tongue! No matter what questions Anna asked, he said nothing about what had allegedly happened. She needed a different approach.
"If I disappeared overnight — and not voluntarily, as you say — my family must have been worried sick. Why didn't my parents search for me? Or did they leave with me?" That would explain it all, of course. They had erased her memories because… Oh dear, now she was inventing outrageous explanations.
"Your parents?" After that, he remained silent for some time. He didn't say anything for so long that Anna was about to ask the next question when he finally took a breath and continued."How could you forget all that? If I weren't such a kind fellow, I would twist off the captain's head for what he did to you."
"Wha…"
"Your family should tell you everything. That would be best. Until then, you should close your eyes a little. I know you're not a night owl. Curl up in my hand. Here, take my handkerchief as a blanket, just like before. Take a break. Sleep will do you good and provide you with the strength for what comes tomorrow." He pulled a red-checkered hanky from his breast pocket and spread it across her legs. Then he trudged onward.
Anna looked hesitantly at his handkerchief, which was spot-free and smelled fresh. Her limbs grew heavy at the mere thought of sleep. How could that be the case after such a wildly eventful day? Her mind was sluggish and she could barely keep her eyes open.
Without any further hesitation, she decided to trust the giant. She spread the makeshift blanket over her, snuggled up with her head on the heel of Anton's hand, and turned her sleepy gaze to the endless starry sky. After all, she did have to spend the night somewhere before she searched for a phone tomorrow.
She did manage to stay awake, though it took great effort. She still had to clarify a few things before falling asleep — in particular, the matter of where exactly they were. Although it was unlikely, she still hoped to take a land route back home.
"Tony?"
"Yes, Anemone?"
"There is no… magic in my memory. But this land… is full of it, right?"
"That it is."
Deep in thought, she played with the sun-shaped pendant on her necklace before tucking it under her sweater. How could she ask him about the circumstances and the magical creatures without hurting him? "Well, here, there aren't just people, butalso pirates, whose ships fly through the air with glitter dust, and giants and…" She paused, thinking.
He smiled as if he had guessed her thoughts. "I can tell you about that. You've always enjoyed hearing a bedtime story. So… Our world is divided into four kingdoms. There is the Kingdom of the Sea, which is dominated by pirates. They are the masters of the sea and the masters of the water.
"And the skies, considering they can fly their ships."
"Normally, they can't do that. But our world… well… it's a little disjointed. The balance of power is no longer defined, as was the case before and as it must be again. But now that you're back, everything will balance out — I'm sure of it."
He smiled confidently at her. His moss-green eyes sparkled like the stars in the sky and Anna glanced uncertainly to the side. What kind of expectations did he have of her? Even if all these amazing things he said were true, how could she restore balance in a land full of magic that was foreign to her, and without having any magical powers herself?
In any case, she had to learn as much as possible about this world. She tried desperately to fight off sleep. "What other realms are there?"
"There is also the Kingdom of Rocks. That's where the giants rule."
"There are others like you?" she blurted without thinking.
"Of course, there are a lot of giants, but… let's put it this way, I'm a bit atypical for my race."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Most giants are rather simple. They sleep a lot, like to argue, and always know everything better."
"No, you're not like that." Strangely, she did know this…in her heart.
"I also sleep a lot, but I'm neither argumentative nor a know-it-all. Besides, I love reading and you, well, that's how we met. It was you who helped me write my first books."
"Me?" Anna stared at him wide-eyed. "How? Did I used to work in a library?" This was finally something she could imagine.
Anton laughed, his body vibrating so that she wobbled in his hand. "No, but… You'll understand tomorrow. Have your family explain it to you."
"Can't you at least tell me how we met?"
"Tomorrow, when you know more."
