Pirate Princess (49 page)

I tore a piece of my shirt and tossed it inside the door and waited. The cloth floated to the ground and then burst into flames. Whoa. Don’t touch the floor, got it. I tore another piece of my shirt, rolled it up into a ball and threw it onto the chair nearest the door. It landed and unfolded, but remained unharmed. I took another piece and threw it onto the table. It also remained unharmed and not burnt. I paced in front of the door while I weighed my options. I could jump from outside to the chair and then to the table and lean across to access his case. Simple enough.

I stuck my hand slowly through the door just in case there was something keyed to a person, but as I wiggled my hand around nothing happened. I leaned in, grabbed onto the back of the chair, and pulled myself up onto it one foot at a time. I turned around slowly, keeping my balance and then jumped onto the table. The table wobbled a little bit and I had to stick my arms out straight from my sides to keep from falling. It stopped wobbling and I let out a heavy breath. That was close. I rested my hand on the lock and it popped open easily. Yes! The item was a pretty necklace and looked like solid gold. I pulled it out and the weight almost made me tip the table forward, but I leaned back and saved myself. I put the necklace in my pocket and shut and locked the case again. I turned and jumped to the chair and then outside. Nailed it! I started walking away smugly when someone spoke behind me.

“I thought Jax was dead.”

I spun around and stared at Lance, the youngest pirate captain next to Finn and the newest. Could he see me? How? I backed away slowly and he followed me with a smirk. “I can see you. Invisibility spells don’t mask the person’s magic.”

Crap. “I’m not Jax,” I whispered, “She’s dead.”

“Oh, well then who might you be?” he asked casually as if he hadn’t just caught me stealing from him.

“The Pirate Princess,” I said with a smirk that he couldn’t see behind my mask.

“I’m Captain Lance, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I said.

“So Finn replaced Jax with you?”

“Yep.”

“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”

“Nope.”

“I’m surprised that Captain Rocco hasn’t strung him up for replacing his dead daughter so soon.”

“Captain Rocco can be merciful if he chooses,” I said as I continued backing away.

“I wouldn’t spread that around, some might press their luck to find out if he is merciful or not.”

“They would be stupid to test Rocco.”

“Most would think anyone would be stupid to test another pirate. Yet you are alone, on my ship, and stealing a treasure from me.”

“Not all pirates are the same,” I said.

“Too true. So, what type of pirate are you?” he asked as we walked down the ramp to the beach. His crew was looking at him quizzically and beginning to head towards him. Crap.

“The kind who wins Pirate Festivals,” I said. Without waiting for his reply I spun and sprinted down the beach back towards Finn’s ship. I was using too much magic up with the invisibility spell so I dropped it and let his crew see me.

“After her, Darius!” someone yelled.

I turned my head as I ran and was shocked to see Lance hadn’t followed me and only one man was after me. He was also gaining on me rather fast. I made his shirt catch fire which made him pause to yank it off. I turned back around and ran as fast as I could. I made it just around the bend, Finn’s ship in sight when Darius grabbed my shoulders. I spun around, dropping into a squat as I did, and punched him in the stomach as hard as I could. He grunted and I took advantage of his pain to run again.

Faxon stood on the deck looking at me and I realized sadly that Finn was also on the deck with him. Finn locked eyes with me and his frown turned into a deep scowl that caused his forehead to furrow. He disappeared from the deck and an instant later was standing behind me, between Darius and me.

“I thought I had ordered you to stay on the ship.”

“Did you?” I asked as I kept running towards his ship. “I can’t recall hearing that.”

I turned around to make sure he wasn’t in danger and ran into someone. I spun, expecting it to be Faxon and instead found Lance. “You’re pretty wily. I can see why Finn would take you as a replacement so quickly.”

“Princess,” Faxon called from the deck.

“Stay out of it!” I called back. I couldn’t have him involved in pirate affairs.

I drew my sword and Lance smiled. “I don’t want to hurt you, even if you did steal from me.”

“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” I commented. How had he gotten here so fast?

He walked around me slowly, like a tiger preparing to pounce. “I bet you have a beautiful face under that mask. Why not take it off?”

