“
Captain O'Hare.”
Marcus whirled around, releasing Kira's hand as he
searched the area for the owner of the voice. Kira felt tingles run
up the back of her neck as she searched the darkness. She could see
no one.
“
Where is he?” She whispered
nervously to Marcus. He glanced at her briefly then put one finger
to his lips to silence her. A breeze rustled through the branches
on the path and they strained to make out any distinctive
sounds.
“
Show yourself.” Marcus said
loudly, his eyes still alert and dangerous. Kira wrapped herself
tightly with her arms, her body beginning to shake from fear. Where
was the informant? Why was he toying with them?
Suddenly, a loud rustling in the trees erupted from
the direction they'd come. Marcus charged down the path and into
the woods aggressively. Kira watched his back disappear with wide
eyes when she felt a pair of strong arms grab her from behind.
“
Marcus!!” She screamed when a
hand clamped down hard over her mouth. She tried desperately to
fight but her body was pinned against her assailant's chest and she
was powerless to escape.
“
Kira!” Marcus appeared on the
path and stopped short at the sight in front of him. Kira was
standing with a terrified look on her face, a man dressed in all
black holding a knife to her throat.
She attempted to speak but the hand across her
mouth felt like an iron trap. Her desperate screams were squelched
and all she could do was stare at Marcus with panic in her
eyes.
“
Let her go!” Marcus yelled,
easing himself slowly towards the attacker.
“
Stop right there,” came a low
voice. “Don't move a muscle or the lady loses her head.”
Kira felt chills race up her spine at the
terrifying voice that boomed in her ear. She couldn't see him, she
could only feel his vice grip and hear the malevolent, cold timbre
of his voice. She knew in her heart this man wouldn't think twice
at slitting her throat.
“
Don't you dare touch her!” Marcus
roared, his face curled up in rage and frustration. He stood like a
caged lion, not moving from his place but looking ready to pounce
at any moment.
“
You have some information I want.
Give it to me and the girl lives.”
Marcus' eyes darkened at the stranger's demand. His
face contorted, conflict written across his features.
“
I don't know what you're talking
about.”
Kira felt her heart sink. She knew he had the
information. Clearly, this man was a spy, looking for the secrets
Marcus carried back to London. But Marcus was a principled man.
Could she expect Marcus to trade state secrets for her life?
“
Don't be stupid.” The stranger
tightened his grip on Kira's body, removing her hand from his mouth
as he pulled the blade tightly against her skin.
“
Ah! Marcus...” Kira implored him
desperately, panic racing through her veins at the feel of the cold
blade. “Please...”
She felt his green eyes bear into hers, a look of
desperation written plainly on his face.
“
Here.” Marcus raised his hands
slowly, pulling a piece of paper from his trousers. He waved it in
front of the attacker, his eyes fixed on him sharply. “You can have
it, just give me the girl first.”
“
I don't think so.”
Kira could feel the heavy breathing of her
assailant, his warm breath heating the side of her face. She felt
her heart nearly beat out of her chest with anticipation.
Marcus nodded tersely at the attacker, then tossed
the papers into the path a few feet in front of Kira. She felt the
grip across her body loosen but when she tried to run she realized
she was still trapped.
“
Pick it up,” he whispered
forcefully in her ear. Kira bent over towards the papers, feeling a
pair of ruthless hands gripping tightly at her waist.
Marcus snarled at the spy, his face red with rage
at the sight unfolding before him. The assailant snickered lowly,
throwing a knowing glance in Marcus' direction. “It seems I've put
your lady in a very compromising position.”
Marcus threw the man a furious, piercing scowl then
pulled a knife from his side and hurled it into the assailant's
chest. The man let out a groan and then went staggering backward,
slumping into the dirt. As his hold went limp, Kira fell to her
knees.
“
Kira...” Marcus' hands were on
her arms in a flash as he lifted her to her feet. She trembled
softly and then wrapped her arms around his chest. “Are you
alright?” Marcus' breathing was heavy as he ran his hand softly
over the back of her head.
“
Please take me away from here.”
Kira clung to him tightly, a warm tear making its way slowly down
her cheek. Marcus pried the papers from her fingers and tucked them
away, then kissed her forehead softly.
“
I'll take you back.” He slipped
out of her arms for a moment to make certain the spy was dead, then
wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they headed quickly back to
the tavern.
Marcus told the other sailors about the attack then
led Kira upstairs to a room. “We'll leave in the morning.”
Kira walked slowly into the dark room, a single
window facing out to the dirty street. She looked back at Marcus,
his large frame filling the doorway. The darkness obscured his face
and Kira felt her breath catch.
“
You won't leave me alone, will
you?” Kira squinted, trying to make out the features of his face.
He stepped forward then, the dim light from the street illuminating
his green eyes and solemn mouth.
“
No, of course, I won't.” Marcus
closed the door behind him and lit a candle by the small bed. Kira
felt her face flush at the sudden intimacy. The room now felt tiny
with his hulking frame standing a few feet from her.
“
What is it?” Marcus searched her
face, noting the look of alarm in her eyes. He raised his eyebrows
in appraisal then smiled faintly. “I'll sleep on the
floor.”
“
Thank you. Thank you for saving
my life. Again.” Kira looked down at the floor as she
spoke.
“
I'm sorry you got dragged into
this. It's my fault. I never should have brought you with me.”
Marcus stared at her with a guilty look in his eyes.
“
You couldn't have known. Besides,
I feel safer with you than anywhere else.” Kira bit her lip in
embarrassment as the words slipped out.
Might as well have told the man that you love
him
, she thought as a burning sensation
flooded her face.
“
Kira.”
Kira glanced up, “Yes.”
