Pirates Again

Katerina supposed she looked a little ridiculous when she held up the amulets, speaking to them in polite tones like they were a guest in her home.

“Could you please give us the direction we need to go to reach the Crossbones? It’s very important and I promise I won’t trouble you again once we know the way.”

The amulets pulsed faintly with light, and she could clearly see the necessary heading in her mind. The journey that unfolded in her head was smooth sailing, and she even saw an image of Cedric and Ezra; looking tired and rumpled in a cell but very much alive. The images all faded and she set the amulets aside.

“Mr. Teller, please steer us in a northwestern direction, and directly onto the Crossbones once you reach familiar waters,” she said to the man at the helm.

“Aye, uh….Miss,” he said.

“So you’re really not going to turn us all in?” Lance asked.

“I keep my word,” Katerina said. “You helped me back there. And the only reason I came here to begin with was to find my brother. If you help me get him back, I will be even more in your debt and I will see it paid. If any of you ever get arrested for piracy, it’ll be because you were dumb enough to get caught. I won’t have anything to do with it.”

She actually heard a few people chuckle and Lance gave her a nod. “You may have saved us back there a little too. So we have an accord, Miss Dashwood. We will help you get your brother back.”

He extended a hand and she shook it. Then she returned to the captain’s cabin to check on Rhys. He seemed to have stopped throwing up, now just slumped across the bed looking a bit pale and miserable. Katerina brought him some water and some crackers she’d found in the kitchens, then sat and ran her fingers through his hair. He took small sips and cautiously nibbled at the crackers. She waited until his color was restored and he’d gotten some sleep before getting him up to speed.

“The amulets told me how to get to Cedric,” she said. “We set a course.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re going to find him. So, what happened while I was hallucinating?”

Katerina smiled and told him about the inside of the temple and the creepy statues, and how Notley tried to make her pick the flower for him so she convinced the crew to help her.

“So you stole the pirate’s crew from him,” Rhys said with a grin.

“I borrowed it,” Katerina corrected and he laughed. It made her heart feel warm to hear him laugh, when she’d been so worried he was going to die.

“I was able to pick the flower because I was using it to save you,” she said quietly. “I was so afraid that I was going to lose you.”

“Good thing that I’m pretty easy to find, being so tall.”

Katerina laughed. “I’m so glad that the flower realized you were worth saving.” She continued to stroke his hair and she studied his face until he blushed.

“What?” he asked.

“How could you ever think you looked like a brute?” She smiled. “With these fluffy curls and those adorable freckles. And the fact that you’re blushing harder now that I said that.”

“Well, I come from a rough place and I’m menacingly big. And the scar on my face doesn’t help.”

“How did you get it?”

“I uh, fell out of a tree when I was eight.”

Katerina laughed again, leaning down to kiss his cheek. “Of course you did. I don’t think you’re menacing. You’re sweet and perfect and you make me feel safe.”

“I do?”

She smiled down at him. “Rhys…I love you too. I love you so much I don’t know how the feeling even fits inside my body.”

“Really?” He watched her with a hopeful expression on his face and she gently tugged one of his curls.

“Yes, really. Now you should try to get some more sleep.”

“Will you stay?”

“Always.”

They did in fact have smooth sailing and a crisp wind all the way to the Crossbones, arriving at the white sandy little island in about a week. They all went ashore, some of the crew dragging along a still gagged and bound Notley and Harry while Lance and Mr. Teller led the way and spoke to the men who met them at the docks, explaining the gist of the situation.

“These two betrayed the trust and good will of their crew,” Lance said. “We want to give them to you in exchange for two men who are imprisoned here unjustly.”

The other pirates seemed skeptical but the entire crew backed them up and Katerina must have looked ready to fight her way inside if need be. They were escorted to the makeshift jail and she ran inside.

“Cedric!” she called out.

“Kat?”

She ran toward the incredulous voice, tears pooling in her eyes when she saw her brother leaning against the bars. He looked stunned. A man came and unlocked the cell. As soon as Cedric stepped out she was throwing her arms around him, sobbing into his chest.

“Oh, hey, don’t cry, tabby cat,” he said gently, hugging her back. “I’m fine. And very happy to see you.”

“I was so worried that you were dead,” she sniffed. “I thought you’d gotten stranded and Ezra was going to eat your legs.”

Cedric went from stunned to confused. “What?”

“I’ve eaten some questionable things, my dear, but I would not stoop so low as that.” Ezra shuffled out of the cell after him, clothes and copper hair disheveled but still wearing his easy grin. “We have truly been saved, Ced. Katerina you are a heavenly vision, even more so than usual.”

