Page 87 of Enchanted By a Pirate
The pirates drew their sabers and stood in a semicircle with their backs to the basin.
"He doesn't know where the cave is," Calla crowed, and Anna wanted to strangle her.
"TONIIIIII!"
"Shut that stupid fairy's mouth or better yet, wring her neck. We must not lose the source's power again!"
Calla took out a sack and slowly placed it over the cage. "I'm sorry, Anemone, but I have no choice."
"Stop, Calla, don't do it! You can still go back. Admit your mistake and the fairies will forgive you."
A hint of sadness crossed Calla's face. "No, they won't. I went too far for that." She turned to Freddy. "He will be there for me, take care of me like our family used to. I want more, Anemone, than just work. And it will be different by his side."
"Calla, don't!"
The fairy, however, no longer hesitated. She placed the bag around the cage and closed it, enveloping Anna in darkness. The voices of the others were muffled but she could hear the bag being tied shut. Almost immediately, her breathing grew shallower. The air was running out and as a fairy, she felt it immediately. There had been a reason that she had almost fainted with Anton in the Thundering Mountains. Fairiesneeded fresh air more than other beings, or else they lose consciousness and suffocate.
Apparently, that was Calla and Freddy's plan. But she couldn't give up so quickly. Finally, she knew everything. The real culprits were finally exposed. The happy ending was so close that she couldn't give up. She tried again to sense her magic, but the iron cage she was trapped in blocked her powers. With every minute that passed, she grew increasingly dizzy. Every breath grew burdensome, and she was starting to swoon. How much time did she have before she passed out?
Thunder rang out again. Was Anton nearby? She wanted to call out to him, but there was no longer enough air. Anton. Her best friend.
She believed the blackness had completely engulfed her when the bag opened and oxygen flowed in. She breathed in deeply, sucked the clear air into her lungs, and felt her strength returning. At the same time, someone pulled the bag from the cage. "Anton?"
"If you're confusing me with him, Ani, you've definitely been in there too long."
"Chris?" Anna opened her eyes. Yes, it was him. The captain was standing in front of her. "How did you escape?"
"The giant freed me before…"
A shadow appeared behind the captain. A long sword.
"Watch out, behind you!"
Chris reacted immediately and raised his saber as Freddy's blade clashed against his with a metallic clang. With another thrust, the captain put some distance between himself and the pirate, who laughed maliciously.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your pleasant tryst, but the days of me following you are over!"
"Freddy!" The captain growled the name more than he said it. "What are you thinking? Did you fraternize with the dirty mutineers and turn against me? How dare you?!"
"He's not only allied with them, he leads them!" Anna shouted.
"Exactly, and that's why I will finish you off now, Captain." Freddy almost spat out the last word as the five pirates positioned themselves behind him. Calla stayed in the background, her longing brown eyes focused on Freddy.
"Watch out!" Anna pointed to the men approaching. They were all holding their sabers firmly. Six against one. How would the captain take them on?
Chris, however, stood up confidently, using one hand to hold the cage Anna was still trapped in and the other to wield his saber. "As if I hadn't already proven why I'm your captain. Do you really think you can take me?"
"As long as you try to protect the cage, it won't be difficult."
Chris growled. "If you harm a single one of Ani's hairs, you'll regret it! I swear that on my honor as Captain of the Fortuna — providing you understand what honor means."
"You just keep on talking. But you know full well that I can take you on." Without another moment's hesitation, Freddy attacked. The two were almost equal in strength and wielded their weapons so deftly Anna could hardly follow the duel. While the remaining pirates surrounded them, they continued to fight.
"Chris, be careful, they're surrounding us."
Freddy gave an ugly laugh, while Chris was at his best. He parried all attackers with unimaginable speed, but Freddy was right. He couldn't strike with the cage in one hand. Instead of a second weapon, he had something to watch out for.
"TONIIII!" she screamed again.