Her eyes widened as she saw the intense burning
that lingered in his. She hadn't seen that look since the night he
kissed her in his bunk.
“
Marcus...” She whispered softly,
suddenly feeling incredibly vulnerable and very, very small. They
stared at each other in silence, the tension in the room growing
thick.
Marcus started to speak, his voice low. “I...Kira,
I...” He took one step closer, cutting the distance between them in
half.
“
What is it?” Kira was breathless
and his closeness was doing nothing to calm her.
For a moment, he looked torn. He reached out a hand
and grazed her fingers softly with his, then pulled away. His head
dropped and his brows furrowed, tension obvious in his face.
Finally, he looked up at her.
“
Let's get to sleep. It's
late.”
Kira nodded in confusion, her eyes welling up with
hurt and frustration. She navigated her way around him awkwardly,
then curled up on the bed. When the light was out, she heard him
sigh heavily from his place on the floor. Kira pulled her knees in
to her body and tried to fight the tears that threatened to come
pouring down. She didn't want him to hear her sobbing.
~~~~~~~~
In the dead of night, Marcus woke to the sound of
Kira whimpering in the darkness. He listened closely, trying to
discern whether or not she was crying. She let out several
distressed noises and Marcus realized she was having a nightmare.
He felt his gut tighten and he tried to quite the ache that had him
longing to take her into his arms.
“
Ah!” Kira let out a frightened
yell and Marcus jumped up. “Kira...” Sliding onto the edge of the
bed, Marcus took her by the shoulders and shook her softly. “Kira,
are you awake?”
“
Marcus...” She started to sob
quietly in the darkness. “I miss my papa...”
Her cries were low and guttural, racking her whole
body. Marcus felt his throat tighten up at the painful, broken
sounds that were coming out of her. Marcus' eyes adjusted to the
darkness and he slipped onto the bed and wrapped her in his
arms.
“
Why is all this happening to me?
All I wanted- all I wanted, was for papa and me to stay together
for as long as we could.” Her words came out choppily, broken up by
her intense sobbing.
Marcus pulled her body close to his and wrapped his
arms around her tightly. Pulling her head to his chest, he
whispered softly. “I don't know. I'm so sorry, Kira.” He felt her
curl up closer to him, her whole body trembling as she tried to
catch her breath.
“
It's going to be alright.” He
tried to soothe her by running his hands over her silky hair until
her breathing had quieted and the sound of her crying had
stopped.
“
Thank you,” she whispered softly.
Marcus felt her place her hands gently on his chest and then she
went very quiet. He sighed and pulled her closer. It was the most
comforting feeling he'd ever known, having her lying there in his
arms.
They lied there in silence until both of them had
drifted off to sleep.
~~~~~~
The next day Kira opened her eyes to see Marcus'
sleeping face in front of her. She drew a breath in surprise but
then remembered the events of the night before. He looked so
peaceful, lying there, and Kira had to fight the urge to kiss his
lips.
“
Hello.”
Kira blushed when he opened his eyes to catch her
staring. “Oh goodness. Good morning,” she said, scrambling to an
upright position on the bed.
“
I don't bite, I promise.” Marcus
threw her a boyish, sleepy smile which only made her blush even
more.
“
I'm sorry to have put you in that
position last night.” Kira ducked her head and ran her fingers
through her hair self-consciously.
Marcus looked up at her lackadaisically and smiled
again. “There's nothing to apologize for Kira.”
He sat up and leaned against the wall, his hair
mussed from sleep. Kira glanced over at him cautiously, feeling her
stomach tighten in knots at the adorable look on his face.
Was she really supposed to endure this kind of
torture? She couldn't have imagined the man being more perfect if
he tried.
“
We've got to get going. I don't
know if there are others after the information we have.” With that,
he switched back to his serious tone and stood up.
They exchanged a few awkward glances from across
the bed, then made their way down into an empty tavern and out onto
the street. Several of the ship's sailors were already waiting,
looking tired and hungover from the night before.
They made their way to the ship and Marcus started
barking orders, making sure that everyone was accounted for. A few
sailors emerged from below deck, having slept on the ship.
Kira felt out of place as she watched Marcus
transform back into the tireless captain. She slipped below deck to
avoid the curious stairs of the sailors and curled up in the bunk
once more. Whatever last night had been, it was a fluke. A one-time
thing. Kira knew that Marcus would have done the same for any woman
in need.
Worlds Away
A month had passed with Kira hardly seeing Marcus
at all. He seemed to be keeping away from the galley when she was
there and Kira understood. The intimacy of that night on the island
would not be repeated. One morning, Kira woke to hear the bustling
sound of shouts above deck. She curled tightly into the rough duvet
that covered her, thinking it was much too early for so much noise.
She listened intently for a moment, trying to decipher the words of
the excited sailors.
That's when she noticed that the slow and steady
rocking of the boat seemed to have eased a little. Outside the
window of her little bunk, there was a clamorous sound. Kira
listened in slight confusion, until she realized they must be
docked. Had they made it to London already?
Kira jumped out of bed in a flash, feeling a
nervous excitement. Her future was a question mark, everything in
her path foreign and unknown. Truth be told, Kira didn't even know
where she would be sleeping that night.
She did her best to make herself presentable for
the world that existed just outside her window. Visions of elegant
ladies, sophisticated gentlemen and beautiful mansions filled her
mind.
To her, London was the essence of all the stories
she had heard as a child. Beautiful gowns and elegant horses
leading carriages down proper streets lined with distinguished
homes; it was all a fairy-tale to her.
A faint rustling could be heard outside the door
and then a gentle knock. “Miss Kira...” Malcolm's patient tone came
through the door. Kira smiled to herself lightly, this was indeed a
unique occasion if Malcolm was calling her “Miss.”