Katerina rounded on him. “Ezra Bainbridge! You dragged my brother out here and he got locked up in a pirate prison!”

Ezra grimaced. “Oh, come on, Katerina. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” He quickly backed up as Katerina came towards him. “Aren’t you just happy to see us both alive and well?” he asked hopefully, holding his hands up in surrender.

“You’re speaking too soon, Ezra.” Katerina balled a fist and socked him in the gut.

“Okay, I may have deserved that,” Ezra wheezed. “Still good to see you, Katerina.”

Cedric stood back looking amused, though he watched curiously as Harry and Notley were shoved into his recently vacated cell. Harry was trying to yell something around his gag but everyone ignored him.

“Miss Dashwood, the crew has been discussing it and we would like to offer you some further assistance,” Lance said. “We’d like to help you on your way home.”

“What…exactly has been going on since I’ve been gone?” Cedric asked slowly, taking in the pirate crew.

“It’s a long story,” Katerina said, herding them out of the jail. She hugged Cedric again. Then she stepped back and gestured to the crew. “What did you want to tell me, Lance?”

“Well, we thought we’d deliver you as far as Alanada, and someone there owes Timms a favor. They can take you the rest of the way home.”

“Timms?” Katerina raised her eyebrows and the cook coughed awkwardly.

“Just figured it’d be the fastest way,” he grumbled.

“We would be very appreciative,” Katerina said. The men dispersed to work on resupplying the ship, except for Rhys; who hovered a little anxiously behind her.

“This is Rhys,” she told Cedric. “He was helping me look for you, and he kept me safe while we were traveling. It was a rather harrowing journey.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Rhys said nervously.

“It’s nice to meet you too, and if you were keeping my little sister safe then I am incredibly grateful.”

“Oh… well, I didn’t really do that much.”

Katerina rolled her eyes. “He almost died for me, but sure. Come on, let’s get you two something proper to eat and I’ll tell you all about it.”

She spent the evening telling Cedric and Ezra about everything that had happened. Their eyes were wide and their mouths hanging open by the time she finished.

“Kat,” Cedric finally said. “I would tone a lot of this down when you tell Dad about it.”

She laughed. “I’m so happy to see you, Cedric. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Cedric smiled, squeezing her hand. “I almost expected you to come rescue me somehow, though I wasn’t anticipating you riding in leading a pirate crew.”

“I’m not leading them.” She rolled her eyes. “We just struck a deal.”

“Dad will be so proud of your negotiating skills,” he teased. He gently flicked her forehead. “I’m proud of you, too.”

“Well you guys get one free one. Next time I have to rescue you I expect a reward.”

“Fair,” Cedric laughed. He glanced at Rhys, who had stayed mostly quiet as they sat at the table in the pub. He’d mostly jsut blushed whenever Katerina started singing his praises for all the times he’d helped her.

“I want to thank you,” he said seriously. “She may be a handful but my father and I would have been devastated to lose Kat. I appreciate you looking after her.”

“It was really no trouble,” Rhys said. His gaze slid to Katerina and then he quickly looked back at his plate.

“No, I suppose it wasn’t all bad,” Cedric agreed, his eyes twinkling a little. Katerina kicked him under the table. They stayed on the pirate island that night, allowing Ezra and Cedric to get cleaned up and have a decent night’s sleep. They would reach Alanada within two days so they boarded The Mystic one final time in the morning.

“I’m almost going to miss it,” Katerina remarked, leaning on the rail.

“Ask Dad to buy you a ship. You know he will.” Cedric grinned. Katerina shot him an amused look, then smiled as she saw Rhys coming up from below, where he’d been helping to put the supplies away. Cedric followed her gaze and smirked.

“So, that’s why you never actually went for any of the guys back home, huh? You’re into the tall and brawny type. Ezra will be incredibly heartbroken.”

“Shut up,” Katerina laughed, shoving his shoulder.

“He seems nervous around me. Should I give him a few proper big brother scowls?”

“Leave him alone, you ruffian.” Katerina rolled her eyes. Cedric flashed her another grin, then squeezed her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

“As long as you’re happy, I’m happy,” he said quietly. He backed away as Rhys approached them. Cedric winked.

“Rhys,” he said, nodding to him as he began to saunter away. Katerina bounced onto her toes to give Rhys a quick kiss.

“You two just promise not to give Dad grandkids before we get home,” Cedric called casually. Rhys flushed crimson and Katerina threw her orange at her brother’s retreating head.