“How are you doing back there, Finn?” I asked him as I watched Lance. He was too smug. What did he have up his sleeve? He obviously had magic since he could see me and set those traps on his ship.

“Almost done,” he said in a strained voice.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of Lance despite wanting to check on Finn.

“You are an interesting woman,” Lance said, “Any chance I could convince you to join me?”

“Over my dead body,” Finn growled.

“That could be arranged,” Lance said with a smirk.

“Sorry, I won’t leave my crew or captain.”

“That’s a shame. Well then, I guess I’ll have to steal you.”

He lunged forward and in one move had disarmed me and bound my hands together with a magical rope. Finn finished his fight and began attacking Lance as the rope began stealing away my magic power. The ropes were supposed to be outlawed and production was supposed to have halted because they were so potent and could disable a mage even as powerful as Faxon in a matter of seconds. I dropped to my knees and black dots began covering my vision. There was no one to remove the ropes yourself, only another person could remove them.

I looked up at Faxon and Lance and felt fear wrap around me. Lance was matching Finn’s movements and speed. How? How was he so fast?

“Still want me to sit out?” Faxon asked me from a bit down the beach.

“Not. Your. Fight.” I grunted out.

“No, but it doesn’t sit right with me to watch this happen.”

“Can’t. Involve. You. Pirates.”

“If you die, I’ll be tried by your Aunt and Uncle.”

“I can handle this,” Finn told Faxon.

“You seem slower, Finn. Has domestic life gotten to you?” Lance asked him.

“You were always too full of yourself, Lance.”

“Perhaps you just always thought too little of me.”

I fell forward onto my hands and hung my head down as I slowed my breathing. I couldn’t faint. I had to stay conscious. How did Finn know Lance? Were they from the same place? Was that why he was so fast?

“If you harm her, I will kill you,” Finn snapped at him.

“I don’t intend to harm her. I intend to keep her.”

“Not. A. Chance,” I growled at Lance.

“AH!” Lance yelled as Finn stabbed a dagger into his leg.

Finn dashed over to me and unbound my hands, tossing the rope into the water. “Just breathe, it’ll pass.”

Lance yanked the dagger out and his face contorted with rage. “No more playing nice.” He disappeared and then had me in his arms. I tried to get free, but I was too weak. Lance started to run, but Finn tackled him and knocked me free of his hold. I fell onto the beach and focused on my magic. I could summon more, the reserves I never touched, and help Finn. I closed my eyes as I focused and felt my body fill up with power again. I stood up and faced Finn and Lance who were fighting again.

“I grow weary of this game,” I said angrily. I moved the sand and made it surge up and around Lance’s legs.

“What?” he yelled in shock as he fell face forward. I raised my hands and the sand surged up around his body, burying him up to his neck. He struggled, but couldn’t break free.

“You alright?” I asked Finn.

He nodded his head and held out his hand. I set mine in it and we walked away from Lance who growled as he tried to escape the sandy prison. “Let me out!” he yelled.

“I will, once the ship is out in the sea and you can’t reach us,” I told him over my shoulder.

“Did you know you could do that?” Finn asked me in a whisper.

I shook my head and looked up at Faxon’s smiling face as we walked onto the deck. “Impressive!” he said and hugged me. “That explains why you can’t use water. You’re a fire and earth mage.”

“Why didn’t you test me for earth before?” I asked him as the crew set sail.

“Most mages don’t have two elements they can control and your fire control is extremely strong so I figured you were only a fire mage.”

“Hm,” I mumbled as I stared at Lance.

“Are you injured?” Faxon asked me.

“No, just out of magic except for the reserves I’m using.”

“How much magic do you have?” Bernard asked me.

“Enough to conquer the Realm of Olanze single handedly once she learns to control it,” Faxon said proudly.

“Here,” I said to Finn as I held out Lance’s treasure.

He took it without replying and walked to his cabin. I waited until we were far enough out that Lance couldn’t touch us and then released him from the sand. He climbed out and brushed himself off. “I look forward to seeing you again, Pirate Princess!” he called out to me.

“Sadly I can’t return the feeling!” I said as I waved to him. I headed to Finn’s cabin and felt nervous when I saw him glaring at the table with his hands clenched on top of it.

