Marcus felt deflated. He'd been making progress,
but now she seemed as far away as ever. “Well, as the ship's
captain, I thank you. It's a relief not to hear so many groans at
dinnertime.” Kira turned with her head lowered. “Of
course...Captain.”
Her insides whirled with restless, anxious
thoughts. How the temptation to say his name ate at her. She could
feel it on the tip of her tongue. Marcus. Marcus.
Kira forced herself to look up at him. His gaze was
even, the gentleness she had seen there before now tightly hidden
away. Kira forced a smile, doing her best to appear unaffected. She
had no idea what she'd done wrong, no idea why he'd run from her
before. And it was clear he had no intention of telling her.
“
Well,” he said, his awkwardness
returning. “Have a good day. I'm sure you're looking forward to
docking. London will be here before you know it.” He nodded
slightly, running his hands through his blonde hair and then
slipped out the door.
Kira dropped the carrot she was holding and gripped
the galley's wooden counter. London was coming. She could finally
escape the terrifying proximity to this man. She blinked for a
moment, telling herself with certainty that that was what she
wanted.
~~~~~~
The dusky darkness of evening was taking over as
Kira returned to her bunk. She always felt nervous climbing onto
the deck by herself after her run in with George. Still, she
couldn't bring herself to ask Malcolm to walk her back.
Cautiously, Kira reached the top of the stairs and
looked out across the deck. She couldn't see anyone but she
listened intently for any signs of activity. The slight whistling
of the wind through the sails made a haunting noise but nothing
else seemed to disturb the quiet night.
She stepped onto the deck tentatively, scanning the
area for danger. Her eyes stopped, though, when they came across a
peculiar sight in the distance. There were lights flickering far
across the water and Kira felt herself transfixed. What was she
looking at?
She squinted for a moment, feeling the cool night
breeze streaming across her neck. She shivered. Suddenly, a hand on
her shoulder caused Kira to jump. She whirled around with her hands
in front of her.
“
Ah!” Kira shouted, alarmed.
Marcus was standing on the deck, looking at her with a humorous
light in his eyes. “You scared me.”
Marcus smiled lightly. “That wasn't my intention.
Sorry.” His tell-tale gesture repeated itself, his hands running
quickly through his hair. “Are you nervous to be out here
alone?”
Kira looked at him uncomfortably. She had no
interest in admitting her weakness, but he had already seen it a
dozen times. “I guess...”
“
You don't need to be afraid. I've
told the men anyone who bothers you will have to answer to me. What
happened with George...it won't happen again.” He looked at her
sincerely, a faint hint of concern on his face.
“
I- thank you.” Kira felt
awkwardness begin to creep into her body and she averted her eyes.
His gaze was just too intense.
“
You saw the lights in the
distance?”
“
Yes, I was trying to figure out
what it was.”
Marcus took a few steps towards the side of the
boat, waving to Kira to follow. Leaning against the side of the
ship, he pointed towards the lights.
“
It's an island. We're docking
tonight.”
Kira felt a thrill run through her. She'd never
been anywhere outside of her home at the docks. Marcus glanced over
at her as she smiled openly.
“
What are we doing
there?”
“
There are a few supplies we need,
and I thought I might leave George behind.”
Kira's eyes shot up to him uncertainly. His face
was playfully serious.
“
I'm kidding. We'll be delivering
him to the authorities in London.”
“
I don't care what you do with
him, as long as he can't come near me.”
Marcus smiled at her tersely. “He won't. No man of
mine can behave that way and get away with it...What did you do,
before?”
“
What? To protect myself?” Kira
felt her cheeks blushing as he acknowledged the general danger she
faced as a dock girl.
“
Well, I mean, I lived with my
father. You just learn, you learn how it is. You learn when to be
outside and when to stay huddled indoors.” She shivered a little as
she thought about the characters she'd often dodged on the
docks.
“
But you would go places
alone?”
Kira smiled. “Of course. I had no choice. My father
was getting sicker. And we needed food.”
Marcus watched her intensely and Kira felt herself
growing red.
“
How...how did you...”
“
How did I get kidnapped by
pirates?”
Marcus smiled wryly, “Yes...how did you get
kidnapped by pirates?”
“
My father...he was so weak but
we-we had no money for food. So sometimes, he would try to take
work. Just enough to make sure we didn't starve. Anyway, I came to
the docks to bring him bread and...”
Kira's eyes welled up with tears as she replayed
the brutal beating she had witnessed. Her father had been like a
broken rag doll, limp from the pirate's brutality. She felt emotion
choke her as she tried to blink away the painful image.
Marcus cleared his throat awkwardly. “I'm
sorry...You don't have to talk about it.” Hesitantly, he reached
out a hand to comfort her. Kira felt the weight of his hand on her
shoulder and tried to muster a nod in his direction.
“
They were beating him. They
were...they were beating him so hard. And he was just trying to
help that girl.” She wiped a tear from her cheek, looking at out
the water in an attempt to hide her emotions.
“
What girl?”
“
There was a blonde girl, my age I
guess. And they would have taken her if it weren't for my
father.”
“
He's a hero.” Marcus said
solemnly, watching Kira with focused attention. Emotion welled in
Kira's throat and her eyes flooded with liquid once
again.
“
He was a hero. He's dead.” Kira
bit her lip in a desperate attempt at quelling the sadness that was
threatening to escape through her eyes. She glanced up at Marcus to
see his eyes had gone dark, his eyebrows furrowed.
Slowly, Marcus inched closer to her, putting his
arm around her shoulder. His closeness didn't faze Kira in that
moment. Even though he'd rejected her, she couldn't bring herself
to refuse the comfort he was offering her now. There was just too
much pain to shoulder alone.
