Page 63 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"I dreamed about her. About Meysandrine. I met her."
"Can't we sort that out later, Ani?" Grinning, he inched closer, but Anna kept him at a distance with her outstretched arm. The dream was important and she had to tell him about it before she forgot what the siren told her.
"I was in the cave and she gave me a prediction. But… it wasn't particularly helpful."
The captain inhaled deeply, looking away from her bare shoulders, which were peeking out from under the blanket, and directly at her. "What did she tell you?"
Anna ran her hand through her hair thoughtfully. "When my magic returns, the fate of the fairies will change."
Chris rubbed his hands over his eyes. He looked exhausted. No wonder. If he had just gotten to the cabin, he must have been steering the ship all night. His clothes were dry — how could that be? Anna glanced over at the table where a few of his clothes were also hanging over a chair. Had he come in and changed his clothes that night? Perhaps when the storm was over. He must have been incredibly quiet for her not to have noticed.
"It could mean," he started, "that… Actually, it's clear. At the moment, the fairies are dying out. Their fate is such that they will soon no longer exist. When you get your magic back, that fate will change."
Hopefully for the better. "Do you believe she thinks my magic can save the fairies?"
"Aye, that's what it sounds like to me. Did she tell you how to get your magic back?"
Anna shook her head. "After her prediction, I wanted to ask questions, but a tornado immediately appeared and tossed me out of the dream."
"It was similar for me back then. She won't let you ask questions."
"Frankly, we could have figured that out on our own. The gold coin was wasted money." Disappointed, her shoulders sagged and she pulled her legs up under the blanket, wrapping her arms around them.
Chris took one of her locks between his fingers and stroked it. "That wasn't it, Ani. Now we know that your magic and thefuture of the fairies are connected. Getting your magic back is more important than we thought. That's why we have to do everything we can to clear the blockage."
Anna frowned. "Blockage? What do you mean by that? That it's me holding back the power?"
The captain tilted his head and searched for words. "It could be. None of us knows what happened back then. You may have experienced a shock and that's why your powers are no longer working. Like you're resisting it because you're afraid of something."
"No, I don't think so, that…" Anna hesitated. It didn't sound completely absurd. "It could just as well be that whoever banished me robbed me of my powers — forever."
The captain shook his head. "Magic is a part of you. Nobody can take it away from you. Block it, yes, but snatching it away — not even death can do that."
His words sent a wave of goosebumps across her arms. He saw it and grinned. "Ready for a rendezvous, madam?" He ran his finger over her shoulders and neck. Her skin tingled under his touch. Her gaze softened as she leaned forward and cupped his head. Chris didn't hesitate for a second and put his lips on hers as a cry reached the cabin.
"LAND HO!"
Chris dropped his head. "Bloody bastards. Can't they sail slower?"
"Land ho?" Anna looked out the portholes, but all she saw was the endless blue sky and seagulls circling. "What about the pirates who were chasing us? Blackbeard and his comrades-in-arms?"
"They didn't dare follow us into the raging storm."
Anna breathed a sigh of relief. At least that danger was averted for the time being. "What realm are we in?"
"The land of the giants."
Entranced, Anna stared at him. "Land of the giants? Do you mean the Kingdom of Rocks? Already?" She immediately sat up again, wrapped the blanket around her body, and hurried to her clothes. "Toni, is he there too?"
"The giant wouldn't miss it for the world."
Darn it. Her clothes were still too damp. "Do you have some shirts and pants I can wear?" She glanced at his build and grinned. He was significantly broader and more than a head taller than her. She would be swimming in his pants and shirts, but she didn't want to walk around in damp clothes either.
Chris grinned. He seemed to be picturing the same thing. "I have something much better. And perhaps it will even be of use to you." With heavy steps, he went to one of the chests. Curious, she hurried after him. The blanket dragged along the floor and she held it tightly around her so that she wouldn't be completely naked in front of him, though that probably wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest.
He opened the chest and Anna glanced over his shoulder. There were lots of black shirts and a few trousers. And underneath she saw something that made her heart beat faster. As he pulled it out and held it up in front of her, tears welled up in her eyes.
It was a dress in green and pink tones, cut classically like a sheath dress, and appeared to end just above the knees. But it wasn't made from normal fabric but rather the leaves of the anemone.
