Page 43 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"We did it, Ani. Breathe slowly."
She laid her head on his chest and breathed. Deeply and evenly. As he held her, gently rocking her back and forth, she calmed down and the flood of thoughts returned. She would be placing herself at his and his crew's mercy as soon as she boarded his ship. Anton's warning and those of the fairies tried to slink back into her mind again, but as she listened to the captain's heartbeat, she knew — she knew it! — she had nothing to fear from him. They were Ani and Chris, back then and now. An image flashed so quickly it might have been her imagination, but she knew it wasn't. She and Chris in a bay, laughing together, and the look he gave her showed the love he felt for her.
Tears welled up in Anna's eyes. That little memory, that scrap — it wasn't anything more than that — was worth more than all the gold in the world.
She slowly raised her head and stroked his dark stubble and the shimmering silver scar. "I remembered us."
His eyes widened for a moment. When he answered, his voice was deeper than usual. "What did you see?"
She peered up at him and her heartbeat quickened. "We were in this bay and… laughing."
A brief grin appeared on his lips before he nodded. "Aye, it was a beautiful day." Before she could ask him what had transpired, what they had done, and how that day had come to be, he leaned down and kissed her. His kiss was as turbulent as the waves crashing against the cliffs, yet as gentle as the sun that cast its rays on them. Anna lost herself in this kiss, letting herself be taken in by his smell, knowing that she never wanted to be anywhere else but by his side again.
17
It took a while until she heard the constant sound of the sea again. When they separated from each other, she didn't just hear that, but also the whoops of the pirates, laughter, and roars that reached the beach. She shuddered involuntarily. What was she getting herself into?
With an impatient snort, the captain turned to his crew. "Quiet or every single one of you will walk the plank! Don't you have any manners?"
Though a half-hearted grin crossed her lips, she paled. She could only hope it wasn't noticeable under her freckles. If there was one thing she was certain about, it was that she couldn't show any weakness in front of the pirates.
Chris took her hand. "Are you ready?"
"Sure." She glanced at the Fortuna, which was resting calmly in the water. The roaring waves of the sea thundered past the rocks that shielded the bay even though there was hardly a breeze. A few men stood at the railing, staring openly at them. They hooted and hollered, but after the captain's reprimand, they restrained themselves and laughed cautiously.
A simple rowboat lay on the sand, waiting to take them to the wild pack. To the pirates. Anna gave a shudder. She had nothing to defend herself with.
Chris seemed to notice her concern. "Don't worry. You won't be harmed on my ship."
Anna squared her shoulders and looked at the men. She had to have faith. And together with Chris, she would try to save the fairies. She had made her decision and couldn't back down, especially since that would mean she would have to climb that terrible path back up the cliffs.
She approached the rowboat hesitantly and stood in front of it when Chris offered her his hand.
"Shouldn’t we drag it into the water first?"
"Aye. I'll take care of that. Sit down, madam."
Anna was not keen on wet feet. Even imagining how cold it would be made her shiver. She got into the boat and the captain immediately pushed it into the water. He waded a few steps into the sea until it was deep enough and the boat was floating. Then he jumped in. As the rowboat rocked, Chris leaned back and started rowing vigorously. With smooth movements, he conveyed her to the ship where a rope ladder was waiting. When Anna glanced up, two pirates were peeking over the railing.
"Anemone, come up." They held out their hands to her as if they were best friends.
"That's Jack and Johnny," the captain whispered. "You got along well."
With her heart pounding, she climbed the ladder and grabbed the proffered hands of the two men, who helped her board the ship. Before the captain was even on board, they clapped Anna on the shoulders as if she were one of them.
"It's about time you returned, we've missed you."
"Finally there's someone on board who can stand up to our captain."
They laughed boisterously, but their laughter was not frightening. It was honest and infectious, so Anna laughed along. As Chris stepped onto the planks, the men fell silent and looked at him expectantly. The captain surveyed the ship, where everything seemed to be in order.
"Any incidents?"
"Nothing, Captain. Everything has been quiet and dull."
"Then make the Fortuna ready. We're sailing east."
"East?" They looked at him questioningly.