She allowed herself to collapse against his chest,
the warmth of his embrace soothing the grief she felt inside. Her
father was gone. There was no going back. She would have to make a
way for herself now.
~~~~~~
Kira returned to her bunk and waited anxiously for
the ship to dock. Every few minutes, she would listen at the door
to see if she could hear a commotion above. She expected the
sailors would be delighted to be on land after so many weeks at
sea.
She rubbed her hands over her arms, remembering the
heat of Marcus' comforting embrace. She wanted to hate him for
toying with her, but she couldn't find it in her. Everything about
her life had been thrown upside down and she found herself looking
to him for a sense of relief and safety. She realized that he was
the closest thing to a friend that she had.
A rap at the door startled Kira and she took a
quick step back. The door opened and Marcus stood there looking at
her. “We're going ashore. Come with me. You can't stay here
alone.”
Kira nodded, feeling a slight bit of embarrassment
when she remembered him holding her. He was all business now and
looked very serious.
“
Alright.”
Kira followed him on deck where several sailors
were disembarking. She could see a small dock leading up to the
island, densely covered in trees. A few small lamps hung from the
narrow dock. As they walked across the rickety platform, Kira could
hear noises in the trees. She shivered slightly as a breeze ran
through her hair.
“
You alright?” Marcus glanced back
at her with the same stern look in his eyes.
“
I'm fine.” Kira picked up her
pace as they moved off the dock and onto a small path. She heard
the shouts of several gleeful sailors up ahead and soon they came
onto a street lined with several worn down buildings. There were a
few dubious-looking characters loitering the streets and Kira could
hear boisterous noises from a small tavern that was glowing dimly
in the distance.
“
Are we staying here tonight?”
Kira looked around nervously.
Marcus looked at her and seemed to notice her
discomfort. “Don't worry, you'll be alright.” He glanced over at
her and saw fear in her eyes.
Placing his hand firmly on her
arm, Marcus led her towards the tavern. They slipped through a
small wooden door into a crowded room with low ceilings. There was
a general layer of sound covering the room, as sailors and various
types sat huddled at tables or laughed raucously over drinks.
Several of the sailor's from the
Reliance
were already enjoying their
time ashore at a table in the corner of the room.
Kira noticed the glances of several unkempt
characters from across the tavern and she laced her arm through
Marcus' nervously. He glanced at her with a startled expression
until he saw the look on her face.
“
Are you alright?”
Kira smiled nervously. “I...it just makes me
nervous. These kinds of people.”
Marcus led her to a table on the far wall and they
sat down. “Don't worry, you'll stay with me the whole time we are
here. I won't let anything happen to you.” He cleared his throat
awkwardly as Kira flashed him a look of extreme gratitude.
She huddled against the wall, trying to avoid the
prying eyes of several of the unsavory-looking men. She noticed
Marcus didn't drink with the other sailors. Instead, he ordered
them both some food and kept looking around the room alertly.
Kira consumed the food with a
passion, realizing the predictable fare on the
Reliance
had grown very dull. She
ate quickly, still keeping an eye on the room. When she looked up,
she realized Marcus was watching her with a small smile.
“
What?”
“
You eat fast.” Marcus said, that
irresistible glint in his eye once more.
Kira blushed and looked at him
straight on. She realized she was having a meal with the gorgeous
sailor, spending more time with him than she had in weeks. A slight
ache filled her belly again. He was so perfect and she could feel
herself wishing. Wishing she understood. Wishing he would stop
looking at her like she was
his
sister
.
“
I'm hungry. It's a nice
change.”
“
From Malcolm's stew?” Marcus'
eyes lit up good-naturedly as he smiled at her.
Kira laughed softly. “Yes. Just don't tell.”
“
Oh, I wouldn't dare. I couldn't
handle having both you and Malcolm angry with me.” Marcus ducked
his head down slightly as his words trailed off.
“
Oh.” Kira blushed. “I'm not- it's
just...”
Marcus waved her words away. “It's alright. We
don't need to talk about it.”
They sat there in silence, finishing their food and
avoiding eye contact. Kira willed herself to focus on her plate,
not wanting to meet his eyes. She knew he would see the hurt in
them if she did.
As they were finishing up, a thin young man with a
dirty face entered the tavern. “Captain Marcus O'Hare...?”
Marcus turned towards the door and waved the boy
over. The lad had longish brown hair and wore a tattered shirt and
trousers.
“
I have a message for you, sir.”
He handed Marcus a small note, nodded and then slipped out of the
tavern. Kira watched Marcus open the note with a look of concern on
his face. His features tightened as he read it, then he slipped it
in his pocket and stood up quickly.
“
Where are you going?” Kira felt
her heart start to race a little.
For a moment, Marcus glanced at
her in confusion, then looked around the room. His eyes lingered on
the table full of
Reliance
sailors then he rubbed his head
impatiently.
“
Come with me.”
Kira stood up uncertainly, then followed Marcus as
he strode out of the tavern and into the street.
“
Where are we going?”
Marcus turned to her in the dimly lit street and
rubbed his hand across his stubbly jaw. He looked uncertain.
“There's an informant here with some information for me.”
Kira blinked. “Information?”
“
Yes. About our safety, the safety
of the
Reliance
.
I'm not leaving you with the men.”
Kira shivered nervously. Marcus was staring at her,
waiting for her to move.
“
Alright.”
Kira caught up to him and followed closely as they
walked down a small side street. There was a wildness to this part
of the island, with trees overhanging the path on one side. Staying
alert, Kira glanced around her for any sign of danger when she felt
Marcus' rough hand take hers.
She glanced up, startled by his touch. His hands
were warm and calloused, and they completely enveloped her delicate
fingers. He looked down at her with a fierce gaze, his eyes serious
and on guard. At that moment, a voice came out of nowhere.