“You disobeyed me,” he said angrily.

“Have I ever obeyed you?” I asked him as I took off my mask and tiara.

“He could have captured you,” he said angrily as he looked up at me.

“No, I would have escaped.”

“Do you know what it was like to come back to my ship and discover you were gone?”

“Not any worse than what it felt like to be dumped on land and left.” Finn flinched and I instantly felt bad. “We are equals,” I told him, “And while I defer to your judgment on some things, I do have powers and can hold my own.”

He stood up and stared straight down into my eyes. “I almost killed him,” he said softly. “He will try to convince you to join his crew.”

“I already told him I won’t leave you.”

“He won’t stop. Once he decides on a course of action he doesn’t let anything stop him.”

“How do you know him?”

“He’s my half brother,” Finn said and then ground his teeth together.

Whoa. “Well, that explains why he was so attractive,” I said with a smirk.

“What?!” Finn yelled and then realized I was teasing him. “That is not funny,” he growled and wrapped me up in his arms.

“Silly pirate, I would think by now you would know that I only love you.”

“You scared me,” he whispered as he looked into my eyes. “I don’t want to lose you.”

I kissed him lightly and said, “Finley you are only going to lose me if you leave me.”

“That will never happen,” he said adamantly and kissed me deeply.

“Ahem,” Faxon said.

“What?” Finn asked Faxon as he leaned his forehead against mine with his eyes closed.

“May I heal you?” Faxon asked him.

“You’re hurt?” I asked in shock. And stepped back to look for the wound.

“Yes,” Finn said and sat down in a chair. Faxon walked over and squatted down next to Finn.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” I asked him angrily.

“It’s not fatal and Faxon is here so I didn’t think it was pressing to interrupt our serious discussion.”

Faxon lifted up Finn’s shirt and I gasped when I saw the deep wound, which was bleeding heavily. “Finn!” I yelled at him.

“Sit down,” Faxon ordered me.

“Why?”

“Because you’re almost out of your reserves.”

“What?” I asked and then felt my energy depleting. “Oh.” I lay down on the bed and sighed. “I didn’t realize my reserves would get used up so fast.”

“Those ropes are very dangerous,” Faxon said as he healed Finn. “Esmeralda was almost killed by them once.”

“Really?” I asked in shock, opening my eyes and looking at Faxon.

“It was when she was younger and we were at war with most of the Realm. She was captured by the King of Judby and he had bound her with the ropes. The idiot didn’t know how they worked and just assumed it made her weak. He left her tied up with the ropes for three days in his dungeon. When Jared finally broke into the castle to save her, she was almost dead.”

“That was the Massacre of Judby, wasn’t it?” I asked softly.

“Yes, that was when Jared single handedly destroyed the Judby army and killed the King in front of his citizens. They say he looked like a demon and no one could even raise a sword against him. He had captured a healer and forced him to heal Esmeralda while the man watched Jared slaughter his entire kingdom’s army. That man still hasn’t recovered and just the mention of Crilan sends him into a panic.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t burn the town to the ground,” Finn said with a scowl.

“Oh, he did. In fact that place is considered tainted and no one is allowed to go there. Jared also split the land in half and gave half of it to a farm boy who had brought food and water to Esmeralda as soon as the healer finished healing her. The boy named it Qual and he still rules there.”

“Wow,” Finn whispered.

“And that, my friends, is why we need to stop separating and learn to stay together. I don’t need to see another town destroyed and a King’s head on a spear because one of you lost control,” Faxon said. He stood up and rubbed his hands together. “You’re all fixed up.”

“Thank you,” Finn said sincerely.

“I’m going to go continue my discussions with your crew. You should both rest.”

Faxon left and Finn lay down on the bed beside me. “He’s right, you know?”

“Yeah,” I admitted as I cuddled with Finn.

* * *

We didn’t have any more encounters with Lance, which made Finn and I very happy and as we headed to the island to turn in our treasures. We both felt very confident. “So will your dad speak to you or is he pretending not to know you?” Finn asked me.

I dropped down into the long boat beside him and shrugged. “Not sure. I just won’t run up to him or show my tattoo to anyone.”