Page 24 of Enchanted By a Pirate
As if those were the magical words, the branches separated from her hair and the tunnel grew higher and wider. At least now she could move forward on her knees and no longer had to crawl. Nevertheless, it took a while until the battle with the bushes finally ended. Anna crawled out, looked around, and paused in awe.
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She found herself in an elaborately designed cave. Individual pillars supported the rock ceiling, which was so high that Anna could easily stand upright. There were small cracks through which enough daylight entered, allowing her to explore the interior.
Countless flower boxes stood on pedestals, wall ledges, and on stairs leading to the sides, but not one single flower grew in any of the pots. They were empty except for the soil in them, which suggested they had once held plants. On the walls were floor-to-ceiling paintings in bright, shimmering colors. Awed, Anna approached and examined the works of art. Fairies in clothes of various colors were depicted at work and dancing. One group was spreading fairy dust on a meadow of flowers while another group held hands and danced around a flowering tree. Their faces were carefree and Anna almost thought she could hear the laughter that accompanied the work they performed. Their blitheness weighed heavily on Anna's chest and a lump formed in her throat.
She wandered on and arrived at a depiction of a stone basin that was adorned with flowers on the outside. Lushly bloomingwisteria and clematis twined around it, and it bubbled on the inside with sparkling particles, making it look like the greatest gift from heaven. That had to be the source of the fairy dust. Anna leaned closer and spotted a fine trickle of glitter flowing from the background into the basin. Where was the source? She was convinced it was somewhere nearby.
She searched the cave. There was no one there, so her footsteps sounded lonely as they echoed throughout the depths. They called out, welcoming her. Even though she felt alone, her heart beat faster with excitement and she was filled with a comforting feeling, as if she'd reached home.
A smile crept onto her lips and she continued onward, driven by curiosity. A steady drip caught her attention. Was that the source? Did the dripping have something to do with the fairy dust? But why wasn't anyone around to collect the last precious particles?
As she continued walking, she felt the pockets of her pants. Could she transport the fairy dust in it? If she brought it to the fairies, perhaps they would accept it as a peace offering and it would help make amends for her mistake.
Elated by the thought, she quickened her pace. Faster than the lonely drips, her footsteps echoed through the cave as she passed the stairs and journeyed deeper down the center passageway. It was growing increasingly darker and the corridor narrower and narrower. Was she going to find a dead end? Shortly before she thought she could go no further, the corridor in front of her opened up, revealing a large chamber.
The ceiling was so high that even the colossal Anton would have been able to stand next to her. The room was nearly empty except for the stone basin across from her in the chamber. It was the one she'd seen in the picture. However, nothing remained of its former glory. Like ruins that spoke of a golden age long past,it stood there unadorned and abandoned. No one protected it, no vines adorned it, and no one celebrated its splendor.
Anna hurried over, put her hands on the stone rim, and peered inside. There was no glitter. There was nothing but darkness within. Not even a single sparkle of fairy dust remained. How terrible. As if someone was ripping her heart out, she submitted to the hopelessness and sadness of this once-celebrated place. She felt its grief, its loneliness, and its deep despair. She remained still, staring into the empty pool. She heard laughter — it was bright laughter, fairy laughter, though it was nothing but a memory, and the only thing that remained in the well.
Anna gently stroked the rim. "I'm sorry." A tear escaped the corner of her eye, made its way down her cheek, and formed a drop on her jaw. With infinite slowness, it broke free and fell into the darkness.
Where did the trickle that fed the basin come from? She stood and felt the wall. It took her a while to find the small opening just above the basin. Had the fairy dust come from this tiny hole? Where was its origin? Once again, she only heard one sound in the chamber. The lonely drips.
Where was the noise coming from? Was there a water source in the cave? Maybe it had something to do with the disappearance of the dust.
Before continuing her search, Anna stroked the tiny hole one last time.
"Wait, stay with me," someone seemed to shout.
Uncertain, she turned, but everything was quiet. The voice had only been in her head. Had the source perhaps spoken to her?
"I will do everything to save you and my family."
It was a promise that reverberated off the walls, strengthening Anna's will with each echo. Determined, she setout to find the dripping. Perhaps the flowing water and therefore the magic had been blocked by some shifting rocks. Maybe it was that simple.
The echoing drips led Anna astray and she reached a dead end. Then, finally, she identified the direction of the noise. Determined, she followed the sound and pushed deeper into the cave until a large shadow emerged and blocked her path.
"I knew I'd find you here."
Anna froze and lost all sensation in her body. Her arms hung limply, unable to rise to defend herself, and her legs barely held her upright instead of running away. At the same time, her heart was beating so fast it seemed it was trying to escape the man who was standing in her way.
It was none other than Christopher O'Brien, the captain of Fortuna.
The black leather coat emphasized his imposing figure. He stood in front of her with his legs apart, his unyieldingly dark eyes focused on her, and his unusually beautiful lips twisted into a wide grin. A shadow of a beard made his appearance more sinister and the long scar running down his cheek made him look even more menacing.
With his dark gaze fixed on her, he ran his hands through his black hair. The movement seemed to release her limbs somehow, because she could finally feel them again. Without pausing, she turned and ran back to the well. How did the captain know this place if only the fairies supposedly knew about it?
With a few long strides, he caught up to her. "You're not going anywhere." He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her. She wanted to clench her hands, scratch the man's face, or kick him in the legs, but the smell of salt and the endless sea on him enveloped her like a drug. Was that it too? Had he possibly subdued her with drugs back then?
"Let me go!" She struggled with all her might to escape the intoxicating smell, ignoring it as best as she could while trying to free herself from his grasp. She had to run away. But he held her fast. He was also taller than her and lifted her effortlessly, making her steps falter.
"What do you want from me?"
"To talk to you."
"So I can tell you how to get more fairy dust